After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.”  Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.

However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

Did you see it?  Was there anything there that made you uncomfortable?  Were there any actions that seem to contradict other passages of Scripture?  Let me play devil’s advocate for a moment:

Doesn’t Jesus bend the truth in an effort to deceive the disciples?
He tells them that he’s not going to go, He waits for them to go, and then He goes in secret.

In Matthew 5:37 Jesus Himself said, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
How do His words here compare with His actions in John 7?  Are Jesus words to His brothers clear, plain, and full of integrity?

Now, before you look up my home address in the church directory to hunt me down, let me answer those questions.

Did Jesus bend the truth in an effort to deceive the disciples?  No, He didn’t.  Jesus’ brothers wanted him to go to the Feast for earthly reasons.  They wanted Him to display His power in an effort to be worldly king, not a Heavenly King.  Jesus had no intention of going to the Feast on their mortal terms, He was always planning to attend on His divine terms.

Are Jesus words to His brothers clear, plain, and full of integrity?  Yes, they were.  Notice that Jesus clarified His answer to His brothers with the word “yet.”  As we said, Jesus had always planned on attending the Feast, He just wasn’t going to do it at the exact moment His brothers wanted HIm to, nor was He going to do it on their conditions.

Jesus not only always told the truth, but He exemplifies truth.  Jesus just didn’t tell the truth, He is truth.  May you always speak words that are truth.  May you always demonstrate truth in your actions.  And may you seek, follow, love, worship, and share the Truth that is Jesus Christ.

If you’re like me, your prayers often center around those you know and love.  We all have friends and family who need guidance and support, so it makes sense that we would lift them up to God in prayer.  Right?  Yes.  But, if we are only praying for those who are in close proximity to us, we’re missing something, something big.  Consider Paul’s words to young Timothy:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (I Timothy 2:1).

It seems that some false teachers had snuck into Timothy’s church and were trying to teach that God’s love was only available for a select few, but here Paul corrects that teaching by encouraging the believers to pray for all people.

While it is perfectly acceptable (even highly encouraged) to pray for those you know and love, it should also be a priority to pray for those we do not know.  Why?  Because they need the redemption that God offers through Christ just as badly as those we are familiar with it already.  Pray.  Stop right now and pray for people everywhere, believers and unbelievers alike.  In doing so, your heart will grow.  Just a thought.

I misunderstand God all the time.  There have been so many times when I project human characteristics on Him and in doing so, I fail to realize that He’s not human, He’s divine.  He’s holy.  He’s other.  He’s pure.  He’s good.

Just this past week, I was reading a passage of Scripture and as I consider it’s implications, I was reminded that I misunderstand God frequently.  I Timothy 2:4 reads this way, “[God our Savior] wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

Wow.  God’s desire is that all people would be saved.  He has a heart for every person on the planet and His hope is that they would come to Him.

I read this verse and understand it cognitively, yet I often picture Him as a God who is waiting for a person to mess up.  I envision Him as a God who takes pride in revenge and punishment.

I want you to learn from my mistakes: work with all your heart to picture God accurately.  God is love and He can do nothing but love. When He punishes, it is done in love.  When He shows compassion, it’s done in love.  When He displays His wrath, it is done in love.  Always.  Forever.  Love.  Just a thought.

Paul had started a church in Thessalonica, but shortly after its founding, he was forced to leave.  Since he had probably only been there a few months, he was very concerned about new congregation; he didn’t have much time to teach them many basics of the faith and because of that, he wasn’t sure if they would grow spiritually and toward maturity in his absence.  In an effort to see how things were going, he sent a friend named Timothy to check on them.  When Timothy returned, he was beaming.  Not only was the church still there, but it had grown and matured.  In fact, the church had been showing so much faith, love and hope that it had begun to evangelize the surrounding people.  Consider Paul’s words after he received the news from Timothy:

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it,  for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God.

These verses teach us two things: one, that this new church had worked to spread the Good News of salvation through Christ; in Paul’s absence, they took it upon themselves to share God’s redemptive plan.  Two, Paul had tried to evangelize people around the church in Thessalonica, but they had already heard the Gospel from the people within Thessalonica!  The members of that church were pastors, every one of them, and they saw it as their responsibility to share God’s love.

So, did you know that it’s your job to work me out of my job?  It is your job to share your faith and impact our community, and other communities, for Christ.  It is your responsibility to tell the story of how God has changed your life in hopes that others will meet Him, love Him, and live for Him.  Just a thought.

P.S.  Please let me keep my job.  What would Allen eat if I can’t buy his hypoallergenic food?  How could I support Ginger and her gluten-free/dairy free dietary needs?  And for crying out loud, how would I be able to buy new, fancy-smachy Apple products?

Thank you so much to all of you for your prayers, thoughts, and support.  We were on the other side of the globe, but we could feel your presence.  It was so encouraging to know that we had a church family praying continually for us.  We are so blessed to have you all!  If you would like to read about our trip or see photos and videos, visit G’s blog: http://momentsdefined.wordpress.com/

As I entered fatherhood in another country, I became keenly aware of something: I realized that the Bible was going to speak to me in ways that weren’t possible before.  How so?  What do I mean?  Much of the imagery in the Bible is founded on father/son concepts, and while I have a father and I am a son, I have thus far been unable to relate to being a father and having a son.

As I was laying in bed only hours after seeing N. for the last time on our trip, I was thinking about going home and getting things ready for his arrival.  I made a mental list, noting that I needed safety locks for doors, race car room decorations, and a lot of food!  As I finished my list, God spoke a passage into my heart; in John 14:2 Jesus said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.  If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”

In this text, Jesus was speaking on behalf of the Father and He let His listeners know that He would soon be leaving them to go and prepare a new home for them.  The disciples were being promised a heavenly home, but they hardly recognized what was happening.  Jesus was assuring them that His words were completely trustworthy and letting them know that they could have confidence and hope in what was said.

Never before had the magnitude and depth of this passage sunk in until I was a father.  What do I mean?  As I held N. on the last day in Bulgaria, I wanted him to know that I loved him, that I would miss him, that I was going to prepare a place for him, and that I was coming back to get him.

N. could trust my words.  I have been and will continue to do everything within my power to prepare his new home for his arrival.  Not a moment will go by when I do not think of him and wish he were here.

Similarly, we can trust Jesus’ words.  He has been and will continue to do everything within His sovereign power to prepare our new home for our arrival.  Not a moment will go by when He does not think of us and wish we were with Him.

On this day, I am thankful for two things: one, the fact that different stages in life bring about new understanding and insight in God’s Word.  Two, that heaven awaits me because of Jesus‘ promise.  Just a though.

When Ginger introduces me, she often says, “This is my husband, Chance.”  While such an introduction is straightforward and plain to the average person, it gives me a great sense of pride and security.  I take pride in knowing that I am the man who gets to share life with Ginger as her husband, and I sense security because I know that I am not only hers, but that she is also mine.

When a church member introduces me to their friend, they often say, “This is one of my friends, a pastor from church.  His name is Chance.”  The term “friend” and “pastor” may be generic words to the general population, but for followers of Christ, they are often chocked-full of meaning.  I find delight when a member of ACC calls me “friend” because it shows me that that the person enjoys my company and finds me trustworthy.  Similarly, being referred to as “pastor” reveals that he/she sees me as a guide and mentor in the faith.

When a person properly claims ownership or possession over us, it has the potential to fulfill and satisfy us on an intimate level.  In many cases, ownership suggests that the possessor genuinely desires fellowship with the asset and wants it to be known that there is a deep relational connection between the two.  To illustrate this, consider Paul’s words in I Corinthians 1:21-22 regarding God’s ownership of believers, “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.”

We are God’s possession; He claims us as His own.  Such a proclamation on His part should produce feelings of honor, awe, excitement, pride (the good kind), wonder, thankfulness, devotion, and dedication.  In short, such a statement should bring about worship from us, the possession, to God, the Possessor.

You might be your wife’s husband.  You might be your mother’s son.  You might be your boss’ employee.  You might be your neighbor’s neighbor.  First and foremost though, you are God’s child.  Just a thought.

Wireless Camera Bird Feeder – This is your typical bird feeder, except that it has a wireless camera fixed under the roof.  Once you have the feeder and camera in place, you plug the transmitter into your television and voila, you can watch birdies and squirrels from your La-Z-Boy recliner.   Not only is this appealing to those people who are unable to sit by a window for hours, but it is also attractive for sluggish people like myself.

Remote Controlled Turkey Decoy – With the help of an electrical box, a battery back, and some radio control parts, I created a turkey decoy that could be controlled from up to 50 yards away by remote.  With only the push of a button, the device would swivel from right to left.  Only later did I find out that such a gadget was illegal in Illinois.  Thank goodness I only played around with it in my back yard and never used it for an actual hunting excursion.

I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, Chance has way to much free time.”  While this may be a true statement, it is not my focus.  The reason I share these contraptions is to illustrate a point.  If I were to show you either of these items, you might describing them saying things like, “Hmm, that is an interesting idea that you have.” or “Neat.  You spent a lot of time on those gizmos.”  While you might appreciate the items themselves, the focus of your consideration would be directed toward the creator, since I had been the one who dreamt them up.  In other words, you wouldn’t so much respect the invention as you would respect the inventor.

Why would this be the case?  Because the item itself did nothing to create itself; the one who assembled it would deserve the credit.  Now, with that background, read Paul’s words to the people of Athens in Acts 17:24,

He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples…

Paul’s audience in this passage worshipped many gods and had many shrines devoted to those gods.  By implying that their gods lived in “man-made temples,” Paul was trying to get them to see the irony of the situation: the Athenians were worshipping something their hands had created, when in reality, they should have been worshipping the Creator of the “world and everything in it.”

All people should hand their lives to God based on what He has done (created the cosmos) and how He redeemed mankind (through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross).  Nothing we create is worthy of worship.  Shrines,  bird feeders, temples, and decoys do not deserve our praise; only the Creator, Designer, and Architect of all things deserves our worship.  Just a thought.

When I was in junior high I talked my parents into letting me get a pet newt.  You know, one of those slimey-lizard-reptile-looking-thingies.  I loved to watch him swim in the water, eat his food, and lounge around his domain.  I did not love to change water is his tank though.  It was disgusting.

Now, the second story…

My little sister, Cherish, loved (and still loves) beef jerky.  She would scarf a down a $5 bag of jerky from Wal-mart like it was 25 cent gum drop from a candy machine.  I quickly learned that if I ever wanted her to side with me in an argument or do what I said, a little dehydrated beef and pepper would do the trick.

Now, the blending of the stories…

One day, while feeding my newt, I had a genius idea: I decided to convince my sister that his food was actually beef jerky.  Then, when she ate it, I would laugh hysterically.  It was glorious.  I knew that she would give in.  I knew that her adolescent mind would be unable to resist.  I anticipated that all of my friends and everyone in my family would think it was funny and congratulate me for my creativity.  Sadly, this was not the case.

Mom and Dad did not find my shenanigans to be humorous in the least.  They thought Cherish might have been poisoned, and I was branded as the irresponsible son: things did not work out how I planned.  In fact, what I hoped would happen was the exact opposite of what happened.  I desired to bring about amusement and acceptance, when I reality, I created only annoyance and aversion.

Sometimes what we hope and work for is the exact opposite of what actually occurs.  This was especially for those who attempted to torment believers in the early church.  For instance, consider Acts 8:1a-3,

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.  But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

Saul’s goal (and others’) in persecuting the church was destruction.  They hoped that in oppressing the followers of Jesus they would eliminate followers of Jesus.  However, the exact opposite occurred.  Consider Acts 8:4,

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

Saul and his companions thought that separating the believers would cause them to recant, when in reality, it caused the message of Jesus to spread even further.  It should be noted that God is so powerful that he can take the corrupt plans of man, foil them, and bring glory to His name.  Just a thought.

“Because I believe, as I’m sure you do also, that our God is sovereign, I’m confident that He is always working in and through every experience we encounter to bring us closer to Him. I have also become convinced that because He is sovereign, He either arranges or allows every experience we have in this life. And if that’s true, then it means no matter what happens, whether it seems good or bad to us, our heavenly Father has either allowed or arranged it to happen for our good and for His glory. But that doesn’t mean we should ever deny or diminish the pain and disappointment we feel when things don’t turn out the way we had hoped! What it does mean is that no matter what happens, we can rest assured that the One who loves us more than we can ever imagine or understand, can and will use every experience we have in this life to help us become more like His Son.“

To God be the glory, forever.  Amen.

She plans her meals out ahead of time.
Seems normal, right?  Let me finish.
She even organizes her grocery list in such a way that it matches the layout of the particular supermarket she plans to visit that day.

Sickening, isn’t it?

I guess planning is a good idea.  It takes vision, forethought, and dedication though.  A planner must possess the ability to see big picture things, all the while caring about each minute detail along the way.  Similarly, a planner must put much effort into the strategy or blueprint that will bring him to his vision.  Likewise, a planner must be dedicated and unwilling to move away from the vision and plan, for if errors occur, the plan falls apart.

God is a planner, you know.  He knew that man was going to sin in the beginning, and He set a plan in motion to save humankind only moments after the fall.  Jesus was in the forefront of His mind and on the tip of His tongue only seconds after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.  How do we know this?  In Genesis 3:15 God promises to ultimately defeat Satan,

And I [God] will cause hostility between you [the serpent, Satan] and the woman [symbolic of all humankind, but ultimately Jesus], and between your offspring [offspring of Satan] and her offspring [symbolic of all humankind, but ultimately Jesus].  He [Jesus] will strike your [Satan’s] head, and you [Satan] will strike his [Jesus’] heel.

Which is more fatal, a blow to the head or a bite on the heel?
A blow to the head.

Jesus was God’s answer to the problem of sin at the beginning of time.  God had a plan from the get-go.

Fast-forward.
Past the nation of Israel…
Past the prophets…
Past the apostles
Past the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ…
To the birth of the church…

Acts 2:23 reads,

But God knew what would happen, and His prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.  But God released him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.

God loved humanity so much that He had a strategy to save us from the dawn of time.  Pretty sweet, right?  I guess Merry Ann has nothing on the Big Man.  Just a thought.