Redemmed

Some of you may not have heard of the Christian recording group Big Daddy Weave. Yes, you read that correctly. Well, they have a wonderful song called Redeemed. The first verse and the chorus are below.

Seems like all I could see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me
“Son, stop fighting a fight that's already been won”

(Chorus)
I am redeemed
You set me free
So I'll shake off theses heavy chains
And wipe away every stain
Now I'm not who I used to be
I am redeemed
I am redeemed

The Scriptures put it this way. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. . .Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ[1].

Do not live as people stuck in the past! You are no longer the slave of sin and death. You have been redeemed. You do not need to crawl like the lowest servant into the presence of the king. You may enter as one of his own children, an heir of the kingdom of God.

If we are no longer prisoners, why do we walk along our Christian journey bound by the chains of our past? We live free. We live victoriously. We live eternally. We live forgiven.

Pastor Craig

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[1] Romans 6:5-6,11

Forgiveness

So, how do we do this whole forgiveness thing? I ask because, like many of you, I really need to know. I ask because I believe that, somehow, the quality of my relationship with Jesus Christ is linked to my relationship to those around me. If I have problems giving and receiving forgiveness with those around me, might I not have problems receiving and understanding forgiveness and restoration through Jesus Christ for myself?

We pray Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Do we believe that? Do we forgive others as though our own forgiveness depended on it?

I think much of the time we just don’t know how to get started. Most of the time, we ask forgiveness for things we do accidentally. Those are easy. We trip and drop a plate at a friend’s dinner party breaking a piece of their china. Our apology is out almost before the plate hits the floor. We offer to buy another one. We go to the store and look for the same pattern, and, even though we are shocked by the price when we find it, we order a new one and take it to our friend because we want to restore the relationship.

However, it seems that we find it hardest to confess our sins when they are purposefully committed against someone else. That might be because they were done with intention. We meant to hurt. We meant to embarrass. We wanted to cause pain. It is just that we don’t want to admit that we are the kind of person who could do those things intentionally.

Mark 7:21-23 says, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these things come from within, and defile the man. It is difficult for us to admit that all these things flow out of our own heart. It is so much more comfortable to blame them on any outside influence. We just don’t want to admit that those things are part of the way we are.

When we ask forgiveness we admit that this is our nature. We show we need forgiveness and regeneration. It is the difference from saying we made a “mistake” and saying we have committed a sin, a hurtful act. Forgiveness cannot begin until we know that we are in need of redemption. However, forgiveness is completed when we accept redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Craig

The Message of the Church?

What is the message of the church? It seemed very clear to first century Christians. They scattered across the known world, and a little bit beyond, to tell people that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ had removed the curse of the Garden of Eden and made it possible for humanity to be restored to its Creator.

When we look around our part of the world it seems that there are churches everywhere. Everyone we know belongs somewhere, even if the seldom attend. So, is the mission of Christ to the Western world complete? Can we say as Christ said on the cross, “It is finished!”? I hardly think so.

Unfortunately, we live in a society that is so overrun with religious language and messages that we become oblivious to them. People wear crosses as jewelry without any thought of the message of the cross and little effort to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. What if cross wearing was a punishable offense? Would most of us still hold onto our jewelry? Or, would we abandon it as easily as we do our faith for convenience?

I say “We” because it would be easy to point to celebrities and famous people who pray before performances or point heavenward after the performance of some athletic feat but don’t back up talk with walk! In reality, “they” are “we.” If our lives were put on screen for some reality TV show, how would our witness stand up in our local community?

James 3:9-10 says, With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. It may be that something as simple as our language, I don’t necessarily mean language free from curse words, shows what is really in our heart. When we do nothing but condemn, what does it say about our heart? Even Jesus, when confronted by the worst of sinners, saved his strongest condemnation for the religious hypocrites of his day.

The Gospel, from the first Church all the way to our church, is this. Jesus heals broken people. You and I are broken ourselves. We are surrounded by broken people. There are people caught in addictions of all kinds, a behavior that controls them and will not let them live free. Those closest to us may live amid a tattered landscape of broken relationships, families living in the same house that are separated as far as the East is from the West. There are people who can see nothing good in themselves because they have been told that they are worthless for their entire life.

We carry the good news to those people. We offer the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to them. Our message is not a simple repent and believe, but one of come and be made whole. Yes, that wholeness may involve a large portion of repentance, but wholeness comes as one broken person reaches out in forgiveness and love to another broken person and calls them family!

Pastor Craig

Which Day Do You Live In?

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.[1]

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.[2]
We spend so much time worrying about the future. We stress about the meeting with our boss that may or may not be a good thing. We aren’t quite sure if we are on the boss’s good side or his bad side. We worry about tax time. We worry about medical tests and preparations for procedures and surgeries. We worry about things that never happen because in the infinite realm of possibilities it might, it JUST might happen. Yes, there are times I do it as well. I write most of these columns for myself. It is something I need to be reminded about as well. If you ever feel like I had someone in mind when I was writing this, you are correct. It was, first and foremost, myself.

Well, back to our texts. The psalmist has a very different take on how we should approach the day, each day. “THIS is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in IT.” This day is a gift. Yes, even with its own set of challenges, it is still a gift from God.

We blast through life worrying about what might happen while few of us ever stop to enjoy what is happening! God wants you to stop and drink in the gift of the day he has made for you.

I am sure that each of you has been given a gift sometime in your life and had the giver say, “Open it! Open it right now!” You try to defer, but their enthusiasm finally convinces you to open the gift and show the appreciation it deserves. Sometimes you do it simply to humor the giver. Can we not give our Heavenly Father the same basic consideration? Know that the day you read this is a gift from God. He says to you, “Open it! Open it right now!” with all the enthusiasm that any other giver has ever exhibited for their gift to you. Open your gift and celebrate with the giver!

Pastor Craig

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[1] Psalm 118:24 (The Message)

[2] Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

Inspiration

How does God speak to us? Where do we hear his voice? Maybe the better question is do we hear his voice?

I write a lot. I write this page each week. I write sermons even when I don’t take the notes in the pulpit. I write articles that have, from time-to-time been published in periodicals. I write. I write because God lays something on my heart. The problem is, what do you write when God seems to fail to deliver a theme which would inspire? Well, you do a lot of sitting. You get up and walk around your office. You pull random books off the shelves thinking a word, a picture, or a phrase will energize you to complete the task at hand. You doodle. Sometimes, you throw something on the page just to be done. Usually your readers know when you follow that method of inspiration. It comes across much more like a method of surrender.

Every so often you wear out and everything goes blank from exhaustion. When that occurs, it is usually time to sit up straight and listen because God is about to tell you something. God uses those times to show that a little less of your efforts and a lot more time spent before him will yield something worth more than the paper on which it is printed. This is the Holy Spirit telling you your tank is just about empty. It is the dinging sound your car makes when you get under two gallons left in your tank. You can only ignore that sound so long before the vehicle coasts to a stop due to lack of fuel. Our spiritual lives are the same way.

We lack story and testimony because we have neglected growing our relationship with the one who is the author of all inspiration. If someone were to ask you, “What is the Holy Spirit accomplishing in your life right now?” and you have nothing to reply, maybe you need a time of quiet reflection waiting for the good shepherd to come find the little lost lamb.

Even in the midst of the urgency of Jesus’ mission on earth, he told the disciples “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get yourselves some rest.” Quiet time, alone with Christ is never lost or wasted. It is a time of refueling where we get the answers to the questions the world seeks.

Pastor Craig















[1] Mark 6:31 (NIV)

Do One Thing Brave!

Do one thing brave today! If that is your goal, what would you do? What would you even consider? Some people might sit down and being to make a list. Their list may include things like sky diving, running with the bulls, whitewater rafting, or trying some disgusting sounding, yet elegantly labeled, foreign cuisine.

All of the above? Mere child’s play. Increased risk of death, or severe gastrointestinal distress at worst. Instead try picking something really risky from the list below and see what God will do.

1) Tell someone who does not know that you love them. I’m not talking about some romantic interest, but someone who you respect and highly value. Be un-Presbyterian. Don’t think. . .FEEL!

2) Share your faith journey with someone, anyone! Most of us have kept this special part of our personal history far too personal. Share it. Tell someone what Jesus Christ means to you. Tell them how your life is different because you are a child of the king.

3) Get involved! We see so many things as we pass through this life. Much of what we see we let pass us by, telling ourselves, “That really isn’t my business.” Obviously, don’t be foolish, but remind yourself that a wrong or injustice committed in your presence automatically becomes your business.

4) Be Quiet! Turn off everything and sit boldly before God asking him to give you insight into his presence and will for your life. Then take him at his word and put into action whatever he tells you to do!

Remember one thing. It may all boil down to perspective. Are you the penguin or the bear? Either way, be bold.


Pastor Craig

Thoughts On a Drive From the Airport

On New Year’s Eve, as I drove from the Atlanta airport I heard Bryan Adams’ song, Back in the Summer of ’69. Those of you who know the song probably also remember the line Those were the best days of my life. Granted, not all of the items of a “best day” for a teenager would normally be included among the wisest day(s) of our lives. However, the song got me thinking. What are the best days of my life?

Don’t worry. I’m not going to bore you with a highlight reel, but I am going to challenge you to think about your own best days. I would like to challenge you to dig deeper than those obvious moments many of us would pick. I don’t want to dismiss them. I do want to challenge you to think about what events molded you into the person who was ready for those moments. . .your wedding, the birth of your children, the defining career moment, etc.

Those moments didn’t just happen. They were the series of interconnected events that brought you to a natural conclusion. Maybe it was friends, way back in the summer of 69, or before. Maybe it was a Sunday school teacher or pastor, or someone else who helped develop the character that allowed you to approach one of those moments with faith and confidence. Maybe the moment required strength, maybe it required faith, maybe it deserved celebration, maybe reverence.

The point of this brief writing is to remind you that your loving and compassionate Heavenly Father has known your future from the beginning of creation. He has masterminded creation. He has moved mountains. He has prepared dozens of people along your way, each one with something to contribute to your development.
2013 is past. Some of our choices may have been among the best days of our lives, some of them you might rather forget. Yet, all of those experiences are part of the molding and preparing compassion of the Holy Spirit for the events coming your way in 2014.

Romans 8:28 reminds us, All things work together for good for those who love Him. Yes, there it is. ALL THINGS. Not just the pleasant things, not just the obvious spiritual things, ALL THINGS. Now, I have probably reminded you of some events this past year you would rather have done without if you could. Sorry, but I hope you will take some time to spend with God and thank him for those events, thank him for caring for you and preparing you for the year ahead, thank him for trusting you to handle the difficult things from 2013, and giving you the practice for those events which will challenge you during the year that lies ahead.

Happy New Year


Pastor Craig