Being Present With Jesus

For most of us, 2020 has been a year of challenges, sudden changes, shifts and acclimating to new ways of doing life. With that being said, one thing remains true that has not changed: God is good. I believe the Lord is continuing to take us deeper into His heart, causing our hearts to engage Him like never before. In sharing with you this past Saturday, I have been in a season with Jesus, asking Him more and more to be the King of my heart and for my heart to lead from that place. I believe the Holy Spirit is inviting each one of us deeper into the reality that awaits His sons and daughters, a reality of being more present with Jesus, that we never miss what He wants to do in the moment we’re in. Lord, we invite You in deeper, that You would be the King of our hearts, the King of our dreams, that we would look to Your Kingship, that we would look and believe what You already have created and spoken, for You are leading and guiding us by Your truth. We agree with Your heart that already tells us who we are. Holy Spirit, keep showing us who You are and who we are! God is so for us!! May your hearts be super encouraged and uplifted with this amazing and awesome promise from Psalm 121 (TPT): I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realize that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth. He will guard and guide me, never letting me stumble or fall. God is my keeper; he will never forget nor ignore me. He will never slumber nor sleep; he is the Guardian-God for his people, Israel. Jehovah himself will watch over you; he’s always at your side to shelter you safely in his presence. He’s protecting you from all danger both day and night. He will keep you from every form of evil or calamity as he continually watches over you. You will be guarded by God himself. You will be safe when you leave your home and safely you will return. He will protect you now, and he’ll protect you forevermore!   Love, Pastor Joel

A Different Kind Of Christmas

I haven’t talked to a single person yet who’s planning to have a “normal” Christmas Day. You know, with the same people we would usually spend it with or go travel to see. For Suzanne and myself, it’s just going to be the two of us. Don’t get me wrong, just the two of us is a good thing—we not only love each other, but we happen to like each other a whole lot! But never in our 34 years of our married life together has it been just the two of us without at least going to see someone. And I know for some of you this Christmas, it’s just…you.   And then it really hit me all that Jesus came into. Though we’ve seen the Christmas story in plays and nativity videos that glamorize the birth of Christ into our world, the reality looks more like this:   Mary and Joseph are going about their “life” when God breaks into their world in a way others can’t possibly comprehend so they are completely misunderstood and judged. They say yes to God’s plan, but that doesn’t mean everything happens smoothly. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Mary has to ride a donkey nearly 100 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem in extreme discomfort in her final trimester. Are you kidding me? You women who have borne children would know better than I just how miserable that would be. She and Joseph are given zero choice in the matter because it was mandated by the government. As Mary is about to give birth, they don’t have a real bed to sleep in. They don’t have any family or friends around to support them during the delivery or to celebrate with them after the birth. This is not what they envisioned. Does any of this have a familiar ring to it?   But I thought God invited them into his “plan?”  Surely God’s plan can’t include all of this, right?  I mean, right??   And yet, this is the stage that is set for the entrance of the Prince of Peace and Savior of the world. This is God’s plan.   God’s plan is for Jesus to enter into our broken world and into our pain. Emmanuel, God with us, stands with us when we are judged and misunderstood by others.  He journeys with us in our discomfort. Jesus lifts our spirits up, up above any and every circumstance and invites us to sit with him at his banqueting table of love where you are seated at this very moment as he honors your choice to welcome him as your King. He assures you: “You will never be alone. I am with you. In this moment, and always.”   Without question, this Christmas is a very different one. We all feel it. Yet, each one of us is in the midst of God’s plan. Something beautiful is being birthed out of this time that we couldn’t possibly comprehend. Christ in us, the hope of glory, is emerging at just the right time.   Suzanne and I love you all dearly!                                                           Brent

Rose - Colored Glasses

Recently, in a comments section of an article I wrote on the nature of God, a fella by the name of Don disagreed with my “God Lens”—on how I saw God and the world—and asked me a challenging question:      “Jason, I wonder if your ‘god lens’ isn’t just a pair of rose-colored glasses. People have always made gods to their own liking. Historically, God has eventually pulled out His gun and shot them…” In the article, I had asserted that Jesus is what God is like and He never once used a gun, He never once sought to punish or control us. Don continued…      "I can’t help but believe that what God says about Himself trumps all of our ‘god lens’ observations. I know this sounds harsh, but it takes a bright light to cut through all the smoke you’re generating. I know God loves you and I know you want to love Him, but can you love Him even if He offends your sensitivities? I don’t expect this comment to stay on your site for long but that’s ok. It was meant for you to read.” This was my response…      “Don, unkindness, offensive or graphic language, or argument just for the sake of argument are really the only comments that we would pull off the site. You haven’t offended my sensitivities.       I think my ‘god lens’ is different than your ‘god lens.’      Historically, man has given God the credit for all kinds of horrific things.      Historically, and theologically, man has put a gun in God’s hand and given Him credit for all the pulled triggers: Natural disasters, wars, sickness, poverty; Historically man has attributed these things to God.      But, historically Jesus revealed that God played no part in the destruction of man.      Historically, Jesus revealed He had not “come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:56).      When it comes to what He’s like, my ‘god lens’ is Jesus on a cross revealing His heart for us and our value to Him.      You are correct, it does take a bright light to cut through all the smoke. Jesus is that bright light. God is love, and He is way better than we think He is.      The goodness of God has been offending the sensitivities of man’s understanding since the fall.      There is one constant in my life: God is love, just like Jesus, and better than I think He is. If those are rose-colored glasses, then I’m guilty as charged.      Don, I am wide open to being offended by God, but in my life, when I have been offended by God, it’s not been by how bad God is, it’s been by how good He is in light of how poorly I thought of Him.      Whenever I have been offended by God, it’s because He is better than how I have historically perceived Him. And when that’s happened, I’ve repented. And then somewhere along the way, I’ve written about my discovery.      I continue to grow ever-more convinced in His always-good love. And I’ve found that sometimes it’s offensive to folks. But I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and hope my response doesn’t offend you.      God bless you!”

Your True Voice Is Needed More Than Ever!

"The voice God has in Christ he now has in us. We are God's ambassadors. Our lives exhibit the urgency of God to persuade everyone to realize the reconciliation of their redeemed identity." 2 Cor. 5:20 (Mirror) Friends,   If there was ever a time when a voice of hope was needed, it’s now. If there was ever a time when a voice of encouragement was needed, it’s now. If there was ever a time when a voice of kindness was needed, it’s now. If there was ever a time when a voice of grace was needed, it’s now. If there was ever a time when a voice of love was needed, it’s now.   You have that voice because Christ is in you! Your voice of hope and encouragement and kindness and grace and love matters. It’s making a difference. Now, more than ever!   Heaven is our homeland. As an ambassador of God’s Kingdom, you are releasing heaven’s culture here on the earth. You are God's voice and God's heart! In union with Christ, you get to show up again today and be Jesus to a world of people that needs him!   Do you remember the Dr. Seuss story of Horton Hears a Who? In the end, what saved a tiny civilization from extinction was the voice of one seemingly insignificant little boy using his voice. The final line of the story was this: A person is a person, no matter how small.   An even truer kingdom truth is this: There’s no such thing as a small and insignificant person.   Do you know who you are and what you carry? Do you know that you are so significant that God chose to put his glory inside of you?   Not just any voice is needed right now. The world doesn’t need more resounding gongs and clanging cymbals. The world doesn’t need more noise, noise, noise, noise.   The people of this world need the peace of Christ dwelling within you. They need the joy of Jesus welling up from you. They need the real hope Holy Spirit continuously fills you with. The world needs the true voice of Christ in you.   The voice God has in Christ, he now has in us!   “We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips.” 2 Cor. 5:20 (Passion)                                                                                    Love, Pastor Brent