"Jesus Refuses" - Part 1

Obviously, today (9/11) is a day of tremendous pain for our country - a day in which innocent lives were taken by terrorists who were seeking war against our culture and our values - a day in which many people were going about the routines of life, only to have those routines abruptly stopped by some lunatics who thought their actions were justified and holy. 

In a sense, it’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since our country was terrorized.  I often think about this time one time a year as we near September and the start of school.  Yet for those affected first hand by the actions that day, I can only imagine that these 10 years have seemed like an eternity.  And my heart and prayers go out to those who are reminded daily of their loss because their loved one is no longer around.  They no longer get to touch, see, smell, or hear the loved one, but rather must remember the good times of the past.

But as we think and remember this time, let’s take a moment of silence, to pray for the victims and their families during their time of pain.   And let us also do as Jesus taught us; pray for those enemies who masterminded this act of terrorism.  For though they feel they are right in Allah’s eyes, we know that God, the Father of Jesus, showed us what true love and sacrifice really look like; and they need Jesus.

Now that we’ve had some time to reflect and pray, I want to look at a passage in the Gospel of Matthew that will lead us into a series on things Jesus refuses to do.  But before I share with you this reading, I have a trivia question to ask.  Now keep in mind, this was new to me when I researched it so I’m not some brain that can just throw out to you tidbits of information.

Question:  Where is the one place in the world where a person can throw different pieces of wood in different directions and have them end up in 3 different seas; the Black, the North, and the Mediterranean?

The answer is a place on the North Side of the Alpine Mountains in Switzerland.   If you throw a piece in the Danube River, it will end up in the Black Sea.   If you throw a piece in the Rhine River, it will end up in the North Sea.   And if you throw a piece in the Rhone River, it will end up in the Mediterranean Sea.

Three pieces of wood thrown from the same place but ending up in different Seas several miles apart.  Their destination is determined by the way they were thrown.

READ MATTHEW 12: 14-21

With our lives, the principle “what will be tomorrow will be determined by the choices we make today” is a good principle, but not always a valid principle in light of every circumstance.   Yes, if I drink too much alcohol over the course of time, my liver pays.  If I smoke, my heart and lungs take a beating.  If I’m promiscuous, then I may end up with disease or unplanned pregnancies.  Yet, in light of 9/11/2001, over 3000 people had their lives abruptly ended.  Not because of the choices they had made in the past or the choice they made that day to go to work (an attribute God has placed in all of us), but because some decided, with Satan’s influence, to use our planes as missiles.

I feel the better way to state this principle is:  “Bad choices will most likely result in negative consequences, whereas good choices will most likely result in positive ones.”  There is no guarantee that if I make good choices, nothing bad will happen to me.  Nor, is there any guarantee that if I make bad choices, nothing good will happen to me, ever.   I’ve seen it too many times.  People want the black and white, the cookie cutter approach to life, yet life never operates with a checklist of do’s and don’ts.  Choices always have to be made.  And even Jesus had to make them.

We sometimes forget that Jesus was human.  And just like we have to make choices daily, the choices He made developed the character He would become.   He chose to do some things and refused to do others.

And I’m glad that in the Bible, particularly the Gospels, it tells of things He chose to do willingly.  He willingly raised Lazarus from the dead.  He willingly healed a man with a withered hand.  He willingly stopped a funeral by raising a widow’s son.  He willingly laid down His life so that we have forgiveness of sins.

But today, we want to key in on one of three things that Matthew 12: 14-21 tell us Jesus refuses to do:  Jesus refuses to be impatient with sinners.

Verse 15 – Aware that the Pharisees were plotting how to kill Him, He withdrew from that place.  Many followed Him and he healed all their sick……

Imagine how many people were pursuing Jesus wanting a healing.  Yet in his patience, when He could have shooed them all away, He healed all their sick.

Martin Luther once said, “If I were God and the world treated me as it has treated Him, I would have kicked the wretched thing to pieces long ago.”

The scripture shows us that many people are hurting and want Jesus to heal them.  There is no question that pain and suffering were evident then and are still evident today.  But you know; pain and suffering often don’t make sense to us, especially when we have the knowledge that God is a loving God who is supposed to be in control of this world. 

Read this explanation, one of the best ones I’ve ever heard, of why God allows pain and suffering.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and beard trimmed.  As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.  They talked about all kinds of things.  When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:  “I don’t believe that God exists.” 

“Why do you say that?” asked the customer. 

“Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn’t exist.  Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?  Would there be abandoned children? Would there be innocent lives taken in acts of terror? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.  I can’t imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.” 

The customer thought for a moment, but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start and argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.  Just after he left, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.  He looked dirty and unkempt.  The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and said to the barber:  “You know what?  Barbers do not exist.”  

“How can you say that?” asked the surprised barber.  “I am here, and I am a barber.  And I just worked on you.” 

“No!” the customer exclaimed.  “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.” 

“Ah, but barbers do exist!  What happens is people don’t come to me,” the barber said.

“Exactly!” affirmed the customer.  “That’s my point!  God too does exist!  What happens is people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him.  That’s why there is so much pain and suffering in the world.”

Jesus is patient with us.  He keeps hoping that we’ll come to Him just like those who followed Him and were healed that day some 2000 years ago.

Here’s a prayer by a minister named Joe Wright given at the opening session of the Kansas State Senate in 2000 that truly reminds us that Jesus refuses to be impatient with sinners.

“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask for Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.  We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it “pluralism.”  We have worshipped other gods and called it “multiculturalism.”  We endorsed perversion and called it “alternative lifestyle.”  We have exploited the poor and called it “the lottery.”  We have rewarded laziness and called it “welfare.”  We have killed our unborn and called it “choice.”  We have shot abortionists and called it “justifiable.”  We have neglected to discipline our children and called it “building self-esteem.”  We have abused power and called it “politics.”  We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it “ambition.”  We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it “enlightenment.”  Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.  Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your Will, to open our hearts and ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

Wow!  What a prayer.  What courage.  But best yet, oh how it shows us that Jesus refuses to be impatient with sinners, with me.

Our remembrance of the 10 year anniversary of September 11 truly reminds us that we’re in a fallen world – that pain and suffering exist – that mankind makes choices that affect us, both good and bad.  If we look truly at 9/11 we are reminded that Jesus doesn’t zap with lightening those who do wrong, though sometimes we wish His judgment be swift and harsh on those who hurt others.   But it reminds us all the more that we should be careful what we wish for, for we all have done wrong.     And no sin - no matter how big or little it may seem - goes unnoticed by God.   The only time it goes unnoticed is in this day of grace – this day of patience.   It’s during this time when sin is wiped clean through repentance in the name of Jesus.  One day, this day of grace will end, and all sin not covered under the blood of Jesus will be judged swiftly and harshly.

So remember, Jesus willingly does many things.   But there are some things that Jesus refuses to do and one of them is:  He refuses to be impatient with sinners.   2 Peter 3: 9 states, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 

Jesus is patient because He wants to see that no one is eternally separated from the love of God at the time of judgment.    And that choice is up to you and me.

Love Is Final

Love is the most wonderful word ever spoken.  The word conjures up pictures of good times – a hug from a parent, a first love (crush), a wedding day, etc.  The word is used in almost every song and the world wishes we could all learn to love each other; for if we could, we would have no more war or oppression of those who are weaker.  Yet love in all its usage is probably the most misunderstood term out there because the definition has not been defined in light of the One who is love.

Over this series, we have been trying to grasp hold of what the real definition of love looks and acts like.  And we have come up with 3 Big Ideas thus far that will lead us in our thinking – 3 Big Ideas that will guide us in our response to the situations we are placed in everyday of our lives. 

The first idea was that love must encompass what we do, which really puts our perspective onto others and onto the glorification of God.  Love is not about me, but rather what’s best for the other person.  Doing great, monumental things for mankind so that I might be praised means nothing.  God says do all that you do so that through you the people of this world will give praise to God in Heaven.  Let it be said of you that you do what you do because you love.

The second idea was that love cannot involve hate.  We cannot say we love God, whom we cannot see, if we hate our brother, whom we can see.  Will feelings of anger and distaste creep into our thoughts from time to time, especially when someone hurts us?  Sure thing!  But, love says we don’t hold onto these thoughts.  Love says as Jesus said while being hung on the cross by His enemies, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

The third idea was that love is an unconditional action.  Love is not mere words for we know how words mean nothing unless they’re backed by some action.  Jesus could have spoken of love all the time, but love didn’t take on its true meaning until he willingly allowed himself to be killed (sacrificed) on our behalf so that our relationship with God could be restored.  Love requires action on our part without expecting anything in return.  That’s tough, yet that’s what true love looks like. 

Now before we get into the final Big Idea on love that will conclude this series, let’s revisit the scripture which shows us the picture of God and His love that He so wants to see in us as well.

Read 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13

The fourth and final Big Idea on love is this:  Love never fails.

You know, eventually faith and hope will no longer be needed.  Why? Because this world will eventually be God’s once again, and will be made perfect.

The faith and hope we have now won’t be needed because faith believes in something that can’t be seen and hope gives us the strength and courage to believe in something yet to come.

There will be a day where all will see God and his children will no longer have to have faith that He is, nor hope any longer for His return.  Faith and hope will become reality.

Love never fails.  It’s simply because love has always been, and always will be.  It simply will never fail because love is God.

Many people have shared with Caroline and I that Jayden is a pure expression of God’s love.

And though Jayden is human and has a will of her own – and believe me, we’ve seen a lot more of it lately in her telling us what she wants – I have to agree with them.  In my unbiased opinion, even though she’s not perfect, she’s the closest thing I’ve seen to what love is all about.  And so, even though I’m her dad, there’s a lot that I need to learn from her.

I think she displays and understands love in its truest form – it comes natural to her.  When Caroline and I let ourselves, when we let our “self” get in the way of exemplifying true love to others, we don’t have to look far to see what we should be doing.

Jayden thinks of others.

She knows no strangers.  She says “Hi” to everyone as they pass by whether they acknowledge her or not.  For those who take time to hold her, she tenderly hugs and kisses on them as if they were the most dearest and important person in this world.  She gets hurt by others, but quickly forgets the pain.  She has hurt others, but makes it all right.  When she’s been disciplined for doing something wrong and the sobbing begins, the only thing that will take her out of this state, is to give her the opportunity to say she’s sorry.  She says it in words along with a hug and a kiss.  And once she does, life immediately returns back to where it was before she was disciplined.  In Jayden, there is no envy, boasting, or pride.  She’s not self-seeking or rude.  She sees people for who they are, not for who they are not.  She loves because she knows how to love – and it’s not with words, but with her actions.

Understanding love, true love, is the key component to happiness, peace, and joy.  This kind of love when lived out makes our relationships with others, such as our spouses, our friends, our employers, etc., stronger and healthier.  And who doesn’t want this?  I know I do.

Jesus showed us this perfect love in his sacrifice.  The Apostle Paul shows us the true picture of what God’s character looks like in our God-inspired text from the Bible.  And today, we can exemplify this true love in our own lives by keeping these 4 Big Ideas in mind:

• Love must encompass what you do. 
• It cannot involve hate. 
• It is an unconditional action.
• And, most importantly, it never fails.

Thank you God for your love.

Understanding Love - Love is Unconditional

 

The Cleaning Woman

There was a little old cleaning woman that went to the local church. When the invitation was given at the end of the service, she went forward wanting to become a member. The pastor listened as she told him how she had accepted Jesus and wanted to be baptized and become a member of the church.

The pastor thought to himself, "oh my, she is so unkempt, even smells a little, and her fingernails are not clean. She picks up garbage, cleans toilets - what would the members think of her." He told her that she needed to go home and pray about it and then decide.

The following week, here she came again. She told the pastor that she had prayed about it and still wanted to be baptized. "I have passed this church for so long. It is so beautiful, and I truly want to become a member."

Again the pastor told her to go home and pray some more. A few weeks later while out eating at the restaurant, the pastor saw the little old lady. He did not want her to think that he was ignoring her so he approached her and said, "I have not seen you for a while. Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "I talked with Jesus, and he told me not to worry about becoming a member of your church."

"He did?" said the pastor.

"Oh, yes" she replied. "He said even He hasn't been able to get into your church yet, and He's been trying for years."

I share this joke with you to remind you to laugh, but more importantly, to remind you that Church is not about people; it’s about Jesus trying to live in the people who make up the church.   

The last time I blogged, I wrote on understanding love; a part of a sermon series I'm presently doing.   

In the first blog, we discovered that if love is as our culture teaches, we are nothing more than romantic fanatics seeking pleasure for ourselves.  But, if we love as God teaches us to love then our love becomes a commitment to others.

In review, we focused on two Big Ideas.   

The first one being that love must encompass what you do.   We found out from Paul in our reading from 1 Corinthians that if you’re doing great things for your own self-interest and glorification, God sees it and counts it as nothing.  Love must encompass what we do, big or little, and be done with the other person in mind; not what’s in it for me.     

The second one is that love cannot involve hate.    The apostle John shared with us from 1 John 4: 20 that “If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”   Hate truly contradicts who God is; fore God first loved us, but had every reason to hate us for turning our back on Him through our sin.  Love cannot involve hate because if it does, it’s a lie.

So since love must encompass what we do and it cannot involve hate, what characteristics of true love is God looking to see in us?

Well, picking up with verse 4 in 1 Corinthians 13, we see what God wants to see in us, as well as what He doesn’t want to see.

Notice the characteristics of love.    It’s patient, it’s kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, and it is not proud.    Now remember, love doesn’t point fingers at others because Jesus also said, “Remove the log from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brother’s.”  In other words, it’s pretty hard to point out and fix the faults of others when we have large, enormous faults of our own that we don’t want to admit to.    But going on, love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.    Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.   

The understanding of love that Paul has given us is ideal.  It’s perfect.   Yet, have you and I ever failed to live up to this ideal at some point in our lives?  You bet ya!  We’re not God, we’re sinners.     But don’t let that be your excuse for not striving for it.  God is shaping and molding us while we’re on this earth to become more and more like this ideal – more and more like Him.  The fruition of this undertaking will not be made complete until God’s children return home to their father’s house. 

So our 3^rd Big Idea is this:  Love is an unconditional action.

Put love into action and we see that love requires us to think before we react, it requires us to stop and hear before we go, and it requires us to place others in a place of honor, even our enemies, without expecting anything in return.  Love is action.

Someone once said:  A bell is not a bell until you ring it.  A song is not a song until you sing it.  And love in your heart is not love until you give it away.

Frederick W. Faber said, “Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.”

Love is an unconditional action shown through living out the characteristics of true love.   That’s what God showed us in his son Jesus.    So go out and do the same, but don’t desire anything in return.

Love isn’t love when it’s done for your benefit.  No love is love when you give it away.

Understanding Love - True Love

Ever had a time in life where you thought you were in love, but really found out you were not?   What told you that the feelings you were having were not truly feelings of love?  Did this experience make you question what love truly looked like?  Were you hurt?  Did you want to give up on love?

I think I can fairly say that many of us have had a bad experience with love at one time or another.  But should our experiences determine what love really is?  Should our experiences in this world with love really affect what love truly looks like?

Before I delve into this question, I want to share with you a story of a young man named Adrian.   Adrian, was a young scrapping farm boy who lives in the Midwest.   If you noticed I used past and present verb tenses within the same statement.  The purpose being is that Adrian still lives in the Midwest, but not as the boy he once was. 
You see, it was during a varsity football game where Adrian was hurt.  He suffered severe brain damage which left him in a helpless state, no longer being able to care for himself. 

Here was a boy who once spoke clearly, but could now only grunt and smile.  Here was a boy who once fed himself, but could now only be fed by someone else.  Here was a boy who once drove farm equipment to assist with farm duties, but could now only have someone push him in his wheelchair.  Here was a boy who went from being a vibrant, varsity athlete to a boy who needed “round the clock” care in order to survive.

I tell you this story not to focus on the accident and the state of Adrian.   I tell you this story to show what love truly looks like.   I tell you this story because it is through Adrian’s family that we will see what God’s love truly looks like.

You see, it took a freak football accident to help Adrian’s family realize what God’s love is really like.   How did this accident bring them to this realization?  It showed them what love truly looks like because now they had to serve Adrian in every capacity, and all he could offer in return was a bright smile or some form of acknowledgement. 

What they saw was that the love they were showing Adrian was truly unconditional.  They were showing Adrian the same kind of love God showed them.  They were showing Adrian the same kind of love God shows us.  And by loving their son, their brother, unconditionally, it brought them closer together than they had ever been before.

I know it doesn’t make much sense that loving someone without expecting anything in return would bring Adrian's family closer together, but that’s exactly what it did.

You know, we’re told by many an expert what love truly is, yet it falls way short of the true love that God wants His children to understand and live out.  So to truly understand this love – the love of God – we have to follow as Paul states “the most excellent way.”  You know, you can’t get any higher, any bigger, any better than “most excellent.”   And Paul wrapped up the most excellent way, the understanding of true love, into 13 verses (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13).

In this reading are a series of characteristics/principles that God wants to be evident in a person’s life, especially a follower of Jesus. 

Paul opened up 1 Corinthians by saying, and this is my paraphrase to verses 1-3, “I don’t care Christians of Corinth what great things you do.  They could be the most magnificent things in this world – you could prophesy of things in the future, you could speak in tongues other than your own so that men and angels could understand, you could use your powers to heal and to move mountains, you could give generously of yourself and of your money to others – but if they are not done in love, they mean nothing.”

In simple terms, love must encompass what you do or it means nothing.

How am I supposed to let love encompass everything I do?  What does this actually look like?  

Here are some examples:

·        It looks like when you’re very ill in bed and someone takes care of your every need so that you can rest and get better.

·        It looks like when you’re standing in line at the grocery store and someone with more items allows you to go first. 

·        It looks like when you give your boss an idea that will help the company and you’re not worried if you will get the credit and recognition for the idea.

What God was saying through Paul is this, if you’re doing great things for your own self-interest and the glory you will receive, God sees it and counts it as zero – nadda – nothing. 

·        Love must encompass what you do. 

·        It must be done with the other person in mind.

·        In other words, how will it benefit the other person, not me?

The second principle comes from 1 John 4: 20.  John, the beloved apostle, said it this way, “If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

It can’t get any clearer than that.  John shared with us that hate, disdain for another, detesting someone; cannot be in our vocabulary.  It’s not saying everyone will be our friend, but even then Jesus said, “Love your enemies.”

Now why would John make such a point?  Because hate truly contradicts who God is – fore God first loved us, but had every reason to hate us for turning our back on Him through our sin.

So understand this:  Love cannot involve hate.  If it does, it’s a lie.

Now when it comes to love, we often have our own ideas.  And our ideas often are derived from sources that are common to our everyday experiences.  But keep in mind: 

·        Love is not what the TV teaches. 

·        Love is not what music lyrics teach. 

·        They both tell us that love is romantic – only romantic. 

·        They both tell us that love is meeting someone you like, and when you’re ready, give yourself physically – just make sure you’re protected. 

·        They both tell us that love is doing what is best for you. 

·        They both tell us that love isn’t love until you’ve found the person who is your soul mate.

It’s no wonder that this definition of love has led to many broken hearts, unplanned pregnancies, STD’s, adulterous relationships, etc. in our culture.  It’s no wonder we don’t know what love truly is or looks like.

But if we want what God truly desires in love, we’ll look to His word - His wisdom.      And as we focused our attention on two big ideas from His word, we see that God’s intent for love is not romanticism, but rather a focus on committing ourselves to others.

  

Lost

You ever lost something - something of value?  What did it cause you to do?  panic, fret, and worry?  search frantically?  give up? etc.

Losing something is never fun.  You've got to retrace your steps.  You've got to wrack your brain to try and recall where you may have lost the item.  In other words, it's an extremely difficult undertaking that can often be strenuous - both mentally and physically draining.

Jesus spoke of a woman who lost a coin (Luke 15: 8-10), who searched frantically and carefully in trying to find it.  She literally had no external light in her home due to the way homes were built in Jesus' day, so she had to light a lamp and literally sweep the entire house hoping the coin would appear.  And even though coins take on small value for us in this culture, I clearly understand why she would go to such degrees in finding this coin.  It had extreme value! 

There a couple reasons for its value that we don't often look at when reading this parable:  first, the coin, the drachma, was worth approximately a day's wage (imagine if you lost $100 today and you knew you needed it to pay the electric bill this month), and the second, she was a woman (husbands and sons were the source of income and care for women in those days).  Though Jesus does not make it clear whether this woman was married or widowed, you get the sense she is under extreme pressure to find this coin.  She better find it for fear of a husband's disappointment that a hard-earned day's wage was now gone, or she better find it for fear that this lost coin's value could never be earned again since she, a widowed woman, could never make such a wage in the marketplace. In either case, we know the importance of this coin because Jesus does tell us that when it is found, she calls together her friends and neighbors to celebrate the occasion.

I just recently lost my wallet.  And though a day's wage wasn't in it, I was still sick to my stomach knowing that my whole identity was wrapped up in that little black billfold I carried in my pocket on a daily basis.  And so you begin to worry that someone has found it - that someone might use the information in it to purchase items, or worse yet, steal your identity. 

So I prayed and began to search the cars, the house from top to bottom - every nook and cranny, even questioning my daughter if she had placed it somewhere (she's taken things before and made them her own).  Still no wallet.  And as I'm searching diligently for about a week, I'm reminded of the story above that Jesus taught when questioned by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of why He was hanging out with tax collectors and sinners. 

My search for my lost wallet reminded me that Jesus' true desire is to find those who are lost - to find those who need to be restored into a relationship with God through the Son.  My search helped me to recall that God celebrates when a lost soul is found, and that He diligently seeks to find those who are lost.  He's not a God of those who think they are righteous, but rather a God of those who come to their senses and realize they need to be found.

My wallet is still lost.  I thank God no one at this point has tried to use my information illegally.  I still don't know if it was lost publicly and found, but never returned.  I still don't know if it's discretely hidden in and around my home.  I still don't know if it was stolen from my vehicle as I picked up my son from all star baseball practice.  What I do know is this, I tried my best in finding it.

But, I've moved on from trying to find it.  The credit cards have been cancelled.  A new driver's license is in the mix.  I still hope to find it - that it would miraculously appear - but I'm not going out of my way to search for it any longer.

The good news though is that Jesus never quits the search.  He'll continue to search for lost souls until the Father in Heaven says it's time for Him to return for His bride.  I only wish I had that resolve.  But really, what's a wallet in light of eternity?  You're right.  Nothing!

So thank you Jesus for making me realize what's important in this life.   Thank you Jesus for helping me to understand your purpose clearer - to bring lost souls into a saving relationship with you.  Thank you Jesus for allowing me to lose my wallet so that I might always be reminded of your passion for the lost.

What's happening!

If you've been wondering how LifeHouse Hedgesville is doing, you've come to the right spot.  After worshipping together for a month in the Cardwell home, we've found God's favor is drawing us closer to one another and the cause that is before us.  Without love and unity, we are nothing.  With love and unity, we are everything that God wants us to be, and we will truly see His blessing on us.

"No greater love than this, than a man (or woman) lay down his life for his friends."  Though Jesus was referring to the act of sacrifice he was about to make for the salvation of mankind, we at LHH have truly become great friends and great friends with Jesus.  I know that we have grown in love with one another and that we are modeling our vision - Loving and Serving to Know Christ. 

We have come to realize that faith is nothing without action.  Mere lip service of faith in Jesus cannot be, as we have focused our efforts in studying and understanding the book of James.  We realize that our faith must be lived out and that we must be willing to go where Jesus calls us to go.  We must also be willing to love and serve all, even those the world sees as outcasts.  God is teaching us patience and endurance.  He is teaching us to be faithful.

This coming weekend, we'll be making preparations for our first public preview service on July 24.  We'll be going to the elementary school trying to piece together the vision - the picture - of what our church service will look like.  It's exciting, but at times, overwhelming, when trying to live out the call of God.  We're just thankful that God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.

An example of this is in our search for a worship leader.  After having tried to recruit some to lead us in worship and having no success, we decided that this was no longer our problem, but God's.  So we gave it up to Him completely, not worrying about who would lead us, trusting that He would provide the person for His work.  And God did just that.  He began working on the hearts of the Githins' family.  The story in itself is amazing - to hear of how God was working behind the scenes.  And, I'm not the person to tell it - that belongs to Thom and Sabrina.  But God is good, and we are so blessed to have Thom and Sabrina who have heard God's voice.  And, not only did they hear His voice, they took the step of faith to act on it.  Believe me, they're good now.  Can't wait to see how good they'll become with time as God develops their talent.

Can we say that everything has gone perfectly and smoothly?  I would be lying by saying yes.  But we understand that faith involves struggle, and through struggle, we are refined and made more like the Savior we love and serve. 

This journey, called faith, is most exciting.  It's also a war because Satan wants nothing more than to see us give up and throw in the towel when things get tough.  But we understand we serve a God who is greater, and deserves our following no matter how strenous the circumstances may be.

So, what's happening with LHH?  Thanks for asking.  We're living faithfully for Christ.  We're bringing His love to the "little worlds" we've been placed in.  We're loving and serving making us more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We're being the church.