RABBONI...which is to say, Master

How strong would your faith in God be if…

• You had seen a burning bush that was not consumed?
• God had used you as His instrument to bring plague after plague on a nation?
• You had been used by God to part the Red Sea?
• You had watched those same parted waters close on an entire army and drown every one of them?

I would think pretty strong, wouldn’t you? But old patterns are hard to break.

The nation of Israel began to complain to Moses about everything. (Numbers 11:1ff) Moses has seen the power of God demonstrated in so many ways, yet he is now just frustrated. So Moses decides to have a pity party. The result of a pity party is a “woe is me” attitude. Listen and see if anything sounds familiar.

“Moses heard all the families standing in front of their tents weeping, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated. And Moses said to the LORD, "Why are you treating me, your servant, so miserably? What did I do to deserve the burden of a people like this? Are they my children? Am I their father? Is that why you have told me to carry them in my arms--like a nurse carries a baby--to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep complaining and saying, `Give us meat!' I can't carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! I'd rather you killed me than treat me like this. Please spare me this misery!" (Vs. 11-14).

When we are tired, frustrated and just plain worn out it is easy to forget; forget all that God has done for and through us. Our faith, that once was so strong, can become as weak as a new born Christian. It can cause us to focus our attention on ourselves. It can even cause us to doubt God’s ability. When God tells Moses that he will feed all the people with meat for a month; in fact so much meat that they will be sick of eating it, Moses’ reply to God is filled with even more doubt. “But Moses said, "There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you promise them meat for a whole month! Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?" (Vs. 21,22).

God responds to Moses with a question that we should ask ourselves when faced with little faith and doubt. “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Is there any limit to my power?.” (V.23a).

Bonnie Payton was a 500.00 a night stripper. Her story is in a column in today’s Nashville Tennessean. "I asked God to rescue me," says Bonnie, 2½ years after she escaped Valium's haze — "I had to use drugs to deal with pain I felt from what I was doing" — and reclaimed her self-esteem."

"There are others out there I can help by talking about my life. Someone needs to let them know they don't need to give up. They can leave that life. God will help."

Bonnie was aided by the McKenzie Faith Foundation and the Christian Women's Job Corps. The first is devoted to rescuing strippers, helping them reclaim their lives. CWJC helped her manage her dyslexia, get her high school diploma and prepare for her future." Click here to read the rest of the story.

I share this story with you because the work of the McKenzie Faith Foundation and the Christian Women’s Job Corps are works that are outside the box. These are the types of programs that change lives and they are the kind of programs we as the Body of Christ need to be leading the way in.

Dawn Ferguson is a member at Madison Church of Christ and is presently working with Christian Women’s Job Corps. Plans are underway to start a branch of CWJC at Madison. They hope to be able to reach out on a more local basis to women that would not be able to travel to the down town location. I am excited about the prospect and what this program can and will mean for many in the Madison area.

If you had seen Bonnie Payton as one of her alter-egos, Sasha or Destiny, what would you have thought? Would it have occurred to you that this was a young lady with a Christian background? Would the thought have ever crossed your mind that she was miserable and that God was at work in her life trying to bring her back to Himself? It would be so easy to just write folks like this off as hopeless cases, but not with God.

My prayer is that we will learn to think outside the box. That we will over come our reluctance and reach out to groups that we have not dreamed of associating with. I want to learn better how to have the spontaneous compassion that was seen in the life of Jesus. God is at work in their lives. The question is, "Will we join Him?"

(Photo By Jonathan D. Woods, Nashville Tennessean)

Listed at the right in the sections entitled, "Blogs I Believe In" is "Angie’s Aim". Barb and I had the privilege of having dinner with Angie at the "Logan’s Road House" in Madison last evening. It was her first time to eat at Logan’s so it took a little while to get accustomed to throwing her peanut shells on the floor. If you read Angie’s Blog, (and you should), you know she is on a trip to Nashville for a spiritual retreat sponsored by Zoe. Angie is a Mississippi girl with a true heart for God. I read her blog faithfully and appreciate so much her devotion and love for the cause of Christ. What a joy it was to finally meet this special lady.

Angie should be back in the blog world next week filled with exciting information from the retreat, so be sure and check out Angie’s Aim. You will be glad you did.

It is election time in Tennessee and maybe where you live too. The political commercials are filling the air ways, the streets are lined with signs for those that are running for office. As I was thinking of this today a questioned surfaced that I want to share with you. Have we as Christians so aligned ourselves with the Republican Right that there is a segment of society that we will not be able to reach simply because of our political alignment? Will our political position get in the way of our liberal neighbor next door hearing our message about Christ? Maybe the first question we should ask is, “Do we really want to reach these folks with the Gospel”? While that may seem like a strange question on the surface, look a little deeper. We say we want to reach “all” with the gospel, but what about those that, at least initially, accept homosexual lifestyle, abortion, and other practices, that we consider sinful. Will we require them to change their opinions on these things before they can be Christians? If so, whose list will we use to determine which opinions they must change before they can come to Christ?

While the battle over the issue of the separation of Church and State rages on, just where should the Christian stand? How does our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven affect the way we look at this issue? The IRS recently warned Churches to stay away from political endorsement of candidates. The failure to do so could result in the loss of non-profit tax status. Property would no longer be exempt from taxation; contributions would no longer be tax deductible if a church lost it exempt status. But should this be an issue with the church at all? Sin needs to be preached against, but does it have to be politically based.

But the greater concern I have is how our political position may affect whether folks will listen to us at all. “We are drawing a circle around Christ that includes pro-life but excludes an economic system that is generous to the poor. It is fearful to speculate what could happen to Christianity if we don’t work through this—after all, our political and socioeconomic views are fleeting compared to the eternal work of God. We need to face the fact that many people of our community and our world will not even listen to the gospel because of the political and ideological bias of the evangelical church.” (Wes Haddaway, pastor of evangelism at Harmony Bible Church in Danville, Iowa) 

There are no easy answers, but the New Testament Church worked through the Jewish/Gentile problem, and we must work through this one as well. What are your thoughts?

Just when I say, “They are not going to cross the mote”, and come to us, in rolls Dennis. The first time I saw him was on a Wednesday evening at Prayer and Praise. He rolled in on his motorized wheel chair and his bibbed overalls. You could tell it had been a while since he was near water. 

Dennis is an exception the above comment about crossing the mote. He has had a hard life and is dealing with a number of health issues, not the least of which is a problem with his pancreas, which makes it hard for him to digest his food. He has lost about 100lbs. and seems to have suffered a stroke that causes him to drag one leg when he walks, (he can walk limited distances), and he only has the use of one arm. His only mode of transportation is his wheel chair. He lives close to the Madison church building.

He parked his wheel chair next to me last night as I sat in the foyer waiting for time for services to begin. We were both there early. He was spick and span clean from head to toe. He had not eaten and we were not providing meals last night as we often do on Wednesday evenings. After we talked for a while he said, “I think I’ll run across the street and get a hamburger before services begin.” I ask him if he had money. He said he had a couple dollars. I only had four bucks, but rolled it up and gave it to him, and he returned a big smile. Dennis seems to have a wonderful heart.

After services we had a desert fellowship downstairs in the fellowship hall. Barb helped Dennis with his plate and he sat with us. We talked about our hair cuts. We both have recently cut most of our hair off. He told me he had invited some Mexicans to church the other day. He had been impressed with how much they knew about Jesus and he hoped they came. He also said he was willing to help out from time to time at the Benevolent Center, but he only had one arm and leg to offer. He said that with a big smile on his face.

I had to leave before Barb and I knew it was soon going to be dark outside and Dennis would have to navigate the streets of Madison in the dark, if he didn’t leave soon himself. I mentioned my concern to him and he assured me he would be alright. I told him I was just really concerned for him. He said, “I am so glad somebody is”.

That last statement told me volumes about Dennis’s greatest need. Yes his physical needs are pressing, but he needs to know that someone really cares about his well being. Dennis is different from many of us in a lot of ways, but not in that way. We all need to know someone cares.

I have been talking about how we have to do things differently if we are going to reach many of the groups in our world. Yesterday’s post about the “Church Under The Bridge” is just one example of one group that is doing something differently. I know that the Rochester Church of Christ where Patrick Mead preaches is reaching out in a couple different ways outside their building, but I am not familiar with what they are actually doing. So I said all that to ask you, what do you know about? What are Christians, in your tribe or not, doing that is missional – emergent – outside the box? And a second question? What are some ways we can beginning to put into action this whole concept of reaching out like Jesus did. Radical or not, what do you think? I really would like to hear from you and hear your ideas..

At the end of last month I had a post entitled "We May Have To Make Some Radical Changes". The post dealt with the challenges we face in doing what we have to do to reach certain groups with the message of Christ. Well here is one group that is doing things radically different and it is working. You may not agree with all they are doing, but for just a moment look at what people are willing to do and be challenged to see what might just be possible if enough people were willing to do what it will take.

When you are taken to the site just click on the page anywhere and you will be given a menu. Be sure to look at the pictures as well as read the articles section.

Here is the link: "Church Under The Bridge"

Sometime after healing the servant of the Centurion, Jesus, His disciples and a multitude of people following Him journeyed southwest of Capernaum to the town of Nain. As this joyful group approaches the gate to the city they are met by a funeral procession coming out of the city. The only son of a nameless widow is being carried to his final resting place. The open casket, the lack of burial wrappings and the absence of paid mourners tells us this was a widow of meager means. She had made this trip to the cemetery at least once before to bury her husband, and now her only means of support was now dead as well.  Her tears today are not only for the loss of her son, but because of very bleak future that is in front of her. How will she make ends meet, how will she survive? Will she have to beg for the means to live?

When Jesus sees what is going on, Luke tells us, He is “moved by compassion”. Those words speak volumes about God. Jesus becomes emotionally involved with this situation and His compassion moves Him to action. He stops the procession, takes hold of the corpse, and restores life to the lifeless, and at the same time, hope to the hopeless.

About a year ago I was walking down the hall at Skyline Hospital in Nashville. I was on my way to my sleep study which was located near the Emergency Room waiting area. I passed an older couple walking away from that area and you could tell by the expressions on their faces that they were carrying a heavy load. Something inside of me said stop and see if there was anything I could do to help, but that other voice inside began to make excuses and instead of acting on the first feelings of compassion, I said nothing and walked on to my appointment. I have regretted that decision to this very day.

Jesus was compassionately spontaneous. He did not care what others thought, He was not concerned about how others might react; He simply acted out of compassion. Since that day at Skyline Hospital, I resolved to be more spontaneous. I know I am limited in what I can do, but I can do something. I can’t raise the dead or heal the sick, but I can give a word of comfort, I can pray with someone, or I can just sit in silence and be available.

After the young man was united with his mother once again Luke tells us the people were grip with fear and they began to give glory to God saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us! And, God has visited His people!” Luke 7:16. When we are moved by compassion and act, we allow God to visit His people. We through our actions of compassion let others know how God feels about their situation.

Not even Paul Harvey knows the rest of Luke’s story, but the rest of your’s is yet to be written. Let me encourage you to fill your story with acts of spontaneous compassion.

Our recent series with John Clayton can only be described as mind expanding. You hear the expression from time to time, "trying to get your mind around", an idea or concept. Well John opened our understanding of the creation of God to such a degree that I personally can’t get my mind around it. The shear magnitude of the universe is mind boggling. From comet catchers protecting our earth, the stabilizing force of the Moon, to seeing our Sun as a star like no other, makes my head hurt with awe.

While I can "see" God in that part of His creation, I see Him even more clearly in the small things He has made. To the left is a picture of the Parrot Flower. Click on that name to see more pictures of this most wonderful creation of God. My daughter Joyce emailed these to me. This is a flower that grows in Thailand. Such a thing of beauty and yet they are here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus said something similar about the Lilies of the field and that if our Father clothes a mere plant with such beauty, He will surely provide for us as well.

Paul said that "God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have be clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Rom. 1:20. If those of Paul’s day were without excuse, think how much more so men and women of the 21st Century. Our ability to travel world wide and in space, powerful telescopes, along with scientific knowledge unknown to that first century world would make our world even more accountable. The evidence for the existence of God has never been greater. Yes God is speaking to us through the Universe - you might even call that a shout! But He speaks also, if more quietly, through things of beauty like the Parrot Flower.

If you are a parent of boys or plan to be, then you need to check out these picture. Boys Will Indeed Be Boys!