Christ the King (The Advent Advent)

I am back on the blog hoping that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope that you were all as blessed as I was on Sunday night at the Gathering. I really felt God’s Spirit doing a work in us as he continues to lead us into the future.

Sunday night we focused on Christ who is our King, and King Herod who was afraid of losing power at the time when Jesus was born. King Herod worked hard and played his cards right to gain Roman authority to be the King of the Jews. So when Jesus was born and was called King of the Jews, Herod had all male children two years old and younger killed so that no one would be a threat to his throne.

And we, like Herod, love to be king. We love ruling over our own little kingdoms, and sometimes we don’t allow Christ to be king over certain areas of our lives because we don’t want to relinquish control. But the kingdom of Christ is one of life and wholeness and restoration, and we can experience breakthrough when we allow Christ to be king.

So as we enter this holiday season, let us always be reminded that unto us a child was born, an unlikely king who wants only to bring life as the kingdoms we set up for ourselves lead to destruction and sadness. This king, this Jesus, brings purpose and hope and life, and we can experience that if we would step down from the thrones we set up for ourselves and allow Jesus to be king.

God bless you all as you continue to pursue Christ.

See you next week at the Gathering!

-Tim

Persecuted Church

Evil is a problem for those of us who believe in God. We can object to evil on a level deeper than personal discomfort because we know a standard of morality and goodness in God, therefore, evil is a problem when we believe in God because we see it as such. Millions of Christians are persecuted and killed because of the evil that exists in the hearts of those who hate others based on their beliefs. For now we don't know why God continues to allow those who follow him to suffer and die at the hands of evil...yet. But there will come a day when we will truly know all of what Jesus meant when he said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 NIV). And I can't help think that the blood of the martyrs is the final plea for salvation to the very ones who spill it, as Jesus' blood flowed from the cross as a message of love to those who crucified him.

The response we had this weekend was overwhelming. Thank you all for being so willing to participate in the service. God bless you, and don't forget to continue to pray for those around the world in prison, dying, and being persecuted for their faith in Jesus.

See you all next week at the Gathering.
-Tim

Heart for Others

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies...So death is at work in us, but life in you.(2 Corinthians 4:7-10,12 NRSV)

What an amazing verse. These words came from the heart of Paul, who knew what it meant to identify with Christ's sufferings. And he rejoiced in his suffering! What a maniac. Who would rejoice in suffering? Well...Paul did, and the end of that passage gives us insight into his mindset. He said, "Death is at work in us, but life in you." He was talking to the church that was in Corinth, and he was writing to validate his authority as an Apostle. One of the marks of his life was suffering (see 2 Corinthians 11:24-29), and Paul understood that because of his suffering, life was at work in people.

To preach the Gospel meant persecution. If there wasn't persecution, then the message of Jesus wasn't being preached. If the message of Jesus wasn't being preached, then people couldn't hear it, and if people couldn't hear it, then they couldn't respond, and if they couldn't respond, then they wouldn't be able to receive life through Christ. Therefore, Paul rejoiced in his sufferings because it meant that people were hearing the Gospel and had a chance to gain life in Christ.

Our fears often keep us from sharing the Gospel. But the promise of God is that though we might be persecuted (whether physically, intellectually, or culturally), we are never abandoned by God. Though the world might try to crush us, they can never destroy us even if they kill us because we have eternal life through Jesus.

So let us not be afraid. Let us do the work and share our faith however God is prompting us, with a friend, family member, coworker, or someone across the world, through words and through action. For our sacrifice and suffering, even awkward moments in conversation, means life is at work in those who hear. A good start is to invite people to the Gathering. How will they come if they are not invited?

God bless you all.
See you next week at the Gathering.
-Tim

Expressing Christ's Love to Others

Love from God.
Love from the truth about love found in the Trinity.
It is a love that is radically different than what is experienced in the world, and it is a love that is found in Jesus Christ.

There is a correlation between love and life. The Bible says, "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers"(1 John 3:14-15). So it is that when we withhold love from people we withhold life from people. But if we believe that perfect love exists in the Trinity, then that belief should impact the way we operate in the world and we should become people who express Christ's love to others, and thus share life.

The world, however, deals in counterfeit love. The world does not know love because it does not know God, or it has some sort of distorted view of God. And so it is that the world deals in something that is less than love, and is therefore less than life. We can look around and see life being taken every day as people use others to fill their empty concepts of self-centered love. But we have the opportunity as people who know true love in Christ to go into a dying world and share life through true love, love that seeks the good of the other in humility, and seeks no other reward than the joy of sharing love and life with others.

May we be that kind of community, and those kinds of people.

God bless you all,
See you next week at the Gathering!
-Tim