Good News?

Is the good news Jesus brings good news later or good news now?

You wouldn't chose one or the other but both, right?

Is it good news spiritually or good news physically?

You wouldn't chose one or the other but both, right?

I have heard people complain about a number of The Salvation Army's social service programs saying they can't or won't preach the spiritual gospel of Jesus. This should never be. But what is worse is the mindset that devalues helping meet people's physical needs. That trivializes the suffering of the poor and makes Christians out to be cheap salesmen who's only interest is making the big deal. People like that (I know them well, I used to be one of them) had trouble reading the Beatitudes in Luke - Blessed are the Poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of God. It is much safer, easier, less tangible in Matthew's equally true recording with its spiritual emphasis. Lets make sure we read the whole bible and try to live it. God help me to do it.
Chris

God doesn't use guilt to get us to do anything. Satan uses guilt to get us to do nothing.

This afternoon outside our little storefront space in the International District there was a little scuffle. Two men had wrestled another man to the ground claiming he had stollen money from one of them. The conflict was over quickly and was never really that intense. The two got their money back and no one got hurt (unless you consider getting pinned down to the sidewalk painful).

I couldn't help but compare that event with what I saw on Saturday night. On the corner of Third and Yessler, a stretch of sidewalk known for extensive drug trade, the Narcotics Squad of the Seattle Police jumped out of unmarked SUV's and quickly arrested 3 people. The crowded area became all but empty soon. One man seemed to speak up to the cops (I don't know what he said or did) and one, two, then three police officers pushed him up against a brick wall despite his plea that he wasn't doing anything to them, threw the sandwitch we had just given him on the ground and spent at least 5 minutes yelling at him for interfeering with their investigation. They left, cursing him and promising to nail him for using.

Now, I don't know what he did - it might have been bad or threatening, but if it was bad enough to deserve the force the Narc. officers used, he should have been arrested for some crime. He wasn't. I have met drug dealers who are nicer than those police officers.

People ask how it can be so bad downtown, how people can ruin their lives so continuously. I think part of the problem is that it can be hard to tell who is right and what is wrong.

You cannot walk the Way Jesus walked, the Way of the cross in dignity. The Way itself is shame. The Cross is scandal. Our culture bleeds into our Christianity and we put a premium on dignity and respectibility and friendship with the world and it obscures our view of Heaven. Christ bled into our culture and it was messy and brutal and illuminating.

Freedom

Retaining the occasional indulgence, keeping the option to sit out a few minutes of the crucified life is not freedom. Yes, according to the world’s definition, that sounds about right, getting to decide for yourself, at least once and awhile, what to do. The truth is, when we do that, we posture ourselves against God’s will. We have to be doing someone’s will, so… we are now doing the will of The Enemy or are forced to do our own will (this last one is worse than it sounds - it leads away from truth, light, hope and love and definitely the God who embodies those virtues). In other words it is SLAVERY.

Freedom is living each moment by faith, that is, expecting each moment to be a Kingdom moment where you are ready and willing t obey God's general will (actions, thoughts, words from the Bible) or specific will (being led by the Holy Spirit's prompting immediately). It sounds like slavery, but it is the opposite. When we live that life (actually sounds more like Christ living in us) we are no longer bound by any chains of personal sin or forced in by boundaries of society (like racial and economic divisions - as Christ's followers we are supposed to break those boundaries) . Hmmn, that sounds good. I'll have that.

Expectation = Faith

Have you ever come before God with some measure of complacancy? Possibly willing but not seeking to meet with YHWH? Have you ever come before God without any trace of nervousness that He might show up and challenge you, change you, ask you to do something, or scare you with His awefulness (great word to describe God!)?

Have you ever set out to serve Jesus by witnessing of Him or serving your neighbors and had little expectation that God would work a miracle?

I am convicted to NEVER again do that. To ask anything of God... "asking in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will recieve anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8 NASB

Last night StreetLevel held a chapel service at the William Booth Center, a Salvation Army men's transitional shelter just a couple blocks away from StreetLevel. It was small but encouraging as a few good contacts were made with people looking for Christian fellowship or opportunities for service. Also one man made a verbal commitment to follow Christ and turn away from his former life. I give God the glory and my thanks to Joe West for playing the gitty on short notice. Please pray for Mark for strength to surrender his life fully to Christ.

God bless The Salvation Army!

Chris