Jesus and his friend Lazarus

I have fallen in love with the story of Jesus and Lazarus. There’s so much more to the story that we see at first glance. This is what we know from reading John 11, the only book in the New Testament that records Lazarus’ miraculous resurrection.

Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, were Jesus’ let your hair down friends. He would go there and hang out to rest and regroup after many of his journey’s and important times of ministry. They all just loved to be together; living life as friends.

So, it was strange when Jesus heard that Lazarus was really sick and about to die that he waited two full days before he left to go see him. When he got to their home, it was too late. Lazarus had already been in the grave for four days. Martha spoke to Jesus and told him that if he had been there, Lazarus would have lived. Mary spoke the same message.

Notice how much of this story is about timing. Jesus waited after hearing the message of Lazarus’ illness. Martha and Mary stated that “if he had come earlier, the outcome would be different.” They had faith to believe that Jesus could work a miracle if he was present, but couldn’t fathom how one would take place after Lazarus’ death.

None of it bothers Jesus, however, because he knows that they, along with his disciples, have an opportunity to step into a deeper realm of faith as they learn that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus told Martha, “You don’t have to wait for the day of heaven: I AM, today, right now, the Resurrection and Life.”

I AM: the same name that God gave to Moses when he asked who he was. I AM means that “I AM Eternal: I live today, tomorrow and yesterday.” I AM has the same interpretation as I WILL BE THERE.

God is timeless. He is the One who created time and he does not have to be bound by time as people do. Because he is timeless, Jesus was able to go to Bethany four days after Lazarus died and speak to an open grave telling it to give up its dead.

“LAZARUS, COME OUT!” Jesus shouted. Jesus knew that Lazarus would come out because Jesus is the Sovereign Lord over all creation: even death. He is not bound by time, by circumstances or by his character. His character is life and resurrection, and he demonstrated that very clearly by calling his friend from death to life.

Why do you think that Jesus chose to resurrect Lazarus? It could have been a host of reasons: he loved Lazarus and wanted more time with him; except in just days, Jesus himself would be laid in a grave. Maybe he didn’t want Martha and Mary to become destitute as they would without their brother’s provision. Perhaps it was to demonstrate to the doubters that He was truly God.

I wonder, however, if Jesus chose to resurrect Lazarus as a message to those that he loved. He knew that in just a few days time his friends would be suffering beyond description when they saw him hang from a cross and die. He wanted to assure them that he was I AM and in that he was the same yesterday, today and forever. His character, his name and his timing transcends all boundaries, making it possible for Jesus himself to move from death to life, destroying forever his enemy of death.

Where are you challenged to believe that Jesus is the same today as he was at Creation or when he walked the earth?

Do you believe that he is present with you, even when you can’t see him?

Do you believe that he cares about your heartache and grief as much as he did Martha and Mary’s broken heart?

Do you believe that he can raise the dead, just as he did with his friend Lazarus?

We have an invitation to know Jesus beyond the boundaries of what we can see. Faith is being sure of what we hope for: certain of what we cannot see. Take some time this week to consider the story of Jesus and Lazarus and ask your loving Father to show you the heart behind what took place.

As you experience more of the Father’s heart for you, then take courage and ask the questions of where you struggle to believe beyond what you can see. Identify with Mary and Martha in their limited eyesight, until they fully experienced the GREAT I AM RESURRECTING THE DEAD!

Kingdom Partnerships: Bread of LIfe Mission

Thursday night I got a call from an employee at the Bread of Life Mission. They had just seen our flyer about Easter at Occidental Square that day and realized that we were both throwing a party at the same time, same day and almost same location!

Many organizations would have just said, "Oh well, that's too bad," but Bread of Life Mission responded in a kingdom way. They called Missio Lux to see how we could partner together for the day instead of competing against one another.

We set up a conference call for the very next day. When we spoke, without being asked, Bread of Life Mission fully laid down their plans to support Missio Lux' plans. They recognized the work that we had done at Occidental Square before and wanted to bless us this Easter.

They went the extra mile by not only cancelling their event so their men could attend ours, but offered to let us use the rest rooms in their building (always a challenge to find a restroom), borrow their chairs and even make us a jello salad for the day.

I knew in that conversation that the relationship between Missio Lux and Bread of Life Mission will continue to grow and flourish because we have mutual respect for one another and the work that we are doing; we have the same desires: for people to know Jesus loves them through action, and we have enjoyed partnering together in the past.

They invited Missio Lux to join them for another Celebration on Memorial Day. They are going to honor homeless veterans with a big BBQ and party. I would love to be there....who knows what God is going to do next?

Following Jesus to Jerusalem: Thoughts on Holy Week, Part 2

A new Barna survey came out recently. George Barna tracks cultural and spiritual trends in the United States. The focus for the latest survey was our understanding of Easter.

The results were insightful in that although a majority of Americans indicated a spiritual connection with Easter, only 42% could point to the meaning of Easter being about the resurrection of Jesus and only 2% said that they would describe Easter as being the most important holiday of their faith.

That comes down to just 1 in 50 adults understanding that the central point of our faith is that Jesus came to earth with an intentional mission to give his life as the final and eternal sacrifice for sins, so that we are given life instead of the death we deserve.

Let’s unpack this some more. We are currently in Holy Week: this is the last week of Jesus’ life where he entered Jerusalem with a cheering crowd and ended up just five days later hanging on a cross because of a jeering crowd. In between the Palm Parade and his crucifixion, he was anointed with oil for his burial by a woman who crashed a party, he went into the temple and angrily cleared it out of all the commerce and materialism, he was sold out by one of his 12 disciples, he shared the Passover feast with his disciples a day early, and he was arrested in a garden with great fanfare, being kissed by the one who betrayed him.

Did you realize that the four books in the Bible about Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, include at least 25% of their content about this week? Jesus lived for 33 years, ministered for 3 and yet, the majority of the writings in the Gospels are about the last week in his life? It must be pretty important.

Why?

Once again, we have to go back to the Garden of Eden where life with God began. When Adam and Eve broke God’s boundary, the punishment was eviction from the Garden but the grace included an animal killed so that its sacrificial blood would pave the way from Adam and Eve to God to stay in relationship.

Animal sacrifices continued to the time of Jesus as the Israelites pathway to relationship with God. They had to travel to the holy city of Jerusalem to make the animal sacrifices, as well as having strict criteria about the type and condition of the animal.

God always knew that eventually the sacrifice would become his son. He was willing to make his own sacrifice because his desire for relationship with us is that great. Imagine that. So, Father and Son planned to do the unimaginable.

Jesus became human so that he would join us on earth to demonstrate that his father isn’t one who stands apart from his creation but is actively involved in it. He came as a helpless baby so that he would know the struggles that we all encounter. Jesus lived a sinless life, however, so that he could become the “perfect lamb of God for sacrifice.”

We need to be clear. Jesus did not get killed. Jesus gave his life in sacrifice. It wasn’t easy, in the hours before his arrest the Scriptures tell us that he dripped blood in agony of the anticipation. He asked for a way out. His Father did not give him one: this had been their plan for all eternity.

So, Jesus walked the road to the crucifixion. He endured whippings, humiliation, mocking, nakedness, betrayal of the people he came to save, taunting from one of the thieves hanging next to him, and finally, the silence of his Father as the totality of the worlds’ sins came upon him and he gave up his life in death.

Creation knew that something big had happened. Matthew tells us that the earth shook, rocks splits apart and tombs opened bringing the bodies of godly men and women back to life. The temple curtain tore in two from top to bottom on its own. And, secular guards knew at that moment that Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 27:50-54).

A hidden disciple came out into the open and took Jesus’ body and laid it in a new cave for burial. Guards were posted day and night in case Jesus’ friends would want to steal his body and lie about it. The tomb was sealed.

A faithful group of women came to the tomb as soon as the Sabbath was over; early Sunday morning. They came to an open, empty tomb. The disciples Peter and John saw the empty tomb. The women encountered an angel who gave them this life changing message, “Don’t be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has been raised from the dead!” (Matthew 28:5-7).

What does this mean for people today?

We deserve punishment for our sins of unbelief in who Jesus is and our disregard for God’s laws for life. We deserve to lose our access to the One True God in relationship. The Bible tells us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

But, because Jesus made the journey to Jerusalem towards the cross, we are invited to live life with him and to have a life of meaning on earth and for eternity in heaven. We are given the awesome invitation to partner with God in restoring and redeeming the earth and the people in it. We have the third person of the Trinity living in us: the Holy Spirit who gives us power to live out our faith so that we can do the things that Jesus did.

The pathway is simple: Romans 10:9 tells us that “If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.”

Making a decision to follow Jesus is about surrender. It is about acknowledging that we are not in control of our lives and that Jesus is and making the invitation to live life connected to him.

Take a moment now to consider if you have ever made the invitation to make a life with Jesus. If you have, thank him for the opportunity to share life with the One who created life, who created you!

If you haven’t, don’t miss out on the invitation. Respond with a yes in your spirit and then with your mouth, tell someone about your decision!

Easter is about new birth; let’s celebrate what our Heavenly Father purposed since the beginning of time by sending his beloved Son to die in our place.

Fliers and Prayer Go Together

I just got back from Occidental Square. I took Rosemary, a Missio Lux Healing Prayer Minister, with me for the task of passing out fliers and hanging posters for our Easter Celebration at Occidental Square in Pioneer Square Seattle.

I knew that Rosemary should come because she has a natural gift for praying for people whereever she goes. She knows Jesus as healer and she offers to pray for anyone who desires to be healed, or saved, or both!

We went to all the shelters around Occidental Square: Bread of Life Mission, Union Gospel Mission, Compass Center and Chief Seattle. We also visited some of the local businesses and asked them to hang our posters, as well as offering to pray for their business! Some of the recipients looked dubious but no one said no.

We met one man named Cowboy Bill. He told us that he had a blood clot on his leg and he needed to use a wheelchair because of it. We asked how we could pray for him, and he told us "he needed his wheelchair back." Rosemary said, "I'd like to pray that you don't need the wheelchair anymore because God healed you."

So, we did. We prayed for his leg to be healed and for the blood clot to go. Cowboy Bill thanked God for the healing in faith. Then he gave us both hugs.

I said that I hoped he would come to Easter at Occidental with a testimony of God's healing power in his life and leg!

I just love being in Pioneer Square in Seattle. There is something that draws me there. There are a lot of poor and disenfranchised people but almost everyone that we meet knows Jesus. They live with him on a moment to moment basis because they have no other umbrella to hold them up.

Speaking of umbrella's, my prayer is that they won't be necessary this Easter after the major deluge of rain that we experienced last year!

Fireworks at Healing Prayer Worship Service

I've had a new experience lately with the Lord. When he is really pleased about something, it's like fireworks go off in my mind! I see the sparkle and hear the boom and it feels like July 4th all over again: one of my very favorite holidays.

I experienced the fireworks on Tuesday at the Missio Lux Healing Prayer Worship Service.

This is why: the entire service is planned, led and set up and cleaned up completely by God's people. I came at the time to pray and the room was set up for prayer stations and with athestics to prepare an atmosphere of worship. The band was practicing.

I joined in a circle of prayer which was led by one of our Prayer Team leaders, Muffie. The circle continued to get bigger and bigger as prayer member after prayer member arrived to prepare themselves to be God's vessel for healing that night.

The two prayer team leaders came around the circle with communion, serving it to all of us.

As we worshipped, heard Larry's powerful testimony of his Lazarus resurrection, and then broke into teams to pray, I couldn't contain my joy. I knew that Jesus was so pleased with what takes place, watching committed people who can't wait to get there each month to pray, and knowing that they were doing it out of their calling and their passion.

This is Missio Lux. The people of God following their divine design and fueled by their passion and God's power, reaching out in missio to serve the world.

If you haven't ever attended a Missio Lux healing prayer service, I would encourage you to come. We meet on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the Pine Lake Covenant Sanctuary at 7 p.m.

It's a chance to make space for God in a comtemplative setting and to receive prayer for whatever you desire.

I hope that the fireworks never stop in this ministry; God is showing up and showing off his wonderful heart for the people he created!

Following Jesus to Jerusalem: reflections on Holy Week

The paradoxes surrounding Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem continue to astound me!

A king would arrive with a great entourage of white horses and soldiers with a road perfectly groomed for his arrival.

Jesus arrived on a borrowed donkey that had never been ridden.

A king would sit in a spectacular saddle upon his majestic horse.

Jesus sat on his discples’ coats.

A king would have a military band playing announcing his arrival.

Jesus came amidst of the shouts and singing of people declaring “Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven,” while they waved palms which they broke off from the trees.

It seems that the people who praised Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that day recognized that Jesus was a King, even though he didn’t have all the appearances and trappings that all kings carry.

They recognized that Jesus was a king because of “what he does” rather than what he owns or wears.

Luke 19:37 tells us that the people worshipped Jesus because of all the miracles that he had done. This is the Kingdom of God in action: God’s divine activity and invasion onto earth!

The disciples must have been bursting with pride to see their leader being praised and worshipped by the adoring crowds that lined the streets. Their dream of seeing Jesus build his kingdom was coming closer.

Except they were looking for the wrong kingdom.

The disciples still believed at that point that Jesus was going to bring political and military freedom to the Jews. Surely the crowds meant that was going to happen—they would help to accomplish it.

I am continually amazed that as people who follow Jesus we think we get it when we are really so far away from what he intends for us.

Jesus had no intention of lining up an army to fight the Romans.

As a matter of fact, just around the bend from the parade, Jesus burst into tears. He spoke these prophetic words over Jerusalem: “I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. And, now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you. They will crush you to the ground and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you have rejected the opportunity that God offered you.” (Luke 19:41-44). Jesus knew that the Israelites were rejecting the true king, even though many of them worshipped him as he entered the Holy City of Jerusalem for his final week on earth.

What can we learn from Jesus’ triumphal entry on Palm Sunday?

First, that God is often hidden in the most unlikely of places.

We may go to our comfortable pews on Easter morning looking for Jesus but actually find him when we share lunch with a homeless person. We may look for Jesus in our Bible Studies, but actually find him as we work out a conflict with our co-worker. We may look for Jesus in our political association but actually find him through serving our neighbor whose lifestyle is radically different than our own.

Second, following Jesus means that we take the role of a servant.

Jesus tells us that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to offer his body as a sacrifice for many.” (Mark 10:45). He continually modeled to his disciples the role of a servant rather than a hierarchical leader.

Finally, following Jesus often leads us into a place of suffering.

Jesus knew throughout his whole life that he had come to die. He invites us to follow in his example by taking the narrow road of life and carrying our own cross: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (Luke 9:23-25).

Friday I went to the Christian Ministry Convention. I went to hear a speaker that invited me, but I was overwhelmed by my reaction when I entered the building. I had the immediate sense that I was with Jesus at the temple when he reacted in anger over how they had made his Father’s home a market.

I also had a sense that many well intentioned people were present believing that they were following Jesus, but I wondered is if they would ever hear his words of invitation to follow him with our own cross to the place of suffering. And, if they did, would they have the courage to follow him?

We cannot fully celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter without first acknowledging the price he paid. Jesus didn’t rise to life without first dying the most horrible death imaginable.

My invitation to you this week is to spend some time reading the final chapters of the Gospels as you hear Jesus’ words of challenge to us that “in dying we find life.”

Consider this passage as you meditate on what it is that he is urging you to let die so that he can bring it miraculously to a place of great life:

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:23-26

Celebrate Recovery Leads Sunday Worship Service at Pine Lake Covenant

Celebrate Recovery is a kingdom ministry that is led jointly between Missio Lux and our parent church, Pine Lake Covenant. The CR Leadership Team is pictured: an amazing group of people committed to living a Jesus lifestyle of freedom with a call to help others live in freedom too!

Sunday, Celebrate Recovery led the worship service as people of both congregations came together to experience a rather typical Monday night gathering at Celebrate Recovery.

Our goal in doing this was to help both faith communities to understand that Celebrate Recovery is for all of us. It's not for the "people over there" but for all of us who struggle with hurts, habits and hang ups in our lives that keep us from fully living the full and meaningful life that Jesus invites us to live.

We started by worshipping with the Rag Band: a team of 5 very gifted musicians who actually write recovery songs that help all of us to realize that if Jesus were here today; he would totallay be hanging out at Celebrate Recovery because their values are his values.

Next Bruce and Bill led us in the discovery of both the typical 12 steps and the 8 comparisons that come from the Beautitudes in Matthew 5.

Diana gave a powerful testimony of how God has worked to open her eyes from the denial and co-dependency that ruled her life.

Kim and Chas finished by giving a lesson on denial-the first step: recognizing that our lives have become unmanagable without turning to God. Denial as an acrostic says this: "Disables our feelings. Energy lost. Negates healing. Isolates us from God. Alienates us from relationships. Lengthens the pain."

We ended by praying the Prayer of Serenity:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr

Where do you want more serenity in your life? What hurts, habits and hangups are keeping you from connecting with God and others in your life?

Celebrate Recovery meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. at Pine Lake Covenant in Sammamish, WA, but check their website for one near you if you are too far to come to the Eastside of Seattle:

http://www.celebraterecovery.org/