Pastor Dave’s Blog

I hope you come to this week’s service. I am excited about the passage and the concept that God is leading me through in my study of the passage. I am usually excited about the passage I get to teach but there is  something different about this week. Maybe it is the ‘counselor’ in me because I think the words of this week’s passage have a lot to tell us about healthy relationships.

The study this week is from Jeremiah, focusing on Chapter 31 but the story begins in Chapter 28. Throughout Jeremiah’s writings, he challanges the leaders and people of Israel to give up their stiff-necked and prideful ways before it is too late. Eventually though, it is too late. The nations of Israel and Judah are both carried off by warring nations. Not so fun so far, but in the face of all this travail, Jeremiah continues to tell the love story of God.  He promises, if the nation repents and responds with brokenness to God, God will restore the nation of Israel by gathering the faithful remnant of God from the corners of the earth bringing them back to the promised land. Very Cool.

 Jeremiah promises a new covenant, but . . . there is a clause.

The claiming of this new covenant, the enjoyment of the new covenant, the blessing of the new covenant . . . are dependent on the brokenness of the people. So this week we are diving into the deep end of the pool of brokenness. What does it look like?  Do I have it? Can I share it? Can I do it on my own or does God have to break me?

Final thought, God promises the Kingdom of God to those who are broken. I want the Kingdom - I wonder if I am willing to pay the price.

It is a heady time of the year for Denver area fans. I am a huge baseball fan; I follow the Rockies pretty (translate very) close. I was a believer way before they swept the Yankees this year and they followed that with an eight game losing streak. I’ve been wearing purple (so to speak) since ‘93. So I am enjoying this playoff run big time! 

 Yet . . .

In my old age I have developed a bit of a perspective. There is a tipping point where the things of this world just simply don’t seem to matter as much. Even sports. I like to think it is not all simply getting older and grumpy. I am aware that ‘jadedness’ and ’skeptism’ sometimes pass for ‘perspective’.  What I hope is that my growing perspective is built on a deepening understanding that there is nothing in the world that can satisfy me beyond some temporary thrill. The world and all that is in it is passing away. Even the Rockies are not here for the millenial long haul. Jesus is.

So . . .

This Thursday night - the first night of the National League Championship Series between the Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, I will be at a 4Cs marketing/web design think tank examining our church ‘electronic image.’ As you can maybe imagine, it is not an area of expertice for me. But it is very important, and I want our ‘public image’ to effectively reflect our ‘private hope’ that we have in Christ and Christ alone. So I will be at the meeting, not in front of the TV, mostly even joyfully. Because things seen are temporary but things unseen are eternal.

 And who knows, the game may still be on by the time we are done!

 Pastor Dave

Good morning!

I read an impressive quote this morning; not new perhaps but a very transformative idea I think. It reads like this:

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE; WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

There is so much in this hidden in this statement. It goes back to the ideas we spoke of on Sunday morning this past week. “Seeing things through the eyes of God” also means seeing myself through the eyes of God. I often get hung up in the temporary. I see the mistakes I make and the good things I didn’t get done. The broken promises and the failed efforts. Even the good things I do I say to myself “You could have done better . . . more.”  Then I remember that these thoughts have the oily fingerprints of the evil one smudged all over them. They are words of guilt and shame and fear. That is not GOd’s way; His way is to whisper love and grace. God sees me for what I really am; forgiven, loved and blameless in the covering blood of Christ. “Through the eyes of God” I can see that I am hidden with Christ in Heaven (Col. 3)and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me (Gal. 2). These words comfort me. They remind me of how God sees me now - not someday when I act better or someday when I get to heaven - but now! And that gives me courage to act the way I really am, as a spiritual eternal being facing a temporary human experience that is passing away. It won’t be long till He comes, and then we will really see the world through His eyes!!!  What a blessed day that will be!! 

The Lord Be With You,

Dave

The world of blogging seems to me a dangerous opportunity. Anytime a person just speaks off the top of their head it can be dangerous. Nevertheless, this communication form is a great way to have a conversation with many at once, something I long for in our church. Intimacy and connumication - even if we must relent to this electronic version of intimacy!

Over the next several weeks I will be sharing dangerous thoughts with you. Thoughts of God, reflections on what it means to “see the world through the eyes of God” . Dangerous not because this kind of reflection comes into contact with darkness, but just the opposite; dangerous because we can find ourselves face to face with God - and that is a dangerous and naked place to stand. So as often as I can, I will meet you here. Perhaps you were wondering what in the world I was thinking . . . now you will have a chance to find out!  Pastor Dave