When You Drop a Communion Tray . . .

This past Sunday was a first for me.  I dropped a communion tray.  We were observing the Lord's Supper as a congregation.  We share juice and bread - symbolic symbols of the body and blood of our Lord who said - eat this in remembrance of me.  His body was broken on our behalf and his blood poured out as the atonement (payment) for our sins.  At the 9:30 service, I was coming off the platform to join the deacons who had served when I reached for the tray one of the brothers was holding - actually he was holding two. I had in my mind what I was going to have him do - but he can't read my mind!  I was going to take the top one and leave the bottom one for him to serve the worship team.  He felt me grab them both and in that moment - well - the bottom one hit the floor.  It's all on me.  In that moment several things happened.  

I quickly heard the man on the left in this picture say something like 'I've got it' - or 'I'll clean it up' - our deacons are amazing servants.  I can't begin to express my gratitude and respect for them and their service to Christ through Northside.  Another gentlemen close by helped out immediately.  That situation was cleaned up faster than anyone could imagine.  

I learned later that when it happened, my wife leaned over to the lady sitting next to her in that service and said 'He will either say nothing, or use it in some way.'  After 15 seconds of silence the lady said - I think he's going to ignore it.  Not knowing anything about that conversation, I found myself saying to the congregation, 'when I was in seminary, one of my professors said - when something unexpected happens, you either ignore it and just press on, or you bring attention to it and use it somehow.  

What nobody knew at that point, was what had happened when that juice hit the floor.  I recoiled.  I flinched back quickly - I didn't want to get any of that grape juice on my pants or my shoes - and in reality - it got both.  Then I had a deeper thought.  This may just be juice - but when it comes to the blood of Jesus that was poured out on the cross, I not only need it - I need to be covered by that blood for the forgiveness of my sins, and the salvation of my soul.  I shared that story in those moments with Northside.  We need the blood of Jesus.  God met us yesterday in a deep way at about 9:50am.  

While this tray held juice, a symbolic reminder of our Savior's sacrifice, Jesus shed his blood - for real.  I wonder if those at the cross were taken back to have gotten any on them - the ones who crucified him, or stood nearby.  This world recoils from the gospel in the same way I recoiled from the potential for a mess - a stain on my clothes from which I would still preach two more services.  The reality is that only the blood of Jesus can remove the stain of sin so deep in my heart, and in all of our hearts.  

I'm a perfectionist and so moments like this can bother me.  Was I too distracted?  Was I thinking about too many things at once?  What caused me to drop a communion tray for the first time in my entire ministry?  I think God was in it.  No - I know He was.  He wanted to remind me - and the entire Northside family - and maybe you right now - that his provision was for the covering of our sin.  There's no other hope.  We need Jesus.  He died for our sins, was buried and rose again conquering sin, death and the grave.  That's the gospel.  That's good news!!!

'Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver of gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.'  1 Peter 1:18-19, ESV.  

Soccer, Tears, and Eternity

Today is my day off.  I'm watching World Cup Soccer.  I'm tired of the soccer hating.  To me the game is like music - a symphony that may take a while to develop - but I find it quite interesting and respect the game immensely.  Having raised a son who played in hundreds of games from 7 years old til the present, I have huge respect for the athleticism and heart of the athletes.

To be sure there are some challenges.  There aren't tons of goals, but there is an enormous amount of strategy.  The coaches and athletes know exactly what they are doing.  I specifically don't like faking injuries.  I've seen players brought off the field with serious injuries.  To fake one is upsetting.  I think the refs should give red cards for faking an injury!  Throw those guys out of the game!

As I'm writing, France is leading Uruguay 2-0.  Both clubs are excellent and beat powerhouses Argentina and Portugal just to get to the quarterfinals.  The level of play is elite for sure.  Both goals have been strong and both teams are playing hard.  At this moment of typing, we are at the 84:05 mark of the game.

One scene has had the biggest impact on me.  A shot of the fans in the stands showed a young boy wearing a Uruguay jersey weeping after the France's second goal.  I get that.  He loves his country, his team, probably the game and who knows all that is going through that little guys mind.  I don't mean to disparage him at all but I want to finish with a somber reminder.

When is the last time you wept over souls for eternity?  This young guy is weeping because it looks like his country will be eliminated from the World Cup 2018.  I salute his passion for the game and for life - but I pray for his understanding and more for yours and mine for eternity.  Take a moment after reading this and think about the reality that eternity is forever.  Everyone will spend eternity - forever - in one of two places.  You, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and people you meet and never meet.

Trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord is the wisest decision anyone will ever make.  I encourage you to consider the claims of Christ and put your trust in Him!!!  I love sports.  There's a line in the movie Lalaland that says 'people love what other people are passionate about'.  That is evidenced right now in a stadium in Russia.  People love the passion for the game that has been born out in the hearts of the national teams and everyone filling the rosters.

Be passionate about the gospel.  Serve the Lord with all your heart.  Bring people to Jesus.  Don't be silent.  Share the gospel.  Show the gospel.  There's no other hope - and without Christ eternity will be spent with weeping and gnashing of teeth.  The good news is you don't have to go to hell.  Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people-  and the way to prepare is to realize you have nothing to offer and are without hope apart from the merits of Christ.

Game's now over.  France won.  Uruguay is indeed out.  But life is not a game.  Eternity is for real.  Put your trust in him today!  In heaven God will wipe away all tears!!!  Repent of your sin!  Believe on Jesus!  Receive His love gift of eternal life, forgiveness of sin and salvation!!!  Do it now!

Grateful

Today I find myself deeply grateful.  Grateful for the gospel and for God's faithfulness.  Grateful for the privilege to serve the Lord.  Grateful for a church that loves me and believes in impacting others.  I love you Northside.  Grateful for a ministry that was begun to impact pastors and leaders for the glory of God throughout the Northeast and to the ends of the earth.

Tonight we begin our Keep the Fire Burning conference for pastors and leaders at Bible Church International, in Randolph, New Jersey.  We gather tonight and tomorrow to worship the Lord and seek him.  In 2 Timothy 1:6, 'For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.'  The older pastor (Paul) writing to the younger (Timothy) reminds him to keep ablaze - fan into flame - the gift of God.  Basically - keep the fire burning.

Our first conference at Northside was in the spring of 2011.  We hosted them for six years.  We took year seven off to stoke our own fire again.  This year we are going on the road - New Jersey for the Northeast and the Philippines for international impact.  By the end of the year we hope to have impacted well over 1000 leaders for the glory of God.

We pray for faith to be renewed, for instruction and inspiration, for revival and renewal and for encouragement.  Before our first conference God gave me this passage and I returned to it this morning.  Hosea 6:1-3, 'Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.  After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.  Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.'

I'm trusting Him for all of that tonight.  What a wonderful Savior.  What a mighty God.  Praise the name of Jesus.

Kilimanjaro

On December 28, 2016 I did something I don't usually do.  I wrote down goals for the year.  An invite to Tanzania to teach pastors just a couple weeks later led to the fulfilling of one of those goals.  I wanted to invest in the life of at least a dozen pastors.  I try to do that regularly - but this would be yet another opportunity - and on a continent I had never visited.  I would go in May and that week would profoundly impact my life.

My first trip to Africa would be to teach at a small college in Moshi, Tanzania.  We would be staying at a Lutheran conference center that would have a view of one of the greatest mountains in the world - Mt. Kilimanjaro.  At 19000+ feet it is called 'The rooftop of Africa'.  We were in the territory where many come from all over the world to tackle a bucket list item - climb that mountain.

As the week wore on, it was cloudy every day.  Our trip was during the rainy season.  I remember asking my class one day for a small request - would they pray with me that the skies might open one day and the clouds disappear and we would be able to see the mountain before we left?  Well as the week wore on - we didn't get that view - but one student offered  to drive us on Saturday to an area where he had grown up and we could see perhaps a glimpse of the mountain from a different side.

We made that trip and caught a glimpse, and I must admit it was breathtaking.  I can't imagine what it would be like to see that entire mountain on a sunny clear day.  I must admit God taught me a powerful lesson that week however.  I learned that though I couldn't see the mountain it was still there.  The same is true with our Lord - I don't see Him - though I often see His work - but He is there - of this I am sure.

I was teaching the class 'The Inner Life of the Leader'.  Here's the lesson - trust Him - even when you don't see Him.  He's there.  A few years ago God told me I had more mountains to climb.  I've climbed some since then (not literal - but life mountains).  I'm sure there are more.  This much I know - the one who created the mountains is greater than my mountains.  I'm grateful for the lessons He taught me that week.

When God Heals

I just finished listening to a message by Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.  As I listened it took me back to a day a few years ago and then I also thought of today.  This morning, I saw on social media the plea of a fellow pastor to pray for his grandson and surgery this morning.  I called and prayed with that brother and for his family.  Two days ago I stood in the hospital with a family from Northside and prayed for them and all who would be involved in a very challenging surgery.

God is a healer.  I have no doubt.  He can heal instantly or He may choose do so by surgery.  Now to be sure, I've prayed for people to be healed, and they weren't.  That doesn't mean God is not able.  It does mean He is God and He knows what He is doing and I trust Him.  This post was triggered by the memory of being at the Brooklyn Tabernacle somewhere around 2014.  That night I gave a huge request to the Lord for the healing of one of our daughter's who was battling scoliosis.  It seemed in the months to follow that God did not heal.  But a few months later He did - through surgery.

Whatever you are believing God for - keep praying!!!  This morning I read '. . .  for I am the LORD your healer.'  Exodus 15:26  God is able.  God has a plan.  Call on His name.  It may not turn out the way you anticipated, but He will hear and answer - and when He does - He will get the glory! He is perfect in all of His ways!  Maybe it's physical healing, or emotional, or relational, or any number of other needs that may be flooding your soul right now - the Lord is your healer.  Trust Him.  Turn to Him.  He loves you.  He always has and He always will.  Don't give up now!  Call upon the Lord!

Seven Minutes a Day

Recently, I've been preaching on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12.  Rick Warren calls this passage 'Keys to a Blessed Life'.  I've called it 'From Broken to Blessed'.  This world throws away what is broken, but God knows not only how to fix it, but even make things better!

Last weekend I preached from the verse where Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied.'  (Matthew 5:6)  To be sure, the satisfaction that comes from salvation in Jesus is without rival.  As we walk with the Lord, we continue to feed our souls with the precious instruction manual He has left for us - the word of God.

I challenged people last week, and want to do this again through this blog, to simply begin feeding their souls by spending 7 minutes a day with God in prayer and Bible reading.  7 minutes is less than 1/2 of 1 percent of our day.  Do it for 21 days and it will be a habit.  Begin with the Gospel of John - there are 21 chapters - so here is the plan.

Begin with a prayer that expresses praise and thanksgiving to God.  Take a moment to confess sin and thank Him for forgiveness.  Express to Him your overwhelming gratitude for His mercy and grace.  Pray that He speaks to you through His word - and take your burdens to Him.  Then read a chapter in the gospel of John and maybe underline one verse in particular that spoke to you and reflect on why it impacts you.  Then close with another minute of prayer that is a response to that time with the Lord and put the day in his hands (if in the morning) - or the night and coming day (if at night).

This plan stems back to my college days when I was on staff as youth director of a wonderful church in Penfield, NY on the east side of Rochester while a college student at Roberts Wesleyan.  I wanted to encourage the young people in my youth group to connect with the Lord and keep it simple.  I want to encourage you to do the same today.

To be sure there may be days that 7 minutes turns to 15 or 30 or an hour (which is still less than 5% of our day - we have 24 of them!).  But know this - God's not watching the clock.  Just like a loving Father loves to spend time with his children - so does our loving heavenly Father - and our lives will be so much richer for the time we spend with Him!  Take the challenge!  Go for it.  The result?  You will be satisfied.

Rebound

Back in July I took a retreat - typical for me - every three months to get away for three days and two nights as I am able.  I do this to hear from the Lord, and for the work of the Lord here at Northside, and in more recent months to plan out preaching for the months to come.  We were in a series on the book of Jonah.  I had brought a book with me called 'I Will' by Thom Rainer that we planned to use for a series and life groups emphasis in the fall.  

I arrived at the camp where I would stay.  I began by reading the book I Will and read it through that first day as I recall.  Later I began to map out the weekends for the remainder of the year.  The Lord led me to the book of Philemon and late one evening that became a four week series called 'Grace from Start to Finish' for the end of summer.  I also had a strong burden for a series called Rebound.  I began to make a list of those in scripture who needed a rebound - and quickly had 8-10 possible individuals for those messages.  

I was led to Luke 2 and the verse that described who was in the manger - Mary, Joseph and Jesus.  'Who's That in The Manger?' would become our Christmas series for 2016.  In addition, He put it on my heart to teach the beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-12 to begin 2017 in a series that will be called 'From Broken to Blessed'.  Upon return to Northside, we began to work on final details of scheduling and length of series.  'I Will' would become a seven-week series.  Rebound would be the next to follow.  

As that series came closer I was searching in my heart before the Lord asking the question 'Where do you even begin with this one?'  He said - start with Peter - and so we did.  If you can rebound from denying you even know the Lord, hours after you said you would die for him, you can rebound from anything.  Week one began with a towel on every chair with the word 'Rebound' on it.  We used a basketball theme to launch the series about getting a second chance - but soon discovered it had much stronger impact, with reminders of the grace of God and rebounding from a myriad of situations.  

Week one was rebounding from denial, the story of Peter.  Week two was rebounding from adultery, the story of David.  Week three was rebounding from anger, the story of Moses.  Week four was rebounding from shame, the story of the woman caught in adultery.  Week five was rebounding from the fall, the story of Adam and Eve.  

Each week we've had homework.  Week 1, I challenged the church to read 1 and 2 Peter - two letters toward the end of the New Testament inspired by God that He chose to use Peter to write.  Week 2 was to read and meditate on Psalm 51, written by David after he had sinned.  It's the story of his rebound.  Week 3 we were challenged to live in Ephesians 4 - particularly verse 26-33.  Week 4 we focused on the gospel prayer and the reminder there is nothing we can do to make Him love us more, and nothing we have done to make Him love us less.  Week 5 we have been challenged to read Romans 5 and see the contrast of the fall because of Adam, and the free gift of salvation because of Jesus.  

During the series, I've heard the stories of people who are experiencing rebounds in their lives.  This morning I spoke with a friend out of town who has been listening each week online.  I also think the Lord is causing Northside to Rebound.  After some seasons of drop in attendance (we averaged 899 for the series 'I Will'), we have averaged 1004 for the series Rebound.  

During the 'I Will' series we discussed Thom Rainer's observations about why churches decline.  We admitted that we were in decline - having peaked at 1300 in 2010 after growing from 82 in 1993.  Rainer says that churches decline because people don't 'Go' anymore - or in other words we aren't intentional.  We forget our Jerusalem and the needs right around us and to the ends of the earth.  I believe it was a defining moment - Go - or die.  

Now we head to Christmas and the new year with the reminder that the gospel is the great love of God beyond measure.  For the sake of every soul at Northside now, and for the 92000 who live within 5 miles and the 440,000 who live in this county, we are going to keep the fire burning!!!  Those numbers are important because every number is a person.  

Perhaps you are facing a situation where you need a rebound.  You are in a place where you never expected to be.  Peter denied Jesus.  David slept with another man's wife and murdered her husband.  Moses lost it -  in anger in front of the people of God - and it cost him greatly.  A woman experienced horrific shame and scorn.  Adam and Eve felt the weight of sin for the first time in their lives because of disobedience.  But Peter was restored.  David was forgiven.  Moses experienced a remarkable rebound.  The woman found salvation and freedom instead of condemnation and Adam and Eve experienced the reality that God pursues those who even try to hide from Him, and will send the Messiah as the cure for our sin.  

Wherever you are today, God has a rebound for you.  Run to Him.  Look to Him.  Trust Him.  It's life's greatest rebound!!!