Something to Treasure

The cool ocean breeze held a salty taste in the air as my shoes sank into the soft wet sand. As I knelt peering into the rocks, pebbles and broken shells, sifting them through my fingers, I looked for the crystalline, translucent treasures, agates. With a quick shout, Bryce pops his head up over the tide pool rocks, and declares he’s found another one. We are agate hunting. Sometimes we scour a rock field with others, hunched over, scanning the area before our feet like a War of the Worlds alien machine. This time we find ourselves at low tide in the midst of tide pool rocks that form miniature canyons with sand, streams, pebbles, and tide pool life.

Agate Hunting has become my favorite beach activity. In that suspended moment of time, with the waves, seagulls and wind orchestrating a symphony that carries my burdens, roles, frustrations, and responsibilities away with each harmonious note, I feel care-free, cleansed and child-like.

I feel a similar way as I think of this week’s devotional in Goodness, by Calvin Miller, “The Gift of Christ’s Righteousness”. As I reflect upon my righteousness, I am very mindful that my attempts at righteousness leave me carrying the burden and responsibilities of being “good” and fall short…very short of anything pure, clean and holy. It is only through the gift of Christ’s righteousness that I am lifted up above the muck, and grime of my human attempts at goodness…I am free, cleansed and child-like. Christ’s gift of righteousness, found in His sacrificial love, and displayed in His power on the cross, frees me from the burden of sin, guilt and shame. As an added benefit my anxieties, frustrations, over-concern of life responsibilities are carried away by the notes of His love. The Apostle Paul makes this claim in his letter to the Romans.

The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. Romans 3:21-24, The Message

A pure gift, now that is something to treasure. When you find this treasure, you can rejoice and proudly proclaim for all to hear, “I found it!” You can display this treasure to your family and friends, and live each day holding on to the gift of Christ’s righteousness. Rejoice, celebrate and live in the purity, holiness, power and freedom of Christ’s righteousness.

Are You Prepared to Worship?

In today’s devotional, Goodness, by Calvin Miller, the question is posed, “How important is it to be ready, or be prepared to enter into worship?” When we engage in personal, private worship (our devotional time), or in community worship (Sunday services), we enter into the presence of our Holy and Almighty God. I think we can easily take this great privilege for granted, at times too casual, and even not prepared. The psalmist asks this same question and offers the answer:

3 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
Psalm 24:3-4

If one of us were called to the White House as an honored guest with nationally televised attention, would we just pack jeans, t-shirts and smelly, old sneakers and go. Certainly not, we would most likely make an appointment at Damascuts, buy a new suit at Men’s Warehouse, stop at Nordstrom’s and purchase dress shoes, belt, tie, socks, and even new underwear…head to toe I would be good to go. I wouldn’t think twice about spending the money, because this would be a once-in-a-lifetime event that I would want to be prepared and ready for.

As exciting and memorable as that event might be, it pales in comparison to being in the presence of God our Father. To be in the presence of His glory, His grace, His power, His love and have His undivided attention. Now, that’s something to be fully prepared and ready for. As we engage in worship let’s come into His presence with clean hands (actions that may have hurt others or in disobedience to God), a pure heart (pure motives, desire, focus and single-minded devotion to God), and in Truth (know, believe and live in the Truth). When we prepare our hands, heart and mind for this invitation to be in His presence we will then honor, worship and please our Heavenly Father.

As we come together for our Celebration Worship Service this Sunday, take some time before you enter the building and prepare to enter into His presence.

Pat's "Pact to the Devil"

After our Wednesday Family Night Service, I plopped on the couch with my pomegranate blueberry iced-juice to watch the latest news on Haiti. As I flipped through CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, to my dismay a sound bite by Pat Robertson made international news.

The 700 Club had a special show dedicated to the awareness, prayer for, and contributions to the Haitians suffering in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. The tragedy leveled the Capital, Port-au-Prince, claiming tens of thousands of lives, with thousands more to come through disease, homelessness, and extreme poverty. They were already an impoverished people with 80% of the population below the poverty level. Yet, in the middle of his show, Pat Robertson made this statement:

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti," Robertson said. "People might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know, Napoleon the third and whatever . . . and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said, 'We will serve you, if you get us free from the Prince.' True story. And so the Devil said, 'Okay, it's a deal.' . . . Ever since they have been cursed."

What? Seriously…come on Pat, a contract with the Devil? Did the slaves gather around an ouiji board at the crossroads, sign a contract with a blood ink pen, pick up their guitars and start their march against the French? Are you not a mature and seasoned media minister, a televangelist who’s been around the block a few times? You’ve been broadcasting since I can remember, and wasn’t one of your first guests, Howdy Doody? Are you not aware of the damage ill-timed and foolish statements can be to yourself and in representing Christians world wide? You dangled a juicy sound bite fish-head that the piranha of national news media couldn’t resist. In one statement you dumped a tanker load of gasoline on the fire of those perceiving Christians as condemning, ignorant, and heartless hours after a wide-spread human tragedy to an impoverished people. Your words also leave the impression that this event is God’s justice, a Sodom and Gomorrah event, except that it’s 200+ years late. Thanks a lot.

Yes, Haitian’s history is steeped in voodoo especially during the 1700’s, and that spiritual warfare is very real, but now is not the time to make foolish judgmental comments, but to fall to our knees, pray and weep for the children who walk the streets without any family, for those still buried beneath the rubble suffocating under tons of concrete, for those mourning over loved ones covered by sheets laying on the streets, and for those injured, to weak to cry, waiting outside hospitals (if you could call them that), and for their future as a people and a nation. Now is the time for the Christians around this world to unite in compassion (love in action), to pray and provide resources as the Body of Christ. The world’s greatest expression of God’s love and compassion is not nations, the U.N., or humanitarian agencies, but us. Now, that’s what the world needs to see from us, a true representation of a loving, compassionate, and responding Savior.

Jesus wept. - John 11:35

Pray and make a difference today and donate at: http://ag.org/top/haiti.cfm

For Goodness Sake

Goodness. Mirriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines goodness as, “the quality or state of being good”, and that it is also used in phrases to express mild surprise or shock. “Would you stop picking your nose at the table for goodness sake.”, “Oh my goodness, the Raiders scored a touchdown!”, “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire, that’s one giant pumpkin you have there cuz.” The words goodness and good are so common and used in so many ways that we loose distinction and power in its expression and definition.

However, both words are very powerful and descriptive in the Word of God. In the KJV, goodness is used 51 times, and good 725 times. In most cases it is God himself declaring what is good. The first example is God’s creation found in Genesis 1 and after each day, God declares it “good”. From there on we know God makes a distinction between what is good, pleasing and acceptable to Him, and what is not good, not pleasing and not acceptable to Him. Many Biblical characters learned this distinction the hard way: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Moses, Pharaoh, Sampson, King Saul, and generations of Israelites.

The Goodness of God is the perfection of His divine nature. Perfect love expressed in His character toward us, his creation. God’s goodness is merciful, longsuffering, compassionate, patient and full of empathy and grace.

In our journey in Christ do we seek a path of goodness? Galatians 5 states it as one of the Fruits of the Spirit, and if we abide in Christ’s love we will bear the fruit of goodness. Goodness is the quality of being good, and if there is any “good” found in us, it is through the goodness of God working within us through the Holy Spirit. Each step we take on the path of goodness is a maturing process of trust, obedience, and faith…so be good for goodness sake.

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- Colossians 1:10