Clay in the Hands

This Sunday our series on the nature of God continues.  Last week we took a look at the fact that God is personal.  God is not some nebulous gas floating around in space with no interaction with us.  But, as Christian Smith pointed out in Soul Searching, God is not the cosmic loving Santa Clause that exists to make sure my every wish is granted.

God is personally connected to those who seek that relationship.  As if that concept is not amazing enough, this week we will be looking at God’s absolute-ness.  God is all-knowing, all-powerful and ever present.  When we think of God in this way, we should be humbled by the fact that God – the absolute being that defies our attempts to describe and grasp – wants a one on one relationship with you.

If you are in the neighborhood on Sunday at 10:45 stop by.  But if not, rest in the thought that there is no being greater than God.  And this great God knows you completely, loves you perfectly and wants the absolute best for you today!

Be blessed!

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This morning I woke up wanting to hear some Josh Garrels.  Does that ever happen to you?  So on my way to the office, I put in my earbuds and clicked on my music app.

The first song I played was from his Love & War & The Sea Between album.  Farther Along was the song I chose.  As I listened I had to ask myself if I am farther along in my walk with Christ than I was at this time last year.

You see, our relationship with Jesus is a journey – a process.  That is why the New Testament occasionally referred to believers as followers of The Way.

Being transformed to the image of Christ does not happen over night.  It is a process – a progression.  Along the journey of life and the following in The Way we will experience turns and ups and downs.  But our desire should always be to push forward, to always be progressing.

So my question for you today is this:  Are you farther along in your journey today than this time last year?

If so, why?

If not, why not?

I would love to hear your story.

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We have arrived at that fateful day.  The darkest day in human history.  The day we killed Jesus.

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By this point in the week, the tension was beginning to mount.  Followers were falling away.  What had seemed like a good idea when Jesus rode the colt into the city – the praising and celebration – began to look more like a mistake.

If this man was going to overthrow Rome, then why is he turning the religious leaders against him?  Didn’t he know that he would need this group to lead the new Israel?

Confusion.  Frustration.  Tension.

In the midst of the swirling emotions, Jesus pulled his disciples together for one final Passover meal.  With full knowledge of what would happen in just a few short hours, he took a basin and towel and gave the disciples one of the most powerful lessons of his ministry.  He explained that he would not be with them much longer but they must carry on by serving and and loving one another.

Can you sense the anxiousness in the hearts of the disciples.  They knew something was about to happen.  But what could it be?

After that supper, the group headed into the garden to pray.  Some stayed with him longer than others, but one by one they all dropped out.  By the end of the night, even Jesus’ most vigilant follower would turn and run.

Will you stay with him?  Will you walk with him to the cross?

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Jesus was in and out of the city that week.  He spent some time in the Temple courts observing, teaching and calling the leaders to account.

One of the most vivid stories from this week is the story of Jesus running the money changers out of the Temple courts.  The Jewish religious system had become a business in many ways.  People didn’t have to come to the Temple with sacrifice in hand any more.  Now, they could simply walk into the outer Temple court and step up to a sacrifice “vending machine” and select the sacrifice that fit their need for forgiveness – and, for a surcharge, viola, they could have their sacrifice to carry to the priest.

This sacrificial system had become big business.  So Jesus called the religious leaders onto the finely woven Persian rug.  He got their attention by turning over the tables and running the people out of the Temple.

All of the sudden, the people who shouted “Hosanna” a few days before became very confused.  Was this the same man who was supposed to come to town to rally the people to overthrow Rome?  Why is he jumping all over the religious leaders?  Doesn’t he know that this is how we do things?  His focus should be on the Roman soldiers and Caesar, not the priests and Pharisees!

Things began to turn.

And all along . . . Jesus saw the cross coming ever so quickly.

Stay with him a few more days.  Walk with him along the path to the cross.

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Did you know that the first “successful” heart transplant was performed in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa.  The patient lived for 18 days with his new heart.  With the perfecting of anti-rejection medications, the results of such surgeries have continued to get better.  Isn’t it amazing what God has gifted some to do to help others?

Surgeons aren’t the only ones that can change hearts.

In Ezekiel 36:26 we read this:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

God’s desire for us is to have a heart that feels.  Obviously, Ezekiel is speaking figuratively about our center – not our actual physical hearts.  God understands that as humans, it is easy for our hearts to grow hardened and calloused.

Most of us have been raised with a philosophy something like:  “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”  Once we have been burned or taken advantage of once or twice, we tend to close ourselves off.  We put up walls to protect ourselves.  And over time, our hearts become like stone.

When this happens, God says that what we need is a heart transplant.

God’s desire for us is to have a heart like Jesus – that beats like his – that is concerned about the things he is concerned about – that cares for others as he does.

So how’s your heart today?

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Do you ever feel unworthy or even worthless?  I am so blessed to have parents who always instilled value in me.  I have always known they love me and have sacrificed to make sure my brother and myself had every opportunity they could give us to succeed in life.  I am not unaware of how blessed I have been.

But even with all the positive reinforcement and encouragement along the way, there are times that I feel less than deserving.  The reality is that I am undeserving.  All of us are sinful by nature and don’t deserve the blessings God grants.

But that is my point today.  This morning on my way to the office, I listened to my daily devotional, Pray-As-You-Go, and something really caught my ear.  This is what the narrator said:

There may be times that I really accept that it is only grateful acceptance of God’s love that sets me free from the self-centeredness that sin and guilt embody.  What helps me to be aware of and feel God’s unconditional love for me?

I have been meditating on those words all morning.

God offers unconditional love to us because we are valuable in God’s eyes – sinful yes – but valuable none the less.  But so often the worthlessness we feel is the result of our guilt.  We think, “there is no way God could forgive me for ___________.”  (Fill in the blank)

But I am reminded today that God offers forgiveness and unconditional love to us.  We have  a gift being handed to us.  We simply need to accept it.

Accept God’s gift of unconditional love anew today and enjoy the liberation, the joy and the peace that comes in knowing that God loves you in spite of you!

Be blessed today!

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Take a deep breath.  It will be OK.  You will get through this.

If you find yourself needing to hear those words today, you are not alone.  You are not alone on at least two levels.  One thing to remember is that all of us have times in our lives when we don’t think we can make it through – we just can’t shoulder another thing.  If that is not you today, stop and thank God for the break and ask for strength for the days ahead when this will describe you.

If this is you today, then you can also remember that as a believer, you are never alone.  Jesus said, “I will never leave you.”  God is with you through whatever this life may bring your way.  Lean into that reality today and lean completely on God.

Just remember this – copy it down – put it on your fridge or mirror:

Before all this . . . God

After all this . . . God

Be blessed today!

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The Eve of that special day is upon us.  We have waited all year for this.  The last four weeks – we call advent – have been about the anticipation of this moment in history.  It has all led to being excited about celebrating something that happened over 2000 years ago.

Think about that for a second – for weeks we have awaited with hope and excitement the day that we would celebrate an event that happened thousands of years ago.  What other event in human history caused such a ritual?

NONE!

But then again, it only takes one instance of divinity and humanity merging to cause such an uproar.

It is here!  Celebrate God’s breaking into humanity.  Brush up against the wonder this year and let it change you!

Merry Christmas from Clay In The Hands!

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