Archive for the ‘Reconciliation’ Tag
The Risen King Forgives And Restores!
Filed under: By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Counting The Cost, Encountering God in Jesus, Entrusting Ourselves To God, Failures Forgiven, Focusing On Jesus, Following Jesus, Forgiveness, Glorifying God, God Provides, God's Forgiveness, God's Grace, God's love, God's Mercy, God's Will, Intense Suffering, Jesus Forgives, Jesus Revealed, Jesus' Power, Jesus' Provision, Pastor Tim of New Life Fellowship, Questioning God, Reconciliation, Reconciliation with God, repentance, restoration, Restored to God, Strengthened By God, Suffering For Jesus, Suffering With Jesus, Supported By God, The Cost Of Following Jesus
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Audio – Part 1a: 19 min
Audio – Part 1b: 19 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Luke 24:13-35
Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples for a third time after His resurrection. Through this breakfast encounter, Jesus demonstrated the reality of His restorative power. Because He fulfilled God’s plan to rescue people from sin, Jesus was able to forgive the disciples for their sins and failures and then recommission them in their task of following Him. As Jesus’ followers, we trust in the power of His restoration to enable us to move beyond our sins and failures and accomplish great things in His name.
Theological Theme:
Forgiveness of sins is what makes following Jesus possible.
Christ Connection:
Through His breakfast encounter with His disciples, Jesus showed the reality of His restorative power. Because He fulfilled God’s plan to rescue people from sin, Jesus was able to forgive the disciples for their sins and failures and then recommission them in their task of following Him.
“Reverencing the presence of his Lord, [Peter] threw himself into the sea…The love of Christ draws men through fire and water.” – John Wesley (1703-1791)
Missional Application:
God the Father calls us to demonstrate our love for Jesus by following Him in the Spirit, no matter where the journey might lead and no matter what happens to other followers.
“[T]he Lord Jesus Christ is entrusting the slave with sheep he bought with his blood, and so he requires of the slave the capacity to suffer to the point of shedding his blood. It is as though he were saying, ‘Feed my sheep. I am entrusting my sheep to you.’ What sheep? ‘The ones I bought with my blood. I died for them. Do you love me? Be ready to die for them.’ And as a matter of fact, while that human slave of a human master would pay money for sheep destroyed, Peter paid the price of his blood for sheep preserved.” – Augustine (354-430)
Photo Compliments: i.pinimg.com
Jesus Provides Bread From Heaven!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: commands, compassion, Faith, first miracle, God's Calling, God's Compassion, God's Faithfulness, God's glory, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's love, God's Mercy, God's Power, God's Unconditional Love, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Humble, Humility, Jesus Christ, Jesus' identity, Jesus' Miracles, John, john 6: 29, Love, Matthew, matthew 14: 13-21, Miracles, Mission, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Rebellion, Reconciliation, Religion, responsibility, Resurrection, Salvation, Self-righteousness, Sin, Sinners, Stewards, Stewardship, The Bread of Life, The miracles of Jesus, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trust, Unconditional Love
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Video – Watch on You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJDt16cqNEA
Audio – Part 1a: 28min
Audio – Part 1b: 22min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: John 6: 29 Matthew 14: 13-21
“Jesus provides not only for physical needs but also for spiritual ones. He showed compassion for the crowd following after Him, He took what was available and worked an amazing miracle to feed a multitude, and He chose to communicate that blessing to the crowd through His disciples. Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000 demonstrated His deity in providing bread for the crowd, even as He Himself is “the bread of life” (John 6:35).” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Jesus is the Son of God – [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], who provides bread from heaven.
“Jesus did not come into the world mainly to give bread, but to be bread. He did not come to be an ever-ready bellhop for our bellies, but to be the all-satisfying bread for our souls. O, he cares about our physical lives in this age, but he cares 10 million times more about our eternal lives.” –John Piper
Christ Connection:
When the Israelites were hungry in the wilderness, God provided manna from heaven. Jesus is the greater Moses, the One who not only provides bread from heaven but who also speaks of Himself as the Bread who gives life to the world.
Missional Application:
God, Through His Holy Spirit, calls us to be the people through whom Jesus meets needs today.
“Our compassion for others leads us to share our money, our meals, and our home. We give words of peace and comfort and hope. And even when we’re exhausted or grieving or raw ourselves, we don’t harden our hearts. As Jesus would say in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you.” The Father has proven His love by sending His one and only Son (John 3:16). The love of the Father and the Son and the Spirit was not limited to emotions—God acted on it. Likewise, we as followers of Christ are not called to feel compassion but to be compassionate. Before He ever provided the crowd with a meal, Jesus provided them something far more valuable—Himself. The bread from heaven in the exodus nourished God’s people, but the Bread of Life satisfies forever (John 6:35-38). So, in His compassion, He healed their sick…..
When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we learn that we’re called to be servants, but sometimes that servitude leads to much more—sometimes we are conduits of His miracles. Sometimes we think we’re crazy (or we’re sure others will think we’re crazy), but we step out in faith. Sometimes we have no idea why we left our everyday routines to go out of the way, but then we see clearly that God used us to show His glory to someone.” – The Gospel Project
“The greatest miracle of all, however, is the miracle of a changed life—and this can happen, as we open our hearts and lives to Christ. Do others see Christ in you—His love, His compassion, His purity, His joy? Make sure of your commitment to Christ, then ask Him to change you from within by His Holy Spirit, and make you a living witness to the miracle of His transforming power.” –Billy Graham
Photo Compliments: Heartlight.org
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine!
Filed under: Bible, by Tony Marra, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Faith, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: commands, Faith, first miracle, God's Calling, God's Faithfulness, God's glory, God's goodness, God's Grace, God's Guidance, God's Holiness, God's love, God's Mercy, God's Power, God's Unconditional Love, Goodness, Grace, Grace Communion Baltimore, Holiness, Humble, Humility, Jesus Christ, Jesus' identity, Jesus' Miracles, John, John 2: 1-12, Love, Miracles, Mission, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life in Christ, Rebellion, Reconciliation, Religion, responsibility, Resurrection, Salvation, Self-righteousness, Sin, Sinners, Stewards, Stewardship, The miracles of Jesus, Timothy Brassell, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trust, Unconditional Love, water into wine, wine
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Part 1a: 26min
Part 1b: 30min
Full Message:
Main Passage: John 2:1-12 NLT
“John did not recount the story of Jesus turning water into wine for our entertainment; by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he intentionally presented the truth that Jesus’ miracles reveal God the Father. Through the details of this miracle, we see Jesus’ compassion for our needs, a glimpse of His identity, and His ability to reveal God in all He does.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
The miracles of Jesus were part of His purpose in bringing glory to God. – [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]
“With [Jesus], nothing is incomplete or done at the wrong time, just as with the Father there is nothing haphazard.” –Irenaeus
Christ Connection:
Sin has disrupted our relationship with God, leading to spiritual barrenness and sorrow in our lives. Christ’s miracles are a sign that joyful reconciliation with God is possible again through faith in Jesus’ glorious life, death, and resurrection.
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to do whatever Jesus tells us to do as we seek to display His glory and lead others to faith.
“Now this transformation of the water from its own substance into another, testified to the powerful presence of the Creator. Only he who had made it out of nothing could change water into something whose use was quite different.” –Maximus of Turin
“By this first sign, Jesus revealed His glory, ‘the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth’ (1:14). His glory would be revealed in greatest measure in his cross, resurrection and exaltation, but every step along the course of his ministry was an adumbration of that glory.” –D. A. Carson
“So what does this have to do with me?” you might ask. “Jesus is not on earth anymore; I don’t get to see His miracles.” Correct. But you are a miracle of Jesus, pointing others to God.
“Me?” you might ask, “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” Exactly. And when you tell others how Jesus won your heart, called you by name, and changed you from the inside out, you are just as amazing and awe-inspiring to unbelievers as the turning of water into wine.
Just as Jesus considered His purpose before each miracle, we should consider our purpose before each conversation, each lunch meeting, each relationship, and each trial: Am I reflecting Christ? Do I point others to Him? Can others tell by my words and actions that Jesus is King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world? – The Gospel Project
Photo compliments: BLCF: thefirstmiracle
Job And The Dilemma Of Suffering!
Filed under: Bible, by Tony Marra, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Inclusion, Love, Ministry, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Gospel Project, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: Called, called to belong to Jesus Christ, Celled to belong, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Fellowship, Gideon, God Father Son and Spirit, God speaks, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faithfulness, God's good news, God's Grace, God's love, God's Power, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace Communion International, humanity, I will be your God, inspiration, Jesus Christ, Jesus Transforms, Job 16: 1-5, Job 16: 18-22, Job 1: 20-22, Job 1: 6-12, Job 40: 1-5, Job 42: 7-9, King, King who fights, life, Love, Luke 11, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Overcoming Fear, Participation, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Reconciliation, redemption, Relationships, Resurrection, self-worship, Sermons, Solomon, Temple, The Gospel Project, the Truth, Timothy Brassell, Tony Marra, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Wisdom, Wisdom of God
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Part 1a: 25min
Part 1b: 31min
Full Message: 56min
Main Passages
“The story of Job confronts us with the question “Why do good people suffer?” And the story offers us insight into right and wrong ways to pursue the answer to this question. The suffering of Job points us forward to the ultimate answer to the problem of evil—the redemptive suffering of Jesus Christ and the promise of a world made new. And as Jesus’ followers, we seek to alleviate suffering as we walk alongside others.” – The Gospel Project
Theological Theme
God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, does not give us the answer to why we go through suffering, but He does give us Himself.
Christ Connection
In his time of suffering, Job yearned for a mediator—someone to stand between him and God. Jesus is the mediator who suffered, even though He had never sinned, in order to pay the price for human sin and to put an end to suffering on earth.
Missional Application
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to comfort people going through a time of suffering, not by answering every question but by assuring them of God’s great love.
“Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. He is Himself the way”
― Karl Barth
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The Foolishness Of a Once Wise King!
Filed under: Ascension, Ascension of Jesus, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Inclusion, Love, Ministry, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Gospel Project, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: 1 Corinthians 1, 1 Kings 11: 1-13, 1Kings, Belong, Bible, By Tim Brassell, Called, called to belong to Jesus Christ, Celled to belong, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Fellowship, Gideon, God Father Son and Spirit, God speaks, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faithfulness, God's good news, God's Grace, God's love, God's Power, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace Communion International, humanity, I will be your God, inspiration, Jesus Christ, Jesus Transforms, King, King who fights, life, Love, Luke 11, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Overcoming Fear, Participation, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Reconciliation, redemption, Relationships, Resurrection, self-worship, Sermons, Solomon, Temple, The Gospel Project, the Truth, Timothy Brassell, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Wisdom, Wisdom of God, Wise King, Witness
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Full Message: 24min
Main Passages
Luke 11:31; 1 Corinthians 1:30
“Near the end of Solomon’s reign, he put foolishness on display. Solomon’s story is a reminder that all of us are capable of derailing our walk with God by making foolish choices. It is also a reminder our only hope is in the true King whose wisdom and righteousness are perfect—Jesus Christ. As believers, we repent of our foolishness, rely on God for wisdom and salvation, and then call others to trust in Him.” -The Gospel Project
Theological Theme
Foolishness is the failure to give God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit, glory in every area of life.
Christ Connection
Solomon was a king whose reign was marked by prosperity and peace. Unfortunately, at the end of his reign, Solomon’s sinful compromise led to the division of the kingdom. During His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke of Himself when He claimed “something greater than Solomon is here” (Luke 11:31). Whereas sinful choices divided Solomon’s kingdom, Christ’s righteous submission to God established a new unity for God’s people.
Missional Application
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to proclaim the foolishness of relying on our own wisdom for salvation and to lift up Jesus as the only hope.
“As Christians, we pledge allegiance to Jesus as King. We believe that Jesus, the Messiah of Israel who was crucified for our sins, has been raised from the dead and is now Lord of the universe. This means that we are to put our trust in his sacrifice and live submissively under his lordship.” –Trevin Wax
“Therefore let us repent and pass from ignorance to knowledge, from foolishness to wisdom, from licentiousness to self-control, from injustice to righteousness, from godlessness to God.”
—Clement of Alexandria
Solomon Builds The Temple
Filed under: Ascension, Ascension of Jesus, Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Inclusion, Love, Ministry, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, Song, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Gospel Project, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: 1 kings 5, 1kings 8, Belong, Bible, By Tim Brassell, Called, called to belong to Jesus Christ, Celled to belong, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Fellowship, Gideon, God Father Son and Spirit, God speaks, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faithfulness, God's good news, God's Grace, God's love, God's Power, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace Communion International, humanity, I will be your God, inspiration, Jesus Christ, Jesus Transforms, King, King who fights, life, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Overcoming Fear, Participation, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Richard Andrews, Pastor Timothy Brassell, Reconciliation, redemption, Relationships, Resurrection, Richard Andrews, self-worship, Sermons, Solomon, Temple, The Gospel Project, the Truth, Timothy Brassell, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Wisdom, Wisdom of God, Witness
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Part 1a: 22min
Part 1b: 21min
Full Message: 43min
Main Passages: 1 Kings 5:1-5, 1 Kings 8:10-14,54-61
“Solomon built a temple for the Lord, and that temple bore God’s name, manifested God’s presence, and represented God’s glory to the world. As Christians, we belong to the church, described by the apostles as “the temple of God.” In the Old Testament, the temple referred to a place. In the New Testament, the temple refers to a people. We are being built together as God’s residence—a beacon of light and hope to the world.”- The Gospel Project
Theological Theme:
Because of the Holy Spirit’s presence, God’s people are the temple of God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit today, the people who bear His name and join His mission.
Christ Connection:
The temple was to be a place where the name of God would be upheld and the presence of God would be experienced so that the nations would know that the Lord is God. Jesus spoke of Himself as God’s temple, and in His life, death, and resurrection, He upheld God’s name, embodied God’s presence, and extended God’s mission.
Missional Application:
God through His Holy Spirit, calls us to be devoted to Him in obedience so that the original purpose of the temple can be fulfilled—the people of the earth will know our God is King.
“The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God.”, – C.S. Lewis.
photo compliments – Corpedo.com
“Jesus! : Humanity’s Participation In God’s Yes and No!”
Filed under: Ascension, Ascension of Jesus, Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Church, Faith, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Inclusion, Love, Ministry, On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Gospel Project, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Worship | Tags: Belong, Bible, By Tim Brassell, Called, called to belong to Jesus Christ, Celled to belong, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Fellowship, Gideon, God Father Son and Spirit, God speaks, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faithfulness, God's good news, God's Grace, God's love, God's Power, God's Presence, Gospel, Grace Communion International, humanity, I will be your God, inspiration, Jesus Christ, Jesus Transforms, King, King who fights, life, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, On Mission with Christ, Overcoming Fear, Participation, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Timothy Brassell, Reconciliation, redemption, Relationships, Resurrection, Romans, Romans1:1-7, self-worship, Sermons, The Gospel Project, the Truth, Timothy Brassell, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Union with Christ, Wisdom, Wisdom of God, Witness, Ye shall be my people
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Part 1a: 27min
Part 1b: 27min
Full Message: 54min
Main Passages: Romans 1:1-6
Because God has said “YES, humanity, you will live!”, then he must necessarily say “NO!” to sin and everything which destroys life!
“God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is so for us that He has accomplished a HUGE NO on our behalf but it is only a NO that serves His YES!” “How will YOU respond to your resurrection in Jesus Christ?” – TJBrassell
“God is the ‘Yes’ in our ‘No’ and the ‘No’ in our ‘Yes’, the First and the Last…” – Karl Barth
Photo Compliments: http://dustoffthebible.com
Jesus is the Ultimate Atonement and Sacrifice, Part 1
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Church, Gospel, Humor, Inclusion, Ministry, Relationships, Sermons, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Witness, Worship | Tags: Atonement, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace Communion International, Hope, Jesus Christ, Leviticus 1, Love, Mercy, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, Reconciliation, sacrifice, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship
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Theological Theme: The burnt offering was for the removal of the people’s guilt before God; the grain offering restored Israel to serve God and neighbor, and the fellowship offering was for the reconciliation between God the Father and His people.
Christ Connection: Because of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, we celebrate the removal of our guilt before God, the freedom to serve God on His mission, and the restoration of our relationship with God – Father, Son and Spirit.
Missional Application: Because we who share in Christ’s life have been freed from our guilt, God the Holy Spirit calls us to serve Him by serving others.
*photo courtesy of pinterest.com
I need air!
Filed under: By Bill Winn, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Gospel, Love, The Plan of Adoption, Uncategorized | Tags: Black Lives Matter, Race, Race relations, Reconciliation, Southern, union
Comments (5) We seem more and more divided in the United States of America and in much of the world. We tend to identify as this religion or that religion, as this group or that group, or even as this color or that color. Growing up in rural eastern North Carolina the group I most identified with was Southern. I was proud to be a Southerner. I was proud of our Southern charm and good manners. I loved how we pulled over and stopped the car when a funeral passed us on the road. I loved standing up when a lady entered the room or giving up my chair to a lady when seating was limited. As a young adult I traveled from N.C. to Texas, to Washington state, and Montana. Each place I lived brought new joys of meeting people and seeing their delight at the charm, colloquialisms, and good manners that I had learned in the South. But… I was wrong and did not know it. I was right to be proud of all of those things… don’t get me wrong, but my identity is not in being born a Southerner. My identity was, and is, in Jesus.
Recently the Black Lives Matter movement has thrust into our national conversation issues that we can no longer ignore. It is incumbent upon us in all walks to engage and seek the honest truth whether it pleases us to hear it or not. A couple of months ago I finally realized the proper way to even say “Black Lives Matter”. Our tendency is to allow the national media to tell us what to think and by cherry-picking what we are allowed to see on television it is not a difficult task for them to manipulate the American public. We are led to believe that the emphasis is on the word Black… this is why some well-meaning folks have said, “All lives matter”. It is true that all lives matter and that statement is valid in certain contexts. Imagine 12 people sitting around a table and one person has a plastic bag over their head with their hands tied behind their back… now imagine that person manages
Union
to eek out the words, “I need air!” and the other 11 say, “Yeah, we all need air.” The true emphasis in saying “Black Lives Matter” is on the word Matter. Think of it in short form as “Black Lives Matter Too!” Or “Hey, have we in America forgotten that black lives do matter?”
As necessary as this conversation is, and I would submit that it is crucial, we must also never forget who we truly are. Dr. Jeff McSwain wrote our Generations Ministries Summer Camp curriculum this year and on the T-shirts that were given to the campers is the axiom, “You don’t know who you are until you know whose you are.” You see I am not a Southerner, I am not white, I am not a male, I am not a son, father, husband, or pastor- not in the first instance. In the first instance I am a child of the Father.
I am trying to understand, I am not trying to judge, I am trying to love, I am not trying to exclude, I am trying to empathize, I am not trying to pigeon-hole others into some collective which I can dismiss. We are individuals with personhood and distinction… yes we are all in union with the Father, Son, and Spirit, but we never lose our personhood and distinction. Evil tries to label us and press us into collectivism… it is a trap, it divides, and leads to hatred and fear.
Imagine a world where we all knew that we belonged to the Father, Son, and Spirit and that we are indeed all brothers and sisters because of the finished work of Jesus… what would that look like? Would we mistreat others so readily if we saw them as they truly are… fellow children of the Father?… I think not… I hope not. In Jesus all of humanity is in union with the Triune God of Love! Therefor, it follows that we are all in union with one another. Let us then love fully as the distinct persons in Christ that we are.
I am distinct in the Cosmos, in union with the blessed Trinity and in union with all of you. LOVE!
~Bill Winn
How Should You Respond, Properly, To Today’s Troubling Times?
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Evangelism, Gospel, Love, Relationships, Timothy Brassell, Uncategorized, Witness, Worship | Tags: Christian Living, Christian Response, Faith, Forgiveness, god the father, God the Son, God the Trinity, God's good news, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Love, new life fellowship, Participation, Participation with Christ, Pastor Tim, Reconciliation, Relationships, Suffering, Timothy Brassell, Troubles
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And there is a proper response! It was proclaimed and lived by Jesus Christ as He stepped into the troubling events of this world in His day. And, through His Body, the Church, He continues to proclaim this same message:
“Re-Think-Act and Believe the Good News!” – Mark 1:15 (And for immediate clarity, Mark has already written in Mark 1:1 that the Good News is a Person or, in his words, the “beginning of the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God…”
Yes, that is still the message of Jesus and His people to you, and everyone, in our world, right in the middle of our current and troubling events! Jesus is God’s basic and fundamental response to the political lies and insanity, murder of innocent victims, bombings, and human trafficking – God’s response to everything! He is the proper response because He is GOD’s response shared with us in our humanity to all sin, evil and rebellion within creation! It is the response of Him Who created all things and of the One in Whom we all live and move and have our being. The One in, and through, and by, and for Whom all things are created and sustained (as my brother Baxter Kruger likes to say!)
If you’ve already misheard and think this sounds too simple, or too unrealistic, or too cognitive to address problems compared to the “hands-on solutions” needed in our complex world, then you’ve already misheard what’s been stated, so let me make it a little plainer!
How could it be too simple when it has something to do with trusting the Relational God Revealed in Jesus?:
Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.” – Romans 11:33 The Msg.
The Solution is simply stated, yes, but simple, NO! ONLY Jesus could, and can, and is, and will pull off helping you to trust Him that He really is your, OUR, only Good News in the face of all troubles!
How could this response be unrealistic when Jesus tells us that our response of peace and reconciliation with each other has been pulled off by and given to us by HIM, God Himself?! That HE has responded for us and acted in our place and on our behalf, in our fallen humanity, as our Good News????
How could this be too cognitive or something just “up in your head” when it clearly addresses the foremost way in which you receive and process troubling events – tossing, turning and dealing with them in your mind, right?! Isn’t it also addressing the problem behind most poor and evil events – NOT thinking along with Jesus about Who He is, and who He says our neighbors and we are in Him? He says we are all reconciled to Him and, in Him, to each other! Check it out:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. –Ephesians 2
How could it be too cognitive when Jesus loved His Father, and commands us to do the same, with all of His heart, soul, MIND, and strength? A response from our whole humanity matters and is given to us from our Father, through Jesus and by the Spirit! Responding in Christ’s love to God and our neighbor:
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ – Luke 10:27
OF COURSE all of this means participating in some kind of real everyday, human action – to RE–THINK–ACT in relationship! RE-THINK-ACTING in the Light of Who Jesus is as our Good News in flesh, which means:
1.) Your first and primary response to today’s troubles is Jesus Himself, Who has responded properly to His Father in word and deed, on humanity’s behalf, in the Spirit, and Who has “overcame the world” (today’s troubles!) as He puts it! Yes, you are reading me right, JESUS HIMSELF is your proper response to trouble, coming to you and to me freely and graciously, as a pure gift! God is with us and for us IN FLESH! Whew! Wow!
It’s the next few things that become more COSTLY to you because Jesus also shares Himself with us as the One Who “became poor that we might become rich” and Who said “whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves, pick up their cross daily, and follow Me”. Starting to see the cost yet??? Haha
Here are other costly things you can participate in with Jesus as a proper response to today’s troubles:
2.) Place your single-minded faith and trust in Jesus Christ, given to you as a gracious gift, and relate with Him in union and fellowship! Ask Him, personally, how you might respond to any given situation! He knows exactly what to do – but be prepared for plenty of mysterious surprises because His variety of responses to people in situations is as varied as there are people and situations to respond to!
The high cost of trusting Jesus is that you can no longer trust anyone or anything else, including yourself, like you trust Him! In the Light of His Lordship, you understand yourself to be a dependent creature whose entire outlook and motives apart from Him are now called into question and found lacking! If you could have responded properly to your troubles then there was no need for Him to come and do it! You can’t trust what things look like, feel like, or sound like – you can trust ONLY Him despite those things or outcomes! You no longer trust in your own ideas of independence and freedom, your own pride, smarts, things, race, nation, guns, policies, votes, gender, economic status, good works or anything else! You trust ONLY IN JESUS and identify ONLY in and with Him!
This means that despite your daily troubles, and even in the middle of them, you can, and should, cast all of your care upon Jesus for He cares for you! It is the reason so many of us pray to Jesus, and read the bible, and congregate together as His Church (believers) regularly – to meet Jesus there and have Him remind us of Who He is, and who we are in Him, and what He has accomplished and made of the word despite our sin, and the kind of good works He does in the middle of everyday troubles in flesh till He returns!
To conclude, this is both encouragement and a warning because, as Karl Barth has rightly stated: “No neutrality with God is possible. We [YOU] must choose between the true God and idolatry.”
And because God has been Revealed in Jesus, what He gives us as a response will look more like God the Trinity in character. More like self-giving than selfishness. More like other-centeredness than self-centeredness. More like self-sacrificing and forgiveness than living at the expense of others. More like being social and relational than being totally closed and hiding from others. As my friend Rodeen Williams wrote recently “Made in their image, genuine freedom is best realized and enjoyed in the consciousness of our union with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
As the Holy Spirit encounters you, WILL YOU RESPOND PROPERLY by receiving Jesus and this God Revealed in Him – this God Who has already received you? Will you “Re-Think-Act and Believe the Good News!”? – Mark 1:15