The Cause Worth Dying For

“God has placed within the heart of every man an overpowering desire for three things:  a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue.”  (John Eldredge, “Wild at Heart”)

If you ask most men to name their three favorite movies, “BraveHeart” is sure to be one of them.  The movie, based on the legendary life of 13^th century Scot, William Wallace, follows his rise from obscure farmer to leader of a massive rebel army, powerful enough to drive the English out of Scotland.  It contains heaping doses of all three desires mentioned by author Eldredge.

After English oppression leads to the death of his father and brother, and later, the death of his wife, Wallace becomes obsessed with one thing, Scotland’s freedom from England.  His entire life becomes an adventure to this cause, and he never wavers in his dedication, even though he is eventually captured by the English and tortured to death.

Is there anything so valuable to you, that you would give your entire life, or even your death for it?  We admire people whose lives are passionately focused on a cause they are willing to die for.  Examples in history are numerous.  The Freedom Riders who were civil rights activists in the early 60’s, endured mob violence, beatings, bus bombings and being jailed, as they traveled the segregated South to bring national attention to racial inequality.  Eventually several of them were killed, as was, Martin Luther King Jr.

More recently, we remember 9-11 and the fall of the twin towers of the World Trade Center.  Intent on saving lives of others, 23 New York police officers and 343 firemen sacrificed their own lives in rescue attempts.  Numerous examples of heroic deaths occur on the battlefields of war.  Since World War II, 62% of the Congressional Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously.

Is there a cause important enough that you would die for it?  Maybe you would risk your life to save your child, spouse, other family members, or a close friend.  You might risk your life to defend your country or freedoms you highly value.  Any cause you would be willing to die for would have to be extremely valuable and important to you.  It would have to be so worthy and precious, that you would not want to live without it.

Did you know that God has a cause He was willing to die for?  Something so precious and valuable to Him that He was willing to sacrifice His own son?  Something He is not willing to live without: YOU are the cause He found worth dying for!

Romans 5:7-8 states:  “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good man someone may possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  He then demonstrated this greater love by dying on the cross for YOU!  This Easter take time to ponder how much God values and treasures you. When you see yourself in the mirror, remember you are looking at the cause God found worth dying for!

Please come and join us the Sunday at either 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM for further discussion of how God values you.  My sermon, “The Ultimate Sacrifice” is part 2 of our “The Power of Love” series.

The God Assurance Policy

“Other acts of God…”  Have you ever heard this phrase before?  If you have an insurance policy to protect your home or possessions, it most likely excludes earthquake coverage and other damages caused by “acts of God,” otherwise known as natural disasters.  As I write this, a major 7.1 aftershock has hit the northeastern coast of Japan, adding another stressor to this overstressed country.  Like many people, you may wonder: “Are natural disasters like earthquakes personal “acts of God?”

The Bible makes it clear that we do live in a broken world, a world that is far different from the perfect, harmonious earth that God created.  When Adam and Eve sinned and chose their own way rather than God’s way, they not only lost their own inner peace and harmony, they subjected the environment to unrest and instability as well.  The result is our present earth where natural disasters can and do happen. 

Romans 8: 20a-22a tells us:  “For creation itself (the natural world) was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice…. And creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the liberation of the glorious children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning right up to the present time.”

Whenever a catastrophic event occurs, there is always speculation that God may have caused it to express His displeasure.  This type of thinking is not new.  When Jesus was on earth 2000 years ago a tragic event occurred.  A large tower under construction in Siloam collapsed and killed 18 of the construction workers. 

People obviously were discussing what happened and why those particular workers died.  Jesus addressed their ideas about an “act of God” being responsible.  “Those 18 who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the rest of those living in Jerusalem?  I tell you no!”  (Luke 13: 4-5a)

When an entire village refused to welcome Jesus, two of his disciples thought it would be a good idea to have a natural disaster strike the village to punish it.  What was Jesus’s response to this idea?  “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For I, the Son of Man, did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’”  (Luke 9:55)

Jesus made it clear to his disciples that in this world we have an adversary, Satan, who will use anything and everything in creation against us.  He told them in John 10:10:  “For Satan, the thief, comes only to kill you, steal from you and destroy you.”  He then made His intentions plain:  “But I am come to give you a life full of abundance.”

Jesus will never impose Himself and His intentions upon us.  He respects us far too much to do that.  We are created as free will agents and can affiliate with anyone we choose to.  God invites us to choose Him and His way.  He gives us this powerful assurance: "Because you love me," says the Lord, "I will rescue you; I will protect you, for you acknowledge my name.  You will call upon me, and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble, I will deliver you and honor you. With long life will I satisfy you and show you my salvation.”  (Psalms 91: 14-16)

Today as we are faced with the unsettling news of one natural disaster after another, it’s a good idea to review our insurance policy and keep it up to date.  But don’t forget that God loves you and wants to give you His protection.  So do yourself a favor and take the God Assurance Policy.  Walk with Him daily and experience His benefits!

Please come and join us this Sunday for either our first service at 9:00 AM or our second service at 11:00 AM.  My sermon “Redemptive Judgment” is part 1 of our new series on “The Power of Love”.

Live It Up!

Think of some happy moments in your childhood.  Hopefully they are numerous, and if you’re like most people, many of those memories center on holidays and family celebrations.  Just thinking of them now brings a smile to your face.  We love the joy of repeated celebrations for they are the stuff some of our happiest memories are made of.

One of my staff members here at HROCK recently shared this special memory from his childhood.  Every Christmas Eve, his extended family gathered for a special dinner. It was a wonderful time to enjoy a good meal, exchange gifts, and tell stories on one another.  But his favorite part came after dinner.  He would wait, barely able to contain his excitement, for the special “celebration glasses,” to appear.

They were a set of etched crystal stemware handed down from his great-grandmother’s wedding.  Adult glasses were filled with champagne, while the children got sparkling cider.  The family formed a circle in the front room and began a series of toasts to memorable events from the past year, achievements of family members, and personal affirmations of one another.  Everyone had the opportunity to make a toast. 

He remembers standing in that circle, feeling the solidarity of family and basking in the warmth of shared love.  He inherited those glasses and continues the family celebration to this day.

This may surprise you, but God loves to celebrate!  He knows that we need to make time to commemorate special events in our lives and share our joy in remembering them with others.  He wants our lives to regularly be filled with joy!  He commanded Israel to keep 7 feasts every year to take time and remember their history with Him.  Most of these celebrations were several days or even a week in length.  Imagine it being mandatory to take off that kind of time to celebrate!

God went even further with Israel.  He commanded them to completely cease from work, and rest and refresh themselves one day in every seven.  Israel took the Sabbath rest and turned it into a set of legalistic restrictions, but that was never God’s intention.  He wanted the Sabbath to be a joyful remembrance of His act in creating the world.  One of His most repeated encouragements to us is “Rejoice!” or as we might say today, “Live it up!”

God even celebrates you!  He tells us in Zephaniah 3:17b: “The Lord takes great delight in you.  He quiets your heart with His love.  He rejoices over you with singing!”  Receive God’s joy as he remembers you.  His command to you is:  “Rejoice” (“Live it up”) in Me always!”  (Philippians 4:4)

Come and join our family celebration this Sunday as we observe HROCK’s 17^th anniversary.  We now have 2 services every Sunday morning, an early service at 9:00 AM and a second service at 11:00 AM.  Hear about all the wonderful things God has done for HROCK as we remember our past!

To the Least of These

Who do you think should receive honor?  Perhaps you think of an Olympic champion or the MVP in the Super Bowl.  Maybe a person of high rank or office like a 5-star general or the President of the United States comes to mind.  Or you may honor a certain rock star or actor. Some of you probably feel that people who display great courage, philanthropy, or contribute something like research or personal sacrifice that benefits humankind should be honored.  We acknowledge such people with awards like the Medal of Honor, the Nobel Peace Prize, Olympic gold, a Grammy or an Oscar.

Our dictionaries support this view of honor.  Honor is defined as “public esteem”, “showing merited respect,” “one whose worth brings respect,” or “person of superior position.”  But did you know that God has an entirely different definition of honor?

Typically, we see honor as something that is earned or merited, usually by only a few exceptional people.  But God views honor as something that is freely given.  It is a gift that confers value, worth and significance upon the recipient without being either merited or earned.  And God wants us to honor everyone.

He has given us the supreme example of honoring everyone.  John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved (esteemed and valued) everyone in the world, that He sacrificed His only Son, that whoever believes and accepts His sacrifice, shall not be condemned and perish, but will be blessed with fullness of life.”  We don’t merit this honor, it is freely offered to us.  All we have to do is say yes to God’s gift.

God knows what we often forget, that we are created in His image.  We all contain seeds of greatness within us.  Giving honor to each other waters these seeds and encourages them to grow.  Through our honor, we can actually call forth greatness in someone else!  Think about times when you felt someone valued and found worth in you.  Didn’t that gift of honor make you feel even more committed to try harder and achieve more?

Perhaps you feel worthless and insignificant.  Maybe you feel most people don’t give you a second thought.  God has not forgotten you.  You are always on His mind!  In fact He so identifies with you and your welfare, that He says that anyone who displays kindness and honor “to the least of these,” displays honor to Him! (Matthew 25: 31-40)

“To the least of these” means everyone, and that includes you!  Receive God’s free gift of honor for you and see how it stimulates the seeds of greatness He has planted in you.  Experience the fullness of life that will bloom within you.  And don’t sit on your gift of honor.  Give it to everyone who crosses your path!

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM.  We will discuss giving honor to one another in greater depth.  My sermon, ”Creating a Culture of Honor” is part 4 in our series “Preparing for the Harvest.”

Tsunami Survivor

The scene is unforgettable, containing both massive destruction and hope at the same time.  There is a sea of debris, uprooted trees, parts of houses, hulls of ships.  And in the midst of it all, barely visible, is a tiny figure waving a red cloth at an approaching boat.  Sixty year-old Hiromitsu Shinkawa is rescued after 2 days of clinging to his roof, all that is left of his home.  Incredibly he was able to latch onto a piece of the roof, as a tsunami completely submerged his city and swept him 10 miles out at sea. 

This past week we’ve all been transfixed watching as first an 8.9 earthquake hit Sendai, Japan, followed by a series of massive tsunamis, and now the danger of a meltdown in several nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant.  Each event is a major catastrophe on its own, but collectively they present a situation that seems humanly unbearable.  And we watch the Japanese people enduring so much grief, pain and uncertainty, and we want to help them in any way we can.

I think part of the reason we are so touched by their struggle against the mounting negative odds, is that we all have to face and weather tsunami seasons in our life.  I don’t mean a literal tsunami. But a negative event, or a series of them, that leaves us like Hiromitsu Shinkawa, clinging to the wreckage of what we thought was our safe, secure life, wondering if any ray of hope will ever shine on our circumstances again. 

It may be getting notice at work that we’re being laid off, suffering betrayal at the hand of a friend, hearing the doctor pronounce a serious diagnosis over us, or losing a family member to death.  As waves of disbelief, sadness and pain repeatedly wash over us, we wonder how much more we can endure, and whether life will ever feel good again.

 Jesus knew that we would face tragedy, heartache and pain in life.  No one is completely spared.  Yet He wanted us always to have hope, and to be assured that we do not have to face our personal tsunamis alone.  He tells us in John 16:33: “In the world you will have tribulation, distress and frustration.  But be of good cheer.  Take courage and be confident for I have overcome the world.”  And in John 15:16 Jesus promises us: “I will ask the Father, and He will send you a comforter, helper, standby and One who will strengthen you, even His Own Spirit who will remain with you forever.” 

God wants to give us His Spirit to overcome the tsunamis of life.  He wants us to be tsunami survivors and thrive.  He assures us: “When the enemy brings tragedies and disasters, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against them and put them to flight.” (Isaiah 59:19b)

God’s Spirit doesn’t automatically enter your life and fight for you; you must invite Him in.  When you do, He will enter with His comfort and strength and see you through whatever may happen.  Invite Him in today, and begin to experience the life of hope and joy that only He can give!

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM as our guest speaker Cindy Jacobs discusses how we can speak words from God into the lives of others.  Her sermon “Prophetic Evangelism” is part 3 in our current series, “Preparing for the Harvest.”

Happily Ever After …

When you heard fairytales as a child, did you ever daydream about being the beautiful princess, the handsome prince, or the brave knight?  They seemed to have such enchanted lives, and of course they always “lived happily ever after.”

Today as the world anticipates the upcoming marriage of Britain’s Prince William and Kate, we experience again a little of the fairytale enchantment that surrounds royalty.  And we may wonder what it would be like to be born into wealth, rank and privilege, to have our destiny appointed and secured before our birth.

It is true that royalty does enjoy wealth and many privileges, but being born into a royal lineage does not automatically make you a king or queen.  The son or daughter of royalty must learn how to be a royal.  They are raised up to be royalty.

Think for a moment of historic kings and queens who had true leadership.  They had to learn about their kingdom, for it was the sphere of authority in which they ruled.  As young children they had tutors who taught them not only academics, but the protocol of royalty, that is the behaviors expected of monarchs, and the traditions of their own kingdom and family line.  They learned warfare skills because it was their responsibility to protect the kingdom and advance the interests of their realm. 

Monarchs were most secure when they used their dominion wisely and fairly.  They had to learn to rule by issuing and enforcing decrees that would protect citizens and promote their welfare.  This was the best way to insure safety and prosperity in the kingdom.  A monarch could never forget that everywhere they went they were representing the kingdom.  Their character and lifestyle were direct reflections on the monarchy and the kingdom.

I think part of our fascination with royalty is the awareness, buried deep in our unconscious, that each of us is created to be royalty.  Genesis 1:26-27 states: “God said, ‘Let us make human beings in Our image, to be like Ourselves.  They will reign over the fish, the birds, the livestock and all wild animals.  So God created human beings in His Own image, male and female He created them.”

Our original state of royal dominion was lost when Adam and Eve sinned and fell from their position of rank and privilege.  But Jesus made it clear in His earthly ministry, that He came to restore us to the kingdom and our royal authority.  The apostle Peter wrote to Christians in the first century: “You are a chosen people.  You are royalty, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. You can show others the goodness of God, for He has called you out of darkness into His kingdom of light.”

God is calling us back to our royal dominion, but like any monarch we must learn about the kingdom and how to correctly use our authority.  God provides us with a divine tutor, the Holy Spirit, who helps us to understand our authority and destiny in God’s kingdom.  He invites us to use our dominion not only for ourselves, but to set others free and open the kingdom and its privileges to them as well.  We are called to be kings and liberators!

Come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM as we continues the discussion of our destiny and our responsibilities of rulership in God’s kingdom.  My sermon “Raising Up Royalty” is Part 2 in our “preparing for the Harvest” series.

Are Virtual Friends Real?

How many friends do you have?  Two? Five? Ten?  According to social researchers, the most typical American response will be “2 friends.”  Sadly, for 25% of Americans, the answer will be “no friends.”  Loneliness is rampant in our culture.  We crave meaningful contact with one another, but our extremely busy, mobile lifestyle makes creating stable, enduring relationships a challenge.

Perhaps this is one reason why computer social networks like Facebook have become so rapidly popular.  As I watched “The Social Network” take 3 Oscars at the Academy Awards last Sunday, I was reminded that the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, became a billionaire in just a little over 5 years.  Obviously his idea filled a need felt by many.  In fact, Facebook has over 600 million registered users worldwide, and it is estimated that 41% of Americans are members of a computer social network.

Collecting “friends” has become a preoccupation, and even a status symbol among many Facebook users.  Currently users have an average of about 140 “friends,” with some users listing 700-800 or even more than 1000 “friends.”  There is no doubt that Facebook allows users to maintain contact with friends, relatives and acquaintances by posts to their Wall, sharing photo albums, and notifying others of changes in life situation or location.  It also makes it easier to find and reconnect with people from the past.

But just how many “friends” can we maintain at one time, even with computer-based technology?  And is a virtual friend (someone you know only from the internet), a real friend?  Can virtual social connections become a substitute for face-to-face encounters or possibly be a way to compensate for a lack of friendships, or lack of time with real friends? 

While the popularity of Facebook is clear, an increasing number of users are also deciding to drop out of the network.  Many say they felt it became too much of a drain on their time and energy.  And many echo what one dropout stated: “Sometimes we have so many friends on Facebook, we can not find the real people we are.”

But real friends know more than news updates about our lives.  Real friends know us, the real us, and we know them, the real them.  There is mutual self-disclosure, respect, affection and loyalty.  There is a deep emotional resonance in real friendship, which creates a sense of stability and a willingness to help each other in need and crisis. Proverbs puts it this way:  “A friend is always loyal and is born to help in time of need.  A real friend sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 17:17. 18:24b)

Obviously we can’t maintain this level of commitment with too many people at one time.  But we need to be connected in this way to some others in order to remain emotionally healthy and secure.  God knows we have need for this type of relationship.  He encourages us: “Dear children, don’t merely say that you love one another.  Show this truth by your actions with each other.” (I John 3:18)  Love is real, not virtual.  While Facebook can be an enjoyable social outlet in our lives, it will never take the place of time spent with real friends.

At HROCK Church we are committed to being a welcoming community where healthy, loving connections happen.  Please come and join us this Sunday at 10:30 AM as we discuss ways to grow in reaching out and welcoming others.  My sermon, “Preparing the Nets” is the first part of our new series, “Preparing for the Harvest.”