Easter Sermon

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the disciples and their journey with Jesus. They, like us, had to move through many seasons – whether despair or elation, destiny or discouragement – they continued through as they watched the plans of God unveil in their lives. This all started with them being chosen by Jesus to be His disciples…

1. Chosen

I remember growing up and waiting to be picked in gym class. Some of you have fond memories of those days, being the first one that would be picked and running over to the side of your team and having them rejoice at the fact that you were there and that just your simple presence was ensuring your team the victory. And then there are the high fives and the chest bumps and the jeering of the other team who just wasn’t lucky enough to get you… OK, I’m not bitter. I’m just stirring up some repressed memories.

But, maybe you were on the other end of the spectrum. You were that kid who would stand behind that really tall girl and just give into the fact that the reason you weren’t picked first was because they couldn’t see you. Yes, that is what it is. They couldn’t see you. And then the girl is picked. And you are left standing there – exposed. Finally, everyone is picked except you and Willard – you know, the kid who eats his boogers for lunch. And the person picking teams is looking to you and then over to Willard and then back to you and then back over to Willard and you’re thinking to yourself – NO! PICK ME! PICK ME! And then you hear the words come out of this mouth. They come forward so slow. “I guess we’ll take… Willard”. The other team relents and takes you on their team and you feel like you just became the anchor that was taking this ship down.

That feeling of being looked over… that feeling of being forgotten… that feeling of being chosen last. It brings strong emotions. This was an emotion that the disciples had all felt. You see, in Jewish culture, there were two roads that you would go down as a young boy. The first was the hope of every parent in Jewish culture. It was the road of being chosen by the rabbi. The rabbi would pick certain young men who would come under their tutelage. These boys would follow the rabbi from town to town and learn from the rabbi and possibly, became a rabbi themselves one day who would then take people under their wings and teach them the way. This was the first road… the first path.

The other road was learning your father’s business and taking over the family trade. Whether it was carpentry or fishing, you would learn everything that you needed to know from your father and your father would assure that you had a firm understanding, grasp and ability to make the business your own. It is into this world that we find those first disciples who were called to follow Jesus.

It happened early on in the Gospels where Jesus is teaching by the sea and he calls his first disciples – who just happened to be fishermen. Fishermen who were working with their father. Fishermen who had been overlooked. Fishermen who were now hearing the call of the rabbi saying – ‘Come, follow me.’

I’ve heard people say, ‘How could they just leave their father there holding the nets?’ ‘How could they just leave the family business like that?’ On the other hand, ‘How could they not?’

For them, this was the chance of a lifetime. This was a golden opportunity and they had to take it. And for the father, I believe that there was no greater compliment to a dad then to have their son chosen to walk with a rabbi - especially a rabbi who had the following of Jesus. At the time that Jesus calls these first disciples to himself, the Bible tells us that He was teaching and that there were so many people there that Jesus had to use a boat as a pulpit just so he wouldn’t be crowded out. This was a rabbi who had an incredible amount of influence and one who was choosing these disciples to follow him.

So, these disciples followed Jesus and spent time with Jesus. They saw the miraculous. They saw the lame walk. They saw the blind see. They saw Him walk on water. They heard his teachings. They saw His faith. They saw His prayer life and reliance on His Father.

These disciples had an idea of what they were part of. A telling example is when Jesus looks at Peter and says, ‘Who do you say I am?’ And he replies, ‘You are the Christ. The Son of the Living God.’ Essentially, Peter is saying ‘You are the Messiah that we’ve been waiting for!’

Messiah, to a NT Jew, meant the fulfillment of what they and their parents and their grandparents and their great grandparents had been waiting for… stories past on from generation to generation of one who was going to come to make everything right… one who would make sense of this life. Now, in front of them, this one stood. And this one… this Messiah… was calling them to follow Him.

From this incredible feeling of elation and joy, came a sense of loss like no other…

2. Loss
Many of us know the story of Jesus and what happened on Good Friday. Whether it was the stories that we were told in Sunday School or the graphic rendition put together by Mel Gibson in the ‘Passion of the Christ’, we have some knowledge of what happened to Jesus.

I still remember when the depth of the loss became real to me. I was eighteen or nineteen and I was invited to this Christmas Cantada. Now, I wasn’t sure what a cantada was – and I’m still not too sure – but I found out that it was a play and a musical… at least this one was. Now, the church that I was in at this time was huge. It could sit a thousand pretty easily and I was in the last row. I was this little hoodlum, with my Duke starter jacket on who was there simply because it was Christmas and I was trying to make m parents happy. So I sat there, reluctantly, and watched.

Now Jesus comes in. I’ll never forget it. The ambiance was perfect. The music was joyous. The lights were bright white. The people were swinging around these palm branches and singing out ‘Hosanna! Hosanna!’ I can’t tell you why – maybe it was the lights or the music or the atmosphere, but I was caught up in this moment. I was into it. And then I saw Jesus. Jesus was riding up on a donkey. The people were singing to Him. The music was for Him. The praises were to Him. The lights were bright and on Him and there was a happy feeling in my gut and a smile began to infect my face – which wasn’t a common occurrence. And then everything changed.

The music went dark and the lights went red. The palms that were being held by the masses were dropped in heaps and replaced with fists which were pumping in the air. The beautiful lyrics which were being sung only moments earlier transformed into chants of ‘Crucify Him!’ ‘Crucify Him!’ The people, the same people who had just been praising him, grabbed him and threw him to the soldiers who stood by. They began whipping Jesus and beating Him with their fists and with the kicks. They then put Him on a cross and nailed Him there - hands first and then His feet. The music stopped. The movement stopped. The voices dissipated. Jesus was lifted up on the cross for all to see.

It was there, at that moment, that I got it – it made sense. I’ll never forget lifting the collars of my coat and covering my eyes because the tears began to fall, one after another. They took Him down and placed Him in a tomb. I felt the loss at that moment - the loss for me. The confusion – why did they do that? The pain – how could they do that? The hopelessness – now what am I to do?

It was there, at the foot of the cross and the base of the tomb, where we see the disciples questioning everything that they knew – everything that they believed. ‘It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.’ – you can hear one saying. ‘He was supposed to lead us in an uprising and we were supposed to win this battle’ – you could hear another. But instead they stood there in loss. Being brought from a place of hope and worth, only 3 years prior, and then taken to the depth of despair.


3. Redemption

It is in the midst of this despair that we see the redemption story becoming clear. It is in the story that highlights a woman and her trip to the tomb. This woman sees that the tomb is there, but that the stone which sealed it shut had been removed. Her immediate response is terror. ‘How could they take him? How could they steal him? Who would do such a terrible thing?’ She gets to the door, afraid to look in… afraid of what she might find. She looks and to her chagrin… it’s an empty tomb.
The disciple Luke tells us that as they are looking in bewilderment, two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. They spoke. ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’

After this, we see moment after moment from the famous walk on the road to Emmaus to his appearance before the disciples, from his meeting with doubting Thomas to his ascension into heaven. There is a redeeming quality that takes place… a bringing back into focus.

I remember going to get glasses when I was young. The doctor would look at me and tell me to sit behind a machine. It looked like a magical contraption. I’d rest my chin on a smooth, shiny plate and lean my forehead into the padding. Everything I saw was blurry. I was looking through lenses, but the lenses offered me no hope to see. And then, one by one, the doctor would put a lens down and then put it up again. “Which is better?” He would say, “Lens one or two”. Again and again he’d do this until my vision was perfect – crystal clear.

I imagine that this would’ve been like the experience that the disciples were having on that morning. Foggy. Blurry. Confusing. Their reality made no sense. And then, the report of the tomb being empty. Lens one or lens two. And then, the road to Emmaus takes place and the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection comes again. ‘Lens one or lens two.’ Then, the upper room. He shows them His hands and His feet and the wounds which were there. Lens one or lens two. He sees Thomas and says, ‘Thomas, put your finger here. Thomas, take your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Lens one or lens two. And finally, Jesus, giving the Great Commission, goes to take His place at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Lens one or lens two. We see the disciples saying, “Yes! I see! This makes sense! I understand now! I get it!” And at that moment, the disciples are redeemed or brought back into the full understanding of the message of Jesus.

4. Purpose
And it was in that moment, that moment of understanding and clarity, that Jesus says this, “You have purpose! There is a reason for your existence! It is not by chance that you are here.”

Let that be the message of Easter. Let it be a message that God is in the business of taking broken hearts and broken dreams and thoughts that we messed up too much and our regrets and our pains and all those things which bring us down or cause despair in our hearts. That He can take all of this and say, “No. We’re not done yet. Yes, it’s been hard. Yes, it’s been tough. Yes, I know that there is pain. But the message of Easter is this… ‘We’re not done yet. We’re not finished. In fact, we’re just beginning. We’re just getting started.’

Listen, if you are here today and that made sense to you, then receive it. God is not done with you. You haven’t strayed too far. You haven’t messed up too much. You haven’t hurt Him too bad. His arms are open wide and He’s saying to you, ‘Come!’

The message of Christ is simple… ‘Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.’ He doesn’t say, ‘Fix it yourself. Get your life together and then come see me and watch what I’ll do.’ He says, ‘Come as you are and then, and only then, can we walk this thing called life together. Arm in arm. Hand in Hand. Together.

Maybe today, you want to take that step into relationship with Jesus. Let’s pray today for that …

The Rebirth of Friendship

So, here i am standing at the back of a chapel area preparing to share a message with a group of young women who are struggling in a fight for their lives and i smile. This smile seemed to creep up from my toes, and then became plastered on my face. Its came from a realization that had been creeping into my life for the last few weeks. An understanding of what was happening even though, on a cognizant level, i would've fought it off with all my might if i could. And the subject that i refer to is friendship.

First, it helps to understand a little bit about me. I've always been guarded with my friends, but i've definitely had them. In fact, i've had a ton of friends. It wasn't until i became a Christian that this seemed to change. It seemed to move down a notch from friends to acquaintances. It wasn't that i didn't hang out with people or always have people around me. It was just that those people moved from being my 'friends' to being my 'acquaintances' - (an acquaintance was someone you could keep at arm's distance and not truly care about too much). They may not of had the 'status' of friend, but their numbers doubled and quadrupled. Especially when i started working at a large church. There were now so many more people who wanted to be part of that 'inner circle' of my life. However, true friendship doesn't happen when you're around - it happens when there's trust and love and transparency - 3 things that i chose not to have in order to protect myself. Looking back, i had people i loved and respected, but it wasn't till i really needed them or opened up to them that the wound in my heart was formed.

(I just highlighted and erased two paragraphs. These are paragraphs that i decided did not need to be in this blog. They were highlighting two individuals in my life who i thought were friends. I didn't name them, but called them 'little red' and 'Keanu'. What i realized is that it doesn't matter what they did or how they hurt me. God has the ability and desire to wash away all of that hurt and pain and i need to leave it with Him. Because of this realization - 'little red' and Keanu's stories will stay in my thoughts and my computer's recycle bin! Now, i can continue with my blog...)

So, this is what i've done for awhile. Building a wall of protection around me so that people could get close enough that i could reach over and touch them if i wanted, but then could easily retreat behind. This was my protection. Not wanting friends - who needs friends? Then, two unlikely characters tripped into my life.

The first was an individual who i bumped heads with when we first met. He has a strong personality and i have a strong personality and when you mix us, it's like oil and water. That is for the first couple years. The problem is - this guy has really grown on me as we've begun to share life together. We've begun to share our hearts with one another and look past the things that don't match to those things which do and we're left realizing that we have a lot in common. I spent some significant time with this individual and we had a fabulous time, but the scary part has been occurring recently. I've been experiencing things that i haven't felt in a long time. I actually care about this person as a friend. I actually think about him when he's not around and sincerely pray for God's best in his life. It's not a struggle to sit and talk with him and i actually care about what he has to say. He's turning into a friend...

The other was someone who i couldn't stand! I would come home after spending time with this guy and complain. I remember that whenever we were together, i would look for an excuse to leave. As soon as i was finished doing what i had to do, i would leave as fast as i could - ecstatic that i didn't have to spend anymore time with him. And then i was stuck talking to him one day and we clicked. Before i knew it, i was looking forward to talking with this guy and instead of watching the clock for the time to leave, i would stay for extended periods - sharing life and my heart with this guy. I began to care about his music and his wife and his life. I wanted to know about his past and his future and his thoughts on God. I enjoyed our time together. I fearfully realized that he was turning into a friend...

So, there i was, about to speak to a room full of people with a smile the size of Texas on my lips. It felt good. No - it felt great! It has been so long for me to let someone in. It feels good to tear down the wall and invite someone else to come and share life with me. It's scary as H - E - double hockey stick, but i'm convinced that it's well worth it and the way God created us to live.

Maybe you're there today, cowering behind a wall of pain and hurt and emotion that cripples you. I'd encourage you to reach over the wall... let someone in... let someone touch you and, in turn, touch them. Life is too short for a cold heart - even if you do live back east! (Ha! Ha! That's for all my Ohioians.)

With scary love,
GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

A Prayer for Baby

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb."

Jeremiah 1:5

"Lord, You know the plans You have and

i pray that You have Your way in my baby's life

that (s)he will always love You and put You first

and that You will give the same grace that You've given me

and let this child know everyday that You're there.

There is no greater gift than Your presence."

GP

http://www.gphintz.com/

The Tin Man - Where's My Emotions?

The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939 and starred Judy Garland. It has been a hit for generations and still one that kids and adults alike both reference. The cast of characters includes Dorothy, Toto, The Scarecrow, The Lion, The Tin Man, The Wizard, The Wicked Witch of the West and a variety of others. I’d like to take a few of these characters and look a little deeper at their search and talk about those things which they were looking for.

The Tin Man:

Now, the tin man’s desire is found in the song he sings when he meets Dorothy:

When a man's an empty kettle he should be on his mettle,

And yet I'm torn apart.

Just because I'm presumin' that I could be kind-a-human,

If I only had heart.

I'd be tender - I'd be gentle and awful sentimental

Regarding Love and Art.

I'd be friends with the sparrows ...

and the boys who shoots the arrows

If I only had a heart.

Picture me - a balcony. Above a voice sings low.

Wherefore art thou, Romeo? I hear a beat....

How sweet.

Just to register emotion, jealousy - devotion,

And really feel the part.

I could stay young and chipper

and I'd lock it with a zipper,

If I only had a heart.

Now, we can see from this song that the tin man believed that there were certain things that would happen if he had a heart. He'd be able to register emotion. He'd feel like he belonged. He'd appreciate things more. He'd hold on to his youth. The tin man believed that if this one thing could change in his life that he'd be so much better. He believed that his life would be different. If only this one thing could happen.

What about you? What's that one thing that you're holding out for that will make everything perfect? That perfect someone? That new job? That raise? That 98" flatscreen TV? (now that would be sweet!) We all have things that we're holding out for. Things that we want. Things that we need. The problem comes when we believe that those things will alleviate all of our pains, hurts and lack of purpose in life...

The tin man wanted something that was more than just 'stuff'. He wanted to feel. He wanted to sense emotion. I talk with people who cut themselves and they tell me that they do it to feel. They tell me that the pain that they're afflicting on themselves becomes greater than the pain buried in their hearts.

There's a verse in the book of Joel that reads, "…rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster." Joel 2:13

In Old Testament Bible times the people would rip their clothes and throw ashes on their head to show the world and themselves that they were turning to God. Here, Joel says something very interesting. He said, 'don't worry about your clothes, but look to your hearts'. He's encouraging them to open their hearts to God... to feel again... to sense emotion again... to allow the reality of their life and their failures to hit them again...

Now, following this, Joel gives a picture of God that is steeped in emotion. 'Gracious'. 'Merciful'. 'Slow to Anger'. 'Abounding in Love'. He's saying 'Rip your hearts open for a God who understands and feels emotion. Be real and be honest before a God who loves you. Don't be afraid for you have nothing to fear for He is abounding in love'.

Maybe you know what it feels like to bury emotion deep. Maybe you know what it's like to cut yourself to cover the pain. Maybe you know what it feels like to not feel. Well, today God is calling you to take a risk. He's asking you to open your heart before Him. He's asking you to be real with Him. He's asking you to open the steel door which holds all of your emotions and let Him in. His promise is that it may hurt, but He'll be with you every step of the way.

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

GP

http://www.gphintz.com/

Blood Padding

I came across a beautiful picture of God's love that has really rocked me to my core. As you know, i've been reading through the Bible and spending a great amount of time in the Pentateuch. I've been studying God's movement among His people and His grace and His justice and His specific plans for His people's actions and His temple. His specific measurements and ingredients for the Tent of Meeting and Tabernacle have definitely been overwhelming. However, last night i read something awesome in a book i'm reading. It was talking about the ark of the covenant and it read like this:

"On the Day of Atonement the high priest took a goat and sacrificed it. Then the goat's blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. God dwelt above the mercy seat in a cloud of glory, so that blood was put between the visible manifestation of God's presence and the broken law within the ark. So blood was put between God and the broken law... the priest could put blood between a holy God and the broken law so his sin could be covered and removed." Man's Problems and God's Answers by J. Dwight Pentecost

We see from the book of Deuteronomy 10:1-5 that the tablets put into the ark were the second set that were written by the hand of God, however it is so important to understand the symbolism behind these tablets. I had never considered the fact that the tablet of the law inside of the ark was broken at one time - not just physically broken, but also symbolically. I knew that Moses threw the original to the ground. I knew that it had been broken, but never connected the idea of a 'broken law' until now.

The blood was put between God and the law - the law which was symbolically and actually broken by His people. And through the blood of that goat, forgiveness was attainable for one year. And through the blood of Jesus, forgiveness is attainable forever. It is the only thing that stands between a Holy God and the broken law of our lives. Just something to think about...

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

Sin, Death and Cannibalism

Going into my study on the book of Leviticus, i must admit that i was fairly pessimistic. I have read the book before and could equate my reading time as a great high in Genesis (one of my favorite books in the Bible), a slight decline of excitement into Exodus with an incredible boring lull in Leviticus which carries me through the remainder of the Pentateuch. However, i am pleased to say that i am thoroughly enjoying my time in Leviticus and came across an incredible set of verses that i'd like to share with you.

The portion of scripture is highlighting the 'sin offering' which was the animal sacrifice that the Jewish people would make to atone (or amends for) their sin and is found in Leviticus 6:24-30. Now, i haven't made sense of every detail yet, but i find a striking resemblance here to some very common New Testament words of Jesus.

"The Lord said to Moses, 'The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord ... it is most Holy... Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is splattered on a garment, you must wash it in a Holy Place... Any male in the priest's family may eat. It is most holy.'"

Here's a description of what Jesus did and said. "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19-20

The Sin Offering? One who takes away the sins of the world? One who washes clean? One who can be taken and eaten?

I'm reminded of my Catholic upbringing and one of the prayers that has been singed into my brain stem from weekly repetition...

"...Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father
You take away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us
You take away the sins of the world
Receive our prayer..."

Now I've studied about the scapegoat and the laying on of hands by the priest and sending the goat from the camp and if you're unfamiliar with this story, i'd encourage you to study it out or stay tuned and we'll cover this in the future. However, this portion of scripture in Leviticus gives us insight into the words of Jesus - 'this is my body'.

'Body' in this context is the Greek word 'soma' which simply means 'the body of a man or an animal'. Flesh. Meat. Body. So, when Jesus is saying this, He's declaring that this bread was His actual flesh. Now i'm not going to debate transubstantiation right now, but i do want you to see the word picture that the disciples are seeing. They are quite familiar with Leviticus. They've learned about offerings their entire lives. They had read Leviticus 6 many times and now Jesus is standing before them saying, 'Take and eat my body'. What a vivid picture of Jesus telling them, 'Listen up guys! I am the sin offering. I am here to take away your sins and the sins of the entire world. You guys are worthy. You guys are my priests. You guys, come on, take and eat the sin offering today. This is it guys.'

So, what we see here is the realization that Jesus has come for a greater purpose than to be a great teacher. We see that Jesus is calling them out of a life of mediocrity and telling them that they were worthy to be called priests. We see that Jesus is saying, 'Yes guys. You are priests now. You have a mission and today I'm allowing you to see yourself, not as fishermen or tax collectors, but as priests. Priests for a Holy God. Take and eat.'

Now, in this same way, we are called to take and eat. We are called to partake in the Lord's supper. We are called to 'do this in remembrance of me'. Understanding that when we do, we are taking of the sin offering. We are receiving that free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. And we are accepting the realization that we are called to be God's priests on this earth. No matter what our occupation may be. No matter what our family may see us as. No matter what our history looks like. When we take and eat, we are lining ourselves up with the will and plans of God and saying, 'Yes!'

1 Peter 2:5-6 "As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

The sin offering has been made and we are encouraged to take and eat of it. If you've not made that decision in your life, i'd encourage you to stop, find a quiet place and spend some time communicating with God. You speak, but also be quiet before Him and allow Him to minister to you. His plans for you are great - take the first step today.

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

A Tux to Talk About

Oftentimes, when i reach a more difficult passage to understand in the Bible, my first inclination is to simply skip over it or move on to the next concept, idea or parable. I had this temptation when i stumbled across Matthew 22, but fought it to comprehend.

I wanted to know what Jesus was talking about with the wedding feast and why did the poor sap get kicked out of the party just because he wasn't wearing the 'right' clothes. I mean, come on, i've been at weddings where the "distant cousin" comes in with jean shorts and a metallica t-shirt on, smelling of cheap beer and cat urine. Sure, many whispered of his arrival, but no one would kick him out. He was still family.

And this simple truth - family - is what i have discovered. The concept of wedding clothes here is very important; not only for the actual story, but for what the story represents to its listeners. Matthew 22 starts with a parable that's equated to the Kingdom of Heaven and a king who is preparing a wedding feast for his son. The people who were originally invited paid no attention and went back to their homes and some, who were left over, actually murdered those who had brought the invitations. When the king heard this he was ticked! He sent out his army, killed the murderers and destroyed the entire city. Then, he was still going to have a party so he sends some more servants back out.

These servants have only one agenda - 'Invite as many people as you can find'. In fact the king says, 'Go into the highways and as many people as you find - invite'. And this is exactly what the servants do. In fact, the Bible says that they invite both 'good' and 'bad'. (Matthew 22:10) I was intrigued by this verse and wanted to see what the Bible meant by 'good' and 'bad'. I found out that the word used for 'good' is "agathos" and means 'upright, honorable, good, pleasant, etc.' On the other hand, the word 'bad' is "poneros" and means 'of bad nature or condition and, in an ethical sense, evil or wicked'.

I found this comparison in another portion of scripture from Matthew - chapter 7. The Bible says,

'Every good tree brings forth good fruit while every corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. By their fruit you should know them.' 7:17-20

Now 'corrupt' is the word "sapros" and actually means 'rotten, putrefied, unfit for use, worthless, etc.' And so we see that the fruit of 'good' or 'bad' is actually produced by what is inside - whether rotten or healthy.

At the actual wedding feast there is one man in our parable that is noticed by the king and this man is chastised for not having a 'wedding garment' on. This man was probably still wearing the clothes that he was out working in or that which he was sitting in the streets in. The man was speechless and the king has him bound and cast out of the party and into the darkness.

Now, i spoke of how i just wanted to skip this passage over. I didn't want to deal with the 'reason' behind this one individual being kicked out when all of the others were allowed to stay. None were 'religious' or 'worthy' of having an audience with the king. Why was this one chosen? The answer is simple. Not because of what he had, but because of what he didn't have.

The wedding garments were there. The wedding garments were available. My main trouble with this verse was seeing this wedding feast through the eyes of today. Imagining some derelict trying to tie a bow tie and putting on a cumberbum in order to partake in the festivities. However, the word for garments found in the King James is 'raiment' and is equated with an 'outer covering' or 'cloak'. This was something that he would "put on". Something that was available. Something that was there. Something that was accessible to all.

The Jewish audience would've been quite familiar with the passage that Jesus was alluding to found in Zephaniah 1:7-8 "Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited. On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes."

The raiment that Jesus was speaking about was Himself. The disciples would be sent out to invite all - the good and the bad. There will come a day of reckoning where all will stand before the King and it'll be at that moment where we all will be seen for who we really are and if we have chosen to 'put on' the right clothes for the party.

Maybe you're hearing this story for the first time and it is making sense to you. Maybe you want to know that when you're standing at the wedding feast of God that He'll come to you and throw His arms around you. Maybe you want to put on this spiritual raiment today. Well, Jesus died and rose again so that we could have life and His gift of eternity is free. Simply turn to Him, ask for forgiveness and commit your life to follow Him. There's no prescripted prayer, just a heart that longs for their creator crying out for a relationship.

Be encouraged!

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

A Diamond Only Forms with Pressure

I forgot how much i loved Joshua until i trudged my way through the middle of Exodus to expose some truly excellent passages concerning God's interaction with man. The scriptures surrounding these Joshua sightings are very familiar - if not by actual quoting then by context. It is the giving of the 10 commandments by God to Moses. It is the construction of a golden calf and the declaration, 'Uhh. Well they there just gave me a bunch of gold and then I, uhh, threw it in the fire and out popped a golden calf!' Yeah. Great example of taking responsibility Aaron!

But now to Joshua. There's only two scriptures that i want us to look at. But these two give us an incredible insight into the heart of this man. In Exodus 24 we see God separating some individuals to come up the mountain to spend some time with Him. He picks Moses, seventy of the elders and Joshua. Then, in verse 13 we see Moses setting out with his aide Joshua. Moses leaves Aaron and Hur and the elders and the people and goes up the mountain with one man - Joshua. Joshua goes so far and then stops and waits while Moses enters into the cloud to spend time with God.

Moses spends a ton of QT with God. Now Joshua, even though it had been 40 days and 40 long nights, doesn't leave his position, doesn't crawl back down the mountain admitting defeat, doesn't build a false god with rocks and dirt and start dancing around it. No! He waits and he waits and he waits until he sees Moses coming down the mountain. You can imagine the joy that Joshua had when he saw Moses. He probably jumped to his feet and ran to Moses' side, excited to hear all about the move of God on the mountain.

However, the people had grown tired of waiting for Moses and concluded that there was a chance that he wasn't going to come back. In fact, they grew so persuaded of this that they had Aaron build an idol so that they can worship something. I don't want to get into this right now, but one day we will. What I want you to see is Joshua waits all this time for Moses, the Israelites grew tired of waiting and built an idol and then, in Exodus 32:17 it says, 'When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting he said to Moses, 'There is a sound of war in the camp'. Moses shot back, 'That's not the sound of victory or defeat, but singing that I hear.'

They go down, Moses drops the commandments and they break, a line is drawn in the sand of those who'll stand for God and those who won't, there is a mass execution and then Moses seeks the forgiveness of God for the people. Fast Forward...

In the next chapter we find Moses constructing a place which was called the 'Tent of Meeting'. It was a tent that was put a distance from the camp and whenever someone wanted to call on God they would go to this tent. Personally, the most exposing scripture that I have ever read about Joshua... the one scripture that has allowed me to looker deeper into the life of Joshua than any other verse that I've ever read can be found in Exodus 33. It reads like this...

"The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua, son of Nun, did not leave the tent." Exodus 33:11

What i see here is a beautiful picture of intimacy. I see a picture of faithfulness. I see a picture of humility and blessing and honor and commitment. I see a picture that i can learn from. I see a picture of who i want to be.

When everyone else had given up on Moses - Joshua stood strong. When everyone else had made a decision to look somewhere else for their spiritual direction - Joshua stood strong. When Moses would go to seek the face of God - Joshua would go. When Moses left - Joshua would stay. In him i see a picture of strength and valor and tenacity and faith. I see a picture of a person that i would be honored to emulate.

It is so easy to give up in our culture. It's so easy to find the next job or the next wife or the next house or the next position. It's so easy to find the "better deal" and to hop, skip and jump away. However, there are great things that come to the person who endures. There's a great blessing for the one who doesn't quit.

I have been through the fire in my life. I have had many ups and downs; many mountain top experiences and many valley times too. Most recently i remember feeling like the walls were closing in around me... feeling like i had tried hard to no avail... feeling like i was being wrongly persecuted for things that i had not even done. Those days were hard. And how did i get through them? Like Joshua - not letting go. I remember locking myself in a church sanctuary and beginning to pray with a darkness and heaviness on me. Praying even though nothing in my soul wanted to pray. Praying even though everything told me to give up and quit. Praying even though it didn't make sense. And I'd pray... and pray... and pray. Before long, the heaviness started to lift. Before long my prayers became stronger and a joy entered my soul. It was as if the clouds had parted and the sunshine shone brightly into my life.

And it was in that moment that God shared a beautiful concept with me. He encouraged me to 'give my best to what's before me'.

It sounds simple, but that statement changed my life. God worked miraculously in that season of my life, doing things that i never could've guessed. The hard days faded and i've entered into a beautiful season of blessing. However, i understand that a diamond is only formed from pressure and that God often allows immense pressure to form us into the people that He's destined us to be.

If you're going through a season of heartache or trial or trouble right now, i'd encourage you to press into God. You won't want to in the beginning. It'll be one of the hardest things that you've ever done. But understand that if you continue, the clouds will part... the sun will shine... and you will see the hand of God working in your life!

GP
www.gphintz.com

The Tree Debate

Well, just when i think it can't get any stranger - it does. I'm referring to a debate that i was in just the other day. Let me premise my remarks with an overview of what we were discussing...

The idea came from the book of Genesis and Adam and Eve and spoke that the 'true' sin of the first parents was 'getting into a tree that they weren't supposed to'. Now, this simple statement is totally true, but the real sin was disobedience because God Himself had told them specifically not to get into this particular tree. From my understanding, the viewpoint of this book that we were discussing that highlighted the relationship between the tree and Adam and Eve, and the individual whom i was talking with, was that the true sin of Adam and Eve was their arrival in 'someone else's tree'. This concept, then, is equated with looking at the actions of others over the actions of ourselves and 'judging' them. The true sin is 'judging' others when we should simply be focusing on our relationship with Christ and not looking at anyone else.

Let me point out that i am a strong proponent of focusing on our personal spiritual lives. I am a strong supporter of not casting twigs or stones at every Tom, Dick and Harry that passes by who isn't living up to my perfect picture of Christianity. I also loathe the countless youtube videos that i see tearing down any 'Christian' leader who struggles with moral failure. But i also understand that the true sin in Genesis wasn't because of the tree they were in, but because of the words of God commanding them not to go into THAT particular tree.

The heart of the matter is 'disobedience' and the reality that disobedience pulls us further and further away from God. After Adam and Eve eat the fruit, God still comes, AS WAS HIS CUSTOM! God didn't change. God wasn't holding a grudge. God understood that there were going to be consequences, but that didn't diminish His love for them. The same way that if i embezzle money from my job i may go to prison, or get drunk i may wake up with a hangover or eat greasy food every day i may have a heart attack and die. These are all sins. These are all wrong. These are all things that God encourages us not to do and also things that carry with themselves their own consequences. The good news is that God knows the end at the beginning and has the power to be with us through the storms of our lives.

The particular problem with what i see as 'not climbing anyone else's tree' is that is runs counter to the entire purpose of the Bible. God's Word is filled with stories that i believe i am encouraged to read. Why? What is God's purpose for me reading them? So that i can get in someone else's tree. Not so that i can tear down another individual, but that i can understand the reality of sin and the slippery slope of poor decisions and be aware of them in my life. God wants me to look at the lives of others to help me... to encourage me... to mold me. When i choose to ignore everyone else around me and only focus on me and my relationship with God i have the potential to become extremely egocentric, forgetting that there is a world out there that's lost and becoming very comfortable with my 3/2 house, two year old car, spouse and kids. I become very me-focused - the antithesis of what the American culture needs right now.

So, the moral of the story - feel free to get into all the trees you can with the right motives. Don't feel that your job is to tear another down because of their decisions in their tree, but take those decisions - both good and bad - and commit to learn about them. Commit to discuss them. Commit to wrestle with them. And like Jacob with the angel, you just might go away from that discussion walking a little different!

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

There's Hope in the Snare

Oftentimes, when I'm reading the Bible I come across different scriptures that seem to rise from the page, rear back and smack me silly across the face. They are either verses I've heard that I'm seeing in a new way or a verse that I may have not consciously stumbled across that seems to speak to me. Today, I found the former in Matthew.

"Woe to the world because of the things which cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" Matt. 18:7

Now, there are certain things I understand. Sin is out there. Sin is bad. Sin has consequences. Sin can put you into bondage. Sin can steal God's plans from you. Sin can destroy you. I know all of these things. They are foremost on my Christian mind. However, I often overlook the repercussions that come from one who births sin and influences others to do the same.

The word 'woe' is simple to understand for it means to put in a place of suffering or misery resulting from infliction. So, in other words, it means 'Things are not good' or 'Bad things are a coming'. Let me put it this way - if the sentence starts with 'woe' in the Bible, you don't want to be between that word and the period which ends it. Comprende?

Now, here's where it's gonna get interesting. The word for 'sin' in the NT is 'hamartia'. Whenever you find the word 'sin', this is the Greek you find. However, you will not find 'hamartia' in this verse. Instead you find the Greek word 'skandalon' which is rooted in the definition 'a trap or a snare', but looking at this verse it can be defined as 'any person or thing by which one is trapped or ensnared or drawn into error or sin'.

For those of us who draw breath and have fought the good fight and felt the pull of sin understand this trap or snare perfectly. There are things which are out there that are strategically placed and are consistently calling our names. Unfortunately, those who set out the traps rarely understand the severity of their actions. Their goal is normally to get your attention and your money - little do they know that their actions are bringing on themselves a greater consequence.

Now, I believe that it's important that we are consistently searching our own life and our own actions to assure that we're not setting up traps or snares for our friends by our actions, but that's not the main point I received from this text. Instead, I saw that there is a world system that is in full motion today and I saw that Jesus said that "the system and the traps and the snares 'must come'". I saw that He was not ignorant about them and even 2000 years ago He spoke about them. Sure, in many ways they've changed throughout the centuries, but their goal remains the same.

We, in turn, should not be ignorant about them. We need to continue to reach out to those who are setting up traps due to their ignorance and share with them the good news. We need to continue to pray for those who are trapped and ensnared and struggling. We need to be patient with those who desire so much to be free but feel like they are in quicksand. We need to love until it hurts and believe until it comes true.

Sin is a trap and those who are caught need someone who's broken free from the trap to show them how to open it. They need someone who has mastered the lock to show them the way. That someone is you and your day is today. You know right now who God has put in your life that's struggling with a snare. Don't wait - reach out today and help pull them out!

And maybe you're in the snare. You're in the trap. Some days it feels like you're not going to make it. Some days you sense the quicksand is going to pull you under. Well, let me tell you about one of my favorite quotes by Francis Assisi. He said, "Be patient with everyone, but above all - yourself." In life, the one we have the hardest time with is our self. Don't give up and don't quit, but remember that God loves you and His plans for you are great!

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

From the Mouth of Peter

As I'm reading through my Bible I was amazed at a rapid succession of quotes that I found from Peter in the book of Matthew. Even though I understand that they weren't spoken in one fluid motion, they were put together by the author of Matthew for a reason. It looks at this disciple, Peter, and gives us an incredible insight to his faith, his temperament and his personality.

The first quote is probably one of the most famous 'Peter Quotes' around. It happens when Jesus and his disciples are in Caesarea Philippi and Jesus throws out a question to those around Him. (Matthew 16:13-20)

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

Now, this term - Son of Man - was used 43 times in the New Testament as a distinctive title of the Savior. And now Jesus wants to know who people are saying the Savior is. The disciples start giving their 'textbook' answers - all those things that they had been taught or have heard. 'Jeremiah' or 'Elijah' or some even said 'John the Baptist'. Jesus stops it and basically says - 'OK. That's what people are saying. Now, I want to know what YOU are saying. What about YOU?'

And you can just picture Peter jumping to his feet and saying 'You are the Christ the Son of the Living God!' This statement, in itself, took great courage. Even though he was in a safe atmosphere, others were threatened with their very life for making such a 'blasphemous' statement. But here you see Peter, unafraid of the consequences, speaking his heart. 'You are the Christ!'

Now this reckless abandon was as good as it was bad. In Philippi, Jesus ends up blessing Peter and calling him the rock that the church was going to be built on, but a short time later Peter is chastised by Jesus and called 'Satan' or the great deceiver.

This happens when Jesus begins teaching his disciples about what's going to come. He's telling them that He's going to suffer and that He's going to die and that He's going to be raised from the dead. Peter seems to space out on the last point because he grabs Jesus by the arm and takes him aside and rebukes him. Now, the word 'rebuke' can actually mean to discipline or train and you hear Peter's heart by his words:

"Never Lord! This will never happen to You!"

In Peter's mind, Jesus must've thought that he wasn't strong enough to protect him. Or maybe he thought that Jesus was just looking for some reassurance of his allegiance. And Peter communicates that 'come hell or high water' or 'over his own dead body' that he wasn't going to let anything happen to Jesus. His intentions were pure. His motivations out of love for Jesus. However, Jesus calls Him Satan, carnally minded and a personal stumbling block for him. Not quite the response that was expected for a vow of allegiance.

The Bible tells us that only six days later Jesus separates a few of his disciples and heads up the mountain. And it is at that moment that Jesus is transfigured and seen standing with Elijah and Moses. You can imagine the sight and the glory and power of the moment as these disciples, flesh and blood, fell to their knees before this heavenly vision. In this moment, one voice speaks up and it's Peter's.

"Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you want me to, I can go ahead and build three shelters. One for you. One for Moses. And one for Elijah."

Jesus doesn't say anything but I like to imagine that he had a grin and gave Moses and Elijah a wink. The moment ends and Jesus is left standing before his disciples as the man they knew so well.

When I look at Peter in these three distinct moments I see a man of passion and fire and one who was unafraid to let his voice be heard. He wasn't scared to answer the tough questions and give his ideas when they were asked (and even sometimes when they weren't). The scary part, as I read, is to understand that this freedom did bring a rebuke from Jesus.

It's important to understand that as we continue to ride the cutting edge of Christianity, we mustn't be afraid to step out and do some things which may seem unorthodox.

That we aren't scared to speak up and let our voice be heard.

However, we do have to be willing to listen to the voice of God and know that just because we're speaking... just because we're acting... just because we're doing, doesn't mean that we're always right.

I want to have the strength of Peter in my life, but I also understand that I need to have his humility to understand when I've misspoke or acted out of turn, I need to be willing to accept when I'm wrong.

It is this courage and action that will drive the church aggressively forward in these days. People are hungry for something that is real and someone who is real. We don't want perfection, but we do want action and we want hearts that are willing to move and act and shake the ground beneath our feet, even though we may sometimes fall and scrape our knees.

Thank you Peter for speaking. Thank you Peter for being so aggressive. I pray that more of us take aggressive Christianity seriously and have the strength to admit when we missed it. Let your example sear the hearts of Christians today!

GP

The Lineage of Jacob

As I read my Bible, I am so pleased with the honesty and transparancy that I find in so many of the central Bible characters who make up my faith. I am as equally disgusted as I am pleased because I begin to realize that the highlighted stories that so many people hear about often overshadow the darker, seedier stories which still shine so brightly in scripture when you read it. The purpose behind the dark side of scripture is not to tear down the central characters, but to show the humanity and the frailty and the sin and God's grace.

The character I want to look at today is Jacob. You know... Jacob's ladder (the angels ascending and descending), deceiving his hairy brother Esau so he could get the blessing, wrestles an angel, God changes his name to Israel, father of Joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat, father of the 12 tribes of Israel, etc. This guy is central. This guy is foundational. This guy was human.

My antenna was raised as I was reading in Genesis 29 and started checking out Jacob's love life. Here he was in love with Rachel, is deceived into marrying her sister Leah and eventually gets them both in a 14 year work program with their dad Laban. But here is where it gets weird - kids were important in this time because they carried the legacy and helped around the homestead. Boys were very important and a sign of great things for the mom who could produce them. Well, are you ready? Fasten your seatbelt cause here we go...

Leah is the first to get prego with Reuben and then shortly later has Simeon. She doesn't stop there - next comes Levi and Judah. She has had four kids and they're all boys! Wow, does she have to feel good about herself or what? Now, Rachel wants to produce, but can't. So, she gets the great idea of giving her slave, Bilbah, to Jacob to impregnate. So, twisting his arm, he sleeps with her and gets her prego. She has Dan. Well, Jacob must've enjoyed himself because he goes back and the next baby to come out is from Bilbah and it's Naphtali. And the saga continues.

Now, Leah can't be outdone so she ends up giving her slave, Zilpah, to Jacob to impregnate. Twisiting his arm again he ends up sleeping with her and she has a son named Gad. Again, Jacob must've enjoyed himself because she ends up pregnant again and produces another boy who they name Asher.

Now, it's time for Leah to start earning her keep so she pops out three in a row - Issachar, Zebulun and a daughter named Dinah. The first one, Issachar, actually happened when Rachel wanted some mandrake root that Leah had. Rachel tells her that if she gives her the root than she can sleep with Jacob. Rachel gets the root and Leah heads out to meet her man when he gets home from work. She goes up to him and says, "You must sleep with me. I've hired you with my son's mandrake roots." (NIV) Quite a steal! Jacob relented and slept with her, producing Issachar and then the babies keep coming!

The good news for Rachel is that even though Jacob had produced 11 children from 3 different women, he didn't give up on her. Finally, after years of trying, Rachel gets prego with Joseph and then, to her demise, brings Benjamin into the world. Four women and thirteen kids later, Jacob's sitting in the middle of a family that is absolutely huge!

Now I understand that things were different in the time of Jacob and I understand that families were different and I know that God's plans are perfect and I think that's where I want to sit for a minute. God's plans are perfect. God used Jacob who was a deceiver. God used Jacob who was a horn ball. God used Jacob who was very carnal to usher in the 12 tribes of Israel. God used him.

In our culture I believe that we are too quick on writing people off and forgetting that God can work through weaknesses and God can work through mistakes and God can incredibly impact a generation through one person - you! It's easy to not give up on God sometimes, because He's so big and so awesome. The one that we have the hardest time giving up on is ourself. Draw the truth from this scripture that even in the midst of Jacob's weaknesses, God used him. Even in the midst of his lies and deceit, God used Him. Even in the midst of his infidelity, God used him (these slave women were not his wives even if we use the case of Biblical polygamy being alright).

God has a plan for you and it's bigger than your weaknesses! Don't let these things get you down and, more than anything, don't ever give up on yourself because God sure hasn't given up on you.

GP