Like A Bull In A China Shop

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “like a bull in a china shop”. It essentially means being clumsily destructive. Or, causing damage without the intention of doing so... This past week, we took time to look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:5 where he says that God blesses those who are meek. Meek. What an interesting word! What could it possibly mean and why was it so important that Jesus talks about it in his Sermon on the Mount?

The best way I can summarize the word “meek” is to say its the culmination of having humility, gentleness and self-control WHILE knowing that I also have my sinful nature which can be very destructive to both myself and others. In other words...we are very much like the bull living in a world full of value, beauty and fragility (the china shop).

This life of meekness that Jesus teaches is not easily attained, nor are we born with it. It comes from our willingness to humbly submit ourselves to God’s authority and say yes to the ways of Jesus. Easier said, than done, right? I’m with you! But thankfully, we have something called grace on our side. When the bull in us decides to romp around the china shop leaving a wake of bad choices, hurtful actions and one big mess; we have God’s grace to lean on. Where would we be without the God’s grace and mercy?

This week, let’s seek to allow the Holy Spirit to produce within us humility, gentleness and self-control as we learn to live for Jesus, knowing the bull within us is always there. May our prayer today be: “Jesus, I humbly surrender my entire self to you and your authority. Help me to live a meek life today and to experience a greater blessing from the father”.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Rex

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmh6dINIGmc

Why I love watching Fixer Upper

My wife, Christalle, and I love watching a show on HGTV called, “Fixer Upper”. It’s one of those, ‘buy a crummy house, remodel it with trendy design elements and then see how much it’s worth at the end’ kind of shows. But what makes Fixer Upper different from all the others is the couple who handles the building and design...Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Chip and Joanne live in Waco, Texas. They have a 4 kids and LOVE Jesus. Chip and Joanna each have a unique ability to look at an old broken down house and see its true value.

I’ve always been impressed with people who can take something so messy, torn and broken and say, “imagine the possibilities with this...there is so much value here!” Do you know anyone like this? They’re amazing, aren’t they!?

What’s even more amazing about talent like this is the one who gave it to them, the perfect authority on seeing through brokenness and finding purpose and value. God the Father knows us inside and out as all our brokenness lays bare before Him each and every day and He refuses to give up on our purpose and value!

This past Sunday, we explored Jesus’s words as he said, “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”. We talked about how being poor in spirit means to recognize our brokenness and absolute need for God and that when we come to Him in that condition he blesses us, or rather, gives us His approval.

These blessings that Jesus speaks of aren’t because of anything we’ve achieved. They are directly tied to His mercy toward us and when we seek to drop the act and just be real before God, we can enter into a life of new happiness and joy despite living our messy and imperfect lives.

God is so good to us. He loves us. He’s for us. He wants to bless us.

Grace and Peace. Pastor Rex

Photo Credit: 1 & 2

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wnWoh8qd2E

The Business of Blessing Others

The Reformation is one of the greatest events in history, in which Martin Luther started a movement, one that is still transforming lives today.  This movement began when Luther rediscovered the Gospel, or Good News, of Jesus Christ in the book of Romans and reread the story of Jesus’s life and his Sermon on the Mount.  Today the whole world, Catholic and Protestant, is impacted by that reformation.  One of the biggest impacts was people beginning to read the Sermon on the Mount for themselves, it was revolutionary! It was beyond religious. This month, we began a series on the Sermon on the Mount, called “What Jesus Meant,” and as we focus on this life-changing sermon we can experience for ourselves what countless people before us have been inspired by. When St. Francis of Assisi first read the Sermon on the Mount it changed his life and how he lived out his faith. The present pope, Francis, is a reformer because of conviction in the Sermon on the Mount.  They are life-altering words.

Last week when I kicked off the series, I focused on the fact that God wants to bless us and that he wants us to cooperate with that blessing.  Even more than being blessed, we are to become a blessing ourselves that is why Jesus called us the salt of the world, the light on a hill. We are called and encouraged to spread blessings into our communities and into the darkness.

One of the dreams we have is to spread God’s blessings by working to end elective homelessness in our area. Let’s be thinking and dreaming about it.  I have some ideas and I am sure that you do too.   But the main thing is: let's get about the business of blessing others. And if you are lacking inspiration or feeling discouraged pick up your Bible and read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5- 7). Soak in the life-changing words and rejoice! Shine with God’s love as you bless others.

May God bless you abundantly.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

Photo Credit

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HniklCq-Q

Show me your ways

Written by Pastor Ben McCary The psalms are as beautiful as they are diverse, and one of the most powerful lessons we can learn from them is the importance of God's forgiveness.  There are so many times in our lives that we fall short of our goals or God's standards for us; Psalm 25 is one example of how to grow in the midst of it. The Bible is God's word to humanity, his hand book for how we're supposed to live, so you'd think it would be full of stories of people asking God for guidance.  But, believe it or not, that's just not the case.  The Bible is riddled with stories of God offering guidance, but very rarely do people ask for it. However, Psalm 25 is one example of someone asking for God's guidance.

In Psalm 25, God's guidance is shown in so many ways. It comes up 8 times:

• "Show me your ways, O Lord”
• “Teach me your paths”
• “Guide me”
• “He guides the humble”
• “He teaches them”
• “He will instruct him in the way”
• “The Lord confides in those who fear him”
• “He makes his covenant known to them”

The Psalm also shows all the blessings that God gives for those who humbly accept God's teaching:

• "They will never be put to shame" (v. 3)
• "He guides them" (v. 9)
• "They will have prosperity" (v.13)
• "His descendants will inherit the land" (v.13)
• "He will confide in them" (v.14)

So if this is so common in Psalm 25, why would it not be common in the rest of scripture? The answer becomes more clear when we look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  When people come to Jesus and call him teacher, more often than not they go away with a harsh lesson. Just look at this example:

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matt 12.38-39). So often we come to God asking him to show us his paths, but we forget to leave behind the “sins of our youth.”

This Psalmist reminds us that we need to give up those old sins and come to get ready to change.  It's only the humble who God is able to teach.

So how can you change? How does God want you to be humble? And how do you think God is going to bless you when you come to him with an open heart.

Photo Credit

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