March 17 2013 - 5th Sunday in Lent, “Victorious Lifestyles – Go For The Win! “

March 17 2013 - 5th Sunday in Lent, “Victorious Lifestyles – Go For The Win! “ - Isaiah 43.16-21, *Philippians 3.10-14  

Have you won anything lately? Our church has enjoyed winning. We’ve won notoriety for paying 100 per cent of our apportionment to maintain the United Methodist Church.  Allen won a prize that we displayed in this sanctuary. It is an award for spending over ten years racing against poverty, serving as President of the Spring City Outreach Committee. Children and youth at Bethel have competed as teams and as individuals and won local, state, national prizes– in swimming, karate, academics, and countless others. There have been those who’ve earned training certificates and diplomas after competing with high standards; they are the world’s winners.

In the church we also work to win souls, to win the confidence of those we invite to share our faith.  In this Lenten season, we compete against our own willfulness in order to be prepared and equipped to fully participate in the kingdom, or the Kin-dom.

As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we remember that Patrick was a soul winner. He was born to a very loving family in Wales, but when Irish pirates raided his country, they kidnapped him and made him a slave to an Irish chieftain. St. Patrick was imprisoned for 6 years, herding sheep, pigs, and cattle against his will. He learned to pray in those fields; it was during this time that a guardian angel guided him to a ship so he could escape and return to his family. Though he was now safe and content back at home, he heard God’s call to return to Ireland, not as a slave but as a missionary to win hearts for God.

St. Patrick became known for using the shamrock as a visual aid. Shamrocks are a common Irish plant and their three-leaf clovers were perfect to teach the concept of God as the father, son, and Holy Spirit growing on that one stem.  Mary’s nephew Sam interestingly enough collects shamrocks as a hobby. There were so many blessings and miracles surrounding St. Patrick’s ministry that it wasn’t long before the shamrock was thought to bring good fortune or luck. As a result of his work, Ireland’s first century Christian roots were deepened and Ireland is still considered a Christian nation.

We know first-hand a church that is fervent about winning souls. The United States of America has the largest Christian population in the world, followed by Brazil and Mexico. Learning to win is so very important if we are going to keep pace with the will and way of God.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he talks about winning the prize of the high calling to which God calls us. Winning is an occasion for joy.  “The early church was known for its joy and gladness. They “gladly received God’s word”. (Acts 2:41) They “ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart praising God and having favor with all the people”.

(Acts 2:46,47) Even when they were persecuted, beaten, and put in prison

they were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for

His name.” (Acts 5:41) There is no question but that these Christian were

happy people who found joy in their new found relationship

with God and their fellow Christians…The Ethiopian, after he was baptized into Christ, “went on his way rejoicing”. (Acts 8:39) The jailor in Philippi, when Paul and Silas preached Christ to him, believed “And immediately he and all his family

were baptized. And when he had brought them into his house, he set food

before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.” (Acts 16:33,34). "  [ The Clifton Church of Christ – sermon by William Hopkins –" he Happy Church" ]

We celebrate when we see others take dramatic steps in their faith. It’s a joyous occasion. Scriptures say that the joy of the Lord is our strength. We need strength to participate in each powerful resurrection planned for the Church. We need joy to be a church that rises above whatever trials that come our way.

A few years ago, I rejoiced with a woman who joined a new church. She was involved and filled with the spirit; she was tithing and testifying often to the goodness of God and the many blessings she had received. This week, though, she mentioned that she had not been to church in several weeks. It was so sad to hear her say that she had no excuse, that she knew she was wrong. She will learn like we all learn that there is mercy as well as a risk of losing so much when we choose to turn away from the light of God’s love.

It is better to suffer to win, even to die to win than to give up the victory altogether. One of the surprises of the election of Pope Francis is that he is a Jesuit, the order of priests most known to put their lives on the line for the sake of justice. There is a Jesuit Center a few miles away in Wernersville. Two Jesuit priests working among the poor of Argentina were told by the political and religious powers that be, to stop their work. Consequently, they were kidnapped by death squads and killed.

The victory in their death comes because there is light shed on those who are willing to help the suffering poor. It sheds light on the suffering of a nine-year old in that same country pregnant with twins by her stepfather. Her mother arranged for an abortion. The little girl, her family, and the physician who performed the abortion were excommunicated from the church, but not the stepfather.

The Lord gives us power that helps us maneuver through every injustice and rise above every difficulty and sorrow. Our ultimate prize, however, is not the joyous rewards and prizes we have on earth. Our ultimate prize is heaven.

Heaven is real even though we have as many questions as we do about many things in this life.  There seems to be no wisdom in guessing or worrying what heaven could be like. Part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to help us to taste and see just enough to keep us running the race toward the prize. Don’t be surprised if you resonate with those who’ve experienced a glimpse of heaven. A four year old boy who almost died when his appendix burst went to heaven and saw a man with red marks on his hands who hugged him and spoke kindly to him. Those listening to his story knew that man was Jesus the crucified one. Another during prayer felt he was momentarily lifted to a heavenly place. He saw Abraham and got a look at his heavenly home with all kinds of special touches reflecting the love the heavenly father has for him. One woman heard glorious music in heaven, saw flowers that she had never seen on earth, and the tears of the heartbroken carefully and lovingly stored in a bottle. Families were picnicking. Praises to God were everywhere and bubbled up in hearts regularly.

The Screwtape Letters written by layman CS Lewis is a novel about strategies the devil uses to tempt Christians and keep them from Heaven. He quickly finds that the best way to make them stumble is to try to convince them that they have all the time they want to run this race, that time will never run out for them to make the choice to put their hand in God’s hand, that there is no urgency to make it to heaven and avoid eternal damnation in hell.

The bible tells us that heaven is for real, that the day will come when those who receive the word will hear his voice and come into the kingdom. And those who stubbornly rebel will find that it is too late, that time is up, that the race is over. May the mercy of God overshadow us, that the souls of all our family friends, and neighbors would be saved and not lost, for before you know it, time will be up! Amen.

The Sayings of Jesus - "My Grace is Sufficient"

April 14 2013 “The Sayings of Jesus: My Grace Is Sufficient” 2 Corinthians 12.1-10 Pastor J Hines

When we think of the sayings of Jesus, we think of the “I am” sayings, where Jesus declares in the gospel of John 7 elements of his identity ‘I am the good shepherd, I am the vine you are the branches, I am the way, the door; I am the bread of life, I am the light and the truth, I am the resurrection and the life.’

Today, we are looking at a lesser known saying of Jesus. “My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” The Lord is speaking to Apostle Paul who wrote most of our New Testament and spent his whole life spreading the gospel, helping others to access the love of God. Every Christian’s story is not as dramatic, but Christians everywhere are like Paul in at least three ways. Number one, Paul had a supernatural experience, number two, he suffered, number three, he got an answer when he prayed.

Paul had a supernatural experience. He had visions, out of body experiences, revelations; light bulbs went on in his head so he understood deep things about life. One time, a poisonous snake wrapped around Paul’s hand. He was not bitten, so those witnessing this believed he had special powers from God. Many of us have had enough close calls that show God was with us in a special way.

According to Acts 19 when Paul’s handkerchiefs and work aprons touched the sick, their illnesses were cured and evil spirits left them. Even today, there are ministers who give and sell special cloths that are said to have the power to cure and attract blessings. Such things are very natural and true, but very limited. Some Christians try to capture God’s healing and help, put it in a box, sell it, hoard it, control it, or schedule it for a certain service where God is guaranteed to show up and heal you, but God’s not having it. We can’t control the supernatural, spectacular, marvelous things of this world. All we have is by the grace of God.

God blesses us, heals us, and helps us using whatever timing, relationship or source that God chooses. It may be holy water, a holy song, sermon, or even a handkerchief.  We know that a young child’s attachment to a certain blanket, binky or toy can be so comforting that we dare not leave home without it. We know the healing powers of fragrant flowers, fresh air, the sweet songs of our feathered friends, and the sight of long awaited family and friends returning after a long absence. We know how holding a hand and holding a winter scarf that a loved one has left behind can bring hope and happiness that can sustain us, even heal us. God has an infinite number of ways to heal and help us.

During Holy Week, our Christ Servant Ministers – Terry, Anne and Aubrey took a risk and helped prepare a special Maundy Thursday Service. Maundy Thursday recognizes the mandare  of Jesus– from that Latin word for commandment – His command to each disciple to love one another. Instead of a traditional foot washing, we modernized the concept and administered a hand washing of the disciples at Bethel. The looks on the faces and the atmosphere of worship as our hands were washed was such a wonderful  blessing. One person said, ‘I felt the love.’

Feeling God’s loving, powerful presence was nothing new for the Apostle Paul. Saying “yes” to whatever way God wanted to use him so others could experience God had become routine for him.

Most of us have or will have some delightfully breathtaking, profound or inexplicable spiritual experience, even if for a fleeting moment. Such experiences can ground us in our faith, make us feel closer to God and inspire us to grow. A little taste of heaven can strengthen our resolve to excel in our spiritual lives.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism was no stranger to the supernatural. He left England and came here to Georgia to preach to the Indians. They weren’t having it, especially that high church stuff. They had their own culture, their own sense of God. They probably felt that Rev. John was arrogant and afflicted with a superiority conflict. When the Indians were not converted as he expected, Wesley became depressed and discouraged. A Moravian friend helped restore his faith. Eventually, he had a spiritual experience that set his faith on fire and changed the world. 

Many people have had such experiences even if they do not claim to be Christians. Several years ago, I invited a woman to church. When she hesitated, I agreed to meet with her and pray with her believing that God would help her make a commitment. We did meet and we did pray and she had a very moving experience of encouragement about her husband whose mental health was not in a good place. She was so excited that she asked if we could meet and pray again.

 As much as I wanted to say, “yes” I believed God wanted her to make a commitment to the body of Christ, to a whole church that could support her and her family. I knew she could be a blessing to the church as well, but she refused to commit.

The Apostle Paul told the church of his supernatural experiences. Then he dropped a bomb. ‘I’ve got problems even God won’t fix.’ Paul had trouble, but who doesn’t.

The story is told of a man who came upon great tragedy and stopped attending church. A pastor called him but got no return call. Various members reached out, but the man did not respond. Finally, several months passed, and the pastor ran into this fellow and they began to talk.  The pastor encouraged him and reminded him to continue to have faith in God. The man spoke up, saying, “Pastor you do not understand. I have not lost my faith in God. I just hate him.” “I just hate him.”

Troubles can reveal the worst in us, and the best in us. Either way, we can rest assured that in our troubles, God has a purpose and a plan. There are all kinds of things happening on our behalf that we can never see. Our disappointments are God’s appointments. Our extremity is God’s opportunity. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. God is working it out.

Paul prayed three times that God would take away his thorn in the flesh. We do not know if he spent a few hours kneeling in prayer, whether he stood before an altar, laid prostrate before a bible, sung aloud, read the Torah, kept a journal, bowed or vowed an offering, washed his hands, wore special clothes or all of that. We don’t know, but we do know that after all that the answer was “No.”

Not getting what we want can be very frustrating and discouraging. Rather than pouting, ranting or raging, we do better to thank God and prepare ourselves for where the Holy Spirit wants to guide us next. All of us should be ready at the impulse of God’s love as the songwriter penned : Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

*Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

It’s time for you to take at least one step closer in a relationship with our Creator. It’s time to listen even more carefully. Like a plant leaning toward the sunshine, we who are alive in Christ are eager to be in God’s presence and grow.

If we are prompted to speak to someone, we go ahead and do it. If we see a need, we ask God’s guidance in meeting it. If there is a song in our hearts, we sing it. If we have comfort and support to give, we give it.

We can do whatever we are called to do, whenever we are called to do it. God’s grace is sufficient to help us make it through.  As we continue to pray about making our building more accessible, God is preparing us for a closer walk with God and with one another. That’s our number one priority, to be the body of Christ. Whatever we do, however we do it, we cannot afford to lose sight of God’s plan for us to be a united witness of our faith and trust in the God who has guided and provided for us all these years.

Where we are weak in courage or lacking in finances, God is strong enough to guide us to spiritual and financial resources that we never dreamed of. God is going to strengthen us for the task at hand. In our moments of weak faith and   finances, God will provide someone with strong faith and finances. We CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens us. God specializes in things that seem impossible. As we work together and give our all, we will prove it to be true once again. Amen.  

The Sayings of Jesus: It is Better to Give than to Receive

April 28 2013”The Sayings of Jesus: It is Better to Give Than to Receive” Psalm 148, *Acts 20.25-38

There is something about good news that compels us to share it. The good news of the gospel was so exciting to the apostle Paul that he risked life and limb traveling far and wide to share it. He heard God call him to share his spiritual story, to share the light he had in his heart, to share great wisdom that could solve big problems, healing that could restore and relationship advice that could save them. Paul traveled wherever there was an open door to tell folks that God is love and that there is nothing we can’t do together if we trust in that love. He found many open doors, many ready hearts, many souls willing to dedicate their lives. He even found some obstacles. Nothing could stop him; he was on a mission.

He summarizes his work in verse 35 of chapter 10 of the Acts of the Apostles, saying, …I have worked and raised my own money for this mission. I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ’ …That’s Paul’s bottom line: that the weak would be supported by the strong. We’ve made a Covenant to give our all as the Spirit guides us, to support the weak. Who ARE the weak? All of US. We all need each other at one point or another. We all have blessings God leads us to share, no matter what situation may turn our life around and upside down.

We are the beloved community. We are children of the most high God, we have a heavenly father who is on our side and helps us from the inside out to live a life of giving and sharing in miraculous and marvelous ways. Even when we feel all is lost, God is on our side.

There was an outstanding five-year-old soccer goalie who played against another team whose players were also very good. This goalie played his heart out, but the other team began to score on him. After the third goal was scored against him, he could see it was no use; he couldn't stop them. He didn't quit, but he fell to his knees and cried the tears of the helpless and brokenhearted.

The boy’s father ran as fast as he could onto the field and said, "Scotty, I'm so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son."

"Daddy," the boy sobbed, "I couldn't stop them. I tried, Daddy, I tried and tried, and they scored on me." * Since God controls the game, we are all winners, no matter what our situation.

There is an old saying, “Those who need love the most are those who least deserve it.” Have you ever complained to God that someone is falling short, getting on your last nerve? Have you ever barely breathed out their name when the Spirit interrupts you and says, “That’s my son…my daughter.” It is as if God is saying, “That’s MY child your complaining about.  My love and compassion for them is greater than any complaints and criticism I have against them.  As we understand the intensity of God’s love for us, how God treasures each one of us, we will work to imitate that love. We think of each other as a prize. We begin to get stronger in our ability to overlook their faults and see their needs. We come to understand that it is better to give love than to receive the satisfaction of complaining and criticizing!

When we hear Paul quote Jesus as saying, “It is better to give than to receive.” We think it is about money. It isn’t about money, but when we follow the Spirit’s lead and care for each other, we have enough and sometimes we have more than enough. We tend all the more to flow in love, flow in excellence, and flow in money, too.

Joy McLain was a blushing May bride. It wasn’t long before her husband’s casual drinking became excessive. She cried out to God, “I hate the stench of alcohol on his breath.” She heard God respond, “All sin is a stench to me.” “All sin is a stench to me.” She quickly realized she also needed to change, to trust God more, to turn to God’s word, learn to confront, learn to carefront. She understood that her grumbling and lack of forgiveness was a sin God wanted to help her with. She suffered for 22 years without the marriage she dreamed of. She learned to pray for holiness rather than happiness. She taught her children to conduct spiritual warfare, to pray for their home, for their father, for their future as a family.

When the drinking led to violence, Joy made a plan to leave the home with her two teen daughters and son when Mark was at work. The plan got a little confused and one of the daughters was left behind. When Mark came home drunk, the teen left behind felt a tremendous peace when a scripture about God’s protection came to her mind. As her father walked from room to room raging, opening each door, looking for his runaway family, she nestled safely in a corner. He stopped in front of the door, but he did not open it. Instead he left and drove away. At one point in the year, the 16 year old began cutting, feeling worthless and disgusting, not even wanting to be touched at Christmas. She said thoughts of driving her car into a pole regularly seeped into her mind.

In spite of their struggles, the family kept the covenant. They sought God’s help first and foremost. In several years, they began to forgive and wait on God to change their hearts. In 2007, they renewed their wedding vows.

Every day we wake up, we are a Covenant family. We seek God’s help and guidance for our lives and our church. Today, the Haines family has joined Bethel. We have renewed our covenant with them. God is with us.  When God comes to church, hearts are touched and lives are transformed. Sins are forgiven and relationships are restored. Hope is gained and healing happens. This is what it means to be a covenant family. This is what it means to be a church. Let it happen. Let’s not stand in God’s way. Let it happen without delay.

In the DC area, I visited an 80 year old lady whose son remembered her being very mean when he was growing up. Now in her golden years he struggled to forgive. She spent most of her time in a semi-comatose state, but I felt an urgent need to visit her and sing even though I had no clue as to why except God always has a purpose and plan. Those weeks of visits were amazingly peaceful for me as I did as I was called to do for her. It is better to give than it is to receive.

When we dedicate ourselves as a covenant family with the attitude of giving our all, God always meets us and has something for us. When we come only with the idea of receiving, we miss the best of what God has for us. Giving always means receiving, but receiving does not always mean we are giving.

One of my favorite praise songs says,

Come, now is the time to give your heart

One day ev'ry tongue will confess You are God

One day ev're knee will bow

Still the greatest treasure remains for those,

Who gladly choose you now.

Sometimes we think of our commitment to the church as a selfless act, but it has enormous benefits. Recent research according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the world is getting more and more depressed and anxious, but attending church increases our mental health and wellbeing.

Children tell me that bullying happens in their schools and not even the teachers can stop it. God can help us to help our children, if we are ready to listen and to act accordingly.  

We live well compared to so many in this world. Perhaps that is why Americans are great givers. Remember the lady bullied by school kids. She received thousands of dollars with which to take a vacation. She may have even been able to quit her job. There were generous donations after the tsunami in Indonesia and Japan, and the earthquake in Haiti. Twenty-six million has been donated for the victims of the bombing in Boston in just a few days. So often it feels good to give. The world has set a high standard. God’s standards are even higher. We are called to give at the impulse of God’s love, to give when it looks good as well as when no one else sees. There may be times when we are called to give our all even though we feel resentful, angry, frustrated, put upon, or afraid. We know the scriptures say, “Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over,” but it is still an emotional challenge to be a cheerful giver when you are unemployed, underemployed, unforgiving, or otherwise living outside of the will of God.

We may give ourselves a good dose of guilt about our giving. We do need to be guilty enough to repent, but we also need to see ourselves as the beautiful, precious, forgiven, and loved creation as God sees us. Gil Zamora is a forensic artist who worked for the San Jose police Department from 1995-2011. After he retired, he participated in an advertising activity wherein he sketched people’s faces as they described themselves hidden behind a petition. He then sketched that same person as someone else described them. Then he placed the two sketches side by side. Each time, a comparison of the two pictures showed that we see each other in a more favorable light than we see ourselves.

It is time to get with God’s program and see what God sees, his beautiful children, sharing as if they know for sure it is better to give than it is to receive. Amen.

*Sermons.com