LOOKING UNTO JESUS - HEB. 12:2

Here is a link to a remarkable little document that has meant a lot to many people over the years. It is simply called, "Looking Unto Jesus."

This document is actually a brilliant short sermon by a nineteenth French clergyman named, Theodore Monod. It is a wonderful reminder for all believers about the centrality of Jesus to our faith, and it will help each of us become more joyfully Christ-centered in our lives. Do take the time to meditate on it during your daily devotions. You will be glad you did.

http://christjesus.us/Looking%20Unto%20Jesus.html

REMORSE

Who can silence the voices that torment the guilty soul? Guilt is a cruel task-master.

In healthy spiritual growth guilt gives way to heart-felt conviction, contrition, and the commitment to restore through restitution what was broken by means of our sins; but, without Christ, there is no hope for freedom from debilitating guilt.

Jesus offers us a remedy. No one else can, because no one else took the responsibility for your sins upon themselves - no one else could. This is the beauty of Jesus' cross. No one else could pay the penalty and eternal consequences for your sins. Jesus did. He took your guilt upon himself. He became sin - all the sins you committed - past, present and future. He is the remedy for your guilty soul. He is the cure for the mind which has been sickened by the fall-out of our iniquity.

In Jesus, the old can become new. The wrong can be made right, and what cannot be healed can be forgiven and redeemed. His blood washes away all our sins, no matter how hideous.

So great is the magnitude of his personal sacrifice on our behalf that the eternal Father accepts it as more than a full exchange for all our rebellion against the Divine. This, and nothing less, is what GRACE is about.

There is no sin that cannot be expunged, no wound that cannot be healed, no scar that cannot be removed from your soul. It may take time, it may not be easy, and it may be gnarly and aggravating, but the gospel promises us substantial healing in this world, and complete redemption in the next, if only we will repent from our ways (change our mind about ourselves and our ways, agree with God that we are in need of redemption and cannot save ourselves), and trust in him to do this work for you (me) and in you (me).

Can you - will you - believe this?
I pray you will, for this is one of the central truths of the good news of God through Jesus.

God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.
So, we beg you, dearest friends, be reconciled to God.
Release your guilt and let him restore you, as only he can.
Let the past go. Release your guilt. Let him transform you from what you once were to what you will become. A new future awaits you, if you will but turn to him with sincerity. He will work it out for you, in you and through you.

Consider these scriptures from the Book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. - Selah -

(Painting: The Remorse, by William Bourgereau)

THE DOOR IS OPEN, COME ON IN!

The coffee and tea are brewing, and the fragrance of fresh baked pastries fills the air. The walls of the house are decorated with beautiful art. People snuggle into comfy chairs while musicians play guitars and talk about their week. Easy laughter ripples from the kitchen and the soft chatter of a dozen separate conversations create a comforting vibration between the rooms.

Cinnamon rolls are brought to the dining room table along with fruit and beverages. Candles flicker warmly throughout the space and down the hall to the front door. More people are coming in and making themselves comfortable. A growing happiness begins to push out the cares of the week and friends greet each other with tenderness and grace.

As we settle in each person shares something meaningful from their faith and life. We discuss, read, sing, and pray together. This is how it was at the East Side house church this Sunday morning; no exaggeration. It is rich to be in the presence of God with people who have such a great capacity to love and include others.

W/M/Q
Most everyone familiar with EMMANUEL's Spiritual Journey knows that we meet WEEKLY in house churches - (one in Kirkland and one in north Seattle); MONTHLY, on the first Saturday evening of each month in a combined gathering at 5710 22nd Ave NW, from 6 PM to 8 PM at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Ballard (Seattle), WA; QUARTERLY in a party format in order to enrich the wider Seattle Community as we celebrate life through the arts and music.

HOUSE CHURCHES
EAST SIDE - Sunday morning
Dan & Connie Rice's house. Their home is located at 5833 111th Way NE, on the campus of Northwest University, in Kirkland, WA. If you want to experience Emmanuel's house church environment, you can reach Dan or Connie at 425.889.6936 - or - emmanuelart1@gmail.com, just let them know you're coming. They are delighted to make room for you and your friends.

NORTH SEATTLE - Weekly meeting
Location and dates to be announced.
One of our house church leaders and his wife are having their first child. When things settle down for them, we will have firm times and a solid location for you, so stay tuned. This is a wonderful time in their lives. Blessings to you, Bixbys!
Congratulations!!!

Until the Bixby new-family details are resolved, you are invited to join in the EAST SIDE EMMANUEL Sunday morning group and/or other events as well. Contact Pastor Dan Rice for details, or stay tuned to this blog for your best up-to-date info on what's happening at Emmanuel.

Our next blog will feature content from one of our house church meetings. You may well find it enriching and fascinating.

Come on over!. Our community is intimate, welcoming, joyous and authentic. Discover what we mean when we say "Belong, Believe, Become."

THE BOOK OF ELI - Post-Apocalyptic Western

Go See this movie.

PLOT:
This post-apocalyptic western tells the tale of a single specially-chosen, uniquely-gifted man who fights his way across America in order to defend from extinction the last existing copy of a sacred book; a book that holds the secret to the salvation of the human race.

I am a sucker for well done post-apocalyptic films, and this one does not disappoint. The Book of Eli brought back memories of Fahrenheit 451, Equilibrium, and Children of Men, all which I enjoyed. I could have gone without remembering the 1979 Mad Max movie, and the cheesy sequels that followed. But how can that be avoided in a film that shows marauding gangs in cars and on motorcycles running up and down abandoned highways? There is rumor that a 3D Mad Max 4 is now in the planning stages. Lord help us.

To me, it is fascinating to imagine what the world would be like after a cataclysm. Of course, movie-makers always portray a world in which brutal forces rule the weak, and people are either already in chaos, or are teetering precariously on the knife edge of oblivion; this film does too. But there is always a hero in the mix, someone to stand against the persistent human evil, or in this case, someone who stands outside of it; someone with an entirely different agenda. In that sense, this movie is different.

Denzel Washington delivers a masterful performance. I like him anyway, but this film lets him shine in new ways. Gary Oldman is perfectly cast as the villain, Carnegie, for this film; an apparent doppelganger reference to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie - who promoted literacy, and funded the building of public libraries across America, in the UK and other countries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

The supporting cast, Malcolm McDonald, Tom Waits, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, Ray Stevenson all contributed hugely to the credibility of the story. Mila Kunis, Jackie, from "That 70s Show," delivered an excellent performance and is growing into a maturity on screen worthy of her acting abilities. I think we will see more of her in the future.

The fight scenes in this film are violent, bloody and exhilarating - yes - but not unnecessary. It could have been much worse in terms of guts and gore, but what was shown was apropos to the genre and to the story line, and not without humor.

There are several interesting twists and turns that satisfy us with scenes of poetic justice, and the ever present and improbable Hollywood depictions of good gun-slingers who can hit their target with one shot and the evil gun-slingers who have to use a thousand bullets to imperfectly hit theirs. Why are the bad guys such bad shots in movies when real life is so much the opposite?

Anyway, for those, like me, who like this kind of film, you will probably like it. The kicker, of course, is WHAT The Book of Eli really is, and how it uniquely finds its way into the hands of those who will determine its ultimate fate.

WHAT'S COOKIN' AT EMMANUEL NOW

I wanted to add a few details to my last note because we really do have GREAT NEWS about how Emmanuel is growing! It’s truly exciting. This might seem a bit long, BUT PLEASE READ IT ALL. This will bring you up to date on a number of great things happening at Emmanuel; things you will definitely want to be part of. J

As you know, our gathering pattern has changed from single Saturday weekly events to what we call “Weekly / Monthly / Quarterly.” The reason for making this move is so we can BECOME MORE MISSIONAL IN OUR VISION FOR SEATTLE, DEVELOP IN DISCIPLESHIP, GROW LEADERS, AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO MINISTER TO EACH OTHER. Here’s how it works.

THE WEEKLY PART:
We are opening TWO House Churches this month on a weekly schedule so we can have MORE of a good thing. Weekly, we will all have an opportunity to engage our gifts in the context of an intimate smaller group. This allows for the development of people and their uniqueness. The smaller group is a place where we can let the Holy Spirit work through each member – as He speaks to us through the spiritual gifts of the House Church members. This is a time for fellowship, prayer, reading of the Word, sharing life and growing in our Missional Vision together.

THE MONTHLY PART:
Monthly, we will gather for a shared meal, formal teaching and vision casting about how we can best be loving Seattle through serving others.

THE QUARTERLY PART:
Quarterly, we will party! These parties might be art shows, an open creative-mic night, a music concert, or a special lecture; but whatever we do, it will be to enrich our neighbors in the city with excellent experiences.

FILM NIGHT
We had our first film night at Clayton & Katie’s house this past Wednesday. We watched and discussed GRAND TORINO, a remarkable film and a rich evening of discussion and cultural analysis. We need to go deep into the culture if we want to bring Jesus’ message of redemption to those we love. We will have more FILM NIGHTS, so stay tuned. These are awesome. J

IN ADDITION:
30 CREATIVE DAYS & INSPIRED MIC NIGHT COMING YOUR WAY SOON
GET READY, as we begin to plan for our next 30 CREATIVE DAYS culminating in an INSPIRED MIC NIGHT. We will be planning the creative expressions of EMMANUEL along with the schedule for our first “Gathering” and first “Quarterly Event” dates. Come to either of our House Church meetings to learn more about these upcoming events. Tell your friends about the next Inspired Mic Night. Our last one was awesome.

NOW
This coming Sunday, January 17th, at 10am Emmanuel will officially open our Eastside House Church meeting at Dan & Connie Rice’s. They are at 5833 111th Way NE right on the Northwest University campus – 425-889-6936. We will have delicious food, hot beverages, a time of scripture reading, worship, prayer/reflection, and a time for you to participate through your own spiritual gifts. We want to be developing PEOPLE through the exercise of spiritual gifts each week – so come prepared to share something from your heart that will strengthen and encourage others on our mutual spiritual journey.

Emmanuel Seattle & the Bixby Baby!
In the coming weeks, if you live on the Seattle side of the city, you will want to attend Emmanuel’s House Church meeting at Royce and Stephanie Bixby’s house -- just north of Greenwood. Contact Royce Bixby (royce.bixby@gmail.com) or Josh Horvath (joshuahorvath82@gmail.com) for precise details! They have a great plan for engaging people through social action, the arts and discipleship. The Bixby/Horvath group is scheduled during week-nights, which might fit nicely with some of your schedules. The Bixby’s will be having their first baby very shortly now, so do keep them in your prayers. The launch of their group will flex according to that wonderful event. So, stay tuned, and keep Stephanie and Royce in your prayers . . . from this moment on. We want them to be surrounded in prayer and love from all of us.

As you have any questions and contributions to these developments, just give me a shout.
I’ll be close by.

Warmly,
Dan
Pastor, EMMANUEL
425.985.9949
useyernoodle@hotmail.com

FAITH: A GREAT SHIELD GUARDING YOUR LIFE

This is a longer article, but I honestly believe it is worth the read. I encourage you do invest a bit of time to consider the ideas in this post. I believe it will clarify some important things in your thoughts about the subject of faith. It will also address some silly and harmful ideas as well. FAITH, it's not what many people think it is. So, what is it?

I've heard so many teachings about faith that the word leaves me numb. I don't even hear it in a sentence. It's like there is a blank spot in my mind when people talk about faith. Even a pop music star used it the other day to describe why she's been so successful. I marveled at what she seemed to mean - that faith was some kind of mystical power that helped her get what she wanted. In her case, fame, wealth, notoriety, adoration, success. I don't know what she really meant, and I seriously doubt she could have articulated a clear definition of faith, but it underscored for me how crazy ideas have become about the virtues of the Christian life.

So, what is faith?

Faith is not what most people think it is. Faith in not some kind of magical Disney-movie fairy dust, which, if you sprinkle enough on your troubled life, your dreams will come true. Faith is powerful, true enough, but it itself is not a mystical power of any kind. Faith is the confidence produced by being fully convinced that what God says is actually true, and placing all one's eggs in that basket, so to speak. Hope, in the Greek, is the exact same word, only, hope is faith as it looks to the future. Faith and hope is sincere persuasion. It results in the conviction of heart which forms the basis from which one makes the decisions of their life.

One of the remarkable traits of the early church was a strong sense of confidence; and such was that confidence that writer St. Luke calls it boldness. Early believers' faith showed up in the form we might call courage, and it helped them face the toughest things in their lives with grace and joy.

Faith is boldness, or at least faith produces boldness. Faith produces courage, or one might say that courage is faith. Say it whatever way you like, but these things are synonymous.

If faith is present, confidence - boldness - courage will be present. Weak confidence is weak faith. No courage means no faith. Demonstration of boldness equals the presence of authentic faith. My faith can be measured by my courage to live out the things I say I believe. If I do not live it out, my faith is false. St. James says the same thing when he says "faith without works is dead." Let me say it this way, "Confidence results in action; no action equals no confidence."

Pastors sometimes face a "vote of confidence," that is, they face a vote of "faith" on behalf of their congregations. If people don't believe in a pastor, they don't trust her/him. If people don't trust you, then, perhaps you need to ask yourself the question whether you present a credible life - one in which people can feel confident or not. Do you engender confidence in others, or do they find you less than credible? This is a good question for everyone to ask.

Beyond that, ask yourself what you yourself have confidence about. Are you confident about the gospel. Are you bold about Jesus? Do you trust that Christ is the only hope for your salvation, or are you tentative about your commitment to him and his Church. Do you believe that Jesus is in control of his Church today, or not? Are you confident in HIS Church, not in a denomination or a special para-church organization? Are you bold about the community being built by Jesus? If not, why not? This is a question we must own, one way or the other.

What about miracles, healing the sick, glossolalia, prayer, proclaiming the gospel, giving to the poor, stewardship of the planet, feeding the hungry, loving your secular community, and so forth? Do you have faith? Does your life project an on-going confidence, courage, boldness - faith-ful-ness? This is how the writer to the Hebrews describes the heroes of faith in chapter eleven. They are all people who were fully persuaded that what God has promised he was also able to perform - and that he who cannot lie, promised them wonderful things that he has every intention of delivering.

The writer of Hebrews said, ³²And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— ³³who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. ³⁵ Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. ³⁹And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:32-40 - English Standard Version)

The story of faith is still unfolding.

You are part of that story. Are you convinced? Will YOU be commended along with these faithful servants of God . . . will I? Well, as for me, I am confident that HE will do in me all he has set out to do. He will fulfill every promise and complete every work now in motion in my life. I don't know the details of how it will all unfold, but I do boldly proclaim His faithfulness and grace. I do trust in that grace which he alone is. I am confident he will succeed in his plans for my life - despite all odds and against all comers who attempt to derail his work in my life. Stand with me this year and proclaim with fresh confidence that Jesus Christ is Lord - to the glory of God the Father - and let us see how lives of authentic faith (courage), might transform our city, neighborhoods, families and friends.

How will we do this? Our faith will grow as we listen to what God says, and place our trust in that. This means we need to become, ever more, people of God's Word, because "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom 10:17) This does not mean we can unthinkingly take the written word at face value without a relationship with the LIVING WORD who stands in eternity beyond the printed page, or deal in a literalistic way with the text like a reckless biblicist (those so-called fundamentalists) do. Faithfulness to hearing God's Word means digging into it so that we might know it in greater depth, and live it with deeper conviction.

Positioning our lives to hear God's Word

There are many ways to do this, and we should do them all, and often. Expose your mind to the Word of God, to faithful, wise and accurate teaching, to personal Bible study, to hymns and songs that articulate the beautiful awe inspiring nuances of Christian thought. Those who think Christianity shallow and harsh couldn't be farther from the truth - though Christians themselves often fall short. The Word itself hides mysteries and will not reveal its secrets to those who come at it in a hackneyed manner. It is a closed book to the flippant and the self-satisfied skeptic. They ought not think they will hear anything from the Spirit, or that they would recognize it if they did. But, we who believe can get God's word down inside of our brains and hearts - more than this, we are expected to. Pray the scriptures like The Sermon on the Mount, or the books of Ephesians,Colossians or Hebrews and watch what will happen in your own life. I guarantee you something good will take place, and your confidence will grow stronger as you do.

Finally

ONLY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN FAITH. No one can give it to you. God will help it to grow, and others will walk with you on this journey, but you and I alone are the ones who will finally govern whether we will lean on God in faith or not. Look intently into HIS Word and watch your faith grow strong. Like the picture above, it will become a shield for you, and it will defend you against many troubles. This is as true, as clear and as direct as I know how to say it.

Selah

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL BEGINS WITH LISTENING

Today, I began my spiritual year . . . in silence . . . LISTENING.

This is no easy task, but it is amazing how much silence has to teach us. My addiction to noise is not uncommon. The world is filled with noise and noise can be a destructive influence on one's spiritual life. I believe the souls of our children and the spirit of our lives is drowning in noise.

I encourage you to spend one silent hour before God, listening. Do not pray, do not sing, do not act, just sit quietly in silence in God's presence and you will see important things that lay buried beneath the world of sounds, like boulders lay hidden beneath ocean waves.

Do this - pull the plug on all your clamorous activities and noise-making machines for just one hour. Find a place to sit in utter silence before God's throne. When you are done, write down your thoughts and impressions. They may not be pleasant, but that is the purpose of silence, to reveal to us what remains concealed by noise. Silence will teach us much, if we dare to engage it.