Karooso

FRIDAY of PASSION WEEK -- When Darkness Reigns

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:31:00 +0000

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

-- Mark 14:3-5

The most startling thing about Friday, of course, is Jesus hanging on a cross. He hung there for six hours, from 9am till 3pm – A relatively short period of time to hang on a cross before dying. It would typically take 12 to 24 hours for a person to die from crucifixion, depending on two things: (1) How badly the person had been beaten before being placed on the cross, (2) How quickly the Roman officials wanted the person to die. If they wanted to speed things up they would break the person’s legs and stab them with a sword. The stabbing would have the affect of draining the blood, and thus weakening the victim, and the broken legs would make it harder for them to lift themselves up on the cross. Unable to do that, the person would quickly suffocate to death. Jesus dying within six hours on the cross meant that they had already beaten him to within an inch of his life before placing him on the cross. It meant that everyone was in a hurry to get this crucifixion over with. So … six hours wasn’t very long. Of course, if you’re the one being crucified, six minutes on a cross is too long.

Early Friday morning, while most of Jerusalem was asleep, Jesus was apprehended – Sold out by one of his closest followers. He was taken to the house Annas, the patriarch of the High Priestly class. Annas bought and controlled the high priesthood for more than thirty years. For most of the first half of the first century Annas or one of his sons sat on the throne of the High Priest in Jerusalem. And he had become unimaginably rich in the process. Imagine controlling a $500 million-dollar-a-year business for more than 30 years. At the time of Jesus’ arrest, it was Annas’ son-in-law, Caiphas, who was tapped to actually hold the title of High Priest. But make no mistake about it – Annas was the power behind the High Priesthood. That’s why Jesus was taken first to the house of Annas. Annas then sent him to the house of Caiphas, so that he could be officially charged.

According to Jewish law, the trial of Jesus was illegal on numerous grounds. It was held at night. There were strict rules against that. The full council was not there. They didn’t have a quorum. They had decided that Jesus needed to go. It was a setup. Everyone knew it. The false witnesses. The chief priests. Pontius Pilate. Herod. They all knew that it was a setup. Of course, none of that matters when you believe that the ends justify the means. Jesus has become too popular as a prophet and potential Messiah … he was too much of a threat to the ruling elite in Jerusalem. He had to go.

The crucifixion, then, was no accident of circumstance. It wasn’t a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a well-orchestrated, strategic move by the Jerusalem ruling elite to protect and solidify their power base. Jesus was someone they had been concerned about for a considerable time, and as that concern grew to a fever pitch it became simply a matter of waiting for the optimum moment. Timing is everything. Once Annas gave the green light, the dominos started falling. But the dominos had been in place for quite awhile.

By nine, Friday morning, Jesus was hanging on the cross, dying in agony. Three hours later, at noon, everything went dark. God covered the sun with his hand. If you have ever suffered a devastating loss you can probably understand how the light seems to go out of your life. Friday was the day that darkness reigned.

It would take a generation of post-resurrection witnesses to interpret exactly what happened in the darkness.

Here are some of their conclusions:

“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:24-28).

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation …” (Colossians 1:19-22)

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin” (1 Peter 4:1).

In the darkness Jesus took all our sin into himself so that when he died, it would die with him. Thank God it worked.

Reflection and Action

Take time today to reflect on how your sins have hurt you and those you love. Thank God that he has eradicated those sins and will heal your pain.

Call someone you love and tell them how you feel about them.

THURSDAY of PASSION WEEK -- A Reason To Die

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a palce for you. And if I go and prepare a palce for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

-- John 14:1-4

There was something strange about Thursday night. There were a lot of moving pieces. There were the groups that wanted Jesus dead – the Sadducees (the priestly class with their power centered at the Temple in Jerusalem. They controlled the single greatest economic power in all the land – the sacrificial system at the temple – in today’s monetary system it would have been the equivalent of a 4-5 billion dollar enterprise), the Pharisees (the party of the people they tried to balance the power of the Sadducees, and they were the moral police of their day), the Herodians (they wanted the house of Herod back on the throne. They felt that any local ruler was better than a foreign one, and they would want to get rid of anyone who threatened to take the throne), and the Zealots (they wanted a revolution against Rome; once Jesus proved he wasn’t interested in that, they were ready to move on to other things).

There are those who always think they are right …

Then there was the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, who knew nothing of all the plotting. He would find out in the early hours of the morning, and all he wanted was peace. There were more than a million Jews in Jerusalem during festival. It was a Roman ruler’s worse nightmare. What if someone found a way to unite all of them against Rome. Rome would crush the rebellion, of course, but Pilate would have been lynched long before Rome could come to his aid.

As the Roman Governor, Pilate could do anything he wanted to do. Whatever he thought he needed to do to keep the peace. He could kill anyone he wanted to kill and the powers that be in Rome couldn’t have cared less. But the one thing for which he would pay dearly would be a riot or, even worse, a revolution. Pilate didn’t want to upset the one million Jews in Jerusalem who were there to celebrate the Passover Feast. He would do whatever he had to do to placate them … to keep them happy. He wanted an uneventful Passover feast.

There are those who are always trying to please the crowd …

And then, of course, there was Judas – Disenchanted with the Jesus movement because, as it turns out, Jesus didn’t come to Jerusalem to fight. He came to die. That wasn’t what Judas had in mind when he joined the movement. He thought Jesus would be a triumphant Messiah, a conquering king. He had no idea that Jesus was going to be a suffering servant. Whatever Judas’ motives, I don’t think it was the money. The money was symbolic – 30 pieces of silver was the going rate for a slave. His motives were deeper than that – it was ideological. Judas had his own agenda … and when it didn’t match Jesus’ agenda, Judas chose his own.

There are those who always have their own agenda …

And then, of course, there are the disciples. They wanted to follow Jesus … they wanted to do the right thing … but they were going to need a lot of help.

Jesus tells two of them – go into the city and there you will find a man … it was all very clandestine … very mysterious. If there is one driving theme to this scene – one certainty about what is happening on that Thursday – it would be this: Jesus knew that he was going to die … and he knew why. He knew that they were looking for a way to get him and he knew that they would find it. And in spite of all of the human drama and political motives and personal agendas swirling around him that night … he knew that in the eternal scheme of things it was all irrelevant. He knew the real reason he had to die.

And so Jesus spends his last night before death with his closest disciples. He washes their feet. He tells them to trust in God. He warns them of the coming firestorm. He gives them something with which to remember him – the bread and the wine – a way for them to draw strength from his Spirit. The bread and the wine were to remind them of the faith community that Jesus was building with his sacrifice.

Thursday night Jesus spoke truth into their lives. He reminded them that they had each other, and that no matter what happened next, HE would never leave them nor forsake them. He reminded them that there was a reason for him to die. Jesus is still reminding us of that … every day of our lives.

Reflection and Action

Reflect on all the places where your agenda is overriding God’s agenda for your life.

Take stock of all the places where you are trying to please people, instead of God.

Tell someone how you feel about Jesus? Share with them what Jesus has done for you in the last month.

WEDNESDAY of PASSION WEEK – The Calm Before the Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:50:00 +0000

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

-- Mark 14:3-5

Wednesday was the day of silence. There is nothing recorded about Wednesday. It’s as if the day just dropped off the calendar. No movement from Jesus. No words from his lips. Just silence. It was the calm before the storm. It must have been anything but calm for Jesus.

The last thing we know about Jesus before the mysterious silence of Wednesday happened Tuesday evening. Jesus was reclining at the supper table in the home of a friend, Simon the Leper. A mysterious woman slips into the scene, breaks open a jar of very expensive perfume, and pours it over Jesus’ head.

The pungent aroma of pure nard must have quickly filled the room. Those who missed the action must have been asking, “What’s that smell?” When the disciples realize what has been done, they are stunned. Their first thought is, “What a waste.” There are so many ways the perfume could have been leveraged for good. The perfume could have been sold for a handsome price and the money used to help the poor.

Apparently, Jesus had taught them well. They knew that their primary responsibility was for others. Their reasoning was sound. If the woman wants to donate the expensive perfume to the Jesus ministry, the best use of the gift would be to liquidate it and use the cash to help the poor. After all, isn’t that what Jesus taught us to do? It was sound reasoning – but, on that day, it was wrong. Any other day the gift should have and would have been used to help the poor. But not that day … that day was different … that day the most pressing need was to anoint Jesus for his burial (14:8).

And there’s the clue we have been looking for. What was Jesus thinking about Tuesday night when he went to sleep? His own death and burial. And what did he spend Wednesday doing? I don’t know for sure. But, I suspect he was preparing himself for crucifixion and burial. Maybe he talked to Joseph of Arimathea – a man of some wealth and a secret follower of Jesus. Maybe he spent time with his mother and his brothers, trying to explain the trajectory of his life. I don’t know. Maybe he spent it with The Twelve, trying to prepare them for the firestorm that was coming. I don’t know. Surely, he spent some time talking to God. Maybe he spent the whole day talking to God. I don’t know. Silence bothers me. I don’t like it. That’s why I fill my life with constant motion and noise – so that I won’t have to deal with silence and the insecurity of not knowing. I don’t like not knowing.

That’s what Wednesday stands for. It stands for not knowing. It stands for waiting silently on God, not knowing what comes next, only that it will be hard and require more than what you have. It stands for doing the hardest thing possible – stopping the constant movement and noise of your life to listen for God. And then … when you hear nothing … trusting anyway, that God knows what he is doing.

Reflection and Action

Why do you find it hard to make time for quiet reflection? What really keeps you from moments of prolonged silence?

Take time to listen for God. Wait for him and if he asks you to do something … do it!

TUESDAY of PASSION WEEK -- The Cost of Discipleship

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

-- Mark 12:41-44

Tuesday was a very busy day for Jesus. He spent the entire day in the temple courts, arriving early in the morning. He spent most of the day teaching his disciples. A few times he was recognized and confronted by the priests and teachers of the law. Looking for a reason to arrest him, they tried to trap him in his words. It must have been a stressful day for Jesus.

Jesus was increasingly using parables to make his point. They had the double advantage of making the students work to get the message, and always a bit cryptic, they kept his enemies guessing at what he actually meant to say. Jesus talked a lot about investing in the Kingdom of God. He was confronted on the issues of paying taxes to Rome, the concept of the afterlife, the true character of the Messiah, and the meaning of the Law. At one point he goes into a pointed tirade against the sinister machinations of the Pharisees. He exposes the hypocrisy of the religious leadership. He reveals the signs of the end of the age. Jesus covers a lot of ground in about ten hours on Tuesday.

Late in the afternoon, as the crowd at the temple mound began to swell, Jesus positioned himself, sitting near one of the clay pots placed at each entrance to the court of women, where the people would enter and deliver their offerings. This was the act of almsgiving. It was a special offering for the poor, always collected at the festival. Almsgiving was one of the three most important outward manifestations of the inward spiritual life. The other two were prayer and fasting. Jesus taught that in each case we are not to engage in these spiritual acts ostentatiously. At the temple he is witnessing the very thing he taught against – the ostentatious giving of the religious elite. They give “to be seen by men” (Matt. 6:1-4). Jesus is turned off by that kind of show.

Jesus makes two important points when he sees the widow give her offering. He was comparing the “takers,” with the “givers.” His first point was about the takers. In fact, he had just finished teaching about the “takers.” Jesus said, ‘Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers’ (Mark 12:38-40). In the very next verse Jesus was watching the people give and he saw the poor widow place in the offering plate “all she had to live on” (i.e., her whole house).

On the one hand, Jesus wants us to see the horrible violation of the “takers.” Even when they give, they are taking more than they give (they do it for the honor, fame, and adulation). They “devour widows’ houses,” means that their insatiable appetite for more strips the truly spiritual ones from their last ounce of dignity in this world. They “devour widows’ houses,” is possibly the worst indictment that Jesus every issued against a group of people. It is the most shameful act. And it is reserved for those who are constantly taking and never really giving.

Of course, in contrast to the religious elite, Jesus pointed to the poor widow. She is the epitome of one who gives without reserve. She invests in the Kingdom of God without hope or expectation of receiving anything in return. She gives everything she has. All of it is spent on God. She holds nothing back.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his classic work, “The Cost of Discipleship,” explains the difference between what I have called the “takers,” and the “givers.” It is the difference between what he calls, “cheap grace,” and “costly grace.” Here is what Bonhoeffer says:

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son … Costly grace is the Incarnation of God (Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, p.47-48).

The religious elite of Jesus’ day knew only cheap grace. The poor widow with her two copper coins understood costly grace. So did the woman with her alabaster jar. So did Jesus with his cross.

Reflection and Action

What is God’s call on your life? Why did he create you? What did he fashion you to do?

Undoubtedly, you will spend some money this Easter – Easter clothes; Easter baskets; Easter toys; Easter candy; An Easter meal. What will you spend on God?

MONDAY of PASSION WEEK -- God’s Love for All Nations

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:21:00 +0000

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?” But you have made it “a den of robbers.”

-- Mark 11:15-17

Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was short lived. The next day he was in direct conflict with the religious leadership in Jerusalem. Jesus cleared the temple court of the money changers and those who were selling doves and other animals for the sacrificial system. Why did he do that?

His quotation from Zachariah as he cleared the temple is a clue as to his motive. Jesus had an understanding of what God wanted to do in saving the world. He understood that God’s salvation was for the entire world, Jew and Gentile alike. Everyone knew that the temple was a house of prayer. However, they had lost the vision for the universal nature of the house of prayer. Jesus reminded them that God said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” The word he used for “nations” could also be translated “races.”

Caiphas, the High Priest, had moved the money changers and sellers of sacrificial animals from the Kidron Valley into the court of the Gentiles on the temple mound. He had done this for political and economic reasons. The sacrificial system in Jerusalem had become an extremely lucrative business and moving operations into the temple area had the double advantage of increasing business and efficiency. However, according to some (including Jesus), the move had polluted the court of Gentiles. Any business that deals with selling animals has to deal with the excrement produced by the animals. For some (like Caiphas) it was justified because, after all, it was just the court of the Gentiles. Jesus wanted to remind them that God’s house of prayer was for “all races.” The court of Gentiles was just as important as any other corner of the Temple.

Jesus was fulfilling the prophetic promise of Zechariah: “there shall never again be a trader (merchant) in the sanctuary of the Lord of hosts at that time” (Zech. 14:21). He saw the vision of Zechariah as definitive for his day and time. The time when God would share his love and grace with all races had come. Jesus was the embodiment of that vision. “And the kingdom of the Lord shall be revealed upon all the inhabitants of the earth; at that time they shall serve before the Lord with one accord, for his name is established in the world; there is none apart from him” (Targum Zech. 14:9).

The love that God was now manifesting through his Son, Jesus, was a love that could not be packaged and sold. It was a love that could not be pocketed and marketed as the exclusive right of one people group. It was a love that was for all races. Jesus wanted everyone to experience the love of God.

Reflection and Action

Reflect on ways that you can share God’s love with others.
Share God’s love this week with someone who comes from a different part of the world.

New Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:06:00 +0000

The story of Jesus could be told in many different ways. The Bible uses four writers to give us a multi-dimensional feel for the life and times of Jesus. Every moment of the story counts for something. John tells us that he had to pick and choose which moments to tell us about because if everything that Jesus did were written down, "even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25). The Gospel writers may have had their reasons for including parts of the Jesus story and leaving other parts out. Matthew, Mark and Luke include a lot of the same scenes. John approaches it from a completely different perspective. For this reason the first three gospels have been labeled the synoptic gospels (the word synoptic means, "to see together"). But even these three writers who seem to be somewhat interdependent, diverge and converge in ways that are not always easy to understand. They don't contradict each other ... they simply refuse to be pasted into the same mold. Like four witnesses standing at four corners of an intersection watching an automobile accident -- their stories diverge and converge because they saw it from different angles.

We recognize that every moment of Jesus' life was an act of love for his Heavenly Father. At one point toward the end Jesus prayed, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began" (John 17:4-5). Jesus lived every moment of his life for God and was the perfect reflection of God. He said, "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world ... Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you" (John 17:6-7). Jesus lived a life of perfect worship.

In this sermon series we will examine four critical moments in Jesus' life -- four moments so intense they reveal the eternal relationship between Father and Son. In these four moments Jesus teaches us what it means to worship an all powerful God. Jesus teaches us about the depth of God's love.
.

TEAMWORK

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:15:00 +0000

Lou Holtz, former Head Football coach for the University of Notre Dame, once said, “All winning teams are goal-oriented. Teams … win consistently because everyone connected with them concentrates on specific objectives. They go about their business with blinders on; nothing will distract them from achieving their aims.” Lou Holtz is right, and he has the record to prove it.

Jesus gave us one very specific goal: make disciples. Jesus’ singular mandate to his church is to turn other people into highly devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Our Vision as a church is to MAKE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST. Our strategy for accomplishing that vision is to inspire others to CONNECT, LEARN, WORSHIP AND SERVE.

In this sermon series I will unpack what OUR VISION means, and how it impacts our daily lives.

NEW SERMON SERIES

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:33:00 +0000

This Sunday I begin a new series of sermons devoted to helping people in tough times. Whether it's the economy, or the marriage, or the kids, or nothing specific at all that is attacking you these days, God's Word has some answers. Sometimes God is hard to understand. His way doesn't always make sense to us. At least, not at first. And when tough times hit it is easy to get discouraged and want to give up. God understands.

The Bible tells us that Jesus has experienced everything you have ever experienced. Can you imagine living several life times? What would it be like to live 300 years? 500 years? How many wars would you have experienced? How many highs and lows? Can you imagine what kind of insight you would have today, if you had been alive for the last 500 years? You would be considered the wisest person on earth and with 500 years to figure things out, you would probably be a genius. Well ... Jesus has been around a lot longer than that. The Bible tells us that he was there at the beginning of time. Certainly, he would have incredible insight into life. And trouble? Well ... he's seen it all.

So, in this sermon series, we will go to Jesus and ask him four simple questions about our trials and storms. If there's no way around my storm ... How do I find peace in the midst of it? How can I be sure I will make it through the storm? The storm has hurt me badly ... how do I find healing? The storm has me turned around and I've lost confidence in my judgement ... how do I find direction in the storm?

This is a great sermon series to invite your friends to. We all know people who have been affected by a tough ecomony. Financial struggles have an impact on all our relationships and all of life. Reach out to those who are hurting. Bring them to church and help them experience the warmth of God's love ... even in the midst of the storm. Together we can practice Weathering the Perfect Storm!

Giving Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:31:00 +0000

Money is important. There. I said it. It's the elephant in the spiritual room. Somewhere along the way I was taught to feel bad about my love for money. Something about Jesus saying that the love of money was the root of all evil. Then I discovered that to be the most misquoted verse in the Bible. What Jesus actually said is that "mammon is the root of all kinds of evil." Big Difference. For one thing, "mammon," means a lot of things, including money. And secondly, there's a grand canyon difference between being "the root of ALL evil," and being "the root of all KINDS OF evil." Two words (kinds of) changes everything. Those two extra words signify that money is not the main problem. We are.

Back to my original point. Money is important. And I finally don't feel bad about saying that. No sir, no more feeling guilty about it. Money IS important because of what it represents. It represents my life energy and my life's work. Therefore, it should be important. And because God is the one who gives me my life energy and the one who has called me (and all of us) to our life's work, it stands to reason that all of it is HIS.

My family is in the process of looking for a house. Our children are now at the age where they are a lot more involved in the decision. We have had discussions, in the process, about what we can and cannot afford. There are two lessons they have learned as we approach this important decision:

1. We could buy a lot more house if we weren't giving God 10% of everything.
2. Financial issues are a very private matter.

We have had to say, "no" to a lot of houses because we refuse to use God's money to buy them. And we have had to remind our children that our family's finances are a private matter. In other words, don't go around telling everyone how much money we do or don't have. I think they understand. We'll see (holding my breath). Well ... money is a very sensitive and private matter. Paul said, "God loves a cheerful giver." Therefore, it can never be given under compulsion. What you do with the money God gives you to work with is none of my business. Nor is it the business of the church. It's between you and God.

But the Biblical principle that governs how you take care of your money IS the business of the church. It is the spiritual mandate of the leadership of the church to teach its members the Biblical principles of giving to God. If we didn't do that we would be negligent in our spiritual duties, and we would be doing you a disservice. I believe that no church membership can experience the fullness of the glory of God if its members are not taught the Biblical princples of giving to God. In fact, I believe that a body of Christ that is not practicing those principles is on the way to death. And I pledge to never let us forget it.
.

Radical Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:01:00 +0000

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray it was the kind of prayer that could get you killed. Jesus starts by calling God, "Da-Da." This was practically unheard of in first century Judaism. It was much too familiar for a Hebrew faith that saw God as wholly other-than. The most amazing thing about that opening line to the prayer is that Jesus is teaching US to call God, "Da-Da."

And just in case, that isn't radical enough, Jesus then instructs us to pray to God, "YOUR name be hallowed (on earth as it is in heaven), and YOUR Kingdom come (on earth as it is in heaven), and YOUR will be done (on earth as it is in heaven).

Jesus was teaching us to ask three things of God:
1. For HIM to show up in OUR world.
2. For HIM to bring HIS rule to OUR world.
3. For HIM to always win in OUR world.

Jesus teaches us to implore God to vindicate his holy name on this earth. To show everyone who he really is. To make his holiness evident every day.

When he taught his disciples to call upon God for HIS rule on this earth, it was a dangerous and seditious petition. Who was the ruler in Jesus' world? It was Rome. And Caesar was the Ruler. Jesus tells his disciples, Ask God every day to overthrow Caesar, and bring HIS rule to this earth. And ask God every day to over-rule Caesar's will, and to bring HIS will to this earth. Jesus, it seems, was calling for a divine war against the systemic evil of the powers of his day. We cannot defeat the power of evil on this earth. Therefore, ask God, every day, to show HIMSELF for who he really is (holy), and to bring HIS rule and HIS will OVER and AGAINST that of evil.

Wow. Try praying that ... and then stand back and watch what God might do.
.

Elevate Your Game

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:37:00 +0000

I start a new series of sermons this Sunday that focuses on three vital spiritual disciplines. Faith is a lot like a muscle. Use it and it grows stronger. Ignore it and it grows weaker. With enough neglect a muscle will become useless. Faith is the muscular system of the Christian life. Exercise is essential in order to grow stronger and more flexible. The spiritual disciplines are the exercise routines that strengthen and harden your spiritual muscles (your faith). A consistent regiment of exercise (practicing the spiritual disciplines) will ELEVATE YOUR (spiritual) GAME.

Richard Foster in his classic work, "Celebration of Discipline," divides the spiritual disciplines into three categories consisting of Inward, Outward, and Corporate disciplines. He then focuses on four spiritual disciplines within each category. The Inward Disciplines include: meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. The Outward Disciplines include: simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. The corporate disciplines include: confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. Practice these twelve consistently and there is little doubt that it will revolutionize your life.

Twelve can be overwhelming. What I want to suggest is that you start with three: Pray, Give, and Serve. All three are foundational disciplines of the Christian life and will strengthen your faith muscles. Over the next three weeks we will be looking at each one in more detail as God helps you to ELEVATE YOUR GAME.
.

The Power of First Things First

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:33:00 +0000

Not long before his death, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the congregation at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church:

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize; that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards; that's not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody.

Martin Luther King put it in perspective. In the end, the awards, accolades, and achievments mean far less than the thing that should have been first all along -- tell them I tried to love somebody. Can it be true that life comes down to something that simple. I believe it can ... and does.

If you can't recite your life mission in one sentence then you're making it too complicated. Figure it out. Sweat over the details of who God created you to be. If you're still breathing HE has something for you to do. Find that something ... and then cling to it for dear life. Don't let anything deter you from it. Hold on to it. Like Jacob with the angel -- wrestle it down and don't let go -- eventually, it will bless you.

There is an accumulative power when you find the one thing God created you for and then order your life according to that one thing. When you place the competing values of your life in the right order they begin to feed each other and grow into a power that cannot be stopped.

The secret to Nehemiah's success was just this: He knew the ONE THING God called him to do. And he never let anyone or anything take it away from him. Powerful. Simple. But never easy.

A lot of people have asked me for the commitment we read aloud last Sunday.
So here it is ... enjoy:

I will do more than belong – I will participate.
I will do more than care – I will help.
I will do more believe – I will participate.
I will do more than be fair – I will be kind.
I will do more than forgive – I will forget.
I will do more than dream – I will work.
I will do more than teach – I will inspire.
I will do more than earn – I will enrich.
I will do more than give – I will serve.
I will do more than live – I will grow.
I will do more than suffer – I will triumph.
(source: unknown)
.

The WORD is My Song

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:22:00 +0000

In July of 2004, the Arizona Game and Fish Department began nursing more than 30 emaciated, dehydrated, banged-up pelicans. During the previous two weeks, the injured pelicans had been found from Yuma to Phoenix.

The brown pelicans were injured when they descended from the sky, sailed low over sidewalks and asphalt highways, stretched out their feet as though to make a perfect splash landing in water, and then tumbled end over end when they instead hit the pavement.

The pelicans, apparently suffering a food shortage in California, flew to Arizona looking for fish. From the sky, the shimmering hot air over the black asphalt appeared to the Pelicans like water. Down they flew for fish and a refreshing dip in a lake. What they found instead was solid pavement, dehydration, hunger, and near death. Reality hits hard.

Reality has a way of doing that. You need something buried deep inside that gives you strength and direction. You need a compass and a constant source of nourishment. For Nehemiah and the people of Israel, God's word became just that. It was a song buried in their hearts for moments when nothing else could help. Just read the Bible and you'll see ... Moses, Miriam, David, Mary ... they all sang the song. The Word of God became a song embedded in their hearts … a song that played over and over again in every moment of their lives … it never really left them …

Remember this about the Word of God …
1. It is life-saving.
2. It is life-giving.
3. It is life-transforming.

The Word of God penetrates deep into your life and becomes the song that guides every move you make … the sway and beat of your life moves to the rhythms of His Word.
.

Living by the Book

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:20:00 +0000

A recent study of teenagers who attended church during their childhood found that for most of them their church experience was a positive part of their lives. Nearly 9 out of 10 churched teenagers said their church experience exposed them to Bible stories (95 percent), taught them about the lives of great people in the Bible (92 percent), and gave them fun experiences related to religion (89 percent). But only half (53 percent) said their church experience helped them understand the Bible enough to help them make decisions based on biblical principles. Citation: "Real Religion," Christian Parenting Today (Winter 2003)

Nehemiah and his team of builders have finished the wall. You would think the first thing they would do would be to celebrate. After all, others have tried to build this wall for the previous 100 years and have failed. They did it in less than two months! They deserve to celebrate. And they will celebrate ... in chapter 12 ... but there are a few things they have to do first.

The first thing Nehemiah does once the wall is completed is to reorganize the city of Jerusalem for increased defense. He knows that their success will be short lived if they do not stay vigilent. He does not want to lose the ground they have gained and nothing will kill you faster than thinking you have finished before you have finished. Many an army has been defeated while they were counting their chickens. So, Nehemiah keeps working. There will be plenty of time for celebrating later.

The second thing Nehemiah does is to restablish the Law. He has Ezra read the book of the Law. Most scholars agree that this was the Torah (the first five books of our Bible). Nehemiah wants to get the Good Book down into the DNA of the community. He realizes that it is more than just a Good Book to read, but rather a Living Word with which to build a community. Building the wall would be meaningless if those living inside the wall were lost without God. The wall protects lives. The Bible animates lives.

Reading the Bible and remembering its stories is a good thing ... but it's not enough. The deep life principles of the Bible need to get down deep into the cellular makeup of your soul. The Word will become your breath. The stories will become your life-path. The Word will whisper to you when you sleep and will animate you when you wake. The Word will speak to your past and will color your future. It's all or nothing with the Word.
.

Finishing Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:40:00 +0000

I grew up eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. Original recipe, extra-crispy, with 11 Herbs and Spices – it’s still the best in the world, in my humble, but accurate opinion. Colonel Harlan Sanders was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken and the inventor of that recipe that makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Sanders’ father, Wilbur David Sanders, died when Harland was five years old, and—since his mother worked—he was required to cook for his family. He dropped out of school in seventh grade. When his mother remarried he ran away from home because his stepfather beat him. During his early years, Sanders worked many jobs, including steamboat pilot, insurance salesman, railroad fireman, farmer, and enlisted in the Army as a private when he was only 16 years old (by lying about his age).

At the age of 40, Sanders cooked chicken dishes and other meals for people who stopped at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky. Since he did not have a restaurant, he served customers in his living quarters in the service station. His local popularity grew, and Sanders moved to a motel and restaurant that seated 142 people and worked as the chef. Over the next nine years, he developed his method of cooking chicken with his famous 11 herbs and spices (still a closely guarded secret).

Sanders was sixty-five years old when he franchised his first restaurant. He used $105 from his first Social Security check to start the franchising business. Sanders is a perfect example of the power of finishing strong.

Paul puts it this way, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize …” (1 Cor. 9:24) and “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

In other words – Run the race to win … and the race is often won in the final few strides.

Some tips on Finishing Strong (a.k.a., How to Stay Young):
1. Stay Patient.
2. Stay Humble.
3. Stay Creative.
4. Stay Connected.
5. Stay Open.

Paul said that this is the way he ran the race: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

Here’s to Col. Sanders, God bless him (his funeral was attended by thousands and was held in the chapel of Southern Baptist Seminary in Kentucky) … here's to the best chicken in the world … and, here's to finishing strong!

Perseverance

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:53:00 +0000

Nehemiah finds himself in a familiar place: surrounded by the enemy. The wall is basically completed. All that is needed are a few finsishing touches. When Nehemiah's enemies hear about this, they organize a series of desperate last attempts to destroy his work. They come at him with everything they have. They use every weapon in their arsenal. They attack him verbally, physically, and psychologically. Nehemiah has every reason to fight back. But he doesn't.

I think that the secret to perseverance in the midst of trials is something as simple as how you respond to the trials. Attitude makes all the difference. Small companies outsell giant companies. Smaller armies outfight larger armies. Weaker teams outscore stronger teams. I could give you case study after case study where the one who shouldn't win, wins. The one picked to lose, triumphs. The underdog pulls off the miracle.

Alexander the Great, vastly outnumbered, defeats Darius I. The Parthians, outnumbered 4 to 1, defeat the Romans. Robert the Bruce defeats Edward II, The Knights Hospitaller triumph over the Ottoman forces, and Ghengis Khan beats ... well ... everybody -- All of them outnumbered.

James J. Braddock (Cinderalla Man) defeats Max Baer; Joe Namath and the New York Jets win Super Bowl III; the '69 miracle Mets beat the Orioles; the 1980 U.S. Hockey team wins gold over the vastly superior Russian team -- Underdogs, all of them.

What makes the difference. Attitude. How you respond to the challenges you face, no matter how large and seemingly invincible. Do you hide? Do you fight back? Do you run away? The answer is: it depends. Nehemiah actually does all three, at one time or another. But even when he is hiding or running or fighting back he is always advancing towards the goal; he is always wiggling his way toward victory. You just have to know how to respond. As Kenny Rogers would say, "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run ..."

Sometimes you fight and sometimes you walk away from the fight. Sometimes you defend and sometimes you stall. Sometimes you charge and sometimes you wait. Sometimes God wants to fight the battle for you. Nehemiah's genius was knowing when to do what. That takes three things: Prayer, Patience, and Practice.

David puts it this way: I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it (Psalm 18:1-8).

Enough said.
.

PRIORITIES

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Nehemiah faces his toughest challenge so far in chapter 5 of his memoir. So far all of his enemies have been external. Now he finds that the enemy is also within. The people who are sacrificing everthing to do the work of rebuilding the wall are in financial ruin. There was a famine in the land (most likely before Nehemiah arrived) and in order to survive the famine, the common people had to borrow money from the wealthy. There's nothing wrong with that. Nehemiah himself admits that a few people had borrowed money from him. The wealthy were providing a much needed service to the poor in allowing them to borrow money. The problem was in the lending practices of the wealthy. They were charging the poor as much as 60 and 70 percent interest on the loans.

To put this in perspective that would mean that if you bought a house today for $100,000 (a very modest house in Richardson, Texas) and you were charged 60% interest -- you would pay $5000 per month for the rest of your life and you would still owe the original $100,000. The poor would never be able to pay it back. And the wealthy knew it -- in fact, that's the way they wanted it. A general populace that owed them. Nehemiah discovers this and is very angry.

Nehemiah is working with the common people to rebuild Jerusalem and he discovers that the wealthy Jerusalemites are cheating their own people. They are taxing their dreams. They are abusing their hopes. They are charging them for their desperation. And it is all threatening to destroy the work of God in a way that even the external enemies could not accomplish. Nehemiah comes unglued.

At the heart of the matter is a set of mixed up priorities. It is power without principle. It is old-fashioned, unadulterated greed. It is the most base of human instict gone wild. The power of self-preservation taken to the nth degree. Nehemiah calls it what it is and offers the wealthy Jerusalemites another path. He gives them an alternate vision and a nobler dream.

In the movie Emperor's Club Kevin Cline portrays an instructor of Western civilization in a prestigious private school. It is the first day of class, and about 30 high school boys, dressed in matching red jackets, settle into a room adorned with maps and busts of Caesar, Plato, and Socrates.

The professor asks one student to read a plaque above the door. The student is clearly nervous as he leaves his seat and walks to the door. The plaque itself appears to be an ancient artifact.

The student delivers an uncertain reading of an inscription that makes little sense to him:

I am Shutruk Nahunte, King of Ashand and Susa, Sovereign of the Land of Elam. By the Command of Inshushinak, I destroyed Sippar, took the Stele of Nirah-Sin, and brought it back to Elam, where I erected it as an offering to my God, Inshushinak. Shutruk Nahunte 1158 B.C.

The teacher then asks the class, "Is anyone familiar with this fellow? Texts are permissible, but you won't find him there. Shutruk Nahunte. King. Sovereign of Elam. Destroyer of Sippar. But behold his accomplishments cannot be found in any history book. Why? Because great ambition and conquest without contribution are without significance." He ends by posing this question: "What will your contribution be?"

Good question.
.

When Trouble Comes

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:44:00 +0000

In chapter 4 of his memoir Nehemiah finds himself surrounded by the enemy. He is under attack from all sides. At that point, he and those who are helping him experience four losses: 1) a loss of strength; 2) a loss of vision; 3) a loss of confidence; 4) a loss of security. These are the four leading causes of discouragement; so it should not be a surprise to discover that discouragement attacks those who are helping Nehemiah build the wall in Jerusalem. After all, they experience all four of the leading causes of discouragement.

Have your ever felt that way? You are so tired that you cannot think straight. It is the kind of emotional and spiritual exhaustion that cannot be prayed away or vacationed away. You are suffering from major burnout and only divine intervention will help. (A loss of strength.) When that happens it is easy to "take your eyes off the ball." You lose sight of the big picture and the details frustrate you to no end. Bogged down with the minutia of life you quickly lose speed because the finish line is so fuzzy. (A loss of vision.) And then there are the voices. A million subtle messages that bombard you and tell you that everything is wrong with your life. Listen to closely to the wrong voices and you find yourself in emotional and psychological quicksand. (A loss of confidence). Finally, you no longer feel safe. Any major change in your external circumstances will send you into a downward spiral of self-pity and discourage-ment. (A loss of security.) You have expereinced the four leading causes of discoragement: A loss of strength, vision, confidence, and security. Now What?

There is a way back. Nehemiah shows us that it is possible to break through the four leading causes of discouragement. The key is to act fast and confront the problem as soon as it hits. Nehemiah does just that.
How does he do it? Four things he does consistently over time:

1. He talks to God about it (4:4,9) -- The power of prayer is not what it does for you, but rather what it does in you.

2. He talked to his supporters about it (4:14, 19-20) -- Don't do it alone.

3. He developed a plan (4:13-14; 16-18) -- Developing a plan takes the emotion out of it and keeps the main thing the main thing.

4. He stayed the course (4:6, 21) -- Don't underestimate the power of tenacity. He just kept showing up for work and before long the wall was built. Just show up.

In his book, The Dip, Seth Godin attempts to describe the slumps in life that keep us from success. Godin describes the typical experience after a new project or career or business venture is started and the "newness" wears off. There is a period of let down after the initial excitement of startup. That let down can cause discouragement and a quick slide into a deep slump. According to Godin, there are times when the slump is a cul-de-sac (no way out). Other times the slump is just a dip in the road. The problem is two-fold: those who hang on too long and never realize that they are in a cul-de-sac; those who quit to quickly and never realize that they were simply experiencing a dip in the road.

Bottom Line: If you have the strenght to push through the slumps of life (discourage-ment) you will almost always find a measure of success on the other side. Nehemiah certainly did. And he gave us the tools we need to get through the dips in the road. He gave us all we need to confront the problems when they come.
.

Be Prepared for Life

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:16:00 +0000

I was a Boy Scout. Our motto was "Be Prepared." A good Boy Scout is always prepared for whatever circumstances may come. I remember taking a college Calculus exam for which I was ill prepared. I remember looking at the first problem on the exam and thinking, "I haven't the slightest idea how to solve this." Not only did I not know how to solve the problem ... I didn't even know how to start. I turned the page and looked at the next problem. It looked like Chinese to me (I'd say Greek, except that I can read Greek ... I don't read or speak Chinese). That's when beads of sweat started forming on my forehad and I knew that I was in BIG trouble. I failed that test. I failed because I wasn't prepared. I never said I was a good Boy Scout.

The Bible is filled with exhortations to be prepared. From the time that Noah was called to prepare an ark, God has been calling men and women to prepare. Life goes smoother when you are prepared. The flip side is that life can turn ugly (even tragic) when you are not prepared. This is a hard and true lesson that I have to keep learning every day of my life.

Nehemiah enters Jerusalem, possibly for the first time in his life. He is in the city of his forefathers. He is there to rebuild and repopulate the city. He is on a mission for God. He is also entering a political nightmare. He has been appointed Govenor of an area that is filled with political landmines. He has to build a walled city with a group of people who have already failed countless times over a 100 year period. That means that they have failed, their fathers failed, and their grandfathers failed. Failure is built into their DNA. He has to take this motley crew and inspire them to success in the face of harsh and sometimes violent opposition. Add to that a King who is ready to execute him at any hint of disloyalty. There are plenty who want Nehemiah to fail.

The book of Nehemiah is the account of how Nehemiah succeeded where everyone before him had failed. It is the story of what God can do with someone who doesn't care who gets the credit. It is a tale of a life. Life lived to the fullest with a God who is in control. It is about being more prepared than your enemies, and outrunning, outlasting, and outliving your adversity.

The characteristics we see in Nehemiah are critical:
1. He is strategic.
2. He is brutallly honest.
3. He is empowering.
4. He is highly commited.

These are foundational to living the prepared life. At the heart of it is a person who sees his life as an offering to God. Nehemiah sees himself as being on mission for God. The King sent Nehemiah to build another Persian fortified city. Nehemiah went to build the city of God. God will use whom he will use. Our work is to be prepared.
.

Courage for Living

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:23:00 +0000

The Cowardly Lion in the children's classic, The Wizard of Oz, wants courage. He wants the Mythical Wizard of Oz to wave his wand and instill lion-like courage into his heart. What he doesn't know is that it's not that easy -- Never has been ... Never will be. Actually, what the lion really wants the Wizard to do is to take away the fear. He doesn't realize that courage is already inside of him ... if he can overcome the fear. He learns that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather, the ability to move forward in the face of fear.

Nehemiah goes before King Artaxerxes I in order to ask him to reverse the King's previous order to stop the re-building process in Jerusalem. King's don't like to reverse their own orders. You have to know something about King Artaxerxes I. He came into power when his father, Xerxes, was assasinated. The leader of the coup attempt was murdered by his own co-horts and there was a power grab for the throne. After Artaxerxes gets the upper hand in the political battle, he has all of his brothers executed so that there will be no pretenders to the throne. This is the man that Nehemiah is dealing with. Artaxerxes will not hesitate to kill Nehemiah if he thinks, even for one second, that Nehemiah is working against him. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to Artaxerxes. It was the position given to the King's most trusted servant. That is true. But in Nehemiah's day, Kings could trust no one, completely. Just ask Julius Caesar (et tu, Brute?). And the trust of a King could change in a split second. Just ask Haman (Esther 7:10).

These are some of the things that fuel Nehemiah's courage:

1. He prays. He prays for two months before approaching the King. He prays while he is talking to the King. He prays after it is all over. Nehemiah never stops praying.

2. He fasts. He combines prayer with fasting. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that paints a portrait of commitment and devotion. Nehemiah wants God to know that he is serious in his love for him.

3. He acts. Sometimes courage means closing your eyes and taking the leap. The leap takes faith. The courage doesn't come before the leap, but on the way down.

4. He confesses. He confesses his sins. That's good. But he also confesses his fear. That's even better. In confessing the sin he names the symptom. In confessing his fear, he names the virus. Fear is essential to courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to move forward in the face of fear.

5. He leans on his community. He is not alone. He want to go to the city where his "fathers are buried." He is standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before. He is drawing courage from a heritage of faith that has been instilled in him by his ancestors.

The courage for living comes in many shapes and sizes because the battles are not always the same. But the courage to fight them always comes from within. God wants to help you fight the battles of life. Prayer, Devotion, Action, Confession, and Community all play a part. In the end, your faith in God allows you to move forward as HE give you the courage for the journey.
.

Nehemiah Weeps

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:03:00 +0000

Nehemiah was born in Babylon. He was raised in Babylon. He had no reason to go to Jerusalem. When Cyrus the Great defeated the Babylonians he issued a decree that allowed the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem. A few did so. Most stayed in Babylon. It was their home. How could Nehemiah return to Jerusalem when he had never lived there to begin with? It had been about eighty years since the Babylonians first laid seige to Jerusalem. Nehemiah gets the word: Things are not going well in Jersualem. Every plan to rebuild failed. King Artaxerxes was listening to the wrong voices and stopped the rebuilding efforts. All hope was lost.

Nehemiah weeps.

He is not alone. The people of Israel wept collectively so often I gave up counting somewhere in the middle of 1 Samuel. Abraham wept. Isaace wept. Jacob wept. Joseph wept. Moses wept. Ruth, Hannah, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Solomon, Jonathan, Hezekiah, Ezra, Job, Hosea, Micah, Peter, John, Paul, and of course, Jesus -- they all wept. There is a lot of weeping going on in the Bible. The list of those who weep is a veritable Who's Who of Scripture.

What does that tell you? Weeping is good for the soul? Yes. But more than that -- this is where it starts for the faithful -- A heart that weeps over the things that break the heart of God. Why does Nehemiah weep? As far as we know, he has never been to Jerusalem. He has friends and relatives in Jerusalem, but they are hundreds of miles away. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? Wrong. Nehemiah weeps because the good guys are losing. He weeps because that which is right has been called wrong. He weeps because justice has died in Jerusalem. He weeps because he feels helpless.

The prophet Micah gives us our Syllabus for life in Micah 6:8: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. There is it: Nehemiah weeps because he has the ethos of the prophet deep down in his soul. DO JUSTICE. LOVE MERCY. WALK HUMBLY. Practice those three and you too will weep.
.

Starting at the End

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:22:00 +0000

I love my iphone for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is the GPS function. As a pastor and a new Richardsonian it sure helps to have a tool like iphone GPS. If I have your address my phone will lead me right to your doorstep. I just follow the little blue light till it hits the little red flag -- and I'm there! No more need for directions. I've found that there are two types when it comes to giving directions: Those who give succinct, pertinent and accurate information; and those who don't. There are more of the latter than the former. So my GPS is great. If you start to give me directions I'll just say, "The address please. All I need is the address."

This is a bigger deal than you might first imagine. Just think about it. No more pannicky phone calls to your friends saying, "How do you get there, again?" No more scribbled napkin directions. No more riding around in circles while your wife says, "I told you we were lost an hour ago. Stop and ask directions!" That alone is worth the price of the phone. I love the GPS function on my iphone for a number of reasons. But most of all I love it because if you know exactly where you are going it makes the "getting there" a lot easier.

It's the same with life. If you start at the end, it makes the "getting there" a lot easier. Start at the end. Where do you want to end up? What do you want people to say about you when they are standing by your casket? What do you love to do so much that you never want to stop doing it? What makes your heart beat a little faster? Make a list of the things you want to do before you die. You may not do them all. That's O.K. ... half the fun is making the list. One thing is for sure: If you don't make the list you'll never get there.

In Genesis, chapter 50, Joseph is at the end of his life. He makes one last request. The request is centered on a promise that God made generations before Joseph. A promise that he would bless them and their descendents, and that through them the world would be blessed. That promise had been the little red flag on Joseph's iphone GPS screen. He ends his life aiming at that little red flag. Like a lot of things on your bucket list, he never saw the promise fulfilled. But no matter. His living for it was not in vain.

Joseph saved his people from famine ... and eventually they gave birth to the Savior. Start at the end and it will make the "getting there" a lot easier.
.

The Right Time

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Fri, 28 May 2010 01:45:00 +0000

We've made a lot about Joseph's character. Joseph said no to temptation at the most critical moment of his life. He said no the easy way out. He said no to a life of sensory fulfillment. And in so doing, he set himself on a life trajectory that he couldn't have predicted ... not in his wildest dreams. Well ... let me take that back ... I guess he did predict it his wildest dreams. You remember his dreams, don't you? Joseph is standing in the center and everyone in his family, including his mother and father, are bowing down to him. They were pretty heady dreams. But while he was subexisting in a dark and damp Egyptian prison cell he must have second-guessed the dreams. Surely, this was not the road to the lap of luxury and royal power.

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise when Joseph is able to stand against temptation. Joseph's ability to say no -- to wait for the appropriate time -- was something that could be found in him pretty early on. He has the dreams. He foolishly, almost naively announces the content of the dreams (it almost gets him killed). But right after the dream is announced, his father sends him on an errand, and he obeys. No questions asked. No smart retort. No complaining. Just simple obedience. The dreams tell him that he will rule over his father. But Joseph knows inherently that the dream's time has not yet come. For the moment, the father still rules over the son. So Joseph obeys. The future ruler is first a dutiful son.

Many years later, after Joseph comes into power in Egypt, his brothers come to him for help. He recognizes them. They do not recognize him. They bow before him. Joseph has a flashback to the dream. He now has the power to do unto them as they did unto him. But Jospeh doesn't do that. Instead, overwrought with emotion, with a big group hug, he forgives them.

The day that he shared the dreams as a young boy was not the right time to make them come true. The sexual advances of Potiphar's wife was not the right time or the right way to grab for power. The moment that his brothers bowed before him begging for mercy was not the right time to avenge the past. Here is another secret to Joseph's success: He has the ability to wait for the right time.
.

Belonging to God

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Wed, 26 May 2010 03:29:00 +0000

Joseph had the midas touch because God had a plan for his life. After Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the Egyptian captain of the guard, the Scripture says "... the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field" (39:5). And later while Joseph was in prison, the Scripture says, "The (prison) warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did" (39:23). The Biblical writer clearly gives God primary credit for Joseph's success.

The Biblical writers loved to jusxtapose characters for the purpose of emphasizing some good quality in one character, as compared to the dispicable behavior of another. So, Cain and Abel are compared; as are Moses and Pharoah, David and Nabal, Ahab and Elijah, and Joseph and Judah (see Gen. 38). But there is this moment of striking comparison in the story of Joseph, where the wife of Potiphar demands an explanation for Joseph's daily rejection of her sexual advances. Joseph explains: "'With me in charge ... my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?'"

Joseph recognizes that his master has given him access to everything in the household, except one thing. Now he was being tempted to take the one piece of forbidden fruit. All of his master's garden was at his disposal, except for one little tree ... Adam took a bite ... Joseph didn't ... and that makes all the difference in the world.

Joseph refuses for two reasons: 1. He refuses to violate his Master's trust; 2. He refuses to violate God's love. And because he refuses to do those things, God gives him success no matter what the world throws at him. It's not a matter of being born to win. It's a matter of belonging fully to God.
.

Born to Win

noreply@blogger.com (Ellis Orozco) — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:18:00 +0000

Joseph's star is rising. His father favors him and is grooming him to take over the family business. He sends Joseph to the fields to supervise his brothers and report back on their work. Joseph is at the top of his game. And then fate steps in. His brothers, in a moment of temporary insanity, sell him to a band of travelling salesmen on their way to Egypt. Apparently, Joseph never saw it coming. No strike hurts worse than the one delivered by the ones you love. Joseph trusted his brothers. They violated that trust.

In Egypt Joseph's star begins to rise again. This time in the house of a powerful Egyptian military commander named Potiphar. Potiphar buys Joseph from the travelling salesmen, and before long Joseph is running the Potiphar household. Fate steps in again. This time in the form of Potiphar's wife, who has way too much time on her wandering hands. Joseph rejects her sexual advances. Her lust turns to anger and she lies about Joseph. It's a lie that will send him to prison.

In prison Joseph's star begins to rise again (are you noticing a pattern here?). The prison warden soon puts Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. It seems like no matter what life throws at him, Joseph rises to the top. He has an uncanny way of bouncing back. In fact, before the last pages of Genesis are turned Joseph will be in charge of the administration of the entire Egyptian Empire, second only to Pharoah. Joseph, it seems, was born to win.

Or was it something else? The short answer: It was something else. We'll talk about it ... tomorrow ...
.