Know

 bob-maclafferty  No Responses »
Jan 092016
 

[embedplusvideo height=”200″ width=”300″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/1OTFIoc” standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/lAdwX8HypJM?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=lAdwX8HypJM&width=300&height=200&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep2578″ /] I had nothing. Nothing at all. I was faced with sharing an inspirational moment with a group and I had nothing to share. Mentally and emotionally I was in a bad place, which didn’t put me in the right frame of mind to be creative and inspirational! FInally getting around to priorities, I poured my frustration out to God. Within one minute, He gave me exactly what I needed and the right spirit to share it well!

Anybody else have a tough week? Yeah, well, in those moments, I have to reach for what I know.

“Be still, and know that I am God:” -Psalm 46:10 NIV.

Know. Not hope, maybe, possibly….but know.

This is God’s Shut Up and Listen text. “Be still, son,” He says to me, “and I’ll show you one more time that I am in your life for good, that I’ve got your back. Your storm is a ripple in a puddle to Me. I can see past the waves. BTW, I own the waves! Chill son, and know…”

Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are King over the flood
I will be still, know You are God. -Hillsong.

Settle. The command my daughter uses to calm the dogs. It is accompanied by her placing a hand firmly and gently around the muzzle. It is to calm the dog so they know who is in charge at that moment and they needn’t worry, stress or fuss about whatever is going on around them.

“Settle,” God says to me. Know that I am in charge of you and this moment. I am King over the flood. I will hide you, cover you. Just be still and know.”

As I watch the hills slowly take shape in the predawn darkness in my valley, I’ve got no fancy theology to share, no sophisticated statements to make. Just straight talk about what’s real.

Father, let me rest easy in what I know. Gently remind me when I forget. You are King over the flood. You are King over me.

Solid Rock Sure

 bob-maclafferty  1 Response »
Mar 292014
 

What are you sure of? Finish this sentence- “As sure as ____”

The legendary quote by Benjamin Franklin goes like this: “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

“As sure as the ground I’m standing on!” Well, that worked until I felt my first earthquake!

In what to we place our confidence, our assurance, our hope for the future? Let’s look at a couple of examples.

A Buddhist story, used to encourage the faithful, shows  some shocking similarities to the Christian parable of the Lost Son. Here’s some excerpts:

The father, knowing that his son’s disposition was inferior, knowing that his own lordly position had caused distress to his son, yet convinced that he was his son, tactfully did not say to others, “This is my son.”

the father noticed that his son’s ideas had gradually been enlarged, his aspirations developed, and that he despised his previous state of mind.

Today the World-honored One has caused us to ponder over and remove the dirt of all diverting discussions of inferior things. In these we have hitherto been diligent to make progress and have got, as it were, a day’s pay for our effort to reach nirvana. Obtaining this, we greatly rejoiced and were contented, saying to ourselves, “For our diligence and progress in the Buddha-law what we have received is ample”.

The real parable from Luke 15 in Jesus’ own words:

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

Religions are based on man striving to improve, to elevate himself…..except one. Christianity only religion based on what God has done.

The Buddhist story is truly the story of the Lost Son. Luke’s parable, spoken by Jesus, is NOT the story of the Lost Son,  it is the story of the Redeeming Father. Contrast the faltering journey of self improvement in the first story to the confidence-building acceptance in the second.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners [not after we improved], Christ died for us. –Romans 5:8 NIV.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know [not hope, or wish] that you have eternal life. –1 John 5:13 NIV.

We spend our lives hoping, thinking, wondering. Living in the Buddhist parable. Doubting our ability to do, to succeed, to elevate. Wondering about becoming acceptable. Hoping we are good enough.  And why not.. if I am focusing on my ability, my achievement, I have a lot to be worried about!

But it’s not about me, It’s about Who God is. Whenever He looks at us, He sees flashbacks of His Son bleeding and dying on the cross for us. How can He not love us… for whom His Son died?

Becoming Buddha’s son is dependent on elevating one’s self to higher plane, striving to achieve a higher state of mind. Exhausting and futile.

Becoming God’s son, now that’s a solid. Why? because it is based solely, entirely, completely on Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

Listen to this now-classic rendition of a famous gospel hymn.

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My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground, all other religions, all other life plans, all other gods… are sinking sand.

Friends, if you are not feeling solid about your future this morning, if your salvation is doubtful, stop looking at your own failings and count on something Solid.

excerpted from sunrise sermon Ukiah, March 22, 2014

Peace For Our Time

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Sep 042010
 

“Peace for our time”.

Those words were joyfully shared outside 10 Downing Street in London by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain on September 30, 1938, just hours after returning from a meeting with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler.

“My good friends, this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time [emphasis added]. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now I recommend you to go home and sleep quietly in your beds.” 

His speech was greeted with shouts and cheers! That very next spring, in March of 1939, th rest of Czechoslovakia fell into Hitler’s hands. While the rest of the world struggled to wake up, the Second World War more formally began with his invasion of Poland on September 1 of 1939, just eleven months after Chamberlain’s recommendation that his countrymen “go home and sleep quietly in your beds.”

So much for peace. There was nothing in Chamberlain’s words to guarantee the kind of peace he was promoting.

Here’s a different question. When you  think of your salvation and the assurance that it is real, does that bring you peace? Or does it make you uneasy and unsure of your future? Does it make you focus on your sins and stress about what you need to accomplish?

Isaiah 53 is a beautiful and well-known passage of prophecy about Jesus and his life and death for us. In the middle of this chapter, a diamond is hidden. In referring to and describing Jesus’ death on the cross, a small bit of information is shared that doesn’t get enough attention.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NIV

He was pierced, He was crushed, The punishment was upon Him.

Wait, What?

What punishment? The one that “brought us peace”. That sacrifice was identified as the one that brought us peace.  Jesus intends for us to rest easy in 0ur salvation, trusting in what He did for us. Loving Him for the way He proved His love for us. We can have peace! We can be confident in our future! Isaiah was and so can we.

Jesus, let me never forget that You meant for the gift of your life was meant to bring us peace! Let me lean on you today, safe and secure from all alarms.