That’s my son, Adam, in the video below.  We stopped by “Rita’s Italian Ice” (which is more addictive than crack, IMHO) and thought we’d let Adam try it.  As you can see from the video, he wasn’t sure that he liked it at first, but he kept going for more.  I think that even though his first reaction was negative, something inside him kept telling him, “Hey!  This is really good stuff.  Just hang in there and it will pay off!”  Eventually, it seems like a good thing to him.

Sometimes we may seem a bit like that with God and some of the ways that He instructs us in the Bible.  We may see a command or two of God as being “hard to swallow.”  At MJLifeChurch, one of our core values is that the Bible is our compass for living.  Sometimes when we first hear of something that God tells us to do, we try to push back.  It just seems contrary to everything that we’ve ever been taught.  We react a bit like Adam did in the video above.  We turn up our noses.  One example of this might be where the Bible talks about give our tithe, or 10% of our income.  Another might be where what God says contradicts our own “feelings.”

Once we walk with God for a while, it becomes evident that the One that made us actually does know a thing or two about how we can make our lives work best.  Psalm 1 tells us “blessed is the man…who’s delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law, he meditates day and night.”  God isn’t a cosmic killjoy, out to spoil our efforts to get ahead and have fun in the world.  His instructions and commands are actually for our good.

God doesn’t promise us an easy road.  In fact, Jesus said that “in this life, we will have trouble.”  It’s comforting to me to know that if I’m living in good times or in troubling times, I have a God that cares enough to give me instructions on how to navigate this life and make a difference at the same time.

Next time you're reading God’s Word and His commands are a bit tough to swallow, much like the “Rita’s Ice” was for my son Adam, trust Him and stay the course.  He not only sees the end of the journey, but also every one of your steps along the way.

We just finished our first Tuesday without LOST.  I made it through and looks like you did too.  6 years and now Jack is gone…  ugh!

One of the story lines on LOST, at least near the end, was determining what “Jacob” wanted the characters to do.  Sometimes he showed up but it usually wasn’t when Jack, Hurley and the gang was looking for him.  They always wanted to know what step they should take next.

Have you ever wished you could just pick up the phone, call God, and ask “Ok.  What do you want me to do with my life?”  Wouldn’t it be cool if He would just respond on the other end of the telephone with “Goeth to 129 Main Street and ask for a job” or “Thou Shalt break up with the one that thou datest.”  That would be cool.  We both know that it doesn’t work like that.

We want God to give us the BIG PICTURE but God usually works in small steps. In other words, most of the time He will tell us what to do, but it’s just the next step that we are to take in our life.  He doesn’t always show us the whole mapped out journey.  Until we take the last step that He’s told us to take, He won’t reveal the next one.

The step that He’s directed us to take may seem totally unrelated to what we’ve been asking Him too.  We may be asking Him about our vocation and His response, “You have to forgive your neighbor.”  We may think something is important and urgent but God knows what our next step needs to be and we would be wise to take the step that He puts in front of us.  If you feel like you’ve lost God’s will for your life, maybe you should go back to the place or step that you know for sure that you were in His will and go from there. That would be a good place to start.

The deal is, we can’t go to the place that God wants us to go to and stay where we are. We can’t be in two places at once.  Yes.  We get comfortable with our surroundings.  Comfortable with our life.  Should I say it…comfortable with our sin…  But if we are to go new places with God we have to leave the place where we are.  That may mean cutting relationships, telling someone about your sin, or literally moving to a new place.  Only you and God know what that means.

On LOST, the SMOKE MONSTER showed up at the most inopportune times.  I guess when you think about it, there really isn’t a good time for a visit by the SMOKE MONSTER.  The SMOKE MONSTER’S job was to destroy the island and the people on it.  In the same way, we have to keep our determination to complete the next step that God has told us to take.  We will get distracted, tempted, and wooed, but stay strong.  You’ll get there, but it’s not always about the destination.  It’s about the journey and how we did with the steps along the way. God wants to help you take the next step and He’ll always be there.  (That’s more than we can say about Jacob.  lol)

It seems like an oxy-moron doesn’t it.  I mean, Christians aren’t supposed to be grouchy but I know that I’m a Christ follower and I occasionally have to work on my attitude.  How do we get to that point?  Jesus was never grouchy, unless you call him grouchy when he threw the money changers out of the temple.  That was more of a “Holy” grouchy and Jesus can do that.  Sometimes even when we try the “holy grouchy” thing, we look more like we’re judgmental and self-righteous.  (Not always, but sometimes.)

Most of the time when a person has a bad attitude it’s a reflection of a selfish heart.  Don’t believe me?  What do we get bad attitudes about?

• “That person cut ME off in traffic!”
• (At Walmart) “I wish they would hurry up and open another checking lane.  I’m late!”
• “They didn’t treat ME fairly!”

What’s in the heart is usually reflected in our attitudes.  One of my favorite chapters in the Bible that sets me straight in my attitude is Philippians 2.  Paul tells us that we should have the same attitude as Jesus.  He tells us to put others needs and desires ahead of our own and to consider others as more important than ourselves.  Seems that we “Christians” are always willing to helps others.  It makes us feel better about ourselves, but what about when we have to personally sacrifice to help others?  Would we give someone our own lunch if it meant that we will go without?  Would we give up our place in line when we’re in a hurry?  It’s not much of a sacrifice when it doesn’t cost us anything.

I heard someone say recently, “Everyone wants to be a part of a revolution but no one wants to do the dishes.” What’s in our heart comes out in our attitude.  You say you’re a Jesus-follower?  He was a servant.  He did the “dishes” and he didn’t complain about the “unfairness” of the Creator of the Universe having to wash the feet of His own creation.

Finally, I’ll close with another message from Philippians 2.

14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe16as you hold out^[c^] the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.  Philippians 2:15

The NEV (New Eddie Version) says it like this:

“Since we’re Christ followers, let’s stop fighting and positioning ourselves for the best and let’s think of others as more important than ourselves.  Don’t complain and whine.  Grumpy Christians need to get over themselves. Get your heart right and your attitude will follow, as you become an example of Jesus to your family, neighbors, friends, and co-workers.”  Don’t be a “Christian Grouch!”

What do you think?

It was Friday. Jesus had just been crucified. The son of God, killed by men. The creator, put to death by those that He had created… How could he have just let them do it to Him? With one word from His lips the soldiers would have been obliterated, yet He kept quiet and endured the pain of the nails through his hands and feet. It was Friday, but Sunday was coming…

The disciples were crushed. They hadn’t understood that Jesus was going to give His life up. They had thought it would be different. They thought that he would be a worldly ruler. They thought He was their deliverer. Now he was dead and they were scared for their own lives. They were hiding in case the Romans decided to come after them too. Except for John, they didn’t even have the guts to come to the crucifixion. Their hopes and dreams were crushed and put to death with Jesus. This was Friday… but Sunday was coming.

Jesus enemies just knew that their plan had worked perfectly. They had gotten the crowd to ask for Barabbas, the murderer, instead of Jesus. He was messing with their religious system too much. How did this Jesus dare to put them in the same boat as the “sinful” people? The Pharisees and Sadducees had been successful in removing the “problem.” Jesus was gone. Game Over. It was Friday…. But Sunday was coming.

All the demons in hell were happy too. Now Satan really was the ruler of the Earth. Jesus, his threat, was gone and in the tomb. Better enjoy it now, big guy. You’ve got Friday and Saturday…. But Sunday is coming!

Guess what? Sunday is here. The stone holding him in the grave was rolled away. He is alive. The God that raised His only son from the dead is the same God that loves you enough to send that son to die. I might like you but I wouldn’t send my son to die for you, and I have three of them. God sent His only son to suffer and die because He loves us. He has made it possible, because of Easter, for anyone to have a relationship with Him. We just have to acknowledge our sin, ask forgiveness, and decide to live for Him. Happy Easter!