A Closer Walk With Jesus

Dream Big and Believe"Dream more, learn more, care more, and be more....."Dolly PartonIt's always fascinating to discover quotes from successful people with humble beginnings.  So what was it that caused Dolly to be a superstar and elevated her to where she is today?As we were sitting around the table after a mission trip to Atlantic City for our evening devotional yesterday, Pastor Bobbie said something that resonated with me.  He questioned whether or not he was dreaming big enough for his church in Alma, Georgia.  How often do we limit ourselves from joys and successes because we dream too small?  Jesus can handle anything we dream up if we're willing to educate ourselves and care about the people in our paths.  Of course, it won't always be rapid success, but every experience will make us better and bring us closer to our goals.  And if we have faith in Jesus and ourselves, we will be even more than we could imagine!One of my favorite verses about dreaming and believing comes from Mark 9:23, where Jesus says, "If you can believe? All things are possible for one who believes." So today, believe your dreams will happen and make sure your eyes are wide open!Praying for the people we serve...Pastor Lou Strugala

A Final Message About “Fully” Accepting Jesus From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.Matthew 16:21Pope Francis has a three step process to fully accepting Jesus, the first two are easy. First, we must find about Jesus. Doing things like reading the Bible, going to church or attending a Bible study. In this step we are both compelled and desirous of finding Jesus. The second step is our outward proclamation; which includes, wearing crosses, leaving Bibles on our desk, singing in church or speak openly about Jesus. In this step we are not embarrassed or afraid to say what we know about Jesus.  The third in final step is where the word, fully comes into play. Pope Francis says we must fully believe in the resurrection of Jesus, to fully accept Jesus. While the first two steps are easy to absorb, this third step is the biggest hurdle in our journey to fully knowing Jesus. It involves believing Jesus’ sacrificial act on the cross gives all humankind redemption.  We must both understand the importance of the cross and the sacredness of the gift Jesus has given us. When we do, it moves us from seeing our lives as permanently residing in this world to seeing our lives as an eternal pursuit of the divine. In this moment of belief, we no longer intellectualize the cross, but fully have faith in Jesus’ act on the cross. With this faith we become both freed and redeemed. The movements of this world  take on far less meaning and our worries  subside. Both our inner and outer expressions transform to loving God and our neighbor. 

Becoming Bold with Our Faith And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14  We should not be hesitant in our prayers; we should be bold. When we ask according to God’s will and with a faithful hope, God will hear and respond. In our very asking, we are recognizing the sovereign nature of God. We have decided in our souls that God is the provider of all that is good and needed. In turn, when our prayers are formulated with thanksgiving and praise, our petitions will be heard. As God responds, we in turn will observe the response in the same faithful manner in which we prayed. We will be sure the response is from God and according to God’s desire. The response will be recognizable, and it will be breathtakingly clear that God is with us.   Points of Reflection·     What specific events can you recall that you knew were a direct response from God? ·     What do you silently ask from God, and how do you ask?·     What is the boldest request in prayer you have made?

A Woman Alone On A Bench For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 This is a familiar story about how crisis puts us at a cross road in life. A place where we can choose which path to take. We can choose the path of why me or the path of hope. This crisis for a search for meaning and a sense of being loved is common. Most of us will or have experienced the same thoughts as Karina. If not, we are either very lucky and well-adjusted or  overdue. We can pour through the thousands of self-help books that show up on Amazon or in book stores. While helpful, not always on the mark. For Karina, it was her entry into the New Testament that lifted her out of her dungeon of despair. For others, it is the resistance of the pursuit of Jesus. An intellectual exercise in trying to rationalize if Jesus is real. C.S. Lewis rationalized for many years, before finally relenting in a dark corner of a library, describing himself as; the most reluctant and desperate of all converts. Each encounter of faith is very similar, a change is needed. While the individual’s journey to the crossroad of crisis, is always unique.  

An Illiterate Southern Baptist Preacher; To Whom Jesus Was Everything. In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12   Last week we began our four part series called Jesus Is Our Everything. Today we continue this series with a story about an illiterate preacher. An everyday person, who followed Jesus to the pulpit, to run a  successful racially mixed small church in the deep south.  One of my favorite preachers I use to give me inspiration is Clarence Jordan. Clarence was the inspirational founder of Habit for Humanity. He was the father of Hamilton Jordan, who was Jimmy Carter’s chief of staff. Clarence was a pioneer in social justice in the mid-20th century, at a time when our country was deeply divided racially. His main message was to bring Jesus’s words to life with action and not rhetoric. A peace seeking man, who in every way lived this life. One of his formative learning moments occurred when he visited and preached at a Southern Baptist church in the deep south. 

Jesus Is Our EverythingJesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” -John 14:6There is a need to move Jesus to the kitchen table. I see this within many of the people I talk with and listen to, as they give their thoughts. For them Jesus isn’t an academic exercise. Nor is it an exercise in judging, which I see far too often. For most people, knowing Jesus more intimately is an individual exercise in strengthening their faith in the Risen Lord.One of the things I have also noticed is each of our relationships with Jesus is very personal and developed differently. Sometimes we find Jesus through crisis and other times through slow steady steps. Regardless, each of us arrive at knowing and finding Jesus- individually. Our relationship with Jesus is always unique, intimate and extraordinarily personal.

Acquiring a Life of Heavenly Direction Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6  With Christ as the way, our prayers go to God, and his blessings come to us; this is the way that leads to our life’s purpose. Our eternal benefit comes through Christ’s presence in our lives and will be the primary source of our direction. Christ’s words and lessons guide us as we stay at our temporary, earthly place. We have an intercessor, prayer partner, and model in Christ. As we turn our eyes and hearts to him, we become humbled and strengthened. We move from being alone in our quest for purpose to being combined with eternal forces. Through him we speak to and see God. We are no longer adrift but firm in our course.  Points of Reflection·     Why is Jesus the way and the truth in your life?·     How often do you pray, and what do you pray for?·     What is the biggest gap in your life’s direction?

Helping Those in Need We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weakand not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1 (NIV)  Comfort springs from the words of Jesus; they are the surest and sweetest words of life and the greatest path to hope. Likewise, we are to live and show these words through all of our actions. In our humble obedience to these words, we become beacons of help to others. When these words are the direction of our heart, we move from a life of self-centeredness to a life of helping others. We become inspired to defend the downtrodden. We bring our words of encouragement to those who need comfort. Through our presence as children of God, we lift up those who struggle. It is not through our judgement that others receive help, but through our Christian attitude of service for humankind. With this attitude we imitate the very being of Christ our Lord.   Points of Reflection·     What acts of kindness have you shown this week and why?·     When you see the weak, is it easier to judge or easier to help?·     What motivates you to help others, and what is the source? 

Jesus is Permanent and Life is Temporary For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Philippians 3:20One of my favorite quotes from Billy Graham is; My home is in heaven; I am just passing through this world.When I first heard this quote, I pondered it for days. Thinking through every aspect of why Graham said this now famous quote. Concluding Graham’s perspective was so very true. We are on a journey back to our permanent home and life can be very temporary.  Our life here is unknown and temporary, which in itself creates a sense of urgency to our connecting with Jesus. For none of us do not know the day when life will change.  An urgency to never let our guard down. Each moment is precious as we are passing through to heaven. An urgency to intimately connect with our Lord and savior. An urgency to correct our failures and fix our wrongs. An urgency to be a beacon of love and hope for others. For we all exist for each other, when we accept Jesus. 

A Hopeful Faith Heals Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:19  When we first go to Christ with our illnesses, both physical and spiritual, we are expressing a hopeful faith. Perhaps we have been left with no place to turn, or perhaps this is a repeating occurrence. Regardless, it remains a hopeful faith. It is this combining of our faith, led by a desire to be healed, that we form a partnership with our Lord. This partnership creates a path of healing. We do not know where it leads, but it ends with an intimate communion with Christ. Though we may not know how in advance, our hopeful faith will bear fruit. We are assured we will find an answer. It will be revealed to us in a magical way that is so very personal, only we will recognize it as meant for us. Through this answer, we will be freed and able to go on our way.  Points of Reflection·     Why is it important that you have a hopeful faith when you pray?·     How does your own faith connect with Jesus when you pray?·     How do you rely on Jesus during difficult times, and why do you?

God is With Us! I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9  God is sufficient to meet all of our needs. When we wrestle with the concepts of whether God is enough or with us, we simultaneously both erode and block our faith. This doubt in our faith causes us to compromise our faith-lives. We end up with our feet in two different worlds. By being strong and courageous with our faith, we have railings on the bridge of life that we all must walk over. When we walk dismayed or frightened, ironically the railings disappear. When we walk with faith, it is a path of certainty and assuredness of God’s presence in our lives. We draw upon the promise that God is with us. Only upon the path of faith do God’s railings appear to guide us along the long span of our lives.   Points of Reflection·     How strong is your faith, and what factors cause you to doubt?·     How do you address your doubts?·     What stops you from being strong and courageous with your faith during difficult periods? 

The Lord is My Shepherd The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures;he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Psalms 23:1-3  Our life with Jesus leads us down the right paths. We are both strengthened and protected through our faithful belief. Jesus guides us through the difficult and turbulent times of our lives. When we invite Jesus to take over our hearts, we emerge with a new direction. A direction of calm and grandeur. No longer troubled, but content, we lead lives with purpose and joy. We will become rested and resolved. We become caring and hopeful. Like any good shepherd, Jesus leads us protectively towards our life’s purpose.   Points of Reflection·     Do you fully trust that walking with Jesus protects you?·     What does being a “good shepherd” mean to you? ·     What is your life’s purpose, and how does Jesus help you obtain it?

Even Jesus’s Brothers and Sisters Lacked Faith  Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him. It seems that familiarity is a big impediment in accepting Jesus as Lord and savior. But Jesus gives us a clue as to how to tap into the power he holds. Simple, just have faith. Notice Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. And faith is the most critical part of recognizing Jesus and who he is. Seven times, Jesus said, your faith has made you well. In fact, faith is mentioned 262 times in the New Testament. Faith is the critical ingredient in recognizing Jesus.   While it sounds easy that faith is all it takes, it really isn’t. That is the point of the story. Many things erode our faith; worry, temptation, ego and even our own human senses. For the townspeople and his relatives, their faith was diminished by their inability to separate what they had seen of Jesus as a child with his deity.  The Apostle Paul has a great description of faith, when he writes in 2nd Corinthians; So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2ndCorinthians 4:18) We can’t use our senses or human knowledge to have faith. History won’t work as well.  To fully experience the power of Jesus, we have to put away everything we know and simply trust. No magic formula, just believe.  Faith comes from being compelled to know Jesus and then giving up our human senses and experiences during this encounter. Taking this step is difficult for many, but when we do, we become  fully engaged with Jesus. Many times it occurs when we have no where else to turn.  

Angels the Messengers of God: Are They Real? Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14  We have all heard about angels. Probably the most famous angel we know of is Clarence, the bumbling angel in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. In the movie, Clarence is portrayed as a junior angel trying to obtain his wings by helping George Bailey through some tough times. In the movie, we are also told that every time we hear a bell ring, a junior angel has gotten their wings. Well, this makes for a good sub plot in a movie, but it isn’t quite accurate from a Biblical standpoint. Clarence’s is portrayal as an angel is close, but not completely accurate.  To know about and determine what are angels, we should turn to the Bible. And when we use the Bible as the authentic source of information, we need to believe that the Bible is the word of God without error. Using this perspective we get three clues about angels. The first is the word angel itself, in ancient Hebrew, it means messenger. In the entire Bible, the word angel appears three hundred times. Many times as a messenger, perhaps the most famous time was when an angel visited Mary to let her know she would bear a son named Jesus.  In today’s verse from Hebrew’s we get a second clue about another role of angels, that as ministers or helpers. An example of this is found in Matthew 4:11, where it says; Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. This verse is right after Jesus has spent forty grueling days in the desert and had been tempted three times by the devil. After His ordeal, angels came and ministered or attended to Jesus.  In the book of Psalms, we find a third clue, angels as protectors. In Psalm 91:11-12 it says; For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. In this case we find God uses angels to guard and protect us.  We now have three ways that angels help us. They are messengers with instructions or advice. They help heal and minister. Finally, they are guardians or protectors. 

Unlimited PossibilitiesJesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27  Through our faith we gain an unlimited set of possibilities. All that is required is faithful prayer and an acceptance of Jesus in our hearts. Humankind will wrestle with plans and dreams; have desires for a good life and sense of purpose. Sometimes we will succeed, and sometimes we will stumble. When we fail, we can search for answers on our own, or we can turn to God for help. Jesus tells us that we are not alone; we are with God whose ways are true and miraculous. Through prayer and the faithful recognition of God, we move from limited possibilities to unlimited possibilities. All that is required is a desire for God in our lives and a faithful patience while watching and waiting for God’s majestic plan for us to unfurl.   Points of Reflection·     What are your plans, and how does God fit into them? ·     Do you look to God when you make plans for the day?·     What things are not working out in your life, and how can God help?

The Promise of Jesus Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”Hebrews 13:5Famed 17th-century theologian, Matthew Henry, said, “The design of Christ is giving himself for us.” Christ is present in all that we do, think, and feel. A constant companion in times of bounty and scarcity. He never leaves our side or is absent. His presence is a personal gift that exceeds all that exists in the world. It is far greater than the riches which can be earned or the fame we acquire. Christ is there to follow and provide comfort. In the moments of our darkest hour, a simple gazing towards his presence calms our being. He is the Alpha and Omega of our lives, constantly in pursuit of helping us. We only have to turn our hearts to Jesus.    Points of Reflection·     How do you feel Jesus during our day?·     What gifts have you received from Jesus?·     Why does following Jesus provide you comfort?

What are Miracles and Are They Real? Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9:22  One of the things I wonder and get questions about is; what are miracles and are they real? I have thought long and hard about this question many times. And sure I have seen my share, but always something so deeply personal, I am not sure my experiences are easily explained in words. Which is in effect part of my answer to those who ask. Miracles are deeply intimate and emotional experiences, something which can’t be explained fully in human terms. Underlying each miracle is a private conversation with God through Jesus. Maybe by many people who pray together or perhaps just the individual. Each miracle is unique, easily recognizable by the person or persons affected and always hard to explain to someone else. 

1st Timothy: An Inside Look at The Development of the First Christian Churches As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 1st Timothy 1:3 1st Timothy is one of the three Pastoral Epistles in the New Testament, attributed to the Apostle Paul. The letter was written to Paul’s protégé, Timothy. Tradition states that this letter was written in the mid first century. Most scholars doubt that this is the case and assign it’s writing to the mid second century. As such, most scholars don’t believe Paul wrote this letter. I take a different view; I believe both tradition and the scholars are correct. My view is that it is likely that Paul originally wrote this letter, and that it was later heavily edited up until the mid-second century. My research and reasoning for this position explains the value of the letter. In other words, both points of view are right, and this combining of ideas that spans almost one hundred years, make this letter an extraordinary addition to our Bible. 1st Timothy is about the standards of conduct for the early church. For both those who have oversight and for the attenders. The early church in Ephesus, which Timothy was placed in charge; is used as the example by Paul. Paul originally wrote this letter to his protégé, Timothy, to help him keep the church in Ephesus on track.  There are three important themes arise out of the letter;  to avoid false doctrine, the qualities needed for those who run the church and  godliness for all.  The value for us in the 21st century, is that in this letter we get a first-hand look into the growing pains of the early church and the issues that these pioneers had to deal with in creating the church we know today.  

Milking Cows is a Good Way to Learn Kindness But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.  Galatians 5:22  I usually speak to my mom once a day, by phone. We discuss many things; life, how she is doing, and the Boston Red Sox. Sometimes we ramble about little things, other times we venture into the profound. On a recent call, my Mom unknowingly gave me the clue to the roots of her kind and generous heart. Not in a bravado way, but through her eyes as a young teenager. She said; If you want to be a kind person, learn to milk cows!

The New Heaven and the New Earth And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelations 21:5  When Jesus descended to earth to carry out his mission, he changed all for us. Jesus changed heaven and earth and made things new. Through our belief in Jesus, we acquire this newness. We acquire a life of second chances through our continuous repentance. We acquire a life eternal. We acquire a mediator and intercessor. As importantly, we acquire a life that is led by a heart that yearns to be close to God. Through Jesus, humankind was forever changed and given a new trustworthy path. Through Jesus, our sins were forgiven both today and tomorrow. All that is required of us is to follow a heart that desires Jesus and his trustworthy new ways.   Points of Reflection·     What would you like to make new in your life?·     How has Jesus helped you make things new?·     How many second chances have you experienced and what was the most significant?