Credit

"When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, 'You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?'"

(Acts 3:12)

Peter & John are on their way inside the temple and they see a lame beggar.  They offer him healing in Jesus' name, and he is healed!  He then follows them inside, praising God.  It causes quite a stir (as you could well imagine), because everyone knows this guy from passing him all the time!  Peter uses the attention to preach.  He begins by making sure God gets the credit.  "Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we made him well?"

How humble & insightful.  It's not our power, but God's!  And we're not "all that and a bag of chips," either.  We're not "holier-than-thou."  We're not super-believers.  It's all God.  It's all Jesus.  We're just the instruments God chooses to use.

We pastors have a lot to learn form this (and it's not that we can heal like Peter & John, if only we'll have enough faith).  I think it's human nature to want to take credit for all the good stuff we're a part of.  But really, it's all God.  Seriously.  I'll try to do a better job of giving credit where credit is due!

SCANDAL... redeemed!

"What does it matter?  Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice."

(Philippians 1:18)

A few years ago, Hillsong produced a very powerful song, 'HEALER.'  It speaks of how God is everything one needs - and can heal anything (or anyone) who's broken, sick, etc.  In the height of the song's popularity, scandal broke out.  The man who wrote & performed the song (a Church leader in Australia) needed an oxygen tank to sing it, as he was suffering from a debilitating & life-threatening disease.  It was quite moving to hear his testimony & see his determination to praise God in the midst of his challenges.  What was scandalous, however, was the shocking realization that he wasn't really sick at all... he was making it all up for effect!  Not only that, but people had been giving him donations to help with his medical bills & treatment.  Ouch.  Fraud.  Manipulating & misleading the faithful for personal gain.  Yikes.

I remember feeling guilty still liking the song.  As if the sin in which the song was birthed was supposed to negate its message.  But I couldn't help it.  It was a great song ("I believe You're my healer.  I believe You're more than enough for me.  Jesus, You're all I need!").

In my reading today from Philippians 1, Paul gives me permission to not feel guilty about this song!  He was writing to the believers in Philippi, telling them his recent imprisonment has actually given him MORE opportunities to share the gospel with others!  Not only that, but other people have been proclaiming the gospel in an attempt to prolong Paul's suffering.  I don't know the details, but Paul assures us that their hearts are NOT in the right place.

"BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER," Paul continues.  Whether God is proclaimed through pure or impure motives doesn't matter.  The bottom line is that GOD IS PROCLAIMED.  Period.  God is big enough to use whatever testimony is made to change hearts!

So it's okay to like the song, "Healer."  Who knows, God might even heal the one who took his name in vain by creating this song in deception?!  For Jesus is indeed more than enough for us all.  (Amen to that!)

Scarred People

"Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side."

(John 20:19b-20a)

They'd abandoned him. Fled. Deserted. Ran in fear. And now they were locked away in hiding. Crushed with guilt, fear & uncertainty. So when Jesus appeared to the disciples on the evening of his resurrection, he met a group of people in desperate need of consolation.

What was going through their minds that night, I wonder? "How could we have left him like that?" (Remembering Jesus' arrest, trial & crucifixion - but they were nowhere to be found!) "Is this his ghost, come back to haunt us?!?" "We don't deserve to live!"

Jesus knew. Everything. So the first words out of his mouth were: "Peace be with you!" NOT... "How could you?" or "I'm so disappointed..." or even, "If only..." But, "PEACE!" And then he showed them his scars from the crucifixion. He showed them the signs of the pain he had endured. Presumably to prove that he wasn't a ghost, but it was really him. And the scars changed everything. They knew it was Jesus. And they rejoiced!

I once heard a speaker say that likewise, God can use our scars and wounds to bring comfort to others in need. Which is kind of an amazing thing, don't you think? Those painful chapters from our own history... those times we either messed up big time... or got hurt by others... (or both!)... God can, down the road, use those experiences to bring comfort to others. If only we can get past the "why me?" stage. "Peace be with you," Jesus says.

No one likes scars. Whether external or internal, we know they're there. But God brings healing and new life to scarred people. We're all scarred people (sometimes even scared & scarred at the same time). "Peace be with you," he says TO us. "Peace be with you," he says THROUGH us. Wow.

Just imagine... how God might use your scars and wounds for good...

AMEN.

Reconciliation

[From May 14th]

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us."

(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Reconciliation. It presupposes two people have grown apart. Painfully. Damage has occurred. Reconciliation brings healing and restoration. That's god's "BIG PICTURE." Humankind has grown apart from God because of how we've grown apart from each other. No amount of "Turn from your sin" messages!" from the prophets had made a significant difference. We may have wanted to change, but often found ourselves sinking back into sin.

So God sent Jesus. To love. To live. To show us how we were created to relate to each other. And he came to forgive. To pardon. To reconcile. Everyone. The World. To Himself.

But that's not all. Now we're called to carry the torch. To share "the ministry of reconciliation" with others. Not only reonciliation with God, but also with one another. They go hand in hand. How might my day (life?) change if I made reocnicliation a priority? How about yours?

Total Wellness

[From Saturday, 12/6/08]

"When (Jesus) saw (the 10 lepers), he said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were made clean."
(Luke 17:14)

Jesus encounters ten lepers one day who beg for mercy (keeping their appropriate "safe distance," of course). They recognize him and call him by name. Did they anticipate healing? or merely want alms from the master? The Bible doesn't say. It does, however, note that at Jesus' command they went to show themselves to the priest. AND AS THEY WENT they were "made clean." In their obedience to Jesus' words, they were healed of their leprosy. Physically, their bodies were restored. What a gift!

But the story doesn't end there. One of the 10 returns to Jesus, praising God. A Samaritan, no less (not held in high regards by most Jews at that time!). And Jesus makes one more proclamation: "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well." He was already healed. But in his thankfulness and praise, something else happened. He was "made well." His spirit was restored. He moved beyond mere physical healing and achieved (no, was given as a gift!) total wellness. Wow.

PRAYER: Oh God, as I pray for people to be healed, may I also be praying for their total wellness. And remind me daily that I need a spirit of thankfulness in all that I do! AMEN.

River of LIFE

"On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

(Ezekiel 47:12)

I first heard about this amazing "river of life" at a Chris Tomlin concert. He sang a song called "Dance in the River." He told us that it was from an OT passage that talked about a holy river that gave life to everything it touched. This is that river.

What was interesting to me, however, is the fact that the river originated at the Temple in Jerusalem. Evidently, there was an underground spring that surfaced under the Temple. So while God created the water that brought life and healing, the church (temple) was the place from which that flowed. As it should be!

I just prayed for a group of 30+ people walking from my church to downtown Honolulu today. It's the 10th day in a 10-day "Walk the Talk" journey around the island on foot - to raise money and awareness for homelessness. I won't attempt to take credit for any part of this amazing project (my friend, Utu Langi, is the leader!)... but it was great to see so many from my congregation bring food last night to share with the walkers (plus a few came back this AM to make breakfast for them - as they slept over at the church!). The vision of Ezekiel is how it should be. The church SHOULD be the place where life-giving & healing waters flow. When we "get it right," this indeed happens. When we don't, it doesn't.

PRAYER: Lord, send healing waters out from our church - not just for those who come to worship here, but for ALL in the larger community & world. You are too powerful for us to keep to ourselves. Use us to bless Aiea and beyond. AMEN.

Broken Healing

[NOTE: This was from 11/8... catching up!]

"Mortal, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, so that it may become strong to wield the sword."
(Ezekiel 30:21)

I know the focus of this passage is supposed to be God's judgment on the Egyptian Pharaoh. Metaphorically, his "arm was broken"... his power & authority damaged. And it will not return to normal, says God. No healing will come. That's the message. But I heard something else today...

I heard a word of HOPE! I heard the truth behind an injury: if treated well, an injury can heal! As painful and devastating as a broken arm may be (whether literally or metaphorically), it can return to full strength! This is a word of encouragement to those in the midst of trauma/struggles. It's a call to make sure a "broken body part" is "set" correctly - that safeguards, accountability, rest & proper healing are put in place.

Whether it's in my life, my family, or the larger AUMC "Ohana," I have a responsibility to help ensure the proper healing & recovery for those with broken "limbs." God provides the healing... but there can be healing!!

PRAYER: As painful as it may be at the time, LORD, help me to make sure all things broken can heal correctly. AMEN.

A Parent Remembers...

"Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them."
(Hosea 11:3)

God's words to Israel via Hosea begin in chapter 11 with a parent/child metaphor. "When Israel was a child, I loved him" says the LORD. God remembers teaching His people "how to walk"... holding them "in my arms"... even feeding them (v.3-4). Yet they were unaware of just what that early relationship brought: HEALING!

Any parent can daresay remember similar events in the lives of their children: their birth... learning to crawl, walk & run... first words... games we used to play with them... (and mothers will especially remember feeding times, I imagine!). We remember how we put them to bed when they needed rest... changed them when they were dirty... fed them when they were hungry... took them to the doctor for "well baby checkups" and immunizations... consoled them when they cried. In short, we brought health & healing to them... despite the fact they were too young to really know (& understand) what was happening.

God laments when we "can't remember" the many ways He's cared for & healed us over the years. We are (I am!) so clueless (forgetful?) sometimes. For that, O LORD, forgive me. Thank you for your love for me from the very beginning. It has truly transformed my life. Every once & a while I "get it." Today is one of those days! AMEN.