Just For You

 

It loves you and accepts you – knowing what you have done or where you have been – it loves and accepts you just as you are.

There is nothing you can do or have done or will do to make it turn away from you.

It has no limits.

There is always a second chance waiting.

It waits patiently with open arms.

It smiles and says, “You don’t have to be perfect for me. Please stop striving for perfection or some other ideal.”

It gently reminds you, “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

If you embrace it, it will transform, heal and restore you.

 

This is God’s grace for you.

 

 

+++++++++++

 

It’s limitless and everlasting.

It’s unconditional.

It’s based on God’s heart, not your actions.

It will never leave you – as far away as you run – it will still be there.

It wants to wipe away your tears, if you’ll let it.

It is patient and kind and bears all things.

It will move you to pray and care for even your worst enemies.

It is sacrificial – it is for you at the cost of God – and that is okay.

It flows from the one who is Love – God.

If you open your heart and receive it, it will transform, heal and free you.

 

This is God’s love for you.

 

 

+++++++++++

 

 

When you have given up, it still believes.

When you are being swallowed by despair, it holds on to you tight!

It is the light in the deepest darkness.

It never sleeps or slumbers.

It is founded on endurance and character.

It transforms the impossible into possible.

It gives you a reason to believe even when all evidence is to the contrary.

If you hold it, it will bring you through anything in this world.

 

This is God’s hope for you.

 

++++++++++++

 

It makes you still and know God.

It surpasses all understanding.

It is better than anything else in this world that you seek to find comfort in or through.

It is a refuge in a storm.

It will make you stay still when you want to run.

It will whisper to you and settle you when all you can hear is noise and static.

It will give you rest when you are weary.

It will fall like a gentle rain and quench the fires of panic and anxiety in your soul.

It cannot be made, imitated, or put on.

If you know it, it will make you as solid as a rock that nothing in this world can break or tear down.

 

This God’s peace for you.

 

++++++++++++

 

 

It doesn’t change with circumstances.

It’s a constant flame – fueled by gratitude and appreciation for what has been done for you.

It’s better and bigger and deeper and truer than happiness.

It’s a constant trust in God’s goodness.

It gives you reason to celebrate even when all is lost.

It has its eye on the eternal.

It gives you unlimited strength.

It’s visible evidence of a life with God’s hand upon it.

It is a great encouragement to others.

If you have it, your need for things in this world will disappear.

 

This is God’s joy for you.

 

 

++++++++++++

 

 

“My arms are wide open to embrace you with my all-forgiving, all-encompassing grace.

I have loved you with an everlasting love – it’s why I went to the cross.

I never leave you, and I have a plan for you – a plan of future and hope; after all, I am alive even though I died!

I want to hold you until you stop trying to run away and you know the beauty and stillness of my peace.

I don’t want you to just be happy – I want you to have my joy and for it to be complete in you.

All of these – grace, love, hope, peace and joy are all for you – from me.”

 

This is God’s Son Jesus, who was, is and will be always – for you.

 

Amen.

 

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook, NJ and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way (2011); and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 7 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.” N.T. Wright

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The Return of the Joy

We sing and talk a lot about joy, yet we don’t see a lot of it – true joy that is. 

 

And the sad thing there is plenty to be joyful about. We’re doing this series on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). And what we’re exploring is that if we are in Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, then this fruit (love, joy, peace, self-control, compassion, etc.) is inside of us and it’s growing. But there is a gap – the fruit is the evidence of God’s work in our lives – and often we don’t see as much as what’s possible even in churches, let alone in the world. Yet, we and this world needs this fruit – in the marketplace of ideas and values – how transforming would it be to exchange these (love, joy, peace, self-control, compassion, etc.) for the top sellers today – greed, lust, indulgence, aggression, self-serving and more. 

 

So, if the fruit is here within us, through the Holy Spirit, our challenge has to do with unleashing it, making it more visible and evident. Something or some things seem to be holding these fruit back for many of us. Let’s see what we can do about it; starting with joy.

 

First we need to understand the nature of joy. Often we get joy and happiness confused. Happiness is temporary and changes by the hour. It’s an emotion. Joy is different. Joy is a gift from God that’s  always available – it is constant. The first thing we need to understand about joy is that it comes from God; it’s source is God. Whereas happiness is often associated with people and things. Think about the times in your life when you could say, “Only God could have done that.” That’s joy. In Isaiah 35, it talks about deserts blossoming and sand becoming pools of water and more. Only God could do that. And even today, there are situations where only God can bring about joy. Joy also has two other qualities – unexpected-ness and it’s future oriented. As a contrast happiness often comes from routine or from needing something new all the time; and it’s very much in the present. 

 

Now that we understand joy a little better. Let’s talk about three pathways to releasing the joy within us…

 

First, we want to become acutely aware of and constantly mindful of what God has done for us. God creates us, then he saves us through Jesus, then he sustains us through the Holy Spirit. If that was not enough there are so many more things that God does for us, visible and invisible, that it would take a lifetime to thank him (that’s the idea). What Isaiah 35 shows is when we focus on all that God has done and will do; we are able to exchange fear and doubt for joy. It allows us to trust more and more that yes, God is that good 🙂 God is bigger than our problems and issues and when we see that with greater clarity, joy becomes clearer and more prominent. 

 

Second, when we focus more on God being able and good; we are able to let go of and focus less on circumstances. When we dwell on circumstances we can get very discouraged and be joyless. I’ve been there, I know what it’s like. After all, we think, things are so bad, there’s no solution. And often it feels like that; and many times the circumstances are awful. But if we lift our vision off the circumstances and onto God, we find joy. See, circumstances are about what we can or can’t do; circumstances are temporal; circumstances function like walls that close in on us; like prison bars. But focusing on God’s goodness and his being able to overcome anything in this world allows to see beyond circumstances and experience joy despite everything pushing against it. It’s a powerful feeling. 

 

For me, and probably for many of you, the best day ever was our wedding day. It was special in so many ways. But it involved two very important ingredients. There was a focus on God and we let go of circumstances (anything that could have gone wrong, various details, etc.) and enjoyed it and one another. Now I realize that Jenny and I cannot recreate our wedding day, everyday. But with a focus on God’s goodness and keeping life circumstances in their proper perspective, we can all release this joy within us and experience it more fully. 

 

Third, this fruit of joy within us is grown and released when we focus on bringing delight to others. The 1 Thessalonians passage illustrates this when Paul speaks of how their faith gives him great joy even while facing persecution. When we appropriately focus on meeting others’ needs (not pleasing or pandering), when we connect with others via the Holy Spirit and experience community as God designed it, there is great joy to be found. See, we so often believe that joy will be found by pleasure for or through ourselves. This only lasts so long; in part because it’s counter to God’s design of shared life together. In my years of ministry, I’ve enjoyed preaching, teaching, leading and other parts of this calling; but the most joyful moments have been holding people’s hands literally and through prayer – just being present and listening and encouraging in the best and worst times of their lives; being a part of personal healing, restoration and revelation. And it’s after those moments that I thank God and I think, “That’s why I do this.”  

 

True joy is possible. It’s more than possible – it within reach; it’s within us thanks to the Holy Spirit. It can be a source of life in a time of wilderness; it can lift our sight and souls up from even the worst circumstances and times; and it can give us purpose, depth, and delight to our relationships and communities.

 

My prayer is that more and more, you will know joy 🙂

 

Amen. 

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook, NJ and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way (2011); and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.” N.T. Wright

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A Prayer for America, July 2012

Our Father, we are asking today for You to open the heavens and let Your rains mercifully, gently and abundantly fall upon this nation and people. Where the wildfires of violence, lust, and division burn out of control – let Your rain of peace and love cover and extinguish them. Where we experience crippling droughts of reason and sanity, let Your wisdom fall and satisfy. Where corruption and greed ravenously consume, let Your justice sweep down like a flood to purify and cleanse. Where grief and sorrow burden and weigh down, let Your rain of joy and strength lift and raise spirits. Where discouragement and desperation cloud and darken futures, let Your rain of hope reveal a rainbow of promise to come. In this time of trial for our nation in these last years and the ones to come, we ask for the power and strength through the Holy Spirit to repent and turn from away from the things and ways of death and destruction; and to turn to You, and to life, and to purpose. We cry out to you to renew and heal the soul of this nation; that we may truly become one under You. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf
Isaiah 42:7
cbrianwolf@gmail.com
www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook, NJ and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way (2011); and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.” N.T. Wright

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Stuck

Hello! Here is this week’s Living Water. This is a remix of Sunday’s message. Great news – whether you have a pc or a mac you can listen to Walk With Me live on Wednesday nights – 8 pm on http://www.yfnradio.com. We also have just added several new affiliates around the nation. Thanks be to God! Christopher

Feeling stuck today?

Maybe you feel stuck at a job; in a relationship; in a rut or routine that’s not helping; in an addiction; in a spiritual valley; at an organization or group?

You’ve thought about getting out but it never happens. Something else always comes up; rationalizations and compromises are made.

Are you haunted by, or overly attached to the past? Do you often wish or even exist as if the past was great and anything present or new just doesn’t match up?

Or do you avoid thinking about the past altogether because it’s too painful or shameful?

Deep down you know something is not right…

Stay and fight for a solution? Start over? They sound good but seem impossible.

What about something new altogether? That’s it! But a new start…scary.

Let it go (even though you’ve tried so many times before)?

Still stuck, right?

Stuck in the middle between old and new; comfortable and reaching; liking and loving; numbed and compassionate; circling and devoted.

Though stuck may feel safe – it’s not truly alive.

Let’s talk about why we get stuck and how we might get un-stuck.

Here are some ways we get stuck: Denial (“It’s not really over,” and “It never happened” and “I don’t have a problem”) and Pride (“It’s not going/ending the way I want it to”) and Fear (“What will a new beginning be like; who will I be if ____ ends, or I let go?”). All of these together point to something we all wrestle with – avoiding truth, reality, endings and losing control. To make things worse, I cringe when I hear the phrases, “just move on” and “swept under the rug” because they don’t work and cause even more damage beyond being stuck.

As you might imagine, truly getting unstuck might have something to do with shifts on these two – avoiding endings and losing control. Professor Walter Brueggemann explains it as, speaking from a Biblical and spiritual perspective, “only embraced endings permit new beginnings.” Not partial, not hints of endings or temporary ones – only embraced endings.

And he’s right. The Bible is filled with only embraced endings enabling new beginnings. The cross is the ultimate embraced ending…Jesus willingly went to the cross (ending) so that the dominion of sin and death could end and the resurrection and new life would occur. But also, in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:18) in which the son decided to return to his father and repent.

Listen to the words of Psalm 32 that is the voice of stuck to unstuck spiritually speaking, “While I kept silent, my bones wasted away…Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity…and you forgave the guilt of my sin… (Psalm 32:3, 5).” Do you see it? Suffering, strife while in denial or proud or afraid; then acknowledging the truth, embracing the need for God’s grace – new beginning – living forgiven.

Keep in mind, the “new” has already come – Jesus announced that the kingdom “has come near (Mark 1:15).” And in 2 Corinthians 5:17 we hear, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new has come.” So the denial, pride and fear can’t keep the new in anything from materializing (this is a key part of the Gospel). It’s whether or not we are going to engage it by first embracing whatever the appropriate ending is. And frankly when we are not engaged with the new that God is doing (which will always be life-giving), we are usually embracing things that are dying or of death.

So I want to say very lovingly to many of you today that yes it happened and it was awful and it was not your fault. I want to say lovingly that the guilt you carry from what you have done in the past is crushing and suffocating you. I want to lovingly say that there is a problem but you don’t have to suffer under it anymore. I am lovingly saying that you will still be you, in fact a more wonderful you than you have ever known. You know, “we are as sick as our secrets” and I am saying lovingly that all the pretending, denying, pride and fear are only hurting you and keeping you from the goodness and grace God wants to and is ready to pour out on your heart and soul. The irony of course is that to welcome and receive that healing and restoration, you have to embrace the truth of what has happened, what you’ve done, what you can’t control anymore, and what you fear; and it is in that embrace that it’s or their power over you will end and the healing and new beginning can begin.

Maybe it starts like this, “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God…Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love for they are from of old…Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord (Psalm 25:1, 6-7).”

And when you lift up your soul and trust in Him above everything and everyone else, and He supplies you with the strength to embrace whatever ending you need to embrace today, He will absolutely be remembering you according to His love and grace. Then you’ll see that those dreams that seemed so far away will be as close as a whispered prayer. Those dreams of forgiveness and restored relationships, those dreams of getting clean or sober, those dreams of being free of guilt and the expectations of others, those dreams of being and feeling loved unconditionally, those dreams of living fearlessly and purposefully, those dreams of the past being the past, those dreams of no longer being defined by past events or decisions, those dreams of having a future with hope, those dreams of finally more fully experiencing the joy and peace of God’s presence.

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

http://www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on http://www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.
N.T. Wright

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Christmas Letter of Hope – 2010

Advent 2010

Dear Members and Friends of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook:

It started with a dream.

Just when Joseph had resolved to give up his betrothed Mary, an angel appeared to him in a dream – calming his fears, encouraging him to marry Mary, and that the child she was bearing was the one whom the prophets had foretold – as impossible as it seemed, that God would dwell in flesh among his people and save them. Now that’s a dream!

It is said that Joseph awoke from this amazing dream and obeyed what he was asked to do – and their son Jesus was born. This same Jesus is the one whose miraculous birth we celebrate all these thousands of years later in this season of possibility. Please join us for these events to celebrate this glorious season:

Sunday, December 19 – 10:30 am        Worship on the 4^th Sunday of Advent

Friday, December 24 –    5:30 pm        Christmas Eve – Candlelight & Carols. Invite friends!

You know, a little like Joseph, we find ourselves in difficult times with seemingly few options. The economy, jobs, our culture, even the church in the world and our own church – all give us pause. But God has not left us without dreams either. There is the dream that during this difficult economic time, we can watch God provide and rediscover what really matters. There is the dream that our culture can awaken and turn away from destructive things and return to God. There is the dream that the worldwide church can become more united and alive by embracing the lead of the Holy Spirit. And, there is the dream of our own church here in Saddle Brook, to be renewed and strengthened. A dream of a church that is passionate for Christ, sharing and growing together and demonstrating the love, compassion and grace of Christ for neighbors and the community around us.

A little like Joseph, we may be astounded at what we hear in dreams like these. But, a lot like Joseph, let us, despite how impossible our dreams may seem, be faithful and wait on the One who makes all things possible. Let us be faithful and wait on the one who promises to renew our strength like wings of eagles. Let us be faithful and wait on the One long ago came to dwell with us and never leaves or forsakes us.

This is the season of possibility! And to dream and to embrace dreams in a season of possibility is a glorious gift of God! My prayer for us is that we, through the season of Advent and remembering the birth of Christ this year, experience the words of Psalm 126, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy…”

It starts with a dream.

In Christ,

Pastor Christopher Wolf

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For You – From God

It loves you and accepts you – knowing (or not knowing) what you have done or where you have been – it loves and accepts you just as you are.

There is nothing you can do or have done or will do to make it turn away from you.

It has no limits.

There is always a second chance waiting.

It waits patiently with open arms.

It smiles and says, “You don’t have to be perfect for me. Please stop striving for perfection or some other ideal.”

It gently reminds you, “You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

If you embrace it, it will transform, heal and restore you.

This is God’s grace for you.

+++++++++++

It’s limitless and everlasting.

It’s unconditional.

It’s based on my heart, not your actions.

It will never leave you – as far away as you run – it will still be there.

It wants to wipe away your tears, if you’ll let it.

It is patient and kind and bears all things.

It will move you to pray and care for even your worst enemies.

It is sacrificial – it is for you at the cost of me – and that is okay.

It flows from the one who is Love – God.

If you open your heart and receive it, it will transform, heal and free you.

This is God’s love for you.

+++++++++++

When you have given up, it still believes.

When you are being swallowed by despair, it holds on to you tight!

It is the light in the deepest darkness.

It never sleeps or slumbers.

It is founded on endurance and character.

It transforms the impossible into possible.

It gives you a reason to believe even when all evidence is to the contrary.

If you hold it, it will bring you through anything in this world.

This is God’s hope for you.

++++++++++++

It makes you still and know God.

It surpasses all understanding.

It is better than anything else in this world that you seek to find comfort in or through.

It is a refuge in a storm.

It will make you stay still when you want to run.

It will whisper to you and settle you when all you can hear is noise and static.

It will give you rest when you are weary.

It will fall like a gentle rain and quench the fires of panic and anxiety in your soul.

It cannot be made, imitated, or put on.

If you know it, it will make you as solid as a rock that nothing in this world can break or tear down.

This God’s peace for you.

++++++++++++

It doesn’t change with circumstances.

It’s a constant flame – fueled by gratitude and appreciation for what has been done for you.

It’s better and bigger and deeper and truer than happiness.

It’s a constant trust in God’s goodness.

It gives you reason to celebrate even when all is lost.

It has its eye on the eternal.

It gives you unlimited strength.

It’s visible evidence of a life with God’s hand upon it.

It is a great encouragement to others.

If you have it, your need for things in this world will disappear.

This is God’s joy for you.

++++++++++++

My arms are wide open to embrace you with my all-forgiving, all-encompassing grace.

I have loved you with an everlasting love – it’s why I went to the cross.

I never leave you, and I have a plan for you – a plan of future and hope; after all, I am alive even though I died!

I want to hold you until you stop trying to run away and you know the beauty and stillness of my peace.

I don’t want you to just be happy – I want you to have my joy and for it to be complete in you.

All of these – grace, love, hope, peace and joy are all for you – from me.

This is God’s Son Jesus, who was, is and will be always – for you.

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and the forthcoming, With You: Every Step of the Way (2011).

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.” N.T. Wright

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Nearness and Hope (What We Need)

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

 

We live in a world of joy and heartbreak. But it often seems like the heartbreak is more prominent. Reading or watching the news gives a daily dose of everything that is wrong in the world. But we know it is much closer than that.

 

There is the heartbreak of today. Sometimes it is the struggles in our families that are in our faces all the time. The job loss or loss of assets. There is the heartbreak of today that cuts each time we look at a spouse that we don’t even know anymore. When we failed the test or exam. When we got the diagnosis. There is the heartbreak of today that hurts each time we think of the family members or friends we can’t reach in faith and love.

What does “brokenhearted” mean? According to the dictionary, “Overcome by grief or despair.” But in real life it is this awful, beyond words feeling. It feels like there is no hope – that it can’t be fixed or can’t get better. It feels like your eyes cannot possibly produce the amount of tears that are welled up inside. It is hard to breathe, hard to move, hard to live.

 

Then there is the heartbreak of yesterday. Our hearts and our memories have their share of heartbreak – this cumulative heartbreak of life. Standing at the end of the bed in ICU as your loved one’s pulse slowly, gradually descends to zero. The family, friends and people we didn’t let in. All the failures, all the attempts, all the dead ends. The quiet but permanent changes in cherished relationships. When we didn’t make the team. These are shattered pieces of yesterday’s heartbreak.

 

Which leads to “crushed in spirit.” When we are “crushed in spirit” it is the feeling of absolute defeat. It is like the life has been drained or ripped out of us.

 

Both of these, heartbroken and “crushed in spirit” seem to have at least one thing in common – they both leave us feeling like there is nothing we can do about them when they are visited upon us…

 

This verse offers a revelation. Nearness and Hope. Can’t these two make the difference? Nearness in the heartbreak of life; Hope for when all seems lost. When Jesus came into this world, God was nearer than ever before; and with the Holy Spirit’s continuing presence – God remains near. And God saves the “crushed in spirit” – it may not look like the rescue we dream of, but it is God’s character. Sometimes it is through the power of the Word, the presence of the Holy Spirit and even through other humans.

 

Listen to the lyrics of the song “Broken Things” by Julie Miller, “Then you walked into my darkness/And you speak words so sweet/And you hold me like a child/Till my frozen tears fall at your feet.” This is what Jesus does; this is what we can do for each other in His name.

 

As you read this, if and when you are heartbroken, if and when you are crushed in spirit, please know God is near and offering you hope.

 

Discussion Questions

1. Please reflect on some times of heartbreak and how it feels.
2. How can we sense that God is near?
3. Why does God allow us to become heartbroken and crushed in spirit?
4. What can you do for someone else who is heartbroken and crushed in spirit?

 

 

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@sbcglobal.net

www.christopherbwolf.com

 

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.” N.T. Wright

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Broken Hearts

Psalm 51

Broken Hearts

Let me ask you this…How many times have you been asked how you are doing and you have said, “Fine” when you really weren’t? We have all done it. And we do this for a lot of reasons, I understand that. But today we are talking about the times when we really aren’t fine.

How about in prayer? When we are talking to God, do we say something like, “Hi God, I am doing fine, don’t really need anything. Thanks, Bye.” Please don’t laugh – this is what we do!

Somewhere along the way we build and put on the mask. This mask of everything is ok and I can handle everything and no one is going to know me or hurt me.

Psalm 51 is the ultimate prayer of confession. It puts all out there; it is an unmasking. “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment (3-4). Translation, “I am busted, I am wrong, and I know it and you know it God.”

Here is what we do instead. We say “What sins?” We say, “I put those under the rug, so we can’t talk about them; off-limits and not relevant anymore.” We say, “What are you talking about; I don’t do anything wrong.”

And that works for a while. When we say, “What sins?” we exploit other people’s understanding and mercy and blindness. As well, these rugs seem to have a lot more space than it seems.

But it doesn’t work with God. “You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart (6).” We can hide, avoid and fool others but at some point we meet God in a different place than anybody else – this “inward being.” And it says God desires truth there.

And, I would add that it is not just stuff we have done. It is when other people have hurt us too that completes our total brokenness ratio.

Please read the following lyrics closely. This song was offered during worship a years ago.

Broken Things

You can have my heart
Though it isn’t new
It’s been used and broken
And only comes in blue
It’s been down a long road
And it got dirty on the way
If I give it to you will you make it clean
And wash the shame away

You can have my heart
If you don’t mind broken things
You can have my life if you don’t mind these tears
Well I heard that you make old things new
So I give these pieces all to you
If you want it you can have my heart

So beyond repair
Nothing I could do
I tried to fix it myself
But it was only worse when I got through
Then you walked into my darkness
And you speak words so sweet
And you hold me like a child
Till my frozen tears fall at your feet

By Julie Miller

BMG Songs Inc/Verdugo Music/Word Music(ASCAP)

See, God works best with broken hearts. Because when our hearts and our lives are broken and we are able to say it, the sin and the pride have been shattered and it that is when His grace can pour and flood into our hearts. And it is then that we can truly know Him and His wondrous love. Until then, it is all surface – the mask; superficial and going through the motions. Until then the grace can only seep or drip through and we know that it isn’t enough.

After the confession part of Psalm 51, it proclaims, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit (12). Salvation in Jesus is joyous. The question has to be asked of many believers, “Where is the joy?”

We won’t know the “joy of God’s salvation” in Jesus, until we acknowledge our brokenness. We won’t know this joy if we keep convincing ourselves and telling everyone else that we are fine and everything is okay – when we aren’t.

One more thing – you’re not alone. We get to thinking that we are the only one who is broken. We are look around at others or down the pew in church and think, “They have it together.” But in fact, “they” are looking at you thinking the same thing. We all have our broken pieces – each one of us – me too.

And God wants to work with them and through them; and He brings people into our lives who want to listen and hold our hands through it all.

Maybe it’s time to let Him; and let others help too.

Amen.

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Delightful

Sometimes I wonder for myself and for others, “Where is the joy?” So I thought it would be a good idea to remember what God delights in or rejoices over and consequently where we also can find pure delight and joy. In both the Old and New Testaments, the words for delight have the understandings of “incline to, favor and take pleasure in or well pleased.” As you know, this world is filled with all kinds of “delights” that either do not compare to God’s or inevitably lead to discontent and emptiness over time. And yet, in the midst of struggles, in faith, in parenting, in relationships, at work, in school, in all the days of our lives – God’s pleasure is there for us to receive and enter into. Please “delight in” and reflect on these and let us resolve to seek the delights and delight of our Lord…

“But his delight is in the law (teaching) of the Lord, and on his law (teaching) he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2

 

 

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

 

 

“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

 

 

“Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.” Proverbs 29:17

 

 

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.”  Isaiah 42:1

 

 

“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me (The Lord), and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” Isaiah 55:2

 

 

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

 

 

“I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” Isaiah 65:19

 

 

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

 

 

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; in him I delight.” Matthew 3:17

 

 

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1 Corinthians 13:6

 

 

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some things you delight in? Are they like or unlike the things God delights in?
2. Are the things in which you presently delight “working for you?”
3. Going through this list – what are some of the things that God “favors?”
4.  What are some ways that we can move in our thinking and actions toward things in which God delights?

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The Unlikely Rescuer

 

It’s seems easier and easier to get lost in what Christmas isn’t about…

 

Black Friday, gift cards, parties and other events are all well and good. And in religious terms, we talk about joy, hope, peace, love (sounds a little 60’s doesn’t it 😉 and things like the Incarnation.

 

But beneath of all that, like the bulbs beneath the snow, there is something wonderful and mysterious, just waiting to emerge. It’s the true meaning of Christmas…

 

Madelyn’s Jesus Storybook Bible calls it “The Secret Rescue Mission” that God had been planning all along. And so we all think that if God is planning a rescue mission it is going to be perfect – all the necessary resources, personnel, and well planned. Maybe the first century version of Jack Bauer? 

 

True on all the right stuff and the right person. But I think we would all say on some level, it certainly didn’t look like it at first. I mean, to rescue us all…sending a baby born out of wedlock to a virgin, in poverty, in a stable with an animal’s feeding box as his bed? This doesn’t sound like a good start to a worldwide rescue, right?

 

It has to make us wonder what this really was all about.

 

Christian recording artists, 4 Him have a song that I have been hearing on the radio recently. It is called, “Strange Way to Save the World.” Amen. Here are some of the lyrics, “But this is such a strange way to save the world; To think of how it could have been/If Jesus had come as he deserved/There would have been no Bethlehem/No lowly shepherds at his birth/But Joseph knew the reason/Love had to reach so far…”

 

It is a strange way to the save the world, isn’t it? When we think of trying to save the world today, we would think of power, or influence or money or bailouts. But to save us from our sins and the accompanying carnage, as it was then and is now, no amount of human influence nor wealth could save us from rescuing our rebellious hearts.

 

Like the song says, if the Son of God came into this world as He deserved, it wouldn’t have been in Bethlehem, or in the quiet of night, and instead of shepherds there would have been kings and rulers (and probably celebrities) gathered at his arrival.

 

See, God has this inclination of using unlikely people, things and circumstances for accomplishing His purposes and revealing His character in this world, then and still today.

 

Back then he used people like Abraham (the old guy from nowhere with his barren wife) to be the father of God’s people. Moses, the guy with the speech problem to be God’s spokesperson? The smallest guy of the family (David) slays the giant and becomes the most favored king of Israel. Joseph and Mary? Why are these people being picked for this important stuff? Why? Because when God uses the unlikely person or thing, it is more recognizable that it was God at work than if it were the expected or the powerful, right?

 

And today? Well, what I think is that God frequently shows up in the worst circumstances to demonstrate His best about Himself and His people. Let me say that again, God works and shines through the worst circumstances to demonstrate His best – God’s love, comfort, light, power and are all most visible in our worst times – that is the heart of the Gospel aka Good News.

 

For example, no one wants to see a young man with a family diagnosed with a terminal disease – that is not what God intended when He created the world. And yet, when this member of our church was diagnosed with a terminal disease almost two years ago, our congregation was led to demonstrate the love of Christ by thousands of prayers and by helping his family with everything from meals to cleaning to an purchasing an accessible vehicle and building them a house. And in turn this young man and his family have experienced the love of God in ways there never could have imagined, and so have all the people who have prayed and helped. In the worst of circumstances, God’s best has become very, very visible. God’s grace is always most visible when we are broken and in need.

 

And we think, there has to be a better, easier way for God’s best to be made visible. Why does it have to be this way, this unlikely, strange way?

 

Let me try. See, we live in a broken, broken world full of sin, evil, violence, disease, vanity, lust, corruption, hunger for power and wealth – all the things that aren’t of God. Our vision is blinded by all of these things. Our lives are contaminated and infected by them. So much so that we often long for and turn to and rely on very human, obvious, and likely prescriptions or answers for them – rather than turning to God.

 

And you know that God could fix all of this in an instant (and ultimately will fix it all one glorious day) but until then He chooses to work not around, not over, but through all the brokenness.

   

So the “love had to reach so far” (or be so humble) because the sin and brokenness goes that wide and deep. And Jesus’ arrival into this world had to be so unlikely and strange so it could be seen and remembered. So that thousands of years later, it would still be as mysterious and wondrous and curious as it was the first time.

 

In a world of bad news, in a world of often the worst news, in a world where the news is often forgotten the next day – somehow this strange, unlikely way of saving the world is still good news, still the best news we have.

 

And because of that best news, and in spite of all the bad news, we can still see and believe and hope and rejoice that God came to dwell with us in the flesh in order to save us…that above all, is Christmas.  

 

Amen.

 

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever wondered why God uses unlikely circumstances to reveal things about Himself?
2. Do you have a story of when God moved in a “worst time of your life?” What happened?
3. What can we do to open our hearts to this mystery and make it like new?
4. Have you grasped why the “love had to reach so far?”  

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