He Came Into Our Neighborhood

They had known this day was coming. For months now Joseph and Mary had talked about "when the baby is born..." and how life would be different then. So different. Every couple wonders how they will transform from husband and wife to father and mother. But knowing that this baby was the Son of God made every conversation even more of a wonder.

Mary was just so small, and the baby had grown so.

Joseph would have never chosen here for the baby's birth. So far from home, so far from help. But he believed. And he put everything he had - all his attention, all his energy - into helping Mary do whatever it was she need to do. They had just arrived in Bethlehem and found a place to stay. It wasn't much, but it would do. It would have to.

When the first contraction came, it straightened her up for a moment. The weight of pregnancy had changed her posture somewhat, from a young and lithe girl, to a woman "great with child." Her arms wrapped around her belly as she felt the wave wash over her and the pain swell and then subside.

Joseph's face went through several phases almost within seconds - surprise - concern - worry and now determination. What could he do? In his culture, men weren't present at birth. Women entrusted that secret to midwives while the fathers waited anxiously outside. Everyone knew that the birth of a baby could bring great joy or great heartache. This one would bring both in due time.

There! Again! But stronger. And followed quickly by another. Joseph held Mary tightly, seeking in vain to transfer some of his strength to her but knowing that this was her battle to win. How long would this go on? She couldn't take much more.

Suddenly she sat straight up and gasped out loud. A strange look crossed her face and he couldn't tell what she was feeling. Was it pain, or was it... joy? Her forehead grew slick with perspiration and she clutched his hand tightly. She was focused on something in the distance, and then she grew rigid and seemed to stare at - or into the ground at her feet. A quick breath - then none - only a guttural cry - a moan and she seemed to stiffen, then expend herself into...

And then, quicker than he ever thought - a soft fall into the clean straw and there he was - covered with the fluids from His mother's womb and flushed from the battle to be born. Mary collapsed, exhausted. Joseph picked up the baby and wiped his face as he lifted him from the straw. Then Jesus, Son of God and son of man breathed the air of the world he had created and began to cry.

At that, Mary raised herself on her elbows and smiled.

But she wasn't through yet.

Joseph cut the cord that tied mother to Son, and Mary groaned again as she delivered the after birth. Joseph laid the baby in her arms and replaced the soiled cloths with fresh ones, and then put more fresh straw and blankets beneath Mary. She wrapped the baby in the strips of cloth and kissed him. And kissed him. And kissed him.

Joseph stroked Mary's hair and marveled at what she and God have done. He took a finger and placed it in Jesus' hand. So small. So very small. And yet one day the scepter of the King of Kings would rest there. Amazing!

He was here! Messiah had come!

So many questions. So much they didn't understand.

But they knew.

God was with them.

He took the baby and placed him in the manger beside where Mary lay. She was so exhausted, that she gave him a smile and fell asleep. The mother of God became a teenager again. Joseph watched them sleep and marveled again at what had happened.

The Prince of Shalom had come.

--
God bless you and keep you. May you have the Spirit of Christmas tonight and all through your life. And may you always remember, God is with us.

David

Visit with me at my blog:
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Or visit New Hope!
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Growing Up Into Christmas

78 Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
God's Sunrise will break in upon us,
79 Shining on those in the darkness,
those sitting in the shadow of death,
Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
down the path of peace."

Luke 1:78-79 (MSG)
If there's a season that is more sentimental than Christmas, I haven't experienced it. I find myself time-traveling between remembering what it was like as a child, remembering what it was like when we had young children, and thinking about the kids we know from New Hope and how their Christmases will be.

Funny isn't it, how I can't remember how my parents struggled to provide their boys some Christmas toys. I really cannot even remember much of what I got, or what we've given our kids. I just remember the feeling of Christmas.

When our oldest left here the other day, he left with a CD on which I had burned 27 minutes and 11 seconds of his Christmas morning experience in 1982. On that recording (transferred from cassette), you can hear my aunt Louise, uncle William, and my brother, father and mother as they got to see Adam come into the living room and see what he got.

The tape starts with us trying to wake a very sleepy boy. As I recall, telling him that Christmas was here and his presents were waiting had no where near the impact than "Grandmother is here". She loved Adam and later Sean with the same fierceness she had first loved my brother Bruce and me.

Waking up to find his Grandmother there was Christmas enough for Adam. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

I've really been thinking and praying through Christmas this year. There have been some major changes as we've lost family in the last couple of years that have pretty much severed my childhood from today. All those links are gone now. I'm blessed with an awesome wife and her wonderful parents - my "in-loves" who are like parents to me and have been for almost 34 years. Obviously my sons Adam and Sean give me great, great joy. And I have an awesome New Hope family here from the littlest to the eldest.

But there's been a "blueness" to this Christmas for me. So many memories of those who are gone. So many events that can never be repeated.

And yet...

When I listened to Adam's reaction the other night, something clicked in my soul.

It was as if God was telling me to grow up - into the real Christmas.

Not the one I remembered, that was centered on people - memories.

But the one that brought me Someone Who will never leave me. Someone who gave His very life for mine. Someone Who constantly is working in my life for my good. Someone who loves me more fiercely than anyone ever has or could.

It was as if God was telling me, isn't Jesus enough?

I'm embracing His peace today. I'm trusting in His mercy and grace for today and praying He'll give enough tomorrow. It took a four year olds little voice on a 25 year old recording to help me grow up into Christmas and realize that all I ever really wanted for Christmas is wrapped up in a person. And that person can sweep all my blues away into clouds of bright and beautiful joy.

He's what I hope you'll receive and treasure too.

Jesus.

Merry Christmas,

David

--
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Christmas - weakly

While rereading the accounts of Christmas again, it occurred to me - God's powerful act of Incarnation couldn't have come to a more unlikely group of people. His mighty actions and revealed plans to change everything elicited a very weak response from those who received the news.

Zachariah doubted God and couldn't even believe when an angel showed up.

Joseph searched for another way to explain what Mary had told him.

Even Mary, a model of faith asked "How can this be...?"

Each and every one of them had a moment or moments when the situation they were presented with was just too much to believe.

Have you ever been there?

I sure have.

There have been times where, despite years of trying to live a live of faith and devotion to Jesus, something will happen and I'll silently ask the question "How can this be...?" Or really, how in the world am I going to make it through this?

To that question, God answers - "wait."

Uh, not really helpful - see we have this situation here and I need to get it fixed. And to that you say - "wait?"

I realized when I typed it that "wait" is not a word we would ever associate with Christmas, unless we add the obligatory "I can't.." as a prefix.

And yet, waiting is exactly what God required of each of the people involved in Christmas.

Zachariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a son all their married lives.

Joseph and Mary agreed in their betrothal to wait a year before consummating their marriage.

Even after the angel's announcements to them, there was the usual nine month wait for the babies that were promised to appear.

How long have you been waiting for your Christmas miracle to come? I'm not talking about that long promised pony or motorcycle.

I'm thinking of that moment when the faith you have...

...expands to fill your whole life.

When this verse becomes reality... to you.

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Heb 11:1 (NLT)

You know what?

I'm encouraged that Zachariah wouldn't take an angel's word for it.
Likewise by Joseph's worries and Mary's concerns.

Because I am no weaker than they were, when they failed to grasp Christmas.

But then it's not about us, in our weakness.

It's about God, and His unfailing love.

We can have the faith they had when we, like Mary, say to God, "let it be to me exactly as you wish. I trust you."

May we all be given the grace to do just that.

Grace and peace,

David

--
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"The Visited Planet" by J.B. Phillips

Once upon a time a very young angel was being shown round the splendours and glories of the universes by a senior and experienced angel. To tell the truth, the little angel was beginning to be tired and a little bored. He had been shown whirling galaxies and blazing suns, infinite distances in the deathly cold of inter-stellar space, and to his mind there seemed to be an awful lot of it all. Finally he was shown the galaxy of which our planetary system is but a small part. As the two of them drew near to the star which we call our sun and to its circling planets, the senior angel pointed to a small and rather insignificant sphere turning very slowly on its axis. It looked as dull as a dirty tennis-ball to the little angel, whose mind was filled with the size and glory of what he had seen.

"I want you to watch that one particularly," said the senior angel, pointing with his finger.

"Well, it looks very small and rather dirty to me," said the little angel. "What's special about that one?"

"That," replied his senior solemnly, "is the Visited Planet."

"Visited?" said the little one. "you don't mean visited by --------?

"Indeed I do. That ball, which I have no doubt looks to you small and insignificant and not perhaps overclean, has been visited by our young Prince of Glory." And at these words he bowed his head reverently.

"But how?" queried the younger one. "Do you mean that our great and glorious Prince, with all these wonders and splendours of His Creation, and millions more that I'm sure I haven't seen yet, went down in Person to this fifth-rate little ball? Why should He do a thing like that?"

"It isn't for us," said his senior a little stiffly, "to question His 'why's', except that I must point out to you that He is not impressed by size and numbers, as you seem to be. But that He really went I know, and all of us in Heaven who know anything know that. As to why He became one of them - how else do you suppose could He visit them?"

The little angels face wrinkled in disgust.

"Do you mean to tell me," he said, "that He stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?"

"I do, and I don't think He would like you to call them 'creeping, crawling creatures' in that tone of voice. For, strange as it may seem to us, He loves them. He went down to visit them to lift them up to become like Him."

The little angel looked blank. Such a thought was almost beyond his comprehension.

"Close your eyes for a moment," said the senior angel, "and we will go back in what they call Time."

While the little angels eyes were closed and the two of them moved nearer to the spinning ball, it stopped its spinning, spun backwards quite fast for a while, and then slowly resumed its usual rotation.

"Now look!" And as the little angel did as he was told, there appeared here and there on the dull surface of the globe little flashes of light, some merely momentary and some persisting for quite a time.

"Well, what am I seeing now?" queried the little angel.

"You are watching this little world as it was some thousands of years ago," returned his companion. "Every flash and glow of light that you see is something of the Father's knowledge and wisdom breaking into the minds and hearts of people who live upon the earth. Not many people, you see, can hear His Voice or understand what He says, even though He is speaking gently and quietly to them all the time."

"Why are they so blind and deaf and stupid?" asked the junior angel rather crossly.

"It is not for us to judge them. We who live in the Splendour have no idea what it is like to live in the dark. We hear the music and the Voice like the sound of many waters every day of over lives, but to them - well, there is much darkness and much noise and much distraction upon the earth. Only a few who are quiet and humble and wise hear His Voice. But watch, for in a moment you will see something truly wonderful."

The Earth went on turning and circling round the sun, and then quite suddenly, in the upper half of the globe, there appeared a light, tiny but so bright in its intensity that both the angels hid their eyes.

"I think I can guess," said the little angel in a low voice. "That was the Visit, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that was the Visit. The Light Himself went down there and lived among them; but in a moment, and you will be able to tell that even with your eyes closed, the light will go out."

"But why? Could He not bear their darkness and stupidity? Did He have to return here?"

"No, it wasn't that" returned the senior angel. His voice was stern and sad. "They failed to recognise Him for Who He was - or at least only a handful knew Him. For the most part they preferred their darkness to His Light, and in the end they killed Him."

"The fools, the crazy fools! They don't deserve ----"

"Neither you nor I, nor any other angel, knows why they were so foolish and so wicked. Nor can we say what they deserve or don't deserve. But the fact remains, they killed our Prince of Glory while He was Man amongst them."

"And that I suppose was the end? I see the whole Earth has gone black and dark. All right, I won't judge them, but surely that is all they could expect?"

"Wait, we are still far from the end of the story of the Visited Planet. Watch now, but be ready to cover your eyes again."

In utter blackness the earth turned round three times, and then there blazed with unbearable radiance a point of light.

"What now?" asked the little angel, shielding his eyes.

"They killed Him all right, but He conquered death. The thing most of them dread and fear all their lives He broke and conquered. He rose again, and a few of them saw Him and from then on became His utterly devoted slaves."

"Thank God for that," said the little angel.

"Amen. Open your eyes now, the dazzling light has gone. The Prince has returned to His Home of Light. But watch the Earth now."

As they looked, in place of the dazzling light there was a bright glow which throbbed and pulsated. And then as the Earth turned many times little points of light spread out. A few flickered and died; but for the most part the lights burned steadily, and as they continued to watch, in many parts of the globe there was a glow over many areas.

"You see what is happening?" asked the senior angel. "The bright glow is the company of loyal men and women He left behind, and with His help they spread the glow and now lights begin to shine all over the Earth."

"Yes, yes," said the little angel impatiently, "but how does it end? Will the little lights join up with each other? Will it all be light, as it is in Heaven?"

His senior shook his head. "We simply do not know," he replied. "It is in the Father's hands. Sometimes it is agony to watch and sometimes it is joy unspeakable. The end is not yet. But now I am sure you can see why this little ball is so important. He has visited it; He is working out His Plan upon it."

"Yes, I see, though I don't understand. I shall never forget that this is the Visited Planet." - by J.B. Phillips
Some times we get so wrapped up in the "why" we forget the focus is on the Who.

14 The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.

John 1:14 (MSG)

Jesus. God's gift to us.

Grace and peace,

David


--
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Nazareth's Gone Country

Hi friends, just sitting here rereading everything I've collected in the past few weeks about Joseph of Nazareth in preparation for Sunday's sermon. It's pretty clear to me that Joseph lived a life that only a country music lover could appreciate.

Think about it.

He's a tradesman/builder. If he were alive today, he'd be driving a pickup with a toolbox in the bed. He'd probably be wearing jeans and work boots with a T shirt advertising something that he got for free. Oh and the T shirt and jeans would be holy - well, hole-ly. He'd have one of those cellphones that let's you beep the other job sites, and wouldn't have shaved today.

Yeah, he'd probably have a friend or two he called Bubba.

He'd have a reputation too. "Measure twice, cut once", would be his stock in trade, along with "a man's word is his bond." Yeah, he might be a poor ordinary working man, but he would do an honest days work for an honest day's pay. Nobody would beat him to the job site, or catch him sneaking off fishing when he should be working. There was plenty of time for that after the job was done.

And crazy as it seems, he'd be a guy looking to settle down with one woman for life. Not that he hadn't had chances for a fling here and there - he was a young, strong guy in a culture that valued all that. Oh and I expect he knew how to laugh at life - even laugh at himself. Most carpenters I've ever known can do that. They understand that a piece of wood, like a life, has to be shaped and shaved into something on purpose - that it's pretty rare to get that perfect piece of wood, and that you have to learn to work around and through the rough spots. Laughter really helps with that.

He found a girl he loved, made the proposal and came away a winner. Got started on a house and was prepping his mind around the whole husband and yeah, father deal. But then his fiancee told him she was pregnant - and Joseph knew it wasn't by him.

I wonder if George Jones ever wrote a song about Joseph?

So what would Joseph do?

Well, here's the thing. Carpenter's and brick layers - really anybody that works to build things, know that there are times when you can just "eyeball" the job and know what to do next, and then there are times when you have to go back to the architect and ask him "what the heck were you thinking?"

The Bible says that Joseph was a "just" or "righteous" man.

Those kind of guys know who to ask when the plans don't square with reality on the ground, or when it just isn't going to work. So when Joseph went to sleep that night after Mary dropped her bombshell. I have no doubt that Joseph had looked at what happened from every angle he could think of. He would have done his best to make it all go away without costing anyone more than it had to. He'd try to do the right thing. But what was the right thing?

He went to sleep tossing and turning, and then God showed up.

And God showed Joseph a new set of plans.

20 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. 21 She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus— 'God saves'— because he will save his people from their sins." Matt 1:20-21 (MSG)

Armed with that change in plans from the Master Builder...

24 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. 25 But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus. Matt 1:24-25 (MSG)
The working man done good. Nazareth's gone country, folks.

Grace and peace,

David
--
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No socks, no shoes, no problems

I was reading an obit today from a guy I never knew who lived and died in South Carolina. When he found out he was dying of cancer, he decided to take care of the arrangements for his funeral personally. He did it to spare his family the trouble, and to share his love for them - his wife and daughters, and for Jesus.

Marcus McDonald described himself as a "simple man that did not like change (or socks) very much."

His daughter described him this way, "He was the greatest man in the world. To know him was to love him. Period." His good friend Heather Hill, who had known him for 30 years, explained that he was vivacious, bold and matter-of-fact. He enjoyed skiing, water-skiing, playing horseshoes and family vacations to the beach. His family members and friends used to enjoy watching him walk up to people he never met at stores and restaurants and leave them laughing hysterically. "There was no stranger to him, period," Mandy McDonald said.

Central to his life was Christianity, Hill said. "Bottom line is he wants the world to know who Jesus is," Hill said. So he prepared Bibles for each of his daughters with notes jotted throughout specifically written for each of them. Toward the end of his obituary he wrote: "For those of you that read this and come to my funeral, I thank you on behalf of my family because that's who you are doing it for; I ain't gone be there ... I'm in heaven, thank God!

"If you can't make the funeral, visitation will be at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home on Bush River Road from 5-7 p.m. (today) ... so drop by but don't dress up for me. See, my invitation is like Jesus' invitation to salvation to you. ... Come as you are (and a smiley face goes right there)!"

Marcus Macdonald's gifts reflected what he treasured. He loved His Savior. He loved his family. And he loved the opportunity God had given him to live life to the full.

Now he's in heaven, and from Marcus Macdonald's corner I expect you'd hear the sound of laughter underneath a big sign that says "No socks, no shoes, no problems!"

While you're out searching for the perfect gift to give your loved ones, think about this.

What can you give them that will last... forever?

17 The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out— but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

1 John 2:17 (MSG)

Grace and peace,

David

Lead Pastor - New Hope!
--
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Seeing the End From the Beginning

They are called "spoilers" - when someone tells you how a movie or book is going to turn out before you see it or read it for yourself. Last year, when I found that the last few pages and explanations of the Harry Potter series' last book were available, of course I read them.

Then I tried to tell some of my friends at church that I knew loved Harry Potter. That didn't go very well - Jessica covered her ears, Emily and EJ said "nooooooooooooooooooo don't tell meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee".

But boy I sure wanted to.

That's the fun of knowing, don't you know.

When I think about Christmas, maybe the story told most often of all time, sometimes I wonder - because we know the ending already, do we forget how AWESOME it really was?

In that story, there were so many people involved that lived and died and never knew how it was going to completely turn out. And yet they longed to see Messiah come.

Take Isaiah for example.

Every Christmas season, we take a peek into the book that bears his name, picking and choosing those scriptures that fit our Christmas story. He delivers some powerful glimpses into the character Messiah will have, but do we rush by this?

14 All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel—`God is with us.' Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)

In the passage that comes from, God asks Isaiah to tell Israel's King Ahaz to test Him. That's right. God says through the prophet Isaiah, "ask me for proof I'll come through and make it as hard as you can - ridiculous if you want to."

The King, in a rare burst of humility, declines to test God, even after being told to.

So God Himself chooses the most ridiculous example He can think of.

A virgin will conceive - God. And that God-man will live among men.

Think about it.

Maybe it's time to slow down, maybe even back up, and take another look at just what Christmas IS.

Amazing love. AWESOME GOD. With us. WOW! TELL SOMEBODY!!!!!!!!!!!

Grace and peace,

David
lead pastor, New Hope

How Long?

I've got one eye on the calendar already. Just dragging the paper in last Thursday took a lot out of me. Then the collective energy used on Black Friday shopping, even though I did not participate, made me weary for those who did. I can feel the pressure building to get the lights on outside the house and the tree up inside, even though my adorable bride hasn't said a word.

But every now and then, I get a feeling like that lady did in the opening credits of Jaws.

Da -dum

Da-dum

da da da dum....

Christmas IS COMING!

When Allan, our friend from one street over, made his visit to our house today, after getting the usual small talk out of the way, (Gators won, Niceville lost, Georgia Tech lost, how's your dog, where's Bunny, tell Sean he's out...) he asked the dreaded question.

"How long until Christmas, David? How many days?"

"Well Allan, it isn't even December yet," I replied.

"But how long, David?"

"28 days"

Allan hasn't yet learned what most adults have about Christmas. Silly him, he still is amazed and in awe.

You know what? I'm going to do everything I can to find that sense of wonder again too.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."
Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2004, S. Lk 2:8

How long until Christmas... for you?

Grace and peace,

David Wilson

Thankful

When I get to Thanksgiving, I always think of those years as a little kid in Macon Georgia. We'd all pile in the car and head over to my Aunt Geneva's house, just up from the cotton mill on Roff Avenue. All of my cousins would be there too, and so we'd get every opportunity to get into trouble.

There was Uncle Ben's bomb shelter, conveniently located under the house, to explore. There were the train tracks to put a penny on, and the post office a block away to visit and see the scary faces of the most wanted. And just down the street was my Uncle Will's store, where barefoot little boys could convince their uncle that his cookies needed to be tested for freshness.

Good times.

Oh there were amazing meals. Collard Greens, pecan pies (no one cooks pecan pies like people with pecan trees in their backyard), my Aunt Geneva's best in the world corn bread, turkey and dressing, and every cake known to mankind. For a kid whose parents both worked, and our normal meal would be a 30 minute wonder - it was a staggeringly impressive feast - every year.

And yes, there was football - inside and outside. We'd play outside until lunch, then take some time to properly recover from said lunch by watching the Bears and the Lions or later the Cowboys and whoever they were beating on TV.

I was amazed when I sat down to write this, just how much of the little details of events that happened 40 years ago I did remember. The cars they drove, the year my cousin came home from the Army in uniform, the colors and fall chill - all come leaping back to my memory.

But you know, what I remember most is the laughter. When my Mother's family got together, there was always laughter. That didn't mean that life for them was wonderful - this was the mill village, and like most families, they had troubles. Money troubles, alcohol troubles, kid troubles, and health troubles.

When they were together, something incredible happened - none of those seemed so large. When I think about it now, I'm convinced that happened because when they came together, they were conscious of just how much they loved each other, and just how powerful that love could be, and was.

And when they prayed, it wasn't the 20 second version of grace, it was the recitation of what God had done in the past year for them, how grateful they were for His grace, and how thankful they were that God put them together as a family.

Grace was tangible - abundant - real. And people didn't take it for granted - they built their lives on that foundational truth. It wasn't "lucky" that they were together, it was God's grace. And in that grace they dealt with adversity and with blessings - in their fierce love for one another.

I always came away impressed that if I was a part of that family, I would never lack for love. No matter what I grew up to be, no matter what I was to make of my life, I could always come back home and run right into the arms of love. Several pairs of them. :)

In a way, it's what I believe church should be.

We love, because He first loved us. And out of that love, we live lives that testify to the grace we have received. We grow our "family" by opening our arms to those outside and setting another place at the table. Just as no one ever was a stranger on Thanksgiving at the Bowden family's meal, no one should ever be turned away.

And come blessings or trials, you have a home filled with love.

Lots of those people who fill my memories have passed away now. But they helped make me who I am. And last night when I read this passage again, I could smell collard greens cooking and hear the laughter.

18 I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, "Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; 19 I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand." ' 20 He got right up and went home to his father.
"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
22 "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! 24 My son is here— given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!'

Luke 15:18-24 (MSG)
I'm very thankful to be a part of the family called New Hope, and wherever you are I pray that you are a part of such a loving group of people. May all who read this know that God loves you with a love fiercer than any family could ever muster. And He's eagerly waiting for the reunion to come.

Happy Thanksgiving and may God's richest blessings be yours.

Grace and peace,

David
Lead Pastor, New Hope

The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round Is A Worship Song

16 Make sure you don't take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship— a different kind of "sacrifice"— that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. Heb 13:16 (MSG)

It's 12:40 Thursday afternoon, and the kids are ready to go to music. Each person grabs a wheelchair's arms and begin pushing one of the children down the ramp on the way to music. When we get there, the kids will all be in a semicircle, and we'll kneel down to get to eye level.

The goal is to get a reaction - any reaction. For these kids are profoundly disabled and confined to their wheelchairs. To get them to react, the music teacher uses simple songs, percussion instruments, bells, and other objects like scarves and cardboard bees on Popsicle sticks.

New Hope has an amazing group of people who have adopted these kids and spend some time two days a week reading to the kids and doing the music time with them. We do it in order to live out Christ's love in our neighborhood. We do it out of a love for Jesus and what He's done for us. I don't know about the rest of our team from New Hope, but Bunny and I come away happy but drained. We give it everything we have for those minutes with the kids, and if we get a reaction, our hearts leap for joy.

So we laugh when we sing about fat turkeys, we ring the bells, tap the tambourines and rap the percussion tubes. And every time we go, we sing "The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round."

And Alli rings her bell and grins. And Logan scratches the tambourine's top. And Brendan shouts with joy.

And I thank God.

I'm very aware that people are funny about their worship music. Some prefer the hymns they grew up with. Others want the contemporary sound. The division over musical preference can drive people away from each other, from Christ's church, and from as close a relationship with God as they could have. That's a shame.

If only they could see Alex smile when we ring the bus's bell, and feel the joy we feel from being used to God to tell these kids just how much he loves them.

Then maybe there'd be room on the power point or in the hymnal for just one song more.

Yes, The Wheels On the Bus Go Round and Round Is A Worship song. To me. Because through it, I draw closer to God.

Grace and peace,

David





--
Visit with me at my blog:
http://davethepastor.vox.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

And So, Here I Am...

And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.
9 My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Gal 3:8-9 (MSG)

Like Paul, I know I am in way over my head. But I also know that God loves me and has chosen me to do this work of telling His story. So I watch and listen.

I was rearranging my office today and picked up a wooden plaque dated 1981. On it rested a hand print of one Adam Wilson, my first born son. It was so small. The writing on the plaque was some of that sentimental stuff about looking back at kids when they grow up.

Uh yeah. Wouldn't want to do that. I'd be one of those saps, huh.

When Adam came into this world, I had no clue what being his daddy would mean. I wasn't just in over my head, I was clueless. All I could do is look at him and wonder what in the world am I supposed to do now?

I thought back to a baby lying in a yellow inflatable "tub" so we could bathe him. To a little boy who followed his daddy around. To a young man who I played basketball with. And today I thought about the man who closed on his first home yesterday and is moving in tonight.

Then I thought about times when we worried over him - when he was sick, when those first days of school came, when we left to come down here and he didn't come with us. There were times of great joy - he was an awesome boy, and there have been times of sadness.

Yet looking at that hand print today made me think of God's grace - His love, and His mercy.

For through it all, even before Adam was born, God knew him, and He knew Bunny and me. We'll never know the extent of how God blessed us with His providential care. A lot of things could have gone wrong. An awful lot of things went right. In that boy, now a man, I got to watch God's work and have a part in it.

"And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ."

Well, sometimes they aren't over your head. I've got a hand print on a plaque to prove it.

Grace and peace,

David

And There's More

This morning I was trying to find the right quote from Abraham Lincoln to use in a paper I'm writing for a seminary class. So I googled. Through the richness of the materials available on the Internet, I found the quote I was looking for in an electronic version of a child's biography of Lincoln. As I was scanning the pages looking for the quote I knew was there, I got caught up in the amazing life of Lincoln. Ten minutes later, I had finished the book and was amazed at what I had learned.

Stories have always drawn me in.

Sunday one of our kids at church, the irrepressible and painfully cute Madeline, tugged at my sleeve and, when she had my attention, proceeded to tell me about halloween and what she was going to do and how she had done it last year and when she was little and how she couldn't wait until Wednesday night and all the fun she was going to have as she came to New Hope and had more fun and she could hardly wait....

Yes, that's the way she delivered it. Past, present, and future all wrapped up in exceeding joy. She'd tell me something, take a breath, I'd think she was through... but there was more. :)

There's no way I can think about it today as I type this and not grin, knowing what Madeline will experience tomorrow night.

Just a few minutes ago, I was reading a story that left me feeling the same way. When I think about it now, I am filled with hope, with peace, and yes, with joy. See I was digging in the Bible trying to help our small group understand some pretty hefty theology. Words like propitiation (say what?), justification (huh?), and sanctification (aw come on now David) have their place friends, and we need to understand them and their underpinnings in Bible Truth.

But while I was in there looking for that Truth, I found this one.

1 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. 2 Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Gal 5:1-2 (MSG)

God loves us! Not grudgingly, not sparingly but extravagantly! He's not worried about loving us too much, so why are we so prone to try to write another ending to His story?

In God - we WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love that.

And I love you all in Christ Jesus.

Grace!

David

When God Writes A Story

1 So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but a little lamb he had worked hard to buy. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing a lamb from his own flocks for food, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and served it to his guest."

2 Sam 12:1-4 (NLT)

It's taken me many years of hearing and reading this passage to fully appreciate what it says - to David, and to us. I'd like to think I'm not a newbie at reading and interpreting the Bible, but it is not just another book. But every now and then I get taken deeper into the words and the Word.

So here we have the prophet Nathan, David's pastor, coming before him to tell him a story that God had given him. It was a story written perfectly to capture the attention and the heart of David. It took him back to the days he was the youngest in a poor family scratching out a living herding sheep. Those long hours of solitude for David with the flock must have included times when he carried young lambs in his arms. And what child wouldn't have had a favorite? One that he named - that he treated as his very own.

As David listened, his experiences connected with the story and brought it to life. So much so that he identified with the poor man and burned with anger - and wanted to act!

God, the author Who knows each reader intimately, can do that.

He has done that.

In Jesus.

If I could ask one thing of everyone - Christ-followers and pre-Christians, it would be to have them read every account of the life of Jesus in the Bible. His life was God's Word written in flesh, and watching it changed a group of people who through His Spirit's power - changed the world. Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of 1st John's beginning shows how the Story affected them.

1-2 From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in— we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. 3 We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy! 1 John 1:1-4 (MSG)

As we stand on the cusp of another holiday season, why not spend the next two months reading the Story God has written just for us.

Grace and peace,


David

For Better Or Worse

"...for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, ..."

I had the honor of being a part of the wedding of Nate and Amanda Albert this weekend. Good times. I always enjoy talking with the groom before weddings. They are usually worried about what to do. I remind them that when the bride comes down the aisle, no one looks at the groom.

Until the vows.

Then people pay very close attention to how the groom promises to live this life of love he is promising his bride. I always have, and I was reminded this weekend that other people do too.

The people that gather at weddings generally have some stake, some connection to either the bride or the groom, and want to know that the one they love will be loved "...for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in heath...", in other words - all the time. So we take vows before God and in front of witnesses that we will do just that.

Nate and Amanda did.

It's Tuesday now, and the newlyweds have been married three whole days. Wonder how many of the "or" provisions they have experienced? :)

You know, every person who decides to pledge their troth to Jesus has to learn how to love for better or worse too. The Holy Spirit places people within groups of other Christ followers called churches. Every one you meet there is a sinner who owes their place in the kingdom to Jesus' love, not anything that they did. And they will sin again, and sometimes hurt others. What then? It's easy to love people when they are lovely, but what about the times when they aren't?

And as we live, worship, grow and serve together, we live out our "vows" (to Jesus) by the way we love each other. Scripture records a few prescriptions that will help.

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."John 13:34–35

12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
John 15:12

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:10

16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! Romans 12:16

8 Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law. Romans 13:8

19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
Romans 14:19

5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5

7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. Romans 15: 7
.
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:13

2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.Galatians 6:2

2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.Ephesians 4:2

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.Ephesians 5:32

13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.1 Thessalonians 3:13

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

God has placed you in relationship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. That's no accident. So go back to basics - make sure we fulfill our vows to love one another.

For better, or worse.

The whole world is watching.

Grace!

David

Limits

It was Monday, the day when we catch up on everything we didn't have time for during the weekend and oh yeah, rest. Bunny and I were out and about - in Destin, then across to Ft Walton Beach, winding up at a craft store. We bumped into a lady who was parked in front of the wall of yarn, which happened to be on sale. She had a dozen or so skeins of yarn in her arms and was looking like she needed help, so I offered to go get her a buggy.

"No, if I have a buggy I will fill it. I'm trying to limit myself."

We had a good laugh over that, and true to her word, I saw the same lady at the check out with no more yarn than she could carry.

Don't you do that too?

I've seen (and been) people who limit their food intake by saying "I'll only get one plate full", and then defy all the laws of physics in attempting to get a metric ton of food on that platter.

I wonder if we do that with love too.

Set limits, I mean.

One of the things I love most about Jesus is that He never did that.

The rich young ruler comes up and smugly insists that he has kept ALL the commandments since he was a young boy. Yeah, right.

21 Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. Mark 10:21 (NLT)

Jesus then asks him to live those commandments out, not just observe them, by giving everything he owns to the poor and come follow.

22 The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go. Mark 10:22 (MSG)

The young man had decided beforehand just how much he would love Jesus. When Jesus saw what the man needed in order to unleash a real love for God and for others, His words pegged the man's limits.

What about you?

What if the place God has you now is what He would use to expand your limits?
What if those people you cannot stand to be around are there precisely because God wants you to drop your rights for His righteousness?
What if all those "hateful" people you see on TV are there to help you realize that God will tolerate no hate in you?

Are there limits to your love?

Grace!

David Wilson

Crash!

We distributed the New Testament on CD Sunday morning to everyone who would take a copy. The idea behind it is to spend the next 40 days going through the NT. If a person devotes just 28 minutes a day, the goal can be reached. So I started the Mp3 in iTunes yesterday as I studied for tonight's teaching.

Listening to the way Matthew paints his picture of Jesus and His ministry was really interesting. Not pouring over the text in a Bible like I usually do, I was forced to slow down and listen. It played all afternoon.

I love hearing about Jesus - what He did, and especially who He is. And listening as the disciples tried to figure Him out and understand His Kingdom mission was cool too.

So I'm rolling along, enjoying the scenery, and I get to this:

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that he had to go to Jerusalem, and he told them what would happen to him there. He would suffer at the hands of the leaders and the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and he would be raised on the third day.

22 But Peter took him aside and corrected him. "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said. "This will never happen to you!"

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's." Matt 16:21-23 (NLT)

Crash!

Ah, Peter. As we say in the South, "God bless him." He wanted to do right, but it just wasn't in his nature to do right for too long. He just couldn't grasp the concept of living life with God at the core.

I was reading about computer hard drives yesterday, comparing features, speed, etc., then I came across a pretty important measurement that I had forgotten about.

Mean Time Between Failures

Yep, every hard drive is going to fail. Not a question of if, but when. So the manufacturers rate the average time each hard drive goes between a catastrophic failure and let you know up front. Obviously you want to choose one that's expected to go a long time before it crashes.

Peter's mean time between failures was pretty short back then. But turn over to the book of Acts and you'll see a different person emerge - a man of boldness and purpose, who is firmly in the center of God's will. Sure he still has "glitches", but he's God's man, looking at life through the eyes of the heart of God.

The difference? The Holy Spirit.

Friends, a life totally surrendered to God - living in the wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit - will reduce your "mean time between failures" just as it did for Peter. Won't you decide right now to stop living for yourself and turn everything in and about your life to Jesus?

I can't wait to see what great things God is going to do. (And hear about what He did!)

Grace!

David

They listened to his heart.
Little - less - nothing! - and that ended it.
No more to build on there. And they, since they
Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs.
(from Out, out, by Robert Frost)

It's the anniversary of one of the worst events to befall my generation. The attacks on America that beautiful day in September were a shock to our collective soul. For a while, we rallied - uniting as a people against the hate that would drive some to spend their life's blood as casually as a coin tossed in a fountain. For a time, we cared - cared about those killed, cared about those wounded, cared about doing something about the evil that spawned such hate.

For a while we stepped back and considered just how brief a life we have.

We even thought about God.

Then, since we weren't personally affected, we went back to the mall, back to you tube and MySpace, back to our American lives.

Because life goes on.
Because that's what we do.
Because it's hard to focus on what really matters and exclude the trivial.

That's not a new development.

19 As they left, a religion scholar asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. 20 Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." 21 Another follower said, "Master, excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have my father's funeral to take care of." 22 Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life." Matt 8:19-22 (MSG)

Harsh, isn't it?

You'd have to look further into the culture to realize that what's happening here is that the religion scholar wants to place a down payment on salvation rather than putting himself fully into Jesus' care. His father almost certainly wasn't dead - grieving people did not go to public gatherings like this one. His father might have lived for 10-20 more years.

Jesus was challenging the man to decide right now to follow Him - no hesitation - nothing held back. He wanted the man 100% personally invested in a changed life.

Jesus first today. Jesus first tomorrow. Jesus first everyday of your life.

Can you do that?

It goes against everything this culture tells you - against everything you've learned. You've been trained to be superficial.

Decide to follow Him. Not just one time down the church's aisle, but everyday.

For without Jesus, you are dead.

Harsh isn't it.

But oh so true.

Shalom,

David

The Searchers

It's been five days now, since adventurer Steve Fossett took off from a private airstrip near his home and disappeared. The area in Nevada that it's presumed he may have crashed in is so remote and so rugged that the only way to really search it is from the air. So planes, helicopters, and even satellite imagery are being used in an effort to find Steve.

Last night, I got an email from Amazon asking me if I'd like to help. Since I'm a tech geek, I signed up for their "Mechanical Turk" program that essentially keeps you in the loop on new technical advances. So I guess since Steve Fossett is someone who has contributed greatly to those advances, the folks at Amazon are counting him as one of their own and enlisting everyone they can - even people thousands of miles away - to find the lost by pouring over Google maps images of the search area..

Whatever it takes. Reminded me of another search party.

1 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. 2 The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." 3 Their grumbling triggered this story.
4 "Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? 5 When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, 6 and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' 7 Count on it— there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue. Luke 15:1-7 (MSG)

They can count me in.

I come from a long line of people who know what it's like to be lost, and who are trying to follow the example of Jesus, who left everything to find sinners like me and bring them home.

Grace and peace,

David

Moses Has A Bad Day

There was a book I read a few years ago, a children's book called " Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" . In it the authors presented a day in the life of Alexander, a young boy whose day just turned out badly.

It happens to all of us.

And how we react can help us get a grip on just how much we reflect the character of God.

1 In early spring the people of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.
2 There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people blamed Moses and said, "We wish we had died in the LORD's presence with our brothers! 4 Did you bring the LORD's people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? 5 Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, figs, grapes, or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"

Num 20:1-5 (NLT)

Moses buried his sister Miriam at the place when his greatest disappointment as a leader had taken place. Kadesh was where the people of Israel refused to trust God to deliver the promised land to them. So God sent them away, into the wilderness for 38 years.

During that time frame, Moses has heard an unending murmur of criticism and rebellion from the people. He had interceded with God again and again for them. And today was just another Groundhog day, as the people complained like they had the day before. At least he could go to God and know that God would be mad at the people too.

Nope.

Moses and Aaron went to meet with God. His glorious presence appeared and instead of wrath, God granted the people's request. Instead of affirming Moses, God told him to go and bless the people with water for themselves and their livestock. Moses wasn't pleased. He did as he was told, but can you tell anything about his attitude from what he said once he assembled the people?

"Listen, you rebels!" he shouted. "Must we bring you water from this rock?" Num 20:10 (NLT)

Uh, Moses. "We?"

Got a frog in your pocket? Big Queen Elizabeth fan? Too big for the little people?

God is the author of miracles, not Moses. He alone deserves the glory. Then Moses compounds his error by not speaking to the rock, but striking it with his staff. The people never realized Moses had sinned. They got their water and God got the glory. But Moses knew that he had deliberately disobeyed God.

Because of Moses' actions that day, he was prevented from going with his people to the promised land. Sounds harsh, doesn't it.

But really, Moses left God's presence that day and decided he'd do what God told him, but he'd do it his own way. Did the people deserve God's grace? NO. They were classic gripers and complainers sired by a previous generation of gripers and complainers.

Here's the deal though.

Where God gives grace, we cannot decide to "fix things" and deal with the people who don't deserve it - our way. There's only one way to obey God, and that's to obey His instructions.

When we have a bad day, when we are stressed, stretched and strained to our limits - we do NOT get a free pass from God. He expects us to obey when every thing's going well, and obey when everything is not.

And even though people might see us doing things that would seem to say that we are a person following Jesus closely, our heart and attitude may very well reveal that we aren't doing them for God at all, but for the praise of people.

Moses had an opportunity that day to show that God was Holy, set apart, beyond all human ability. Instead of pronouncing God's grace, he shouted in his anger, and assumed credit that wasn't his.

It was a bad day for Moses.

So how do we guard against such behavior?

On those days when you are being pushed to your limit, by work, by people, by whatever - pray!!! pray for God's peace, for His heart, for His wisdom. If you look at the situation and see it as beyond your ability to bear, then confess that weakness to God and let His strength flow through you.

Moses was a person just like we are, with a faith that had to fight it's way through everyday life. He had lots of successes in his walk with God, but on this one day he let his own emotions lead him out of God's will.

Guard your heart friends. Guard your heart.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blogs:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
http://davethepastor.vox.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/
http://www.mychurch.org/newhope

The Butterfly Effect

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. 17 This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us...

1 John 4:16-17 (MSG)
Chaos theorists (yes there really are people like that, academically, and then there are parents of multiple children) see the universe as a series of random occurrences that form a whole. The "Butterfly Effect" is the idea that one event, though insignificant by itself, can effect change due to its impact on other events.

I see that happen all the time.

When one person cares.

Today I saw a young Mother who was putting her infant into the baby seat in the rear seat of her SUV. As she moved her baby from stroller to seat, she paused and for a good 10 seconds, kissed it again and again, all the while smiling and telling the baby "do you know how much Mommy loves you?" Well it may be early for the baby to completely grasp that concept, but I'll bet he or she is well on the way - and this observer is there already. I doubt either will remember that brief interlude, but assuming it's only one of many that have occurred and that will occur - it will make a difference. It will influence change. It will have an impact far greater than that Mom ever imagined.

Her child will grow up knowing he is loved.

I got back to church, and I was still thinking about that incident as I'm walking out to change the sign. And how if everyone could just grasp how much God loves them - How He longs to have a relationship with them based on His love and our trust and obedience - oh what a difference it would make! There are so many little events around us that point to His goodness and His grace.

But too many are too busy to care, or too invested in the cult of self to ever admit they need a Savior. Still, people like ours here at New Hope, and other Christian churches throughout the world will keep on loving God and loving people, hoping that on some days, something we do will literally change the world.

Walking back from the sign, a Monarch butterfly flew by.

Made me smile.

First one I've seen this year. But it won't be the last, because this is the time of year when thousands of Monarchs are migrating to South America and come through here. So when you see one, you know - you can be sure - that many, many more are on their way.

What if random acts of kindness - of small acts done with great love - are like that?

What if your extra effort to care, or my going the extra mile to love could be the first of countless other expressions?

What if people got the idea that people who follow Jesus are loving, and kind, and what if they wanted to know why? We could tell them about Jesus and invite them along on the journey with Him.

Decide to be part of God's grand design - change the world.

Do something tomorrow, big or small, with great love.

Grace!

David

crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor - won't cut it

I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! 6 I'm sorry—forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."

Job 42:5-6 (MSG)
I've been thinking and praying today for those who don't "get" God.

Some of whom I know personally, and love.

Being kind of heavily invested myself in following Jesus, it is sometimes hard for me to step out of my "Holy Bubble" and understand just why people who I know have heard the story of God's love through Jesus and who have even followed Him for a while just never really commit.

But I'm getting help.

Reading that snippet of Job and God's conversation helps me see how someone can be very religious, go through all the right hoops and do all the right notions - even know the secret handshake - but miss God by a mile. Living off someone else's faith, never wrestling personally with the deep questions, just trusting that others know is like the hearsay and rumors Job talks about. Faith in Jesus is a personal decision, and if you don't ever really choose to follow Him, as soon as those who really are following - the ones you are hanging with - move on, you are left without even a thimble of real faith.

So Job is helping me see that faith in Jesus always has to be intensely personal. No second-hand faith - through family or friends - will get you where you need to be - with God.

Then there's Donald Miller, an amazingly authentic person who writes without benefit of exposure to the cultural Christianity most of us live in. He has this annoying habit of looking at what most of us and our churches do, and telling others about it.

For example:

We believe a person will gain access to heaven because he is knowledgeable about theology, because he can win at a game of religious trivia. And we may believe a person will find heaven because she is very spiritual and lights incense and candles and takes bubble baths and reads books that speak of centering her inner self; and some of us believe a person is a Christian because he believes five ideas that Jesus communicated here and there in Scripture, though never completely at one time and in one place; and some people believe they are Christians because they do good things and associate themselves with some kind of Christian morality; and some people believe they are Christians because they are Americans.

If any of these models are true, people who read the Bible before we systematically broke it down, and, for that matter, people who believed in Jesus before the printing press or before the birth of Western civilization, are at an extreme disadvantage. It makes you wonder if we have fashioned a gospel around our culture and technology and social economy rather than around the person of Christ.

- Donald Miller in Searching For God Knows What

You think?

Being a Christian means following Jesus Christ. In every situation. With every thought, every word, every action. It means a surrendered life that renounces selfishness for a life spent in loving God, loving your neighbor, and serving both.

It is an intensely personal commitment lived out among others who share it, for the benefit of those who don't. It's first hand knowledge, like this:

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in— we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. 3 We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

1 John 1:1-4 (MSG)
My heart aches for those I love who don't love Jesus. If I contributed to you hearing rumors or hearsay and tried to give you a second-hand faith, I'm sorry. Faith is won after a struggle, where you surrender in order to win - and admit defeat to claim victory. You choose to follow Christ, no matter what.

No one else can do that for you.

It's your life.

Shalom,

David
Lead pastor - New Hope

She Meant Well

18 Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night.

Deut 11:18-19 (MSG)

I've been sitting here for the last few minutes praying through our church directory. The people in it are all lined up nice, neat and alphabetical. Most are smiling, and I get to look at how they were on whatever Sunday morning their pictures were taken. Then I balance that snapshot against what I see happening in their lives, and I pray. Hard.

Most any of us can suck it up and look like we have it all together for the length of time it takes to have our picture taken, or the time it takes to "do church." But life invariably requires more of us that that, and we find that some are having trouble we'd never see in a snapshot of time.

As a pastor, my job is as one writer has put it is "to keep the congregation attentive to God".

Way over my head. I need a lot of help. So I pray. A lot. When I talk to my friends who are pastors, they echo the same feelings I have. Just different places, different names. People are people, I guess.

For some people seem determined to do everything else except focus on their walk with Jesus. I know personally what a heartache it is to look back over the course of your life and realize I had taken control and not let God order my days - it breaks my heart to know others are going down that same, well traveled, road.

The man who puts his work ahead of his family.
The woman who does the same.
The teenager or young adult who lets the culture or their friends determine their values and morals.
The parents who push their kids to be involved in every sort of extracurricular activity, even if it conflicts with worship or Bible study.

I know, they mean well.

But I get a horrible picture when I think about the consequences. That of the Greek mother last week whose town was threatened by wild fires. She got her kids together and tried to flee. They were found to have perished together, with her arms around them.

Her home was untouched by the flames.

She made a decision. There's absolutely no way she could have known for sure that her house would have been spared. What she did, even to the last, she did out of love.

She meant well, she just didn't know.

For a Christian, meaning well while in effect denying that your life and day planner has been surrendered to the cause of Christ just won't cut it.

We know better.

Life is a dress rehearsal of sorts to see if we are ready to meet God. We're given everything we need to succeed at it. The very Spirit of God takes up residence in us and gives us all the strength, courage, and wisdom we need - if we will surrender our ordinary days to Jesus.

At the end of our lives, I don't believe we'll be looking back on how many hours we put into that project at work, or how well we did in middle school band, high school chorus, or any of those things that we're valuing over walking with Jesus now.

When we stand in the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, saying "I meant well" just isn't going to work.

Turn it over, all of it, to God. Pick up His plan, His scheme and walk in it. Don't get distracted by those things that ultimately won't matter at all.

Don't just mean well.

Follow Jesus.

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead pastor, New Hope

Sometimes

5 Offer proper sacrifices, and trust in the LORD.
6 Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" Let the smile of your face shine on us, LORD.
7 You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.

Psalms 4:5-7 (NLT)

I'm writing this on Monday morning, or as it is better known to us preacher-creatures, the graveyard shift.

We call it that, because so many preachers resign on Monday.

But sometimes, Monday comes and you wish it was time to go back and worship together again. That's me today. Yesterday was one of those moments when you can see the window of heaven open just a crack, and God's glory stream forth, like the sunshine through the clouds after the rain.

Nothing leading up to Sunday gave any indication that something special might happen. We are in the midst of a heat wave that's driving even native Floridians to stay close to their A/C. We had several families away on an outing, and some out of town for other reasons. We're in the last week of the kids summer vacation, and that's when families either squeeze a last getaway in, or haunt the Office Depot and K-Mart trying to get the list of supplies out of the way. So on Saturday night, I could have given you many reasons not to expect much from Sunday's worship.

Now I'm sitting here feeling a little bit like the guy they supposedly dug up a few years ago in Israel must have felt. We were looking at the story of David vs Goliath yesterday. When they were excavating the area around Elioth many years ago trying to confirm that event, they found a well preserved mummy - a Philistine. He was pretty well preserved, so they started trying to decipher what his life was like, and why he died. The pathologists determined that he died of a heart attack - pretty rare in that age.

Then the archaeologists discovered why.

Clutched in his hand was a scroll which recorded that he was a gambler,
and his last bet was apparently 20,000 shekels on...
Goliath.

So on this Monday I guess I learned yesterday, don't bet against God. "Offer proper sacrifices, and trust in the Lord", might just mean to prepare your hearts every single day to receive a blessing from Him, even if everything you know, every indicator of success, is screaming failure, all God has to do is whisper and His glory falls like rain.

Yesterday I saw two Bible study classes competing to see who could bless needy kids more.
Yesterday I saw a young boy rush to sign up to do yard work - wanting to be first to serve - and a man stepping aside to let him be.
Yesterday I saw Isaiah, a foster child, lead us in prayer after the children's moment and thank God for Doug his foster daddy.
Yesterday I saw people sing with the Psalmist (David of Israel) "Your name, like a strong and mighty tower"
Yesterday I saw people working with me, actively listening to the message and understanding that God has to be our focus not giants.
Yesterday I saw Jamie Roberts play a composition on piano "Thank you for wearing the crown" an offering of thanks to Jesus.

New friends were made, old friends were reconnected with, more people involved in worship, and the name of God lifted up.

Yeah, sometimes... it's great to be so wrong in what you think will happen, when seeing God at work is so awesome.

I won't be resigning this Monday. No way. No how.

Grace!

David

--
Visit with me at my blogs:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
http://davethepastor.vox.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/
http://www.mychurch.org/newhope

Who knew?

When I read the Bible, I sometimes come away confused.

Confused because I think that if I was THERE, living out the life of one of the people whose name is recorded on the pages - someone like Peter, or John - that I would be able to bring the story to greater heights and far more effectiveness.

Why?

Because I would GET IT.

See I have this tendency to look over the shoulder of someone like John and mutter, "you idiot. How can you see Jesus do these things over and over and still be so stoooopid. If I was there, I'd be putting up some parchment posters "Come see the Messiah. Bring the hurt, the injured, the broken-hearted. Their time has come."

I'd make it happen, because I can add. One dead son restored to his Mom = Son of God active RIGHT NOW! or one guy running around naked as a jaybird, cutting himself and throwing himself into the fire, meets Jesus, becomes whole, is healed = Messiah IS HERE - RIGHT NOW! FOLLOW HIM! LEAVE YOUR OLD LIFE AND COME! NOW!

Yeah, if I was there, I'd straighten those guys out. Cause I KNOW.

Well here's where I fall before God this morning, pleading for mercy and grace.

i know

and yet, I am silent...

far too often.

I assume, or pretend, or (to put the best possible spin on) I hope that the person with me at that moment knows.

but

what if

they don't.

Then we pick up the paper and turn to the obits, and read their name.

Who knew?

no...

who cared?

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Christ have mercy.

Here are some lyrics from the late Mark Heard, a fellow Maconite who understood.

There's an oasis in the heat of the day
There's a fire in the chill of night
A turnabout in circumstance makes each a hell in its own right

I've been boxed-in in the lowlands, in the canyons that think
I've been pushed to the brink of the precipice and dared not to blink
I've been confounded in the whirlwind of what-if's and dreams
I've been burned by the turning of the wind back upon my own flames

Knock the scales from my eyes
Knock the words from my lungs
I want to cry out
It's on the tip of my tongue

Speak words of hope into lives of quiet desperation. Tell of the One who gave you life - again. Let them know there is another path away from selfishness and greed toward sacrifice and significance.

Remember beloved, it's only good news if they hear it in time.

Grace!

David Wilson

--
Visit with me at my blogs:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
http://davethepastor.vox.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/
http://www.mychurch.org/newhope

Sparrows, Saints, and Sinners

We were walking down the sidewalk in Destin the other day, leaving one store for the next, on the hunt for some new walking shoes. Bunny and I have recently returned to walking and are enjoying it. On the way to the next store, I saw several sparrows darting in and out of the shrubbery. At first, I thought "well, here in Destin, if you can find anything not man made, good for you."

But then I looked again and saw that the reason they were there was because the Wild Bird store had placed a feeding station outside for them.

Inside that store, you can find anything you want to attract, feed, and care for wild birds. Birdhouses for every species, watering helps, and of course bird food in the varieties needed for the different birds. There are bird pictures, bird screensavers, bird statues, bird sweatshirts, bird clocks, even bird hats. If you love wild birds, that's your place.

When I thought about it later, I realized that there must be more to the owner's motivation than just profit. If money was all they were after, then why give away your products to sparrows?

Because they genuinely love wild birds.

Let me ask all the "church folks" a question if I could. If we say we love people just as they are, then how often do we find ourselves giving away that love outside our "store"? And how often do we give it away to people who like those sparrows most likely will never become "paying" customers?

It struck me today that most churches and church leaders look at a community and think, who can we reach to make our "business" prosper - grow bigger, take in more money, build more buildings, be more visible and known. Yet Jesus, instead of focusing His efforts on the movers and shakers in the community, went instead to the sinners, to the broken, to those who society wouldn't notice.

Or said another way, "the least of these."

If we genuinely want to follow Jesus, it's going to mean we find ourselves outside our "store", giving the love of Jesus in tangible ways to people who may not fit the model we have of someone we'd choose to love. To those who are hurting, addicted, broken, poor, and weak. People like that are the "sparrows" for us. Our test is this - are we in love with the idea of Jesus' power to change lives, or will we practice it?

44 "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
45 "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me— you failed to do it to me.'

Matt 25:44-45 (MSG)
Shalom,

David

--
Visit with me at my blogs:
http://davethepastor.livejournal.com/
http://davethepastor.vox.com/
Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/
http://www.mychurch.org/newhope

Small Victories

I spent some time last Tuesday in a sanctuary, met several ministers, and witnessed acts of amazing compassion and love. As a result, I thanked God. But it wasn't in a church when it happened.

I was in a public school.

Larry and JoAnn Smith and I were visiting Sandy Dye's class for the profoundly disabled to get some ideas on how we as a Christian Community can help Sandy and the rest of the staff as they care for the children. We were treated to some real entertainment as the kids had "circle time" where they react to music. Sandy took the time to explain the background of each child, and some history of where they were when they came, where they are now, and where the staff hopes they can progress to.

Watching Sandy as she talked about where a 10 year old was 6 years ago when she first met him, and where he is now, I could see her relive countless days of repetition. Hearing her talk when she described the circumstances during the first three years of his life that contributed to his problems, there wasn't a flash of hate at who did it, just an underlying sadness that accompanied her words. Then as the child was placed in his walker and made his way out into the larger room, her eyes gleamed with pride when she said "he's had that for three days now, and look how well he's doing!"

To be placed in Sandy's care, a child has to be "the least of these", with no real chance of becoming a productive adult. That does not mean however, that they live sad and meaningless lives. The smiles on their faces were real. And the joy of those who cared for them was too.

There's a chance that one of the kids on the other end of the school might one day grow up to be president of the US, or the inventor of a vaccine for cancer, or one could be the first person to set foot on Mars. Valparaiso Elementary is an amazing school with caring professionals who do a great job teaching kids how to learn and how to live as citizens. With the foundation the kids get, they could go to the heights of our society's achievements.

None of Sandy's kids will, but that's beyond her control. What she can control is what they receive from her, and that will always be love. Not a passive love by any means - she wants to see them progress, to be all they can be, and she can be tough if she needs to be - but she draws from a deep well of compassion and care.

The laughter of the children at play was infectious and their smiles were magical. For a few minutes we found ourselves clapping hands, stomping feet, and singing silly songs. Everyone needs a circle of joy like that.

Someone who would have felt right at home helping in Sandy's classroom once said that we should not ask to do great things for God, but we should ask Him to give us the ability to do small things with great love.

Sandy does that.

We can too. And I hope that New Hope's hearts can grow larger as we serve Sandy's kids.

Small victories, yes. But big impact.

On us.

We love, because He first loved us.
Grace!

David Wilson
New Hope!

Treasure In Uncommon Places

It is the week after the latest Harry Potter book came out. Many of us have read it already from cover to cover, enjoying a wild ride of fantasy. As a young boy, I read every Superman comic I could plead for, later enjoyed the works of Mark Twain, and others who took me to places and times I'll never inhabit - except through their prose.

As a pastor, over the years I have received different responses from people about the Harry Potter series when they found out I had read them all. And at times I've had questions from parents about whether their children should read them - those questions coming not because of what they knew personally about them, but what they had heard.

Well after finishing the last of the Harry Potter series, I'm not sure that as time goes by we might see theologians treating the books and their author much more kindly. For in this book I found words I have always treasured in the most uncommon places.

When Harry ventures back home to where his parents are buried, he comes across the gravestone of his mentor Dumbledore's mother and sister. The Mother was killed trying to protect the daughter from herself, and later the daughter died too. On the gravestone were these words.

Where your treasure is, there your hearts will be also.

This of course comes from Christ's words in Matthew 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt 6:19-21 (NIV)

Then Harry finds himself at the graves of his parents, who both died trying to protect him from an evil wizard, and the reader sees these words on their monument.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Coming again from Scripture - 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Cor 15:24-26 (ESV)

The themes of "the Greater Good", of sacrifice, of selflessness, of laying down your life for your friends run all through this last book. If you cannot see that, it's not that you have read too much fiction.

It's that you have read too little Scripture.

Reading for information isn't enough. You have to read the Bible with a sense of anticipation and wonder, relief and amazement that God - this God - the One and Only God - would sacrifice His One and Only Son - for you. And that through your love for Him, you would lay down your life for your friends - no matter what. You know you are flawed, but that He is able to use you to change lives for eternity. And you have to be convinced in your very soul that your life matters to God - that what you do matters. You have a part in the Big Story of God's reconciling the world to Himself.

If you can see that connection with your own life's walk, then it will be easy to spot it wherever it appears in any variation whether explicitly Christian or not - even in fictional books like the Harry Potter series.

I'm grateful for J.K. Rowling's work, and the treasures I found in The Deathly Hallows. But I'm immeasurably more grateful to the God who through the sacrifice of His sinless Son, gave me freedom from guilt and shame, a purpose for living, and the hope of eternal life with Him, when death will be destroyed and love triumph over all.

Shalom,

David

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

I always felt sorry for Ringo. All the other Beatles were stars, and frankly seemed to have so much more talent than Ringo that you had to wonder why he was there at all. It was years later before I learned that when it came to rock and roll drummers, Ringo was first rate. I guess he just didn't draw attention to himself. For Ringo it was about the band.

But a few years on in the amazing run of the Beatles, the boys let Ringo have a couple of turns at bat. And with "Yellow Submarine" and then my favorite "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends", Ringo stepped into the spotlight at last. But then just as quickly, he slipped back into his normal place. For Ringo, it was always about the band.

Yesterday was one of "those days" for me. You know the type. Something sets you off course and the dominoes of doom and gloom begin to topple toward you, one after another. I woke up knowing that New Hope was going to be missing at least 5 families. That might not sound like a lot, but these are folks who make a difference in lots of ways. Then we had "technical difficulties" with the copier, with a printer, and I misplaced the "clicker" I use to advance the powerpoint slides. It seemed like it was shaping up to be "one of those days."

And it was. One of those days you remember for a long time, simply because of the people you shared it with.

My first inkling that my "little help from my friends" was on the way was Aaron filling in for Michael Weech on the sounds and video. It was his first time serving there, so he might have had an excuse to be nervous. But when I dropped the news that he would have to change my slides too, it was "no big deal, be glad to."

Then there was our youngest praise team member, the incredible Miss Hope, who favored us again during the songs by joining the praise team. Not quite two, she brings a joy with her when she comes, and prods the rest of us to loosen up and let the Lord lead us. Not to mention she's as cute as can be.

Oh and the Blackmon family gave me a "little help from my friends" too. Romeo, baseball all star and 100% boy, came up with the praise team again and helped us lead worship. His sister Juliet closed the service with a lovely piece on piano as her offering.

That night when we met for small groups, I knew that most all of the men who normally attend wouldn't be there. And when I arrived it was John and Ian Anderson and me. So we shelved the planned discussion and talked about some other things. Ian asked me a question about whether he would wind up as one of those people "let outside the city, like in Revelation" if he liked science. After I answered that with a resounding no, he went on to tell me that he wanted to grow up and be a Christian science fiction writer, and encourage other Christians to write too.

It was at exactly that point that I thanked God for the day and for all the friends who helped me not just get by, but leave praising God for counting me worthy to be the pastor of a church named New Hope and people like these.

Maybe you are in one of those discouragement loops I was in Sunday. Maybe the dominoes of doom and gloom are headed your way. Let me encourage you to look around you and see how many ways God has blessed, is blessing, and will bless you though the people He's placed in your life.

This life was never intended to be a solitary assignment. We were made to trust in God, to follow His Son's example, and to get by with a little help from our friends.

12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Eccl 4:12 (NLT)

Thank you Lord Jesus, for the people you've placed in our lives as friends.

Grace!

David Wilson

A Glimpse of New Hope!: Nothing Says Welcome Like...

Nothing Says Welcome Like...

In the last two weeks, I've taken two trips to my hometown of Macon, Georgia. One was to honor my Mother-In-Love, and the other to honor my Aunt Geneva, who passed away. The route we take is well traveled, and I can pretty much drive it without thinking, or without really noticing the scenery. With the passing of each season, certain things change, but except for the crops, not much to catch your eye.

Except for the church with the razor wire fence.

That's right. Nothing says, 'Welcome' like chain link topped with razor wire.

No, I don't know the story behind it. Could be as a result of crime, but I doubt it, since the church less than a mile away hasn't seen the necessity of looking like Stalag 13. But it did get me to thinking.

What exactly do we (in churches that I have known) protect that does something similar?

Well, speaking personally, there's our parking lot. At times the Little League folks almost take over. Sometimes we are tempted to remind them just whose parking lot it is.

Or our clothing style. Now we're pretty relaxed for the most part, but we do have a thing about hats. No matter that any Jew would cover his head in the synagogue. In a Baptist church, kids wearing baseball hats are verboten. I have known folks at other churches get fried over some guy who showed up with a Budweiser shirt on. And there's the occasional "short shorts" some teenage girl who doesn't come to church often (if ever before) might be wearing.

Our decorum? I can remember a group of folks coming to a little church I once pastored. They came in and sat on the front row where only the ushers and occasional fill-in preachers sat. When I said what the Bible verses were I would be teaching on, they reached behind and grabbed pew Bibles and spent a couple of minutes trying to find the right pages. They were whispering while they helped each other. The looks on the faces of all the "saints" behind them weren't really very "saintly."

And if we've been in church a while, we've experienced someone who was a wee too expressive for our tastes in worship. You know - sang too loud, closed their eyes while they did it, maybe even swayed or lifted hands.

Yeah, nothing says You're welcome like chain link and razor wire.

Have we forgotten?

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8 NIV

I'm saying a prayer right now for all of us who build fences to keep people who need good news away. Will you join me in a prayer of confession? We might not have thought about it, probably didn't realize what our preferences said - so let's move away from them and toward the people who need the hope that we have.

Grace!

David