I remember when . . .

With each passing year, we accumulate memories in our mental attic; some carefully tended as treasures, others locked away like classified documents! When my adult children come home to visit inevitably around the table the phrase is heard, “I remember when…” and as the story is told we laugh, joined by our memories.  Who we are individually, as families, even as nations, shaped by our memories. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and celebrate our victories! On the 10^th anniversary of the attack of jihadists on America, millions of us took time to consciously recall that moment of a Tuesday morning when thousands died.  Jews around the world remember the terrible Holocaust with a simple reminder: “Never again; always, forever.”

Christians share in an act of worship that centers around remembering. Each time we take Communion, Jesus said that we ‘do this to remember Me.’  We share a common Cup, eat of the Bread, and remember the loving sacrifice that erases the penalty of our sin. Our collective memory brings unity reaching back through time, across cultures, and past every human differences.

The nation of Israel was finally entering Canaan after 40 years in the wilderness. They camped at the Jordan River which flowed at flood stage. God gave the order, “Go over! Take possession of the Promise.”  The priests hefted the Ark of the Covenant of God, walked to the water’s edge and stepped into the stream. “As soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away.”  (Joshua 3:15-16)  After the peopled crossed over Joshua gave this direction. He “called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:4-7)

Disciple, take time to remember! When you have those special experiences of God’s provision create a memorial. Recalling moments of failure and/or sin will make us cringe, but if we have dealt with them with confession and received forgiveness, remembering them can keep us from falling into the same pit! We cannot live in the past, but we must not forget it, either. The memories lay a foundation for our faith, inspiring us to trust Him today.

"O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief." (Psalm 143:1, NIV)  
"I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah" (Psalm 143:5-6, NIV)

The King and I

By nature and experience, I am deeply suspicious of institutional power!  In almost every instance that I can remember, when a group of people is handed authority without a system of checks and balances in place, that power is soon used to enrich those who hold it and oppress those without it. But there is One whose power I love and to Whom I willingly; no, let’s make that eagerly, submit. He is my King.  "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, NIV)

Those words were first written to a young pastor who found ministry difficult. Paul opens his letter to him urging him to stand up to the false teachers that opposed him and reminding Tim that God was greater than his own personal temptations.  He gives a short testimony of his own. "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:15-16, NIV)  Then, he breaks into this shout of worship - "Deep honor and bright glory to the King of All Time— One God, Immortal, Invisible, ever and always. Oh, yes! " (1 Timothy 1:17, The Message)  If you’re where you can do it, read that line loudly, joyfully, declaring to all the world your praise for the King!

I love Jesus, the Man, who I meet in the Gospels. From those pages the mystery of “God Immanuel” is handed to me. By faith I receive that truth that He is my Savior. But, the revelation of Jesus, the Christ, is not complete in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  In Revelation, we meet the King.  Do you know this Jesus? "They (the evil of the world) will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14, NIV) "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean." (Revelation 19:11-14, NIV)  When I read that my heart leaps with joy, my faith stirs.  

He is a King who loves me, who uses His power benevolently for me. He will not oppress me. He raises me up. He extends His power to protect me and promises to bring me into His kingdom, under His reign. Is He YOUR King, too?  Today, I took all my trials, my fears, my foes and petitioned my King to intervene. What a release from fear and despair I found at the Throne of God.

Crown Him King, disciple.  "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, NIV

Majesty, worship His majesty.

Unto Jesus be all glory,

Honor and praise.

Majesty, kingdom authority

Flow from His throne

Unto His own, His anthem raise.

So exalt, lift up on high

The name of Jesus.

Magnify, come glorify

Christ Jesus, the King.

Majesty, worship His majesty.

Jesus who died, now glorified,

King of all kings.

Majesty

Hayford, Jack

Mandina/Rocksmith Music

© 1981 Rocksmith Music (Mandina/Rocksmith Music [c/o Trust Music Management, Inc.])

CCLI License No. 810055

Which Jesus do you believe?

Recently I re-discovered a book, The Jesus I Never Knew, originally published by Philip Yancey in 1995. Yancey writes about how we re-make Jesus into our own image which steals His majesty and diminishes our faith!  “The more I studied Jesus, the more difficult it become to pigeonhole him. He said little about the Roman occupation, the main topic of conversation among his countrymen, and yet he took up a whip to drive profiteers from the Temple. He urged obedience to the Mosaic Law while gaining a reputation as a lawbreaker. … two words one could never think of applying to Jesus of the Gospels: boring and predictable.”

Who is Jesus to you? That question is rolling around in my head today. If he is a benign hippie of ancient history who said some interesting things about peace and love, I may be interested in him, but not compelled to submit to him. If he is only a great moral teacher who redefined what personhood means, I may study him and conclude his ideals are impractical or unworkable in my time. But, if he is God come down to man, if in him we learn who God is and what God expects, then we push him to the margins of our lives to our own peril!  Some suggest that we have outgrown Jesus, that he is irrelevant to the 21^st century, to America of 2011.  That is because they do not know Who He is. They know only the caricature that even many Christian individuals and churches make Him to be.   

Here’s a word from the Word. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."  (Colossians 1:15-20, NIV)   Now, go back and read it again, out loud.

He is Source, Creator, and Sustainer!  As Yancey observes Jesus is no Mr. Rogers in a cardigan sweater, nice to kids, soft-spoken, and forgettable. He is Majesty and Servant in an improbable, but God-ordained, plan to save the world. (And me!)   When we start to see Him as He is, rather than who we might imagine Him to be, our prayers find a secure foundation, our faith is deepened.  Jesus in not easy to understand.  His words are not simplistic. When he preached even scholars of the Law scratched their heads as they tried to grasp His radical message of the Kingdom of God.  John reports that "Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (John 10:20-21, NIV)  And yet, when His words were met with faith, a willingness to accept them, found themselves in the Light. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live." (John 5:24-25, NIV)

So, which Jesus will you believe in and follow? The Jesus of your imagination, who emerges from childhood songs and romantic presentations on film, or the real Jesus of the Gospels? 

____________

The Real Jesus

Jesus on the radio Jesus on a late night show

Jesus in a dream looking all serene

Jesus on a steeple Jesus in the Gallup poll

Jesus has His very own brand of rock and roll

Watched Him on the silver screen

Bought the action figurine

But Jesus is the only name that makes you flinch

Oh can anybody show me the real Jesus

Oh let Your love unveil the mystery

Of the real Jesus

Jesus started something new

Jesus coined a phrase or two

Jesus split the line at the turning point of time

Jesus sparked a controversy

Jesus known for His mercy gave a man his sight

Jesus isn't white

Jesus loves the children holds the lambs

Jesus prays a lot

Jesus has distinguishing marks on His hands

If anybody walks behind the Good Shepherd

If anybody holds the hands that heal lepers

And if you recognize the eyes that see forever

Please, Jesus, Jesus

Oh can anybody show me Jesus

Oh let Your love unveil the glory the real Jesus

Oh can anybody show me the real Jesus

Oh let Your love unveil the glory

Of the real Jesus the real Jesus

© 2006 Centricity Music Publishing | Germain and Martel Publishing  | (Admin. by Centricity Music Publishing)

Jason Germain | Marc Martel

CCLI License No. 810055

The clarity of this moment

Eugene Peterson writes of visiting a Benedictine monastery in New Mexico’s desert. As he walked by the cemetery to lunch, he noted an empty grave.  “Did one of the brothers just die?” he asked one of the monks. “No, that’s for the next one” came the unexpected reply!  It was visual reminder of the shortness of this life to that community of men who were to pursuing life centered in the Spirit.  (The Pastor, A Memoir – HarperOne, 2011)

We Americans sanitize death, don’t we? We have no time for it, move through the rituals that accompany it as quickly as we decently can, and then hasten to resume our lives. Discarded as old-moded relics are formal extended times of mourning. We leave our dying loved ones in the hands of the professionals. With tummy tucks, liposuction, and hours in the gym we cultivate the fantasy that we can live here forever.  And, we are spiritually impoverished because of the disconnect with mortality. My first extended walk ‘through the valley of the shadow of death,’ came three years ago. I spent two days and nights each week, for 6 months, at my father’s bedside. It was exhausting, sorrowful, and provided me with an opportunity to know my Dad in a way that I had never enjoyed in 50 years!  We moved Mom into our home three months ago. Each day we have walked with her as the darkness deepens. It’s the hardest thing I have ever done to this point in my life.

Jesus took the words of the 22^nd Psalm, a song of David, as his cry from the cross. I take them as my cry as I write. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?" (Psalm 22:1, NIV) God had not truly abandoned His Son; He would raise Him from the grave three days hence. By faith, I know that He not abandoned me either. But the anguish of my soul is such that He seems far away. Watching my mother’s life slowly ebb away is not something that is poetic or easily turned into preacher prose! It hurts, plain and simple; a kind of surgical pain. I find myself having little use for trivialities these days. Much of what my culture worships seems silly, often downright stupid, to me at this moment.

My prayer in this time is - "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them." (Psalm 22:1-4, NLT)

"I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born. Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!" (Psalm 22:10-12, NLT)

"Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen. I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people. Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help." (Psalm 22:21-24, NLT)

Here’s my hope!  For the moment it is just a tiny spot of light on the horizon of time, like the North star that guides the traveler.  But, I know it will lead me home.
"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." (1 Corinthians 15:22-23, NIV) "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54, NIV)

__________________

Jesus Led Me All The Way

Some day life's journey will be o'er,

And I shall reach that distant shore,

I'll sing while ent'ring heaven's door,

"Jesus led me all the way."

If God should let me there review,

The winding paths of earth I knew,

It would be proven clear and true,

"Jesus led me all the way."

And hither to my Lord hath led,

Today He guides each step I tread;

And soon in heav'n it will be said,

"Jesus led me all the way."

Jesus led me all the way,

Led me step by step each day;

I will tell the saints and angels,

As I lay my burdens down,

"Jesus led me all the way."

Peterson, John W.

© 1954. Renewed 1982 John W. Peterson Music Company

CCLI License No. 810055