Tag: ministry

Posted on

Arrival at Bethany

Just a week before Passover, Jesus arrives at Bethany. The Pharisees and chief priests are on high alert, looking for Jesus, wanting to arrest him and complete their mission to kill him. Apparently they have Lazarus in their sights as well.

Mary, the sister of Lazarus, pours expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus–crazy thing number one–then wipes it with her hair–crazy thing number two. The house is filled with a pleasing aroma. How Mary acquired such a large amount of perfume is not explained, but it must have been something that took a lot of time. Her loyalty to Jesus began before he raised Lazarus from the dead, an event that cemented her resolve beyond comprehension. I like to believe she was looking for the opportunity to do this crazy thing and the Holy Spirit prompted her to act in this place at this time.

Such extravagance sets Judas’ heart firmly against Jesus. In any ministry there are debates about what should be done, when and where, etc. Judas was probably the one that kept asking logistical, seemingly practical questions about their next steps. Time and time again, the other disciples, as well as Jesus, kept doing that which just wasn’t logical. The voice in Judas’ head must have kept moving him on a different path and this was just another example of how Jesus and “those disciples” missed the practical point of ministry. What is Jesus thinking? “Leave her alone,” Jesus replies. Judas’ mind must have been going in all directions like an OCD person playing pick-up sticks.

The crowds are continuing to swell as stories about Jesus grow. People want to see Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests want nothing to do with this and are looking for ways to put an end to this “distracting” regime.

For on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Jesus sees it all. He sees Judas’ heart hardened completely in this moment. This has to be an incredibly painful moment for Jesus. God does not find joy in seeing the lost. I fully believe that God wants all to come to him, but there are so many who simply choose to go their own way.

Lord, during this Christmas season help us to see the plans you have for us, your plans and not ours. Show us how to take what we have, precious gifts or everyday attire and freely give them to you for your kingdom here on earth.

Bible Gateway Links:

John 11:55-12:11

Commentary Links at BibleHub.com:

Posted on

Plot to Kill Jesus — Caiaphas

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and as he walked out of the tomb in front of many people the crowd appears to fall into to camps: some believe, some don’t. It’s hard to imagine anything in between. I don’t think our present level of cynicism was common in that age, but it seems plausible that some thought it was all a show.

For some this was divine, for others this was a threat. Caiaphas speaks  for the Sanhedrin,

…it is better for you that one man die for the people
than that the whole nation perish.

These prophetic words are not meant to suggest that Jesus will be the propitiation for our sins; rather, Caiaphas concludes Jesus must be eliminated in order to preserve the Jewish State, their Temple and their system.  He speaks for the leaders and solidly sets in motion the events that will soon follow. The Jewish counsel will figure out how to kill this one man (though they will defer to the Romans for the dirty work) in an effort to save their system. To wrestle with this level of offense, the Sanhedrin would have included 71 Jewish leaders. Keeping the discussion secret seems impossible!

This is a great turning point in the earthly ministry of Jesus. Apparently the words of Caiaphas became known so Jesus and his disciples relocated about 15 miles away to Ephraim until the final march into Jerusalem.

So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

The great happiness of the crowd is squelched by the leaders actions. Yet this will ultimately work against them. When the people are confronted with the risen Jesus and hear the proclamation of the Apostles, I’m sure there will be some who remember the actions of the counsel and recognize how they have been greatly misled, even deceived, and propel into existence the birth of Christ’s church–Christianity.

As we have observed in this life, great tragedy provides a great opportunity for triumph. True character is revealed in the wake of horrible events. May God guide us in the path of righteousness as we grow in faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Bible Gateway Links:

John 11:45-54

Commentary Links at BibleHub.com:

Posted on

Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

Woe to those who held positions of leadership, the ones who were directing God’s chosen ones down a path that would lead to destruction. The timing of Jesus ministry is wrapped up in the history of our Jewish ancestors: their system was broken. God provided laws to create order and discipline; the Pharisees added layer upon layer, ultimately to create an exclusive society that was removed from serving God. Read these words carefully and look insightfully as we consider our own systems.

Matthew 23:13-32, Luke 11:37-54
Posted on

Commissioning of the 72

Jesus sends out ambassadors, sheep among wolves, whether 70 or 72, it appears he has enough followers to pick a sizable group to begin expanding the ministry. This commissioning is only recorded in Luke, perhaps this is just Luke’s bias (as the author of Acts). The warnings are just as relevant today!

Luke 10:1-16
Posted on

Passion for Planting Churches

Project Manager for Passion for Planting. 

Most people, especially my friends from Salinas, California, think I’m in the agricultural engineering business! The term church planting is completely familiar to those of us that are devoted to supporting new churches, but not the most common term in the public sector. Perhaps this additional sentence helps:

We provide resources, tools and support for people planting churches.

Still, the concept of planting a church is foreign to most people, but it’s a great conversation starter. Here’s my elevator pitch:

Passion for Planting was formed in 2002 as a ministry of  New Life Christian Church. P4P has helped over 100 churches get started with the idea that they would go and start other churches. We assist those who are called to start new churches in several ways ranging from education and training to web-based resources and tools to working alongside church planters as their P4P Bannerproject manager.

  • PlanterApp walks potential church planters through a phased application process where applicants are guided through steps required for affiliating with a church planting organization.
  • PlanterPlan provides a detailed step-by-step guide for managing a new church start from inception to launch.  We help prepare church planters by offering training through our
  • PlanterPrep program (in-residence and distance learning).
  • PlanterAssist provides links to tons of free resources available to our frequent visitors.
  • PlanterJobs is scheduled for release with Exponential West (Oct 5-8, 2015). This provides a job board targeted at church planters, planting organizations and all the support positions.

Our goal is to help those called to plant churches have the greatest opportunity for success. The fields are ripe, the workers are few and those who answer the call often need help — that’s where we come in.

New Life Christian Church was planted as a new church dedicated to planting new churches, but they are an important community resource as well. The church doesn’t look like an ordinary church because it is not an ordinary church.  So often we think of church as a building, even though we know that word church is really meant to point to a collection of believers. You might be surprised to learn that New Life operates a huge community center called nZone. Complete with indoor soccer fields, sports courts and even a fitness club, New Life holds weekly services here while daily serving the community’s need for recreation and fitness.  In addition, New Life Christian Church is committed to supporting the community through Passion for Community, yet another organization created by those who are part of this vibrant, life-changing church community.

The passion for planting churches is all part of a larger movement in this country, even throughout the world. One significant organization that supports this movement is Exponential.

Exponential seeks to come alongside and serve church planters and the organizations they are affiliated with. We seek to impact church planting by accelerating the multiplication of leading organizations who are planting churches.

Exponential.org hosts two large conferences a year, Exponential East and Exponential West. These are great events to inspire, equip and train church planters, current and future. Checkout their site for details and a wealth of resources.

 

Posted on

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

The incredible interaction between Joseph and an angel of the Lord: Matthew 1:18-25

This passage provides a little insight into Joseph, Mary’s husband, the man who would raise Jesus in his home along with other children. Joseph must have been an incredibly kind person, one who watched his life take a turn which no one would have predicted, yet he managed the news with eloquence. “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). Though this was hundreds of years ago, people knew without a doubt what caused pregnancy, yet somehow Joseph, a faithful man, was able to accept his role in this story. I’m pretty confident I would have failed this test, I doubt I would have been so gracious or willing to listen to the rumors spread in the village.

“But after he had considered this…” (1:20 begins). The angel didn’t show up to pre-warn Joseph, he had to wrestle with this incredible problem first. That’s definitely not the way I like to operate! How many times have difficult situations presented themselves before there is any hint that God has a plan, that his hand is in the mix.  “…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream” (middle of 1:20)–a dream because Joseph wasn’t sleeping well, no doubt tossing and turning and trying to figure out how this amazingly sweet young betrothed bride could do such a thing and how he could somehow live his life peacefully.

The angel has these incredibly comforting words: “Joseph, son of David…” Wow! Not only is Joseph visited by an angel, but he is immediately credited with being a member of David’s family. The angel explains that Mary carries the Messiah, the one they all hoped would come, the one the read about, studied and dreamed would come one day. This is the day. It seems odd to me that those who study and preach expectation and hope would miss the very thing that they most desired. “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet” (1:22), through Isaiah’s words of long ago, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).  The “therefore” in this case is a result Ahaz’s disobedience and ultimate inability to follow the Lord. A solemn reminder that God doesn’t need us to carry out his plan for the world, we have a choice. Joseph choose to listen.

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matthew 1:24). Lord, I don’t think we can fully grasp the significance of these words in this day and age, but I thank you for providing this short description of a man who listened well and I pray that we, as your people, would learn from this lesson and listen to your Spirit all the time!

Joseph did not consummate the marriage with Mary, he did not have sexual relations with her before Jesus was born. In my mind, I picture a kind and gentle man, probably much older than Mary, caring for her patiently. God choose Mary for a reason and Joseph was there as well, though we know very little about his actions. As a father, I like to think he was a good and patient teacher, loving his wife and children, well respected for his kindness. This impression is only supported tangentially as we don’t have the details, but there’s no evidence that people were surprised that Jesus was wise and thoughtful when he began his ministry, no surprise when he was in the temple or spoke to people. Joseph did his job as a faithful servant in the background, something I admire and pray that I can do for whatever days I have left on earth.

Teach me, Lord, the ways of Joseph. Guide my thoughts and speak to me when I’m troubled and may my words and actions always, always give you the honor and glory you deserve.

Proudly powered by WordPress