Don't get caught!

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Let it go - so you won’t get trapped

I have been led to these topics that we’ve been studying for Lent. Yesterday we talked about “letting go”. I was in my room, about five this morning, praying, asking God for the next “surgery” topic. It became apparent that the idea of “letting go” might need a little more discussion.

Have you ever been monkey trapping? Nah, me either. But I’ve read about it and seen videos. I’m sure there are other ways, but the one I always remember is when the trappers had a big jar with a rather narrow neck. (Sometimes they create a trap in a dirt mound, same principle). The jar was attached to a big board; inside something that a monkey would want, peanuts or something shiny like marbles. Left where the monkey can find it, he puts his hand into the jar, grabs a fistful of goodies, but cannot get his hand out.

And he refuses to let go.

Even as the trapper carries him off, the monkey screaming in rebellion, yet he won’t let go. The monkey is caught between; on one side - freedom and life, on the other – captivity and death. The key to his freedom is letting go.

“Evildoers are snared by their own sin...” Proverbs 29:5

Satan may be out to trap us, but it is our own thoughts, desires, and actions that allow us to be caught.

“Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

What’s in your hand? What are you clinging to so tightly that it’s allowing Satan access to your heart? Your mind? Your body? Well, unlike the monkey, we have someone on our side.

“The LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.” Proverbs 3:26

“My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:15

So then, what are we to do?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

How?

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.”
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:7-8

A good thing to be thinking about; letting go and drawing near. And watch, just watch, how God draws near to you.

God willing, see you tomorrow. Pastor Jim

Let it go...

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Let it go…
Lent as Surgical Repair
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
I’ve heard people say that submitting to God was difficult because they are

“control freaks”, or some other phrase that explains their difficulty in releasing control.

Part of me gets that, part of me say’s “baloney”,

The part of me that gets it does so because I have some of those tendencies myself, from time to time, but the part that says “baloney” wins. I don’t know anyone who really tries to control everything in their lives. We put our lives in other peoples hands all the time. Pilots. Politicians. Other drivers.

Surgeons.

I’ve spent a lot of time with surgeons lately. What God spoke to me yesterday as I lay down on the table was how completely I was surrendering; how completely I was giving up any control. One may opt in or out of many things in order to maintain a sense of control. However, refusing a necessary operation is to one’s own detriment. And so, you strip down, take the IV, and go to sleep, knowing that your body and your life is in someone else’s hands, and you have zero control. But, you do it to feel better, or to be healed, or maybe even to live. And so it is with ourselves and God. If we want to feel better, if we want to be healed, if we want to live, we submit ourselves, wholly, to Him.

I’ll shut up now and let the Scriptures speak:

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 13:4

Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you that it may go well with you. Jeremiah 7:23

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4: 7- 8


In the flesh, even Jesus turned it over to His Father:

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2: 21 - 25

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

Until tomorrow, God willing, Pastor Jim

P.S.
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13

Cancer treatment

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Surgical Repair
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)
So far we have looked at Lent as “road repair” and as “corrected vision”.

As a Christian, I do not believe in coincidences. Coincidences are like Bigfoot and unicorns, fun to talk about, but they don’t exist in the real world. On Friday March 11th, I wrote the following in this space: “As soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery. Nothing life threatening; I have a tear in a muscle that the surgeon is going to, Lord willing, repair. Left unattended, this tear would get worse, longer, wider, and making the surrounding tissue, and me as a whole, weaker.” Today, as we go back to look at this topic for the week, as soon as I finish writing this, I’m off to the hospital for surgery, again. Again, nothing life threatening; I have a skin cancer, a basal cell carcinoma, on the back of my neck and am undergoing Mohs procedure to have it removed.

I have appreciated all your emails, cards, visits, and prayers and covet them for this as well, but that’s not why I’m mentioning it. God is working all things together for good as He promises He will do. Cancer, left untreated, will ruin the body. It cannot be treated with a cream or an ointment. It must be irradiated or cut out.

Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:30

Sin is like cancer, left untreated, will ruin the body. It cannot be treated with a cream or an ointment. It must be cut out. “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

Unlike cancer treatment, the treatment for sin will always work, and though it might be tough, the treatment won’t make you sick.

Sin = damage.
Righteousness = repair.

The righteousness of Christ enabled Him to be the One that is the eternal cure for sin, for the sin of the world. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” Romans 6: 9-10
His righteousness is also our cure.
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11

Have no doubt, sin has attacked your person, as Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. “All”. We cannot ignore that.

How has sin hurt you? This season of Lent let us each look for that damage, and look to God for repair.

Until tomorrow, God willing, Pastor Jim

Take it - it's yours

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So, what do I do with this necklace?
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)


What do you think when you hear the word “cross”?

Christians know the importance of the cross. But sometimes I think that the abundance of crosses, on altars, desktops, necklaces, and t-shirts, might make it so commonplace that it loses some of its…impact. Some non-Catholic folks will comment on the crucifixes used by Catholics, depicting Christ on the cross (as opposed to an empty cross) saying, “they want to keep Christ on the cross”. In other words inferring that they are missing the point of the resurrection. I don’t really think that’s true, but I’m not writing to stir up any debate. The resurrection is the focal point of Christian faith and I believe all Christians, Catholic, Protestant, whatever, denominations understand that. However, it is important that we understand, and try to ever increase our understanding, of the purpose of the cross.

Sometimes we forget until we stop and think about it, that the cross was an implement of torture and death; and long before Jesus’ crucifixion. Josephus recorded one single instance of eight hundred Jews being crucified.

How horrifying it must have been to hear the Man you adored and desired to follow say: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24)

But how important that we look at the cross. I would never compare myself, in any way (except in his confession to being chief among sinners), to the Apostle Paul, but how I love and relate to his declaration “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Cor. 1:17)

And how I appreciate the words of C.S. Lewis:

When He died in the Wounded World He died not for men, but for each man.
If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.

And those of John Stott*:

“Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us,
we have to see it as something done by us.”

We all agree, I believe, that Jesus did not deserve to die on the cross; but do we see that we do? And that we are, each and every one of us, the cause of His crucifixion?

If it was horrifying for His followers to hear His call to take up their crosses, how much more terrifying for Simon the Cyrene?! As they were leading Jesus to Golgotha, á certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” As far as we know, Simon was innocent, and I wonder if in the middle of this madness he thought he was about to be unjustly crucified.

Innocent? Unjustly? It’s almost as if God yelled, “Stop! My Son is the only one innocent here! Any of you are more deserving that He!” It’s like they all got a moment, and we should take the same opportunity, to pause and consider our role in His death.

Then we should fall on our knees and thank and praise and worship our Savior.

May your weekend be blessed, see you Monday, Lord willing, Pastor Jim
*If interested, more about John Stott
http://www.lausanne.org/covenant
http://www.johnstott.org/

More than metaphor

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So, Lent as Vision Correction – Sight as a Metaphor…right?

(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)


I use metaphors a lot. I know. But God uses things of nature, things of His natural creation, to teach us about parallel truths of His spiritual creation. We know that Jesus healed many people, including the blind. (This makes me think that it would be good to study Jesus’ miracles in light of what He might have been teaching us about the spiritual nature of things. Hmm…well that’s for another season. )

Besides Jesus healing of the blind, He also taught using the idea of blindness as a spiritual shortcoming:

““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Woe to you, blind guides…You blind fools…You blind men… You blind guides…Blind Pharisee!" Selected verses from Matthew 23: 13 - 26

Jesus was talking, of course, not about physical blindness but about an inability, of leaders of the church by the way, to see as God intended them to.

Saul was a Pharisee and God had a great work intended for him. But Saul was so spiritually blinded that he was overseeing the persecution and murder of early Christians. So spiritually blind was he that when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus that Saul lost his physical sight.

God changed his name.

God changed his heart.

God restored his physical sight.

God gave him a new way to see and it caused an immediate* change:

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. Immediately he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

We may not be extreme cases like Saul/Paul or the other Pharisees but there is no reason to think God would expect less from us. Remember the warning to the church in Laodecia inRevelation 3 for being neither hot nor cold,

Jesus chastised the Pharisees. He struck Paul down. He wants us to get it,

For this day of Lent, let’s not worry too much about the how. Let’s just remember the words to the old hymn (based on Psalm 119) and sing or say them as a prayer:

Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee, ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!


Amen. Should the Lord tarry another day, and if it His will, see you tomorrow Pastor Jim

*You may have heard that Paul spent some fourteen years before beginning his ministry; that is the time before his missionary trips started, he preached in Damascus “immediately” upon recovering.

Jesus can help us see too...

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How can I possibly see that?
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)


We have been discussing our shortcomings all week; our inability to see things – to see situations, circumstances, other people, even ourselves, the way that God sees. Indeed, God has said as much for centuries! He told the prophet Isaiah:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

So what are we to do? Is there any hope that we can ever see God or see as He sees? Sure there is. In the same passage God tells us:

“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live…Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near…my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Likewise: But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)

And Jesus promised that the pure in heart will see God, and God inspired Paul to teach us that we can do all things, through Christ who gives us strength.

I say all that to say this; it is important, whether during Lent or any other time, to recognize how weak we are, how sinful we are, and how desperately lost we are – on our own. The purpose of such a realization is to see our need for the Father who created us, His Son who saves us, and His Spirit that works in and through us. But it is not just to make us see our need, but the amazing ways in which God fulfils our needs – how He will fill to overflowing with a mercy and grace and unending love.

If you received ashes on Ash Wednesday (if you didn’t, for a moment, pretend you did), go take a look in the mirror. Are they still there? Of course not. You have washed since then. Brothers and sisters, so it is with your ‘spiritual face’. You’ve been washed by the blood of the Lamb! You are clean, free, and forgiven!

For the rest of this season, try this little exercise, every time you wash your face, then raise it to look in the mirror, take a moment to recall where the ashes were, and how they are now gone. Then praise God for what He has taken from you. And what He has given to you, including this new way to see. Proclaim like the man in John, blind from birth, “I was blind, but now I see!”

Yes you can! Pastor Jim

On the outside looking in...

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On the Outside Looking In
(Lent as vision correction)
(This message is also available at: http://pastorjimdorton.blogspot.com/)



Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16: 6-7

This passage is drawn from the story told in I Samuel where God, having rejected Saul as king, sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse, to anoint one of his sons as the next king. Jesse had eight sons, and all but the youngest were brought before Samuel. Human judgment would have picked the eldest, or the strongest, or the most renown. One by one the seven passed by Samuel without receiving affirmation from God. Only when Samuel asks if there are any more, does Samuel sent for the one God had already chosen, the youngest, the smallest, David.

Why didn’t God just tell Samuel to go anoint David? I don’t know. But I do know that the process Samuel went through has provided a lesson for us all.

Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

We look at other people and make decisions. Sometimes, like Samuel, our decisions are based on appearance, physical appearance. Sometimes, they are based upon the clothes they wear, especially if that’s a reflection of their income. It could be the color of their skin, their accent, or the car they drive.

We make decisions about others based upon a multitude of things that we see.

But God says “no”. He tells us that we can’t see the truth; our perspective is not as His. We cannot see in people what God has in store for them. “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

But, here’s the problem; we tell people they are not rich enough, not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not athletic enough, and they believe us. We see a shepherd – God sees a king!

Samuel so clearly heard the voice of God that his inability to see well did not keep David from the throne. May our inaccurate view of someone’s potential never prevent them from being what God is calling them to be!

During this season of Lent may we sense our own visual shortcomings, and turn our ears, tune our ears, to the truth – to the wonder that God has in store for those around us.

In times when we are shaken, hurting, and afraid, faith is holding, with all we have, with heart, soul, mind, and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Lord willing; see you tomorrow, Pastor Jim