Not a Fan

Greetings All!

     Today's 'thought' comes to you once again from Kyle Idleman's book, "Not a Fan."  This is another one of the testimonies of people who were either not believers at all, or "fans" of Jesus at one point in their lives, but at some point in their lives realized that they yearned for something deeper than the superficial "go through the motions" religion they had been following.  In most cases -- usually as a result of going through sickness, or trauma, or addiction, or coming close to death -- the superficial showed itself for what it was as it could not sustain them in such times.

     These people, driven by pain, or a crisis that drove them to the end of themselves (and showed them their inability to control everything in life), surrendered to the only One who is really ever in control. They ceased being a "fan" of Jesus and became a true disciple and follower of Jesus.  This is Vijay Warrier's testimony - a man raised in India in the Hindu faith who grew up believing that the gods had given him favor.  Vijay was born as a Brahman, the highest caste of priests and had a mother who served as a priestess. Yet later in life, he would meet the Jesus who would change and bring a sense of fulfillment to his soul.  Enjoy.

     "I remember when my wife Girija grew very interested in the Bible and began attending church. It wasn't something I believed in or wanted to have anything to do with. I agreed to drive her to church, but I just sat in the car and smoked a few cigarettes. Sometimes my thoughts would wander to growing up in India, and being raised in the Hindu faith where my mother was a priestess in an Indian temple.

     My marriage had been arranged, but Gurija knew that our marriage wasn't just a forced agreement that was set up by our parents; there was a chemistry between us. I tried to be patient with her interest in the Bible. Gurija had attended a Christian school some years back, and that was how she had learned about Jesus. Our differing religious beliefs didn't help our unity in marriage. Looking back on the first ten years of our marriage, I see mostly conflict and frustration. 

     By 2005 Guija was going to church every weekend. I'm not sure why, but one weekend, instead of sitting in the car smoking and waiting for Girija to get out of church, I decided to go inside for a cup of coffee in the church cafe. There was a small cafe in the church where I sat with my coffee and couldn't help but overhear the sermon that was being broadcast from the sanctuary onto the video screen in front of me. I listened to the preacher for a while, intrigued by his words. From that point on, I sat in the cafe each Sunday morning, drinking coffee and listening to the sermons.

     One week Gurija asked me to come with her into a prayer room. "We have so many problems," she said, "we need someone to pray with us."  Even though I didn't believe in this kind of prayer, I went with her. In the prayer room, we met a husband and wife named Linn and Carol, and they spent some time praying with us.  Full of questions after hearing so many sermons, I began to ask Linn about Christianity. Over the next year, he and Carol answered many of my questions. Linn studied the Bible with me, praying for me often. Still, I wasn't familiar with the idea of just one god. This went against everything I had learned as a boy. Even worse, I knew that if I were to become a Christian, my family back in India would disown me. They would be so disappointed in me.

     But after much studying, prayer, and support from church members, I began to realize something incredible. For forty-two years I had been looking for something, for someone. That person was Jesus. I decided to allow him to work in me.  I needed it.  My marriage needed it -- we'd already had divorce papers drawn up and begun living separately.  It was now or never and I knew only Jesus could save me.

     So the next Sunday I professed my belief in Christ and was baptized. Right after being baptized, I baptized my two sons who also came to believe. That same day I moved back with my family. God has a plan for me, and he can heal all wounds and answer all questions. My name is Vijay Warrier, and I am not a fan." 

     A lot of us get confused and believe we are followers of Christ, when in fact we are simply fans attending church, week after week, lacking true intimacy with Christ. Vijay started to become a fan by believing in one God, and then over time, he began to experience God by engaging in the process of developing true intimacy with Him through God's grace in Jesus Christ.  "Fans" don’t mind making minor changes, or little touch ups, to decorate their lives. But it's not until they are "followers" that they don’t even mind Jesus overhauling, severely interfering, and turning their lives upside down!  And you?

    In the Service of Jesus, Pastor Jeff

Over-The-Top Grace

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' comes to you from a man named Barnabas Piper.  It is taken from the ebook, "Be Prolific."
     Piper lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife and two daughters, and works as the brand manager of 'Ministry Grid.'  (Should you desire to do so, you can follow him on Twitter@BarnabasPiper). This selection is entitled: Over-The-Top Grace.  Enjoy.

     "God is over the top.  Really.  He goes too far, in every direction, including dimensions we can’t even fathom.  His grace is just too much.  By definition we don’t deserve it and by nature we can’t get our heads around it. We can define it. We can describe it in part. We can see it here and there. But think on this for moment with me:

Nothing we have - was not given to us.

Nothing we are -  we were not made into.

Nothing in our sphere -  is actually in our control.

     We came from a family in a place with a race, none of which we chose. We meet we did not choose to meet. We have jobs we “earned,” but how many “connections” and fortuitous happenings got us there?  These are the signposts of common grace, the kindness God pours out on the world day in and day out and without which no one could survive.  Do we see it?

     Often when we think of grace we think of God’s specific grace, the kindness of saving us by sending his Son to live a perfect life and die a sinless death in the place of sinners like you and I. Indeed that is grace, and even that, for all of the tomes and volumes written about it, is scarcely understood.  The reality of God’s grace is the same as the reality of God:  if we could truly understand it then it would not be worthy of our wonder and thanks.  It is so much more than that.  It shows itself in shocking places and when we think we've reached its limits, we crest a hill and see it stretching beyond the horizon.

   So take notice of it this year. Look high and low and listen closely. It will appear where you never saw it previously. Record it. Write it down in a journal or an iPhone or make a voice memo or something, anything. Just make a note you can revisit at those times grace seems to have disappeared. Reflect on it. It is hard to be thankful for those things we barely notice. When you record something, come back to it, mull it over, see its aspects and angles and connections. There are no simple graces; let your mind be blown and your heart grown. Then share it. Tell a friend, tell your small group, write a blog, tweet a tweet, not every time, but when you are overwhelmed or struck.

   In taking these steps the expanse of God’s grace will become more real to us and to those we share it with. What is more, God’s grace will show itself through us and impact others. More than anything, as we see the prevalence and necessity of grace in every part of life, we will find ourselves overwhelmed by gratefulness for it."

     He is right. If there is anything we need to reflect on more it is the grace of God -- both His common everyday grace and His particular saving grace. His grace in the ordinary, and His grace in the extraordinary. The expressions of His can't-deny-it grace in the miraculous happenings of life, and the expressions of His grace in the unnoticed beating of our hearts and breathing of our lungs.

   It's all grace. That's why Paul could write in I Corinthians 4:7: "Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive [and he means, 'as a gift from God']?"  And what's the answer Paul expects to those questions? 1.) God, and 2.) Nothing! He makes that clear in Acts 17:25 where we read of God: "He Himself gives us life and breath and EVERYTHING else."

     Every time I breathe, or feel my heart beat, it is a reminder to be thankful to the Creator and Sustainer of all life.  And that is the purpose of reflecting on grace -- it produces within us (or should produce within us) an habitual attitude of gratefulness.

     How could one ever pause to consider what they as a sinner deserve, look at what they as a sinner have received, and not be grateful?  Although one could look at all they received and not be grateful if they simply remove one word from that sentence - the word "sinner."  For that one word removes every person on earth from the category of being "deserving," and places them into the category of "undeserving."  Remove that one word from the mix and I suppose people could look at all they've received and justify bickering and complaining instead of being thankful for God's incessant, everywhere, in-your-face, over-the-top grace.

To Him alone be the glory,  Pastor Jeff