Bruised Reeds

Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…

Let’s face it, life is difficult sometimes. After just a brief survey of the scriptures, any young disciple will quickly realize that trials are inevitable in anyone’s life, whether that person is a Christ-follower closely abiding or a vehement unbeliever dead in their sins. And it also becomes clear that we are to rejoice in the midst of trials because they are in our lives for a defined purpose that God will ultimately work for good, including our maturity and growth. There are seasons of sowing and seasons of reaping, and moments of pain and tears that sometimes make us forget the moments of laughter and peace and joy.

Jesus brings us comfort in tragedy and literally gives us His peace. This is not the peace that the world advertises. Worldly peace is usually either a forced cease-fire or simply ignoring all the terrors around us through a sideshow of entertainment and pleasure. But Jesus affords us true peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding and exceeds all human wisdom and doesn’t seem to be proportionate to our circumstances. He offers this peace to us everyday.

Jesus promises not to break a bruised reed. Every Sunday our chairs here at Calvary Chapel are filled with bruised reeds, people who have been beaten up all week by the world, their sin, shame, guilt, condemnation, temptations, fear, injustice, persecution, and hatred. God knows our vulnerability and our weakness. He promises to give us sufficient grace and even strength in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and to allow us to walk, run, and even soar in life without losing our spiritual vitality (Isaiah 40:30-31).

God also promises not to snuff out a smoldering wick. We’ve all gone to douse out a candle in the house, and sometimes we approach a barely-lit wick that is about to flicker out. That certainly describes life for some of us: where a brightly burning fire should be, there is just the faintest bit of combustion and one more bad day is all it will take to turn us to ashes! There are many whose passion for God is simply outward, going through the numb motions but lacking true intimacy and fervor because their hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8). Others get disillusioned and doubt their faith and their lamp is just a question away from being extinguished. But Jesus won’t quench the fire. He wants to fan it into a flame that will blaze with fervent heat as we rest in His grace and truth.

We as a church have an enormous opportunity during this difficult season to live what we’ve been exhorted to for so many years: to be a body that truly cares for one another and builds up those who are struggling and weary. Let’s model what Jesus gave the world as our commercial: that they would know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35).

Pilgrim

20 Questions

I picked up a "20Q" handheld game yesterday to try and stump the omniscient computer that can supposedly guess whatever you are thinking within 20 questions or less. I wasn't expecting to blog about what happened, but some of life's biggest surprises can come in moments of low expectations!

I decided to pick in my mind "the church", the gathering and scattering of God's chosen people bought by His blood and sent for His name to be salt and light on the earth (I figured that would be harder to guess than "Ketchup"). What blew my mind was the questions that 20Q began to ask:
"Can it be heard?"
"Do you find it in a house?"
"Is it comforting?"
"Do you use it in the dark?"
"Does it affect you?"
"Can it change size?"
"Is it worth money?"
And my favorite: "Is it colorful?"

At Question 21, after admitting defeat, the 20Q game didn't relent. It tried some last ditch questions:
"Does it move?"
"Is it a source of energy?"
And finally, 20Q's best guess was: "Is it a FIRE?" What an apt description of what the church SHOULD be. The scriptures tell us that 'our God is a consuming fire', and that our lives and bodies should be a living sacrifice, a burning offering given to Him for His glory and our good.

May our hearts burn within us as we spend time with Jesus, and may the church spread like wildfire in these dark days of apathy and confusion.

Pilgrim

Organic Evangelism

Extended Notes from Pilgrim's Teaching this week: Click Here

Weary of Intercession

Whenever we see tragedy or suffering or pain in the life of someone we care about, initially there should always be "spontaneous intercession". I am compelled to immediately turn to my heavenly Father when any overwhelming situation comes into the life of a friend or family member. But does this ever grow tiring?

In Jesus' parable of the persistent widow, He commends this woman for her example of stubborn persistence for mercy. We too should have the same relentless struggle as we wrestle in prayer for those around us bound in drugs, porn, pride, and selfishness. We should be in agony on our knees for marriages that are struggling, houses that are being lost to financial ruin, and diseases that are wreaking havoc on faithful saints. But too often we lose sight of the reality of long-suffering, and believe a simple prayer here or enough faith there will evoke relief, repentance, or a reversal of adversity.

Jesus was literally sweating drops of blood before facing the excruciating pain and torment of death by scourging and crucifixion. And He asked His disciples to stay alert nearby and pray with and for Him. Their response is no different than ours: they fell asleep. May we rise up from resting on our backs in sluggish spiritual posture, to falling hard on our knees as we bear one another's burdens in prayer.

Pilgrim