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Category: The Milk Can (Page 11 of 17)

How do we define ourselves?

April 15, 2015 /

hand tools
We are defined by the things we do and the roles we play. Husband, father, son, daughter, mother, and wife. CEO, General Manager, Assistant, Leader, Pastor, Chef, Salesman, Guide, and Janitor. This is what makes a period of unemployment so debilitating. When we lose our roles and titles we feel as though we have no identity and are stuck in an impossibly dark cloud trying to find a way out. We sift through job postings wondering if we want to be identified by the title while fearing being defined by nothing. Each time we hear a potential employer say “no” it chips away at what little sense of self-worth we have because we are defined by what we do and the roles we play.

But what if this is not how it should be?

What if our identity and worth are not to be found in who we are but in whose we are?

We are children of God. We to the one, who knowing everything about us, gave up everything for us.

What difference does that make?

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Thoughts for today’s Milk Can come from a recent sermon preached by Katie Withrow at Hope. I highly recommend listening to the words she shared and pondering their implications. Listen Here.

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Impossibilities

April 8, 2015 /

Crypt

What impossible situation do you face?

Is there anything in your life that is more impossible, more unavoidable, more hopeless than death itself?

When Jesus was raised to life, death itself was defeated. For those who are children of God, the very same Spirit, the very same power, which raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your life, even today.

So face this day with courage and strength.

 

Pastor Stephen

Sacred Meals

April 1, 2015 /

Meal

 

Final meals together are special, they are sacred times. But despite their sacredness, for most of our final meals we never know it will be the last one we will share together so they also tend to be ordinary, uneventful, and routine.

As Jesus and his disciples gathered together on this night to celebrate the Passover meal in Jerusalem it was like many others they had shared together and with friends and family through the years of their life, ordinary and routine. Still there was a charge of anticipation in the room. The disciples knew there was significance to this night, but not in a way they could ever imagine. For them, they gathered in Jerusalem. The heart of their nation. The city of kings. The soul of their faith. And as Jesus says to them, “I have eagerly desired to share this meal with you . . .” They could not have begun to understand what lay ahead in the hours to come.

So it was that they would spend the evening arguing over a topic of discussion and disagreement they had many times before. They were like so many of our families, weren’t they? We can get together and it seems like the same old topics of discussion, arguments and disagreement reappear, no matter how many times we vow to not talk about it. For the disciples, the topic they could never get away from was, “Which of them was the greatest?” It seemed to be a continuous burr in their side. And tonight the conversation was especially charged. After all, they were in Jerusalem. Surely this would be the moment when Jesus would declare his reign as king and bring his kingdom to earth.

The intensity of their argument grew white hot and they became so engrossed that no one noticed Jesus getting up from the table and moving to the side of the room to a small spot right next to the door. They paid no attention to the sound of water being poured into a basin. It was only as Jesus began to remove his outer garments did the disciples shouts begin to trail off as they sat in confusion trying to figure out what Jesus was up to.

One by one Jesus would call each of his disciples over. One by one, he would kneel before them and wash their feet. Becoming the lowest, the most despised of servants.

For the disciples, this night was really like any other night. For Jesus, this night was a final meal together and there was one more lesson these men needed to learn before darkness would surround them and they would find themselves tested beyond the breaking point. The lesson of service. It wasn’t that Jesus had not tried to teach this lesson to his disciples before. A few days earlier Jesus had cautioned them not follow the example of those who grabbed for power and position. Instead telling them:

“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

And how could they have so quickly forgotten the day when people were bringing their children and babies to Jesus to bless and the disciples tried to drive these parents away. Jesus had rebuked them with the words:

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17

It was a final meal together and there were some lessons about the Kingdom of God that still had to be learned and time was running out.

Jesus’ simple act of washing his disciple’s feet reminds us of the priorities of God. Life is not about the accumulation of greater wealth, gaining another title or accolade, squeezing just a little more profit margin, driving a new car, having a bigger house, growing a bigger and bigger kingdom.

Jesus would give us a different example of how to live. Jesus always lives with a grander vision for people. Especially broken people. Tax collectors, drunkards, and sinners. The poor, the blind, the lame, the deaf. These are the one’s Jesus came for. People like you and me. For we are all sinners and drunkards, poor and blind unable to rescue ourselves.

When Jesus called Peter it was at Peter’s moment of greatest career success that Jesus says to him. You think this is good. I invite you to leave behind that which is temporal and live for that which is eternal. You can spend your life catching fish or you can lay down your plans and pick up my plans and spend your life catching people.

Jesus had a grander vision for a woman beside a well. She came to satisfy her thirst for water. He offered water that would never run dry. He offered her living water and the chance for eternal life.

And so it was, on this night as his disciples and they argued about which of them was the greatest, Jesus would get up and become their servant to wash their feet. And He invites us to do the same.

“I have set for you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:15-17).

There comes a moment for each one of us when we will stand beside a basin and a towel. We will have a choice. Do we sit down and wait for someone to serve us? Will we say “I am the center of my world.” Or will we remove our outer garments, remove all the pretense and the masks. All of the striving to make something of ourselves. All those things which we have found our value in and instead pick up the basin and towel and choose to live for a grander vision.

It is possible for us to serve out of the inherent goodness of serving. We can serve our brother and sister because it makes us look good and we can become pillars in our community.

Oswald Chambers would say:

“As His disciples, our lives must be a holy example of the reality of our message. Even the natural heart of the unsaved will serve if called upon to do so, but it takes a heart broken by conviction of sin, baptized by the Holy Spirit, and crushed into submission to God’s purpose to make a person’s life a holy example of God’s message.”

It is only with a heart broken by the conviction of your sin. Sin that reminds you that left to yourself, you will always choose yourself. You will serve, not for the sake of others, but will serve for your own sake.

Before we kneel before our brother and sister we must kneel before our God. We must confess our own pride our own failure, our own selfishness our sin.

Then, and only then, as a response to the new life given to us by God are we truly able to serve our brother and sister.

Blessings,
Pastor Stephen

 

Under the Dentist’s Light

March 24, 2015 /

Dentist Light

I find no pleasure in going to the dentist. I know that probably does not come as much of a surprise to you. In fact, if I said I liked going to the dentist you would probably think there was something terribly wrong with me.

Many of my deep-seated emotional issues with the dentist’s office comes from regular moments of agony I had as a teen and into my college years with one particular dentist’s office. Each time I would go I would be sentenced to do my time under the critical care of the same hygienist and she was, to put it mildly, a nag. As she carved and hacked away she would go on and on belittling me about all of the problems I had with my teeth and telling me everything she thought I needed to be doing. More than once I wanted to scream at her, “Would you just shut up and do your job!” (I know, not the most sanctified response) but I never did. Why? Well, first of all it is really hard to talk when someone has a pitchfork, chisel, fire hose and Shop-Vac stuck in your mouth all at the same time. Additionally, I knew I was in a rather compromised position and I thought it might not be the best time to start an argument.

Fast forward, would you, with me to another time I was in a different dentist’s chair. As they hygienist was completing her work she commented that she noticed I seemed to be having some difficulties with my gums and teeth. I braced myself for the onslaught I was sure was about to start. It never came. Instead, she told me that she struggled with the same problem and it wasn’t until she had found a particular toothbrush was she able to get things under control. Then she stepped out of the room and came back with the regular bag of dental parting gifts, but she also had a coupon she had found for the particular brush and offered that to me as well, if I was interested.

Do you know what I did that day? I immediately left the dentist’s office, drove across the street to Target, and bought the toothbrush that was suggested, even though I already had a nice shiny new one I had just gotten for free from the dentist.

Why did I behave this way? It was the difference between hearing good news and good advice. The first office gave me a lot of good advice. Everything thing that I was told were things that I should have been doing. But I  didn’t really care to hear it.

The second office told me good news. I was told of a past decision made in her life that had resulted in a positive changed future. Good news is something I wanted to hear. Good news was something I wanted to emulate in hopes of having the same experience.

As Christ-followers, one single act may terrify us more than any other. That is the act of sharing our faith with another, or as we call it “personal evangelism.” I believe what makes it difficult is that too often we are tempted to tell people good advice rather than good news. Good advice says to a person, “You should live a different life.” Good news says, let me tell you about something that changed in my past that has brought a new future for me.

Good advice would say to a blind person “See!” Good news says, “I once was blind but then a man named Jesus rubbed mud in my eyes and told me to wash in the pool of Siloam and now I see” (John 9). Good advice says, “Stop cheating your own people out of their money and pay back what you have stolen.” Good news says, “I  once was sitting high in a tree, just because I wanted to see this man Jesus I had heard about. As he came closer he stopped at the base of my sycamore tree and said he wanted to come over to my house. Did you hear that? Me, a tax collector, a traitor to my own people, was going to have Jesus in my home. That day as I shared a meal with Jesus I felt love and acceptance like I have never felt before. I found hope for a new future. I also knew then that I could not continue to live the way I had been living,  so I immediately gave half of my possessions to the poor and to those people I had cheated I paid them back four times. My weren’t they surprised” (Luke 19). No one wants to hear good advice. Good news can change a person’s whole life trajectory.

What about you? Have you been tempted to share good advice rather than good news? There is no greater news in all of the world than the news of what Jesus did and does in human hearts? What’s your story of good news?

Blessings,
Pastor Stephen

The Beauty of Success

March 17, 2015 /

Success

Dear Friends,

I have shared with you in the past my propensity to listen to podcasts. A few days ago, while covered in drywall joint compound I listening to the Catalyst Podcast. I am not particularly good at applying joint compound, in fact I tend to get more on me than the walls, but that is topic for another day. I digress . . . the podcast was an interview with the musicians Matt Wertz and Dave Barnes. Each was asked what he was learning in life right now. Dave’s answer to the question caused me to put down the mud. Dave said that he has been thinking a lot about success lately and what it means to be successful. “The beauty of success is that we each get to define it our own way . . . The danger is when we start to believe and adopt other people’s definitions of success to become our own because then we are not living true to the calling in our set of circumstances . . .If we are not careful we can redefine something that I have already defined and am really happy with.”

There are a lot of things to ponder in these few words.

1. We get to define success ourselves; but have we? How many of us in have actually defined what it is that we are looking for and growing into. As someone once said, “If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”

2. Do we really want to be successful at what we are doing? When we see people who are the top of what we are seeking to be successful at we rarely notice the scars they carry and they price they pay to be where they are at. Have we looked at their scars? Are we willing to pay that price?

3. If we have defined our success and are “really happy with” the place where we are at and the path we are on we must be vigilant to not allow others to redefine success for us and breed discontent into our souls.

4. Finally, if we have defined what it means for to be successful, but the path we are on will not take us there, why have we not changed? What is keeping us from changing? Have we set a date to make the change?

What about you? Have you defined what it means for you to be successful? Have you ever allowed someone else to define it for you? Share your thoughts below or on Facebook

Blessings,
Pastor Stephen

Do we get to curse?

March 10, 2015 /

world map

In last week’s post I said that as Christians our adopted DNA is to be a blessing to all the nations of the world. But you might ask, what about our enemies and those who curse and hate us?

Allow to me to answer with a story. A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear an Army Chaplain share about the challenges of soldiers and their families before, during and after deployment. At the end of the discussion there was a chance for individuals in the room to ask questions. One person raised his hand and asked what her thoughts were on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before the chaplain could give an answer, her commanding officer, who happened to also be in the room, jumped to his feet. He said, “you have asked a question that is above her pay grade, while she is in uniform she does not have an opinion.”

So I say, to those who are worried about our enemies and those who curse and hate us, the issue is not of our concern, it is above our pay grade. How can I say this? Let’s look again at what God said to Abram when he called him. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” Did you catch that? God said the decision of who gets the privilege of being blessed or cursed, because of the way they interact with the people of God, is above our pay grade. The decision rests with God alone.

Jesus would take it one step further telling us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27).

May we, as Christians, be known as those who serve full of grace, truth, and blessing.

Blessed to Bless

March 3, 2015 /

abraham

When God called Abram (later to be named Abraham) to leave his father’s house and go to land he did not know he did so, not for the sake of Abram, but for the sake of others. He did so with the intention that he would be blessed for the purpose of blessing others and that through Abram and his descendants all the people on the earth would be blessed. God said to Abram,

“I will make you into a great nation and will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
(Genesis 12:2-3, NIV)

As Christ followers the Bible says that we are the adopted children of Abram (Romans 4) and are, therefore, the continued bearers of the charge to be a blessing to all nations. As we grow in our relationship with Christ it is always for the sake of others. As Robert Mulholland, retired professor from Asbury Seminary,  says spiritual formation is “the process of becoming conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.”

Makes you wonder if Christians known by the world as those through whom blessing is experienced?

When Christians are Killed

February 17, 2015 /

Pray for Egypt

Dear Friends,

Over the last few days many Christians have been shocked by the images from a video showing 21 Egyptian Christian men being led to their deaths by beheading by members of ISIS. While we know that every day Christians are killed for their faith the images being flashed across our screens has brought this reality home for many of us.

Paul says to us in 1 Corinthians 12 that “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ . . .If one part suffers, every part suffers with it . . .” (12:12, 26a). The Church, the physical representation of the Body of Christ, is one and when one part suffers we all suffer. When one part is in need, we are all in need. Today are Egyptian Christian brothers and sisters are suffering. Let us join in their grief and let us pray for their deliverance.

Pray not for the armies of this world to be their defender but pray that the Army of God would surround them. In 2 Kings the story is recounted of the King of Aram sending his army to capture and kill Elisha, the prophet of God. Early in the morning the army of the King of Aram surrounded the city of Dotham where the prophet was staying. When the Elisha’s servant when out and saw the enemy’s army he was struck with fear, but Elisha remained calm saying to his servant, “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (6:16-17). When the army of ISIS surrounds Christian brothers and sister, pray their eyes might be opened to see the Army of God coming to their aid.

Pray as they face their moment of death they might “see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56) as Stephen did, one of the first martyrs of the church.

Pray. For the Church of God is one church and when one part suffers we all suffer.

Blessings,
Pastor Stephen

Finding Life in The Body

February 10, 2015 /

It's the Body

Dear Friends,

Sometimes it feels like being a Christian would be a whole lot easier if it weren’t for all these people. In the book of 1 Corinthians Paul would write to a group of young Christians trying to understand how they fit into the larger scheme of faith:

“The body is a unity, though it is made up of many parts; and though all of its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (12:12-13, NIV).

As a North American Christian I read these words and I picture myself as an independent individual joining with other independents to work together for a common cause. The focus is on what I bring to the Body.

I believe, though, we would do well to not see ourselves as individual wholes but to see ourselves as cells in the body. The function of cells in the human body is fascinating. Cells are the basic building blocks of life. Each cell has a specific function and purpose in the body. But each cell is only able to carry out its purpose in unity with other cells. Cells are unable to live on their own outside the body. The body is unable to live without cells.

There are times when cells attempt to function as independent of the body. We call them parasites and cancers. When they do so, and are allowed to persist, they will ultimately kill the very body from which it is gaining its own life, even though it tries to live as though it does not need the body.

The applications to us as people part of the church we call The Body of Christ are many.

When I say that I can worship God on my own. I am like a cell attempting to live outside of the body. I can survive only for a moment and the body is weaker for my death. Maturing in faith includes learning that life is found in the Body and the life of the Body depends on my serving my function as a cell in the Body.

But this is not just about individual persons. We can easily expand our understanding of the Body further. When one church attacks another, we attack the Body. It is a hand trying to cut off a foot. We fail to realize the cutting off of the foot may result in the death of the hand as well.

When we in North America view our way of doing church as central and treat Christians in other countries and cultures as less important. It is as if the foot is trying to cut out the knee. We miss that our life and health needs and is dependent on the other parts of the Body.

What are your thoughts? Have there been times when you were tempted to try and live separate from the Body? How does seeing yourself as a cell in the Body change the way you participate in your local church? Share your comments below or on Facebook.

Blessings,
Pastor Stephen

 

P.S. This week’s Milk Can is part of a series we are undertaking at Hope using the book, Soul Shift: The Measure of a Life Transformed by Steve DeNeff and David Drury. I highly recommend this book. We are drilling down over the next few weeks on the shift from Me to We.

 

When generations clash

February 3, 2015 /

generations

When generations clash the younger one always wins . . . eventually. It is a simple fact of life and death. Now matter how great the fight put up by the older generation, the younger will always outlive it. So those of us who come before are left with a choice. We can choose to build systems and structures for ourselves or those for the generations that follow. We get to choose whether we will build legacies that must be torn down by the generations that follow us or legacies which are a solid foundation on which they can build.

It’s our choice. What choice are we going to make?

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