JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Faith, Hope, Ramblings

Once all the eggs have been found…

So I have been out of the game for far too long. It seems like Ash Wednesday was yesterday, Lent was this morning, Palm Sunday was lunch, and Easter finished five minutes ago. But in our congregation, similar to many congregations, we spoke about the journey toward the cross and the road we take toward a deeper relationship with God through the process of going without during Lent. But that is all done now, because all of the eggs have been found and we can move past that stage in our faith walk for another year. Or can we?

For many of us the journey toward the cross is filled with the reminder of our failures, marks showing us how we have fallen short of the glory of God. But that pain doesn’t tell the whole story, because the story doesn’t end on Friday; but rather death, pain, and our failure are overshadowed and redeemed through God’s victory and the Resurrection of Christ Jesus!

We spend much of our lives alternating between living our lives flaunting our failures and trying to redeem ourselves because we are not worthy.

When we flaunt our failures and are living in the world of  “cheap” grace we are of the mindset that the Easter Egg of Grace should be brightly colored and three-feet in diameter. We know the egg is there and we can turn around and get it at any time, but we are going to do our own thing until it is more convenient.

However, when we view ourselves as not worthy, we are of the mindset that the Easter Egg of Grace should be camouflaged and the size of a pea.  The quest is going to be arduous, and we don’t think it is possible to find the egg because we are so blind from our sinfulness.

Most of the time we are actually in the middle, and see the Easter Egg of Grace as the pink egg above.

But the story tacked on to the end of John is how the Lord reaches out to us, especially after we have finished celebrating the Resurrection.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

 “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

The Almighty is calling us to follow. We failed, and we continue to fail, just like Simon Peter, but the Lord calls out to each one of us to do the Kingdom work each day. We have chores we need to get done, the sheep need to be taken care of and fed, the lambs need to be fed, and we need to learn to follow better. The eggs are not hard to find, but we need to follow Jesus to their hiding place, and once we get there we find abundant grace.

JRMITCH85 Uncategorized

Lent Is Good Religion

I wanted to republish this article from Relevant written by Ed Gungor about LENT.

RELEVANT Magazine – Lent Is Good Religion.

ash wednesday cross

Using the 40 days leading up to Easter to practice unnecessary devotion.

Today is the kick-off day for the 40-day journey to Resurrection traditionally called Lent. Christian communities all over the world use this time to intentionally make room for God in their lives through fasting, praying and special gatherings. It constitutes what I think can be good religion.

As an evangelical, I get that there is a bad kind of religion—the human-centered kind that tries to act in certain ways in order to earn brownie points or merit badges from God (truth is, none of us wants what we have earned from God!). Connecting with God does not happen through our performance of religious practices—connecting is all about a relationship with God and what God “performed” in Christ for us. If that is not understood, religious actions can actually kill living faith. That’s the negative side of religion—the side that sullies the innocence of faith. James called it “worthless” religion (James 1:26).

But there is another side of religion that is not bad. In the same place James spoke of “worthless” religion, he says there was a “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless.” This is religion born from God’s initiative, and it is undefiled, innocent, and powerful.

The word, “religion,” comes from the Latin religare, which means “to tie fast” or “to bind to.” Bad religion is about binding yourself to actions that you think earn you favor from God. Good religion is about binding or tying yourself to practices because you have experienced God’s favor. It is a way for us to love God back, as well as a way for us to move deeper into His grace.

In this context, James mentions binding ourselves to “good works” (i.e. caring for those less privileged than ourselves), as well as binding ourselves to things that keep us from “being polluted by the world.” That could be anything from prayer to fasting to engaging more deeply within the Christian community. Here’s the question: What helps you stay clean in this fallen world? Bind yourself to that—that is good religion.

Unnecessary Devotion

Scripture encourages all believers to “devote” themselves “to doing what is good” (Titus 3:8), as well as to “devote” themselves to prayer (Col. 4:2) and the reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13). The word “devote” is derived from the word “vow.” There are oodles of texts that call the Christian to consider deepening his/her commitment within the context of faith. Why? To make God love us more? Absolutely not.

We should never be nervous about how God feels about us. At the very core of faith is the assurance that God loves each one of us incautiously and recklessly. We should find great comfort in the fact that He knows every stupid, silly, mean, ill-motived and outright sinful thing about you and me and, yet, He still pursues and loves us. But on some level, we can’t just think about that; we should respond to that.

I want to love God more than I do. Jesus’ words haunt me here: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).
I’m not sure I love Him with all that.

Oh, I have my moments when my faith is white-hot (an occasion of worship at church or at the apex of a morning devotional), but those moments don’t seem to last. I want to love God more than I do. I want to love God enough to be willing to do what saints who have gone before us have done.

I’m not talking about ordinary faith here. Nor am I talking about something that is required. I’m talking about loving in God in unnecessary, unrequired ways. That’s good religion.

There is a required love. We’re supposed to love God enough to receive what he has freely given us in Christ. We’re supposed to love God enough to face the cross in order to ensure what Jesus did isn’t ignored by us. Salvation is found there. And that is where our journey of faith begins. This is really all that is necessary or required by God as far as loving Him is concerned.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more.

There is plenty of room for believers to love God more—room for us to be caught up in an infatuation with the Holy. Seasons like Lent provide space for us to intentionally do so. I’m not saying we should try to love Him extra in order to make Him love us more—He loves us period, not in response to what we do or don’t do. But loving God back is a natural thing for those who have been deeply touched by Him.

It’s sad to me that American Christianity often takes such pride in being religionless. We put so much emphasis on belief; to be sure, believing is where it all starts—I’m just not sure that believing is enough to make us world-changing, kingdom people. Richard Foster wrote, “In our day heaven and earth are on tiptoe waiting for the emerging of a Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered people. All of creation watches expectantly for the springing up of a disciplined, freely gathered, martyr people who know in this life the life and power of the kingdom of God. It has happened before. It can happen again …”

Maybe getting a little religion this Lenten season can help get us there.

 

JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Faith, Hope

Gifts, Humility, Forgiveness, and Heroism

Last week I prepared a sermon about Joseph (OT) and I have always been intrigued about this man. Was he perfect? No he wasn’t. However, most of the characters in the Old Testament had some flaw. With certainty though, Joseph was GIFTED, God had given him something, but he didn’t exactly know how to use the gifting at first.

God spoke to Joseph through his dreams, and probably understanding full and well what it meant, sought to blab it to his brothers. This dream essentially rubbed it in his brothers face that they would bow down to him, and he would rule over them. He was the arrogant kid that essentially rubbed in the face of his brothers that he knew he was better than them. His brothers were already upset with him because they saw him as a tattle tale, and as daddy’s favorite, which was thrown into their face every time they looked at his coat. So they looked at their arrogant brother and sought to break him, so they eventually sold him, and removed him from their sight. Joseph’s arrogance had betrayed him, and he lost all that he had which fed his pride.

Humbled, Joseph went around and was a good servant. He did all that he could to be successful, giving his work into the hands of God, and God blessed him. Not that this went straight to his head, but the success caused Joseph to let his guard down, and he fell into the trap set by his master’s wife. Feelings of invincibility probably caused him to enter into a circumstance that ultimately got him thrown into prison. Lesser arrogance than what he threw into the face of his brothers, but still a lack of humility.

God stayed with him, and continued to offer him gifts and blessings, even in the outward appearance of no gifts, no reason for pride, as he was locked up. God had a plan for his life, one that he probably had no clue, and his thoughts were far from those dreams that he had told his brothers, another life ago.

So Joseph used the gift God had given him even while in prison. This time he interpreted two men’s dreams, but this time the reward was not instant, for as soon as the man that benefitted from Joseph’s interpretation, did not help Joseph. This caused a deep humility to dwell within Joseph, so much so that he would remember that God is the source, and Joseph is merely the vessel.

Thus the time came when Pharaoh needed some dreams interpreted. Here Joseph supplied the information that allowed Egypt to be saved from the effects of a Great Famine. For this act Joseph, was rewarded with great power and prestige. At this point his brothers enter the scene again because the famine reached Canaan and his family. They came looking for assistance from Egypt. Instead of treating them with the wrath they probably deserved, Joseph helps them out, and actually saves his whole family, because through the power of the Holy Spirit, Joseph offers forgiveness and salvation to those who started his downward spiral.

He even wanted to offer them the assurance that they were forgiven because he knew that God blessed him throughout the midst of his humbling, by telling them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” His brothers needed to be humbled, but Joseph did this through the love of God, not the wrath.

JRMITCH85 Character

John Ireland’s Long Walk

John Ireland is a Laker homer, and was confident that the Lakers would win against Cleveland. Thus he claimed, “I would quit my job and walk home from Cleveland if they lost that game.” He didn’t quit, nor did he walk home, but he didn’t let himself get away with making such a remark.  He made a statement that accentuated his confidence in the Lakers, albeit stupid (considering how bad the Lakers have looked), but he didn’t want to let himself off the hook. (Although I also think that his radio show partner would never let him off easily.)

Our words mean something, and John Ireland has pledged to walk in the Autism Speaks walk at the Rose Bowl on 4/23, and to try and raise money to fight Autism.

Way to go John.

He certainly has made lemonade out of this lemon of a statement, click the link to read the article below about how he is participating in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks, http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=442586&lis=0&kntae442586=175887835725444FB109EBF46C13FA12&supId=321410639.

John Irelands Long Walk After Lakers Lose to Cleveland – Buckley Blog – KTLA.COM.

JRMITCH85 Hope, Ramblings

A Small Hike

The other day we took a small hike in the San Gabriel Mountains and climbed up Echo Mountain. The intent was just to go for a hike and we had no specific goal in mind as the hike began. This was an easy 5 mile round-trip hike, and because we had plans later in the day, we thought this would be the perfect distance to travel. It was an opportunity to get away from the conveniences of television and computers (although I still had my phone and camera) and go spend some time in nature and look at the beauty that is not far away.

I lived in Pasadena when I first moved down to Southern California, and I always thought about hiking up in the San Gabriel Mountains, especially since the trail head was just at the top of the closest major street, but it took me moving an hour away to actually make my first hike in this area.

Unfortunately, as many days in Southern California, the smoggy haze covered the Southland and we didn’t get to see the urban sprawl of the LA Basin with much clarity. I was looking forward to seeing that, and I heard from several people on the trail verbalize what I was thinking, “We should come up here after a good rain, and then this view would be amazing.”

However, I was astonished when we got to the end of the trail, because here are remnants of a dose of man’s intrusion into nature, as we saw what remained of a resort. Here in my attempt to get away from the city and into nature, I found the city. In my reading since going up there this was described as the Disneyland of its day. However, in 2011, all that remains is some concrete, metal gears, pulleys, and motor parts. I couldn’t say that I was terribly surprised that something like this was up there, because one needs only to look to the top of the mountains to see a great deal of metal towers and buildings. Also as we walked up the hill you pass under power lines and directly under a tower.

Although it still surprises me that we as people carve out spaces in the mountains and we live like we would in our cities. Our “retreats” into the wilderness, while spending time in the beauty of God’s creation, become less leaving the city, and more creating a city in the wilderness. I am comforted that this is not something new, but something that we have been dealing with for more than 100 years. But as I look at these “relics” of a bygone age, I think there is a beauty in nature reclaiming them. Sure if they weren’t protected I’m sure someone would meaninglessly take these parts, but nature has claimed them, and made them beautiful once again.

However, we as people don’t return the favor to nature, we take our cities and make the air “dirty”, so much so that as I looked forward to seeing the San Gabriel Valley from a new vantage point, I was disappointed because all I got was a hazy image.

God has made us stewards of this planet, and I need to do a better job at carrying out this mission.

JRMITCH85 Ramblings

A Good Run

I just got home from a 14.3 mile run. This is the beginning of the ramp up in training as I prepare for running in the LA Marathon. This will be my first marathon, although I did run a half-marathon in Las Vegas in early December.

I enjoy running, although I haven’t been a big runner until recently, when I felt that I needed to push myself to accomplishing something athletically as I was entering my thirties. Then came running. I remember watching my sister complete her first marathon, and when the announcer kept yelling out the percentage of people who have completed a marathon, it really put the tic into my head that I may want to do something like that.

It may be a good thing that sometimes our motivation drives us to be greater, or better than we are, but with the power of the Holy Spirit we are driven to be more like Christ. Now I know that Jesus probably was never a competitive runner, but we were created to enjoy our bodies. Therefore, I seek to make my running a worship experience. I pray that I show this outwardly, and that the Kingdom of God is blessed through the joy of the Holy Spirit found in me when I run.

What things do you do that can be transformed when you think of them from the context of a worship experience?

JRMITCH85 Ramblings

Ugh, Violence

With the instant access to news, you hear more about the violence in our world with great regularity, but this week it has been particularly frightening because the violence has been in and around area schools. Three shootings, and three different circumstances, but sadly the consequence was that in each instance people were shot. This saddens me deeply, and I call on each of us to add these schools and those directly affected by the shootings to our prayers.

At the same time I wonder what causes people to turn to such extreme levels of violence. A lot of this happens in the midst of fear and a lack of control. This is not to remove the personal accountability, but we should also understand that life’s circumstances force people to make some very hard choices. I am thankful that I have been blessed and not pushed to that edge, but I know that we must get together and fight the power of darkness that pulls and tugs at so many young people.

The natural response to this violence is fear and  the feeling that somebody has to pay for what has been done, because somehow this will make us safer, and thus alleviate our fears. But I really am just brought to tears for the fact that people die everyday because of acts of violence, not only in our community, but throughout the world. When is our outrage going to get us off of our collective backside, and move us toward working against the violence that plagues our world.

I want to respond with an active call for peace, a call to respond with love.

How are you and I going to be active in pursuit of peace?

JRMITCH85 Character, Faith

Any Given Day

Today is a regular day, no holiday to celebrate, no reason to hold a parade, but today is a day that we have been given as a blessing from God. So why don’t we praise? What holds us back from opening our hearts and our minds to fully giving ourselves over to God?

I know there are indescribable emotions running through people when we encounter hurt, pain, and all sorts of injustice. These may create blocks in our minds and our hearts against praise, but God wants us to give these things over, lay them at the foot of the cross, and express them in any way we know how.

David does this. His relationship with God was so authentic, that he communicated with God through prayer and song in good times and in not so good times. I pray that I can be more authentic with God, and give all things at all times over to the Almighty, the Creator of the universe.

 

JRMITCH85 Character

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

Several years ago I went to the UYWI Conference and the theme was Legacy, and posted on the bulletin boards and in miscellaneous places around the campus of Azusa Pacific were flyers detailing the lives of people who lived lives and left legacies to which we should take note. Certainly, I have seen a number of quotations today on twitter and facebook from Dr. King, but one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that my words, my actions, and my faith matter.

God placed a great burden upon the lap of Dr. King, and he did not shrink in that moment, but he answered the call just like Isaiah, “Here am I Lord, send me!” Injustice, prejudice, slavery, war, exploitation, poverty, hate, and suffering are still present in our world, all of the problems have not been solved. God is calling each one of us to stand up to oppression, and fight for justice. Your area of influence may be large or small, but the change to can effect is immeasurable. I urge you to answer God’s call on your life, and go out and be the change that this world needs.

Injustice doesn’t care what language you speak. It doesn’t care about the color of your skin. It doesn’t care what country you live in. It affects all of us. It tricks us with short-term benefits, but in the end we all suffer because of it. Martin Luther King Jr. knew this, and knew that it had to stop. I thank God for putting him in the world so that I could learn how to answer that call.  I matter, you matter, and we both have the ability to truly change the world through the power given to us through the Holy Spirit.

In my eyes, that is a great legacy.

JRMITCH85 Character, Decisions, Faith, Hope, Ramblings

No, You Can’t

My son has repeated to me numerous times the phrase, “I can do it myself, Daddy.” It is one of the most annoying phrases, even though it comes from the a person that I love so dearly. I can guess that it is certainly not unique to my family, and that there are parents out there who feel the same way I do. My own parents probably fall into that category.

No matter his true independence level on a number of tasks, there are many things he does need help doing, for instance, he needed help turning on the faucet at a sink because the handles were just outside his reach. He kept telling me he didn’t need my help, and insisted that I turn the water off, until finally he stood on top of my feet which gave him the necessary boost to reach the faucet handles. In his mind, he probably thinks he did it himself.

Another incident tonight was as he was trying to fall asleep, and he kept whining, indicating he was uncomfortable. I was worried that he might be sick, I asked him whether there was anything I could do to make him more comfortable. In true form, he told me that he was taking care of it himself, and didn’t need my help. However, after another ten minutes of struggling he let me know that he needed another blanket because he was too cold. Oddly enough, he would have had the issue resolved earlier had he just let me know when I first asked him.

These two examples are similar to how we often think we can do everything ourselves, we think we are completely self-reliant. However, we aren’t! We don’t want to hear, “No, you can’t do it all on your own.” However, we often walk along in our lives struggling to do it on our own, when we really just need to learn to ask for help.

The Almighty God desires us in relationship to lay EVERYTHING at the foot of the throne, for nothing is too much or too heavy.

When are we going to wake up and allow others to help us?