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COME ON IN!

12/20/2018

 
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I love the many stories that are told and retold at this time of year. Stories that stir up the spirit of Christmas in our hearts. I especially like the stories that describe Christmas as seen through the eyes of a child.

One such story is told about the night of the Children’s Christmas Play at a small church. They didn’t have an outstanding sound system, or great lighting. And their drama set left much to be desired. However, they had rehearsed diligently for the special presentation and were ready to tell the story of Christmas.

The four and five-year-olds were first on the program. Little Joseph and Mary, dressed in their older brother’s and sister’s bathrobes, came down the aisle. On the platform a large door had been placed to represent the entrance of the Bethlehem Inn.

Little Joseph, as he had rehearsed his part, stepped up to the door and knocked as hard as he could. Momentarily, the door opened and another little boy representing the Innkeeper said, “Can I help you?”

Joseph politely replied, “You sure can. We need a room.” Right on cue, the Innkeeper responded, “Sorry, there’s no room in the inn,” and slammed the door shut. Even though the audience knew the story, the slamming of the door was a harsh shock. How can you slam the door on a man whose wife is in that condition?

As instructed, Joseph knocked a second time. Again the door opened and Joseph said, “My ‘gespoused wife’ (you don’t always get the pronunciation right at five years of age) needs a room.” Again the Innkeeper said, “Sorry, no room in the inn,” and slammed the door shut.

At this point, Joseph and Mary were supposed to go to the stable. But little Joseph had done some rehearsing on his own. Going off-script he knocked on the door a third time. This wasn’t supposed to happen. After a  prolonged pause, the door slowly opened and a surprised Innkeeper looked out. With all the force a five-year-old can muster, Joseph said, “My wife is going to have a baby and we need a room right now!”

The little Innkeeper didn’t know what to do. He looked for guidance, but none was to be found. Turning back to Joseph and Mary, he said with a note of hesitation, “I’m not supposed to do this but, oh well, come on in!”

Now, I don’t know how they got to the stable and the manger from there, but when I came across this story I thought to myself, “Why not?” For over two-thousand years we have been slamming the door shut, relegating the Christmas story to the stable. I encourage you to go off-script this year and invite Christmas to happen in your heart.​

It isn’t Joseph knocking at the door of the Innkeeper. It’s Jesus knocking on the door of your heart. We know what the Innkeeper did. Rewrite the story. Open the door and invite Jesus to “Come on in!”


Pastor Todd Weston

WHAT DO I LACK?

12/13/2018

 
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It’s a strange sensation. I’ve experienced it. Maybe you have, too.  

I will be preparing to leave the house for the day. After gathering all of my stuff before heading out the door, I will have the sudden feeling that something is missing. But what is it? I will go through a mental checklist that goes something like this: keys, billfold, checkbook, sunglasses, coffee, etc. That’s when it will hit me. I laid down my keys somewhere in the house, or I left my cup of coffee on the kitchen counter, or I forgot to pick up my sunglasses (a necessity of life in SW Florida).

Has that ever happened to you? You know something is missing, but what?

That’s the question that weighed on the mind of the Rich Young Ruler. In his spiritual quest for eternal life, he approached Jesus asking, “What must I do?” Jesus told him. Running down the checklist of requirements the young man thought, “I’ve done all of these.” That’s when it occurred to him something was missing. He asked Jesus, “What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20).

There are times in life when you’ve done everything you know to do in a given situation. You’ve crossed all the “T’s” and dotted all the “I’s”. You’ve done it all, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. The situation doesn’t change. The mountain doesn’t move. That’s when you feel compelled to ask with the Rich Young Ruler, “What do I still lack?”

There are other times when you know something is lacking in your walk with the Lord. Have you been there? You read the list of the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and discover that an attribute like peace, endurance, or self-control is currently missing from your life. Maybe you are coming up short concerning one of the ten laws for living (Exodus 20:2-17). Or you might realize a certain spiritual discipline has gone dormant in your faith walk.

It’s encouraging to remember Jesus didn’t ignore the Rich Young Ruler’s question when he asked, “What do I still lack?” He told the young man, “One thing you lack” (Mark 10:21). Jesus identified the issue. He will do the same for us because He desires to perfect that which is lacking in our faith (1 Thessalonians 3:10). Jesus doesn’t condemn us when we confess something is lacking. He addresses the issue for the sake of correction. The Lord’s will is that we would “lack nothing” (1 Thessalonians 4:12).​

Does it seem like your spiritual life is misfiring somewhere? Do you sense that something is missing? Then ask the Lord about it. “What do I still lack?” It’s an honest question that will receive an honest answer. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).


Pastor Todd Weston

CROSSLESS CHRISTIANITY

12/6/2018

 
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He was a young man full of enthusiasm who came running to meet Jesus that day. All outward indications were promising. Falling to his knees he asked a question that must have brought a smile to the Lord’s face. Out of breath from his exertion he asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) Most young people are consumed with the here and now. The fact this young man was thinking seriously about eternity was to his credit.

Jesus began by walking through the commandments. Eternal life without obedience to God is impossible. You get the feeling that in his haste the young man might have interrupted Jesus saying, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young” (v20).

Fixing his eyes on the youth, abounding love poured from Jesus’ heart as He said, “One thing you lack. Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (v21).

A few key words hit the young man with the force of a sledge hammer. Sell? Give? Cross?  

As he contemplated their meaning, his countenance fell. Gone was the burning enthusiasm. Gone was the light flashing in his eyes. As the passion faded in his heart, he must have thought to himself, “I asked about eternal life. Who said anything about taking up a cross?” After an awkward moment of silence, without another word spoken, the young man turned and walked away from Jesus and off the pages of the Bible.

Crossless Christianity. It appears to be rampant today in a society fixated on self. Crossless Christianity downplays the cost of discipleship while focusing only on the rewards. It would be like an insurance salesman telling you about the benefits of a plan without ever mentioning the premiums. The Bible is clear. There is a cost. It’s called taking up your cross.

We know what that meant for the Rich Young Ruler. We also know he refused to do it. What it means for you and for me may be entirely different. But this I know — taking up the cross involves sacrifice. It involves total commitment. It involves giving. It involves an attitude of complete surrender that says, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Surely, there must be an easier way! So thought the Rich Young Ruler as he turned his back on Jesus. But there is only one way, and that’s the way of the cross. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Don’t be fooled by the purveyors of cheap grace. The only Christianity taught in the Bible involves taking up your cross. But it doesn’t end there for us anymore than it did for Jesus. The cross always leads to the crown (2 Timothy 4:8).​

I wish the story of the Rich Young Ruler would have ended differently for him. Sadly, it didn’t.  But our story can have a happy ending. So come on and let’s do what Jesus said. Count the cost. Pay the price. Take up the cross. Follow Him.


Pastor Todd Weston

NO HUDDLE OFFENSE

12/3/2018

 
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One of the basic features of American football is the huddle. Anyone who has watched the game knows what I’m talking about. After each down the team regroups to discuss and call the next play. On the offensive side of the ball, the huddle is led by the quarterback. On the defensive side it is usually led by one of the linebackers.    


The huddle is the norm. However, teams will sometimes opt for a no-huddle offense when they want to speed up the game, disrupt the defense, or score points fast. Rather than taking time to call the play in a huddle, the quarterback communicates to the team on the fly by use of signals or yelling certain words or numbers.  


While the no-huddle offense may be an effective game plan on the football field, it’s a bad strategy for life. The demands of life and the schemes of the enemy are such that we cannot deal with them on our own. When tempted to go it alone, failure is inevitable. We need wisdom from above, and the help that only God can give.  

Rather than attempting to live life on the fly, begin your morning with a “holy huddle.” Before rushing into the day’s activities, take time to hear from God. Begin by consulting God’s “play book.” By starting with God’s Word you allow the Holy Spirit to equip you in advance for the challenges of the day. Solomon spoke of this when he said, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Along with starting the day with the Bible, remember to pray. Prayer is two-way communication with God. We not only talk to God in prayer, we hear from Him as well. In the huddle of prayer God speaks to our hearts and opens the eyes of our understanding to walk according to His plan.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking of your “holy huddle” as a once-a-day thing. As in a football game, there are multiple huddles. I encourage you to begin the day with God, spend the day with God, and end the day with God. The communication never stops. Like the blessed man of Psalm 1:2, meditate on and delight in God’s Word day and night. Like Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, pray without ceasing.​

They talk about the “game of life.” Football is a game. Life is so much more. To avoid a crushing defeat, set aside a period of time to meet with God every day. Then practice the presence of God throughout the day. It’s a winning strategy.


Pastor Todd Weston

    Pastor Todd

    Lead Pastor
    River of Life
    Assembly of God

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