Matthew 21:12-15
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.' " The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
Perhaps one of the more famous stories regarding Jesus is the story of him clearing out the moneychangers in the temple. This story is one of my personal favorites. Why? Well, I believe that the vast majority of people that make a habit of sitting in a pew on Sunday morning would call this angry Jewish man a sinner if they did not already know that it was Jesus.
This story serves many purposes, but one is to show us that, as followers of Christ, there is such a thing as righteous anger. Also, this story turns the church's policy of saving face on its ear.
For me, this week, there is a more important element to this story. As we read the story, we see that Jesus, the Christ, completely unleashes on the moneychangers and essentially mops the floor with them. However, the scripture says that it was not until the religious teachers (read: hypocrites) saw the children praising His name that they became indignant.
This is just one story that illustrates the power of children's praise. As I watch the children of Cokesbury praise their God, I can't help but think how depressed Satan must be that another generation of God's children are fearless in praise and constant in prayer.
I have been truly awed.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The World's Greatest
Matthew 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Typically, I have the opportunity to lead youth in worship twice a week. However, this week, I have been leading our Vacation Bible School's worship sessions. If anything has struck me, it is the intense humbleness of children.
Children do not care how they sound when they worship; their worship is a worship that originates in their hearts and not in their mouths. When we lead youth services, we keep our amps in a closet at a reasonable volume. At VBS, we have our amps on stage and we keeping finding ourselves reaching for the volume knobs as the children's worship is dwarfing the sound coming from our amps.
I am truly honored to be taught by children.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Typically, I have the opportunity to lead youth in worship twice a week. However, this week, I have been leading our Vacation Bible School's worship sessions. If anything has struck me, it is the intense humbleness of children.
Children do not care how they sound when they worship; their worship is a worship that originates in their hearts and not in their mouths. When we lead youth services, we keep our amps in a closet at a reasonable volume. At VBS, we have our amps on stage and we keeping finding ourselves reaching for the volume knobs as the children's worship is dwarfing the sound coming from our amps.
I am truly honored to be taught by children.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Faith Like A Child
Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
In this passage, Jesus speaks of the idea that children could have access to more knowledge than their older, wiser counterparts. For us today, and even more so for Jesus' original audience, this seems a bit absurd.
However, tonight, I have witnessed this very thing. This year, 'Find The 01' has the privilege of leading worship for Cokesbury's VBS. It was evident from the stage that the children in the congregation knew something that our youth and adults seem to have forgotten: the simple fact that God loves us and gave up his son for us.
Worshiping with the children tonight took me back to seven years ago when I was first cutting my teeth in worship ministry by leading children's worship once a week. I believe that the blessing of leading those children gave me a clearer picture of what child-like faith truly is; and that God-given faith is what has carried me to the place that I am now.
Thank God for his children and for the truth that they know.
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
In this passage, Jesus speaks of the idea that children could have access to more knowledge than their older, wiser counterparts. For us today, and even more so for Jesus' original audience, this seems a bit absurd.
However, tonight, I have witnessed this very thing. This year, 'Find The 01' has the privilege of leading worship for Cokesbury's VBS. It was evident from the stage that the children in the congregation knew something that our youth and adults seem to have forgotten: the simple fact that God loves us and gave up his son for us.
Worshiping with the children tonight took me back to seven years ago when I was first cutting my teeth in worship ministry by leading children's worship once a week. I believe that the blessing of leading those children gave me a clearer picture of what child-like faith truly is; and that God-given faith is what has carried me to the place that I am now.
Thank God for his children and for the truth that they know.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
A Community of Loners
Genesis 2:18
God said, "It is not good for man to be alone."
It seems that since the very moment that God spoke these words, humans have been avoiding aloneness.
With every new wave of technology comes a new answer to the human condition of loneliness. First there was the postal service, then the telephone, then cell phones and e-mail, now Facebook and Twitter.
However, with all this technology that is supposed to be 'social', I found the results of a recent Strawpoll interesting. The poll asked users of Twitter if they considered themselves introverts or extroverts. The results were 72% introvert and 28% extrovert.
With that said, I wonder why no one markets their online startup like this: 'MyFaceTwit, the site for introverts.'
God said, "It is not good for man to be alone."
It seems that since the very moment that God spoke these words, humans have been avoiding aloneness.
With every new wave of technology comes a new answer to the human condition of loneliness. First there was the postal service, then the telephone, then cell phones and e-mail, now Facebook and Twitter.
However, with all this technology that is supposed to be 'social', I found the results of a recent Strawpoll interesting. The poll asked users of Twitter if they considered themselves introverts or extroverts. The results were 72% introvert and 28% extrovert.
With that said, I wonder why no one markets their online startup like this: 'MyFaceTwit, the site for introverts.'
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Prison Break
Acts 16:25-28
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
Acts 5:17-21
But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." they entered the temple and when they heard this, at daybreak and began to teach.
I think one thing we can get out of these two stories is that God has a specific calling and purpose for each of us. Even if two people are in identical situations, God may choose to act in two different ways. For example, God may miraculously heal one person, but not another.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here."
Acts 5:17-21
But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, "Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life." they entered the temple and when they heard this, at daybreak and began to teach.
I think one thing we can get out of these two stories is that God has a specific calling and purpose for each of us. Even if two people are in identical situations, God may choose to act in two different ways. For example, God may miraculously heal one person, but not another.
This does not mean that God loves one person more than another, but it does mean that God has a specific plan for each person. Although these plans are sometimes confusing, our job is simply to act according to how God has called us.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Dance-Off
Psalm 150:4
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!As I write, I am watching thirty of the most passionate and talented youth I have ever known. They are the SonShine Choir and they have spent the past week giving everything they have to the people of the Southeastern United States in hopes that Christ would be glorified. Tonight is their last night together before our homecoming concert tomorrow night. They are celebrating the week with a dance party.
Pray for us as we return home to deliver the message of the 'Made to Love Tour' in our home, Cokesbury UMC.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Supplements
2 Peter 1:5
Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, devotion, affection, and love.
As SonShine begins their 2008 tour, we hope that this tour will be a supplement to our faith. Please pray that we might have the knowledge and devotion to complete the tasks that God lays before us.
It is 11 p.m. and we are doing prized possessions. Tomorrow, we will be touring some Wesleyan historical sights, singing at Morningstar Treatment Services, and enjoying a little time on the beach.
Goodnight from Epworth.
Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, devotion, affection, and love.
As SonShine begins their 2008 tour, we hope that this tour will be a supplement to our faith. Please pray that we might have the knowledge and devotion to complete the tasks that God lays before us.
It is 11 p.m. and we are doing prized possessions. Tomorrow, we will be touring some Wesleyan historical sights, singing at Morningstar Treatment Services, and enjoying a little time on the beach.
Goodnight from Epworth.
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