"Sir, we wish to see Jesus."

(I originally wrote this article for the January, 2014 edition of Calvary Chapel Natomas' ezine, CCNConnect. That site has since been deleted.)

Market Buildings.en.wikipedia.org

What do you want in 2014? In John chapter 12, we are blessed to observe what a group of first century Greeks wanted. We read in verses 20-21,  “Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’” Their real plea could more accurately be phrased, “Sir, we are desperate to see this man. Please take us to Jesus.”

Driven by a passionate desire to meet the one being hailed as "Messiah", these Grecian Jews had traveled to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. No doubt they’d heard the stories of the miraculous events surrounding this dynamic new rabbi, but they had to see for themselves. Seeking a kindred spirit to assist, they found Phillip - himself a Greek, a disciple, and someone who just happened to be in the thick of ministry alongside the one they sought.

At this time, Jesus and crew were on the move. Having themselves just traveled up from Bethany to Jerusalem for the feast, the group was immersed in the work of the ministry. Jesus was busy from sun up ‘til sun down performing all kinds of signs and wonders. He was teaching and healing and raising the dead, being focused on the people, knowing the time for His departure was close at hand.

So what was Philip’s response to such a plea? He grabbed another disciple, his brother Andrew, and together they head out to locate Jesus. But where do they find Him? He was not hanging out at the local synagogue, on the temple steps, or sitting inside some other holy structure. He wasn’t meditating alone in some isolated, secluded place all by Himself. In other gospel accounts we certainly read of such occurrences, but not this time. That day the disciples found Jesus in Jerusalem, out and about with the people He came to save. 

What do you want in 2014? Is your earnest desire the same as those first century Greeks: to see Jesus? If so, where will you find Him this year? Resting comfortably on a cushioned pew inside our churches, singing songs, listening to a sermon while drinking His latte? Without a doubt, post resurrection and through His Holy Spirit, Christ is indeed today present in our churches and sanctuaries when we gather to worship and lift up His name. And surely we know our God is Omnipresent. That is one of His attributes. But I wonder if we also remember that the Living God is not confined to the inner rooms of the buildings we’ve built in His name. And when it comes to saving souls, could it be that perhaps the church has adopted a mentality which believes that all we have to do to “bring people to Christ” is sit back and wait for them to walk through our front doors. Could that happen? Sure it could! But Jesus did not exhort us to sit and wait for sinners to come to us, did He?

In John 12:26 Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be.” So where will His servants find Jesus today? The same place Phillip and Andrew found Him that day in Jerusalem – with the people He came to save.

At this moment Jesus is out and about walking among the people of Sacramento. He’s on the Wall Streets and the Main Streets of our city. He’s in our shopping malls, school rooms, board rooms, and chat rooms. He’s on the fairways and the river banks, at the food banks and at the wedding banquets. He’s on the steps of the court house and in the chambers of the state capital. He’s walking the highways and byways where crowds gather in darkness and few dare to go. He’s at Starbucks with the prostitutes and in the ghettos with the addicts. He’s comforting the widows; feeding the orphans; healing the sick; making the lame walk; opening the eyes of the blind; encouraging the prisoners; touching the untouchable. Wherever sinners congregate and evil reigns; wherever people are weary of the battle and laden with guilt; wherever human souls are hopeless, loveless, and lifeless—that’s where our Jesus can be found. And as His followers, isn’t that where we want to be as well?

So as we begin a new year, maybe it’s time to rethink evangelism. The hour is late and the time is short. Maybe it’s time we focused our attentions outward rather than inward. Maybe it’s time we go where Jesus is and not wait for sinners to come to us. Let’s come together to encourage and build up the faith of the saints, and then get up and go seek and save the lost. Let’s be about our Father’s business out in our communities until every person in the sphere of our influence has heard the gospel. Let’s make 2014 the year of spiritual revival in our city.

Ready? Set? Go!

Christian: You can retire when the work is done, not before!

Flickr/CrazyCake-Cakedesigner57/





Summary: Some Christians think God offers elderly saints a retirement plan with benefits. They have this idea that when Christians reach a certain age they somehow become exempt from the work of the ministry and can simply kick back and cash their pension checks. God has no such retirement plan. Gripped for His glory is a life-long calling.

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I can still see Kathryn waiting at the end of the sidewalk that first Sunday morning. Mrs. Lee was in her early 80’s and still as spry as a spring chicken and as sharp as a tack. (Pardon the puns. I couldn’t resist.) Well, ok. Maybe she moved a bit slower than a new-born chick. But try and tell her that and you’d quickly find yourself on the way to the wood shed with a switch across your legs. (Not really. But you would get a good lecture on the enduring stamina of great grandmothers.)

I was a single mother of two young boys and a brand new Christian. My pastor asked if I would be willing to take Kathryn to and from church on Sundays. I told him it would be my privilege. I parked my sky blue, 1960 Volkswagen bug at the curb and proceeded to get out of the car to help Kathryn. But by the time I shut my door, Kathryn was already opening hers. She made herself comfortable then reached inside her purse and pulled out two rolls of cherry lifesavers. After obtaining my permission, she handed the candy to two very excited little boys sitting in the back seat. From then on, she gave a roll of candy to both boys every Sunday morning, and became imortalized within our family as the “Life Saver Lady.”

Thus began my two year friendship with this remarkable saint. I quickly learned she was widow of three years. She had been married to the same man for more than sixty years. The story of her marriage is worth remembering as it demonstrates the depth of Kathryn’s devotion to Christ.

Kathryn became a committed Christian at a young age. But she married a non-believing man who made the next sixty years of her life very difficult. By faith, she determined to obey God’s design for marriage and submitted to her husband’s authority as the head of the family.  However, she insisted he grant her one request. She would take their five children to church every Sunday and teach them the Word of God. He agreed and she faithfully raised her children to love and serve the Lord Most High.

There was just one bug-a-boo in this arrangement. Kathryn did not drive. So every Sunday her husband would drop his family off at the main doors of the sanctuary. Then about five minutes before services ended he would return to the same spot, race the engine and honk the horn until she and all five children were back inside the car. Even when the children were grown and out of the home, the Sunday ritual continued.

As you can imagine every congregant had heard of Mrs. Lee’s husband. For years, her church family prayed for his salvation. But it was not until the last moments of his life that Mr. Lee finally asked God to forgive his sins and surrendered his heart to Jesus. On his death bed, Mr. Lee then asked his wife to forgive him for embarrassing her all those years. Without hesitation Kathryn freely forgave him, then kissed her beloved goodbye and said, “See you soon.”

Kathryn was a prayer warrior in the truest sense of the word. She faithfully rose every morning at 5:30 a.m. to intercede for her family and God faithfully responded. Her prayers delivered her husband safely through the gates of heaven. Her prayers resulted in the salvation of all her children, and were instrumental in launching each one into full-time ministry for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Kathryn was especially burdened to intercede on behalf of her many grandchildren and great grandchildren, praying by name for their salvation and future service to Christ.

In every area of her life, Kathryn was a no nonsense woman. She had little tolerance for idle hands or idle talk. If anyone wanted her time, they had better be prepared to talk about Jesus, it was just that simple. “I don’t have time for anything else,” she used to tell me. Her time was God’s time and she was not about to waste a moment on fruitless activities.

Kathryn’s favorite verse was Genesis 28:15, “Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”[1] She knew the answer.  Kathryn knew the God of all the earth had always done what was right. She knew the Judge of all the earth had done what was right when He allowed her husband to humiliate her all those years. She knew the God of all the earth had judged rightly when He brought her husband to faith in Christ and then took him home. And she knew the Judge of all the earth would forever continue to justly judge all mankind. At 84, Jesus carried Kathryn home and she saw her beloved husband once again.

From the moment of her conversion, Kathryn never stopped serving Jesus Christ. She understood set-apart-sainthood was for life. For her there was no turning back, no letting go and no letting up. She shared the saving message of God’s love with anyone willing to listen until the day God whispered in her ear, “It is finished. Enter into your rest my good and faithful servant.”

Kathryn Lee enjoyed being known by my sons as the “Life Saver Lady.” But in many ways, she was a life-saver to me. As a new Christian, she helped me lay aside the past and cultivate an unwavering devotion to Jesus Christ. And she modeled for me a commitment to the gospel message few saints possessed. I will always be grateful for the example of her life and the gift of knowing this precious saint.

How about you? Will you follow Kathryn’s example and share the saving message of Jesus Christ with anyone willing to listen until the day you die? I hope so. When you and I get to heaven, then we'll enjoy retirement with everlasting benefits.

[1] Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Beginnings - Genesis 18 - (NLT - New Living Translation)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 12 Nov 2010. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=18&t=NLT >

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Gripped for His Glory

Clouds:Oleg Matyukhov @/Fotolia

Summary: All Christians have experienced physical, mental, and emotional pain and have the scars to prove it.  However too often, believers would rather keep their painful past experiences hidden, afraid to let others know life has not always been a bed of roses. But God wants to use those very same experiences as the foundation for dynamic testimonies to bring hope and healing to a dying world.

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Most of us are familiar with the phase, “scarred for life.” Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines “scarred” as, “to do lasting injury to.” Gripped for Glory is a format to openly, lovingly, and biblically explore those painful experiences which have done lasting injury to our lives. And let’s face it. Even a five-year-old child knows life can sometimes hurt.  

But this site is much more than a place for pity parties or strolling down memory lane just to glamorize sinful choices or revel in past tragedies. These are hardly the desired outcomes.  And while honest self-disclosure has its place in healing emotional wounds, only the naïve among us believe such actions alone can mend shattered lives.

So where do we start? First, how about we collectively make up our minds to be transparent with one another about the scars we bear. Then, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit and His word, let’s help the saints of God find healing for those secret, often still oozing wounds. Let’s work to bring closure to any remaining guilt or shame which may be hindering a relationship with God and others. Sound good? Great!

With this backdrop, the articles planned for this blog will encompass a wide assortment of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritually issues.  Some articles will intentionally target only committed followers of Jesus Christ.  Other posts will speak to the needs of Christians and non-Christians alike since the Bible makes it clear human suffering honors no such theological boundaries.

Sometimes articles will be informational and include relevant, supportive resources. Other posts will be decidedly devotional and evangelistic in nature. Subscribers’ interest and response will aide in the selection of future topics. 

We have now arrived at the second reason for the creation of this site, a goal which is a bit more confrontational. Before you log off and run for the hills, let me explain.  I have been a follower of Jesus Christ for more than thirty years. When a sinner first comes to Christ, realizing their legal debt against God has been paid in full by the death and resurrection of Jesus, they are more than eager to “forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead…”  Sound advice, since this is exactly what the Apostle Paul said to the saints in Philippi.  

According to the Blue Letter Bible, a “saint” is a person God has specifically and intentionally selected out from among all other people to be, “set apart for God, to be, as it were exclusively his." Followers of Jesus Christ have been handpicked by God, set apart for a purpose. The Bible states one of those reasons is to tell the world about the miraculous works God has done in our lives. This is called our “testimony.” The Bible says the testimony of a Chistian is a powerful tool enabling one to overcome adversaries and impact lives for Christ.(See Revelation 12:11) 

But here’s the problem. It has been my experience many Christians are so ashamed of their “B.C.” (a.k.a- "before-Christ") days, they keep old scars closely guarded under lock and key away from public scrutiny. Many avoid transparency for fear of being judged or rejected by their new “perfect” Christian friends. A subtle disconnect begins. On the one hand they keep their painful past hidden from fellow Christians and on the other hand, they keep their future in Christ a secret from former friends. So where’s the testimony?

Certainly discretion and prudence dictate which events are best left buried in depths of the deep blue sea. I understand the need at times for such silence, especially if disclosure would further injure others. All I am suggesting is that too many saints have not yet fully come to understand and accept that the scars they desperately try to hide are part of God’s story in their lives – His-story in their history by divine design.

For the redeemed, past failures and wounds can be the building blocks for life-changing messages of God’s redemptive love. People can argue theology all day long, but no one can deny our personal encounters with the living God.  Our past belongs to us. We are the stars in an epic story of God’s love working in and through painful human experiences to bring healing and wholeness to hurting hearts. We don’t need to hire screen writers or Hollywood actors to share the story. It’s our life. We already know our lines. And we share our lives in so many ways with those around us. What could be more natural than sharing how God’s love changed our lives forever? Evangelism is really just that simple.

The time has come for redeemed saints of God to come to grips with the reality they have been gripped by God for a purpose. God is calling Christians to stand up, speak up and to declare the mighty transformational work of God in lost and broken lives.  

As this blog journey begins, I invite you to join our community of Gripped for Glory saints who are not ashamed to share their scars for His glory. “…For you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light…” 1 Peter 2:9