Yes, I know it's two weeks late, but give me a break people ;) Let it serve to restore your personal time with the Lord.
-P.M.
Let's be grounded in the Word:
Luke 10:38-42
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Colossians 1:9-11
Galatians 5:22
1 Peter 5:6-8
OK, so start with the top scripture and we'll cover these in order.
Luke 10 is the story of Martha and Mary hosting dinner for Jesus and his disciples. Martha is furiously working and Mary is sitting listening to Jesus. How many of you have ever felt like Martha? You're doing all the work while someone else sits around and does nothing. Yeah, pretty much all of us have been in that situation. It's frustrating because you would really like to do nothing, but if you did nothing, nothing is exactly what would get done. Then you get irritated, and all these thoughts start racing through your head and festering.
As Martha focuses on Mary just sitting there, you can almost hear her thought process. "I can't believe she's sitting there falling all over Jesus while I do all the work! She's got some nerve! If she thinks she's getting out of all this work, she's got another thing coming!" Her anger starts to grow and grow until all of a sudden, she explodes. She probably interrupts Jesus in the middle of what he's trying to say and tries to get Jesus to make Mary help her.
But why did Jesus react the way He does? First of all, I'm pretty sure that Jesus is anti-slavery and Martha is definitely feeling like a slave right now. Secondly, God is just, right? Is it fair that Martha is doing all the work and Mary is sitting on her fat bum bum doing nothing? (OK, truthfully I cannot speak to the fatness or skinny-ness of Mart's bum bum, but this is the Mara-paraphrase.)
Here's what happened. Martha got so focused on the task at hand (making dinner) that she forgot what and who she was working for. You might say that Martha was mission focused. She got it in her head that she was going to serve the Lord by welcoming Him into her home and serving Him dinner. This was a great idea and one that I'm sure Jesus and the disciples appreciated since they'd been traveling. But what went wrong?
Martha had the right idea inviting Jesus in for a meal. But at some point she took her eyes off the fact that she was doing all this work for Jesus and got so focused on the task at hand that she forgot that the whole point was to serve Jesus. We know that because she practically yells at Jesus for not making Mary help her. Martha yelled at the guest of honor who was the purpose for her doing all this work. I would say someone needs to take a chill pill, and that someone is definitely Martha.
So the question is, was what Martha was doing bad or wrong? Read the verses in Ecclesiastes. I think the answer is no. Her heart was in the right place. She wanted to serve Jesus, but there is a time for everything. There's a time to work for God, and a time to sit at His feet and worship.
As people who are trying desperately to "live the mission", this is something we need to be careful about. We need to keep this balance between working for God and spending time with Him. We can't be "so heavenly minded that we're no earthly good." But we also can't forget the reason we labor, that in the end, it's all for the glory of God. And that's a beautiful and worthy cause. So how can we tell if we're striking the right balance?
Read the passages from Galatians and Colossians. The proof is in the pudding. Or maybe the jello since fruit in pudding sounds gross. The proof is in our fruit! Is your mission, is what you're doing for God bearing good fruit? Martha's mission (a.k.a. making dinner for Jesus) wasn't producing good fruit. It was producing bitterness and frustration. If you didn't read those passages or didn't catch it, bitterness and frustration are not a fruit of the spirit. If this is the kind of fruit that your mission is producing, then it's time to spend some time with Jesus, just you and Him.
When I was in college, I worked three jobs, part-time, went to school full time and in my "free-time" I was in leadership for 3 Christian organizations. I also spent a semester student teaching, which is stressful enough by itself. Needless to say, it was exhausting. I remember waking up early one Saturday morning (which of course is against the college student handbook rules for Saturdays) because I had a to-do list the length of my car. I dragged myself out of bed, sat down at my desk, and looked at my to-do list. It was overwhelming. Right then, it hit me. Out of exhaustion and frustration and the realization that I just couldn't do it anymore, I broke down right there at my desk and cried. I thought I was this strong person that could handle anything, and here I was crying in my room like a little girl because I was tired and frustrated and I wanted to go home. Then, I heard the Lord's voice, clearly, as though He was standing right next to me. "Come back to bed." I immediately accepted the invitation, realizing that my Martha tendencies had become so strong that I had been forgetting how to be like Mary, how to sit at the feet of Jesus and delight in Him.
Our theme for the year, "live the mission" is about going all out. It's about recklessly giving ourselves to the cause that Christ has laid before us and called us to. However, we have to keep our eyes on the prize. We're not serving the mission. We're serving God by fulfilling a mission that He's giving us, but the mission was never meant to replace Him. It's meant to honor Him.
In 1 Peter, we learn about the devil, and how he likes to get us off track. He's looking for that one person that just getting ready to fall off the wagon, in a sense, so he can grab them. Notice: the devil seeks who he MAY devour. He's got to get permission first. Don't give him permission. The devil likes to distract us and pervert our mission to the point where we are no longer focused on God. In fact, sometimes we don't even notice because we're still doing the mission, which is what we were doing when we were God focused and on the right track. Moral of the story: Don't get off track! Remember who and Who's you are!
Father God, help us to keep our eyes on you as we fulfill the mission You have set in front of us. May we never stop serving and glorifying you in our actions and our attitudes. We love you Jesus.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Let it NOT snow!!
In the winter months, we Pennsylvanians have learned to expect a certain amount of snow fall every year. We have snow days built into the calendar, (as well as a day to celebrate presidents and two to celebrate deer season) and the occasional, or not so occasional canceled event due to severe weather. However, it is now February 19th, a mere 7 Wednesdays into the year, and already we have canceled youth group 3 times due to the weather. Ah, the joys of global warming, or cooling, or whatever. Needless to say, I was bummed last night when I found out yet again that we would have to cancel, however, the Lord's timing is always better than mine, so I'm sure He knows what He's doing.
OK, let me take this opportunity to remind all the faithful blog followers of our upcoming events.
March 7-GAIN Warehouse
We'll leave the church at 5 AM and get back somewhere around 9:30PM. (This P.M. adventure made possible by COFFEE!, the official caffeinated beverage of P.M. in the AM)
You'll need $5 for a fast food dinner on the way home.
March 14-Laser Tag at Ithaca
We'll leave the church at 1PM and return around 7PM. You'll need $5/game you'd like to play (we usually play 3) and then some cash for fast food on the way home.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT!!
May 1-2 30 HOUR FAMINE!!!!
Yes, dear bloggers, it is time for 30 HOUR FAMINE. We will again be raising sponsors to support WorldVision. Last year, we raised $1300. This year, our goal is $2000!! With your help, we can do it!! If you're interested, see Pastor Mara for details!
Blessings,
P.M.
OK, let me take this opportunity to remind all the faithful blog followers of our upcoming events.
March 7-GAIN Warehouse
We'll leave the church at 5 AM and get back somewhere around 9:30PM. (This P.M. adventure made possible by COFFEE!, the official caffeinated beverage of P.M. in the AM)
You'll need $5 for a fast food dinner on the way home.
March 14-Laser Tag at Ithaca
We'll leave the church at 1PM and return around 7PM. You'll need $5/game you'd like to play (we usually play 3) and then some cash for fast food on the way home.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENT!!
May 1-2 30 HOUR FAMINE!!!!
Yes, dear bloggers, it is time for 30 HOUR FAMINE. We will again be raising sponsors to support WorldVision. Last year, we raised $1300. This year, our goal is $2000!! With your help, we can do it!! If you're interested, see Pastor Mara for details!
Blessings,
P.M.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
February 4, 2009
So, I'm getting a little behind on my blogging. Part of it is because the electricity went out on Thursday, deleting the partially finished message for Feb. 4, which also gave my computer the black screen of death. It's now at the computer hospital (a.k.a. pete's house) thanks pete ;) However, since I'm two weeks behind on the blog, this obviously is not my only excuse. But it'll due for now.
OK, let's start with the Word. A very good place to start.
Hebrews 11:1-6
Ephesians 2:8-9
Exodus 3:1-11
Luke 17:11-19
Take a minute to look up these verses. Let God's Word speak for itself. I can guarantee that when God speaks to your heart through His Word, it's much more articulate and to the point than anything I could say to you. But I'll give it a shot. ;)
Living the mission requires many things from us. Faith is probably the first and foremost. If we desire God to do anything in or through us, it requires some degree of faith that God will finish what He starts. Hebrews says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We have hope that when we set out the live the mission that God has placed in front of us, He doesn't just wave goodbye as we're heading out. He backs us up!
Take some time to read the rest of Hebrews 11 about ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God, not because they had superpowers, but because they allowed God to be strong for them.
Think about Moses. He was kind of big deal in the Old Testament. Actually, he's still kind of a big deal. You know, parting the Red Sea, turning staffs into snakes, the plagues, leading thousands upon thousands of people through the middle of the desert following a cloud and a pillar of fire, going up to Mount Sinai to get the 10 Commandments (twice), seeing the backside of the glory of the Lord, you get the idea. He's a big deal. Now read the passage in Exodus 3, which happens before all of the great things we remember Moses for. I love verse 11. "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?'" Have you ever felt like Moses did that day? I think I do just about every day when I really think about what it is that I'm doing. God, are you really sure that you want ME to do this? Don't you know who I am? I'm no good for this! Isn't there someone else who would be better for this? I really don't think you know what you're getting into here.
When you're on the verge of living the mission, of throwing yourself headlong into whatever it is that God has laid out for you to do, these are the things that go through your head. You have a choice, just like Moses. Moses could have said (and probably almost did) "No way! I'm not doing that. I definitely can't handle that kind of pressure. I'll just stick to hanging out with the sheep. Less drama." But if Moses had said that, he wouldn't be in Hebrews 11. He wouldn't be a role model of faith, and only God knows how much longer the Israelites would have been in Egypt! We have the same dilemma in front of us. Rely on God to back us up on the mission he's laid out in front of us, or give into fear and let the mission slip through our hands.
Question of the day: do you have faith? It's a pretty simple question, but one that still requires some thought. If you say that you do, great! If you say that you don't, you're a liar. Everyone has faith in something. Do you believe in gravity? Are you worried that you're going to float up into the air and hit your head on the ceiling or that the computer monitor you're staring at right now is going to hit you in the face? If you are, you need more help than this blog can offer you. But you can see where this is going. Now, more specifically, do you have faith in God? (see Ephesians 2: 8-9) If you're a Christian, you have faith that God is who He says He is, that Christ died for your sins and that you have eternal life by accepting the sacrifice of Christ. So if you say you have faith in God, that's great! But saying you have faith is like saying you have a bicep. I have a bicep. So does the governor of California. The difference between my bicep and Arnold's is that I can't lift 20 times my body weight. (To be fair, I'm not sure Arnold can either, but he's definitely stronger than me) But it takes work to develop strong muscles. It also takes work to develop strong faith. It's not just going to be strong without any help from you. It's going to require you taking steps of faith to help you realize the faithfulness of God.
Take some time to read the account of the lepers in Luke 17. They came to Jesus desperate to be healed. Jesus told them how to be clean, so they did it. They had faith and trusted that Jesus wouldn't let them down. They took steps of faith to follow through what He said. When they were healed, only one remembered to go thank Him. Why? This wasn't a faith growing experience for those 9 lepers. They were healed, but didn't take time to praise God. They failed to recognize the hand of the Lord in their circumstance.
Try to remember the last time you had to rely on God for something. Try to think of something you couldn't control. Did you trust God for it, or did you find some other way around it? If you did trust God for it, did you thank Him for what He did? Did you recognize God's hand in the situation even if it didn't turn out the way you thought or hoped?
I believe there are many different levels of faith and that wherever we are, God is calling us to trust Him a little bit more, and then more still. But let me give you an analogy. Imagine that faith was like the flying trapeze at the circus. You're on one swing and God's at the other end. OK, the fact that you're sitting on the swing is something. But let's take levels of faith here. First, you swing across with a safety net underneath. You're trusting that God can catch you, but you've got plan B in place just in case He doesn't come through. I've done this a lot in my life. I say that I'm trusting God, but I'm already thinking of ways I can solve a problem so that I don't have to TOTALLY rely on God. Second level. OK, so we've taken away the safety net, we're really going to do this. But we're not going for do or die. There's no back up plan, but we're pretty sure we could survive the fall if we had to. It would obviously hurt, but probably the only thing that it would really damage is our relationship with God. We're trusting a little bit more than before, which is good, but the only thing we're putting on the line is a little personal comfort and probably our relationship with God. Third level. Now, we're doing this for real. We're swinging on the trapeze, no safety net, over a fire pit. This, ladies and gentlemen, is do or die. There is no survival tactic. There is nothing we are counting on except the fact that God will catch us. There is no "if he doesn't" scenario. We have all the cards down and we've gone all in.
Again, I would like to emphasize that I do believe there are more levels than this, but I wanted to give you something to process. How big is your faith? Is it safety net big or fire pit big? Our goal this year is to live the mission with reckless abandon. This is describing the third scenario. This is going all out. And the mission is definitely worth it.
Challenge for the week: Take up the mission. No just something that is hard for you to do, like asking that pretty girl across the room to date you. Take on the calling God has placed on your life. Ask God to give you the vision and the opportunity and then take it on with everything that's in you.
OK, let's start with the Word. A very good place to start.
Hebrews 11:1-6
Ephesians 2:8-9
Exodus 3:1-11
Luke 17:11-19
Take a minute to look up these verses. Let God's Word speak for itself. I can guarantee that when God speaks to your heart through His Word, it's much more articulate and to the point than anything I could say to you. But I'll give it a shot. ;)
Living the mission requires many things from us. Faith is probably the first and foremost. If we desire God to do anything in or through us, it requires some degree of faith that God will finish what He starts. Hebrews says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We have hope that when we set out the live the mission that God has placed in front of us, He doesn't just wave goodbye as we're heading out. He backs us up!
Take some time to read the rest of Hebrews 11 about ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God, not because they had superpowers, but because they allowed God to be strong for them.
Think about Moses. He was kind of big deal in the Old Testament. Actually, he's still kind of a big deal. You know, parting the Red Sea, turning staffs into snakes, the plagues, leading thousands upon thousands of people through the middle of the desert following a cloud and a pillar of fire, going up to Mount Sinai to get the 10 Commandments (twice), seeing the backside of the glory of the Lord, you get the idea. He's a big deal. Now read the passage in Exodus 3, which happens before all of the great things we remember Moses for. I love verse 11. "But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?'" Have you ever felt like Moses did that day? I think I do just about every day when I really think about what it is that I'm doing. God, are you really sure that you want ME to do this? Don't you know who I am? I'm no good for this! Isn't there someone else who would be better for this? I really don't think you know what you're getting into here.
When you're on the verge of living the mission, of throwing yourself headlong into whatever it is that God has laid out for you to do, these are the things that go through your head. You have a choice, just like Moses. Moses could have said (and probably almost did) "No way! I'm not doing that. I definitely can't handle that kind of pressure. I'll just stick to hanging out with the sheep. Less drama." But if Moses had said that, he wouldn't be in Hebrews 11. He wouldn't be a role model of faith, and only God knows how much longer the Israelites would have been in Egypt! We have the same dilemma in front of us. Rely on God to back us up on the mission he's laid out in front of us, or give into fear and let the mission slip through our hands.
Question of the day: do you have faith? It's a pretty simple question, but one that still requires some thought. If you say that you do, great! If you say that you don't, you're a liar. Everyone has faith in something. Do you believe in gravity? Are you worried that you're going to float up into the air and hit your head on the ceiling or that the computer monitor you're staring at right now is going to hit you in the face? If you are, you need more help than this blog can offer you. But you can see where this is going. Now, more specifically, do you have faith in God? (see Ephesians 2: 8-9) If you're a Christian, you have faith that God is who He says He is, that Christ died for your sins and that you have eternal life by accepting the sacrifice of Christ. So if you say you have faith in God, that's great! But saying you have faith is like saying you have a bicep. I have a bicep. So does the governor of California. The difference between my bicep and Arnold's is that I can't lift 20 times my body weight. (To be fair, I'm not sure Arnold can either, but he's definitely stronger than me) But it takes work to develop strong muscles. It also takes work to develop strong faith. It's not just going to be strong without any help from you. It's going to require you taking steps of faith to help you realize the faithfulness of God.
Take some time to read the account of the lepers in Luke 17. They came to Jesus desperate to be healed. Jesus told them how to be clean, so they did it. They had faith and trusted that Jesus wouldn't let them down. They took steps of faith to follow through what He said. When they were healed, only one remembered to go thank Him. Why? This wasn't a faith growing experience for those 9 lepers. They were healed, but didn't take time to praise God. They failed to recognize the hand of the Lord in their circumstance.
Try to remember the last time you had to rely on God for something. Try to think of something you couldn't control. Did you trust God for it, or did you find some other way around it? If you did trust God for it, did you thank Him for what He did? Did you recognize God's hand in the situation even if it didn't turn out the way you thought or hoped?
I believe there are many different levels of faith and that wherever we are, God is calling us to trust Him a little bit more, and then more still. But let me give you an analogy. Imagine that faith was like the flying trapeze at the circus. You're on one swing and God's at the other end. OK, the fact that you're sitting on the swing is something. But let's take levels of faith here. First, you swing across with a safety net underneath. You're trusting that God can catch you, but you've got plan B in place just in case He doesn't come through. I've done this a lot in my life. I say that I'm trusting God, but I'm already thinking of ways I can solve a problem so that I don't have to TOTALLY rely on God. Second level. OK, so we've taken away the safety net, we're really going to do this. But we're not going for do or die. There's no back up plan, but we're pretty sure we could survive the fall if we had to. It would obviously hurt, but probably the only thing that it would really damage is our relationship with God. We're trusting a little bit more than before, which is good, but the only thing we're putting on the line is a little personal comfort and probably our relationship with God. Third level. Now, we're doing this for real. We're swinging on the trapeze, no safety net, over a fire pit. This, ladies and gentlemen, is do or die. There is no survival tactic. There is nothing we are counting on except the fact that God will catch us. There is no "if he doesn't" scenario. We have all the cards down and we've gone all in.
Again, I would like to emphasize that I do believe there are more levels than this, but I wanted to give you something to process. How big is your faith? Is it safety net big or fire pit big? Our goal this year is to live the mission with reckless abandon. This is describing the third scenario. This is going all out. And the mission is definitely worth it.
Challenge for the week: Take up the mission. No just something that is hard for you to do, like asking that pretty girl across the room to date you. Take on the calling God has placed on your life. Ask God to give you the vision and the opportunity and then take it on with everything that's in you.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Missions Trip Update!!
Three weeks ago, we sent out letters to our friends and families telling them about the missions trip we're planning in August and asking for prayer and financial support. God has truly blessed us and we've gotten a great response already! To date, $1,780 has been generously given to help get us on our way! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! We are believing for a total of around $3700 from these letters. Thanks to everyone who gave! You have a claim to the great and mighty things God has for us to do in Mexico!
I just received a newsletter from Erin, who is our contact in Mexico and is a full-time missionary there. God is doing amazing things there, and I want to share a piece of Erin's newsletter with you.
"As I have informed y'all, our church is going through a revamping of its infrastructure. This process takes time, but the end result will produce disciples of Christ and not just church-goers. We have five groups now that meet in various parts of the city, and we hope to double them at the end of 1 year (we are in our 3rd month)...We are seeing people come to Christ, people being delivered and healed. These are people that would have never come to a church building. They are finding a relationship with Christ in an intimate setting of about 10-15 people in someone's home...I praise God for the growth I see in my own group of youth. The light in their eyes is priceless when they are actively serving in their relationships with God."
Please continue to pray with us for the body of Christ in Guanajuato, Mexico and that God would continue to have His hand upon Erin and those working to further the gospel. We are so excited to be part of what God is doing there!
I just received a newsletter from Erin, who is our contact in Mexico and is a full-time missionary there. God is doing amazing things there, and I want to share a piece of Erin's newsletter with you.
"As I have informed y'all, our church is going through a revamping of its infrastructure. This process takes time, but the end result will produce disciples of Christ and not just church-goers. We have five groups now that meet in various parts of the city, and we hope to double them at the end of 1 year (we are in our 3rd month)...We are seeing people come to Christ, people being delivered and healed. These are people that would have never come to a church building. They are finding a relationship with Christ in an intimate setting of about 10-15 people in someone's home...I praise God for the growth I see in my own group of youth. The light in their eyes is priceless when they are actively serving in their relationships with God."
Please continue to pray with us for the body of Christ in Guanajuato, Mexico and that God would continue to have His hand upon Erin and those working to further the gospel. We are so excited to be part of what God is doing there!
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