Jesus Saves

What does Jesus really save us from?

Jeane and I love to do road-trips. I know that sounds kind of Mid-century Beaver Cleaver Route 66ish, but we love traveling along in an automobile looking at the countryside and watching the telephone poles go by. We never tire of seeing all the different kinds of beauty in this vast country of ours. While driving through cities and towns at night we have, on occasion, come across one of those old neon signs you used to see quite often in downtowns across America: "Jesus Saves," they advertise, in the shape of a cross. They're not as prevalent as they used to be, but they're still out there, glowing and humming in all of their fading neon glory in colors of pink or purple or green or blue. It always brings a little leap of joy to my heart when I see one. The phrase "Jesus Saves" can become so familiar to us that the words lose their meaning or at least their power to touch us. It can so easily become just a pious cliche'. But Jesus does save. The question is: What does Jesus really save us from? First of all, Jesus saves us from the eternal consequences of sin, granting us life everlasting through him. But it doesn't stop there. There's something else that neon sign tells us when we read, "Jesus Saves." It also says, "Jesus Heals." Salvation means salvation of our total being--physically, emotionally and spiritually. Being saved means being healed and freed from all those sicknesses in our lives that need to to be touched and transformed by him. "But he was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed." Isaiah 53:5 NET Can this be true? Come Monday night when we will unpack this together. In the meantime, "See the USA in your Chevrolet...." and look for the neon sign that reminds you, "Jesus Saves!" Greg

The Ministry of Jesus Continues

Did you know that Luke 4:18-19 is part of our Life Discovery mission statement?

Every day of His earthly ministry Jesus proclaimed the Good News--the arrival of God's Kingdom on this earth. He spoke and demonstrated it in three ways: 1) He preached the gospel, 2) He healed the sick, and 3) He freed people from evil. These prophetic words, first spoken by the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, were read in the temple by Jesus in Luke 4:16-19: "And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabboth day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." After reading this Jesus rolled up the scrolls and said to those gathered in the temple, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:21 Today, friends, with this same power and authority, Jesus' ministry continues through His followers. Join me on Monday night as we re-imagine what this means for us. Greg

Freedom from Fear

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.                Thomas Paine, 1776

Today is Flag Day. It's not really an official federal holiday; it's kind of a non-holiday holiday. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of American's national flag, the Stars & Stripes, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. I met a woman last week who was from Russia. She was petite, blonde, in her mid-forties, and had a husband and three children in junior high and high school. I found out they had come to America just a few years ago, so I asked her what prompted her to move her family so far away from their homeland. "Too much fighting and civil unrest," she told me. She went on to explain how she and her family felt it was not safe to live there. They never knew who was in charge or who was going to come to their door and harass them for any reason whatsoever. She would not even let her kids go shopping alone for fear of what might happen to them. Simply being out in public felt unsafe. At one point she looked at me and said in earnest, "You Americans have no idea what it's like to live in that kind of fear. You don't know what it's like for us to come to America and have this feeling of being safe in our home and neighborhood." I was reminded of the Four Freedoms from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's inaugural speech in 1941; the 4th freedom is Freedom from Fear. My new acquaintance from a country far different from ours reminded me of what that means--what it means to live under the American flag. When you think about it, "Old Glory" has gone through a lot. It's been booed, burned, stomped upon, spit at, mocked, torn apart in a public display of contempt, made into clothing, and God only knows what else--and that is at the hands of United States citizens. I don't think there is a single one of us who is not concerned about where our country is going and what it will be in the future, but if you drive by my house this Thursday you will see the American flag waving in my front yard. Land of the free...free from fear. Greg

Your Mess Becomes Your Message

Your  Messes... Your Message... Your Ministry!

"Your mess becomes your message." That's a quote from my doctor at the integrative medical clinic I am at in California this week. I think there's great truth in that, and it's good news for all of us! Jesus came to live in our messes with us. We get to take those messes-whether physical, emotional or spiritual-and use them for good. We all know people who have gone through great trials in life and it has become their message. Some of them are in our fellowship! They speak powerfully to others out of what they have experienced and how they have overcome. They are wounded healers. They give testimony to the great works of the Lord in the midst of their messes. Indeed, their mess has become their message... and their ministry. It is their God story. I see how the messes of my past have certainly affected my current message. My whole message of "Up the Down Staircase," came out of the pain of my divorce many years ago. Whenever I go through trials I see a greater revelation of God's love, grace and provision for me, and it goes directly to my heart. If I listen I hear the gospel with fresh ears. It has not only become my message, but my ministry. It is all part of the redemption plan of the One who "...causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." Romans 8:28 And now, today, I face another major "mess" in my life: a cancer diagnosis. This experience is causing me to learn and grow in my faith in new ways, and to listen to a new message of hope and healing. I believe it will also become a new ministry. Friends, God is all about redemption and that includes redeeming our messes. Once again, it's all about our God story: our messes become or message which becomes our ministry. Hallelujah! Greg