Are you wearing a mask?



There are alot of deep needs that we have, but to be loved hits at a very basic human need.  Your greatest need is not money, success, fame or to get another job.  Your greatest need is to be loved.  Not with sentimental love, not sexual love, but Gods love.  And because we so desperately want to be loved we are willing to do desperate things to get love.  Infact, many put on what I call 'love masks'. What love masks are, are things we put on to disguise our real need for love.  I grant you when we wear these we do get a little bit of love but nothing that really lasts.

 

 

Recently my wife and I went to San Francisco and attended the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera. What a fantastic production. One of my favorite songs in the musical is the song 'Masquerade'. The lyrics are:

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade . . .

Masquerade!

Hide your face,

so the world will

never find you!

Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around -
there's another
mask behind you!

How true are those words. So many people today wearing a mask, hiding who they really are and never letting the world see the real person. But not only do we wear masks to hide behind, but we also hide behind the ‘love masks’ so desperately trying to find something to fulfill the love we seek and need.  ‘Look around, there’s another mask behind you’ yes look around and you will see another person seeking real love but hiding behind a mask that doesn’t satisfy.

 

Some of the Masks we hide behind might be:

 

The mask of performance: When we achieve and perform there are some people in our lives that will say, "look at what they achieved and we get a little bit of love and value from that.

 

The mask of people: Oftentimes we get love, affirmation and value from people. It might be from our own children when they accomplish good grades and we proudly display the bumper sticker that says, 'proud parent of a student at __name of school _____'

 

The mask of pity: Sometimes people will put themselves down only to have another pat them on the back and say, "poor you"...we get a little bit of love and affirmation that way.

 

The mask of position: Some feel that if they can just get to the next position on the job that will give them the value and love they need.

 

The mask of physical attention: A lot of times we equat physical contact with real love.

 

The mask of pleasure: If I could just have that next vacation, that next high, that experience.

 

The mask of Possesions: If I could live in that house, in that neighborhood, drive that car.

 

The problem with these masks is that they are temporary forms of love, pleasure, value, acceptance and appreciation. The problem also is that when we wear them, it creates a thirst for more love. But there is a love far deeper than any human love and what any of the ‘love masks’ can produce.  It is God’s amazing love.  So take off those paper masks of various shades, that fade away and don’t satisfy.  Take off the masks you are hiding behind that pretend to fulfill you.  And find real love that is found in the Love of God through Jesus Christ.



God knows your name and He cares

Does God really care? Does he really care about the small things going on in my life? In fact does he really know my name? Well, yes he cares and not only does he care, he even knows your name. As it says in Isaiah he even has your name written on the palm of his hands. Think of that, God knows your name and cares about you and wants you to pray.

The Lord has been teaching me and convicting me so much in the matter of prayer and to pray in faith. Recently we concluded  a prayer series in our small group and will preach on it at church soon.  Through this I hope our church will grow to a greater level of prayer.  It is my prayer that we will see the vast importance and blessing that comes through prayer.

Now, sometimes God wants us to pray and go, to act and cooperate with His plan. But that takes the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives to realize exactly what it is He wants us to do as we pray. Then there are other times we are to simply pray and wait on the Lord. This too takes prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit if that is what we are to simply do.

But most importantly God wants us to remember that He cares about every aspect of our life. That we can put all our troubles and cares into His Almighty Hand knowing that He has the power to help us. I love what 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” why? Because through prayer God can and will help.

I think about Moses as he was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. In Exodus 14:13 he instructs them to “do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Are you kidding? Stand still? Moses, the enemy is approaching, they are behind us and there is a body of water we can’t cross in front of us. It was an impossible situation from man’s point of view, but not for God. May I remind you that nothing is impossible with God.

As Moses spoke to the people to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. I am also reminded of the Psalmist words in Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” And that is exactly what God wants us to do when we go through difficulties, trials and valleys. He wants us to pray and turn to Him. He wants us to cast all our cares at His feet. He wants us to be still and know He is God.

I came across this writing from the ‘Angels were Silent’

He’s waiting for you. God is standing on the porch of heaven, expectantly hoping, searching the horizon for a glimpse of his child. You’re the one God is seeking. God is the waiting Father, the caring Shepherd in search of his lamb. His legs are scratched, his feet are sore, and his eyes are burning. He scales the cliffs and traverses the fields. He explores the caves. He cups his hands to his mouth and calls into the canyons. And the name he calls is yours. The message is simple; God gave up His Son in order to rescue all his sons and daughters. To bring his children home. He’s listening for your answer.”

God wants us to pray to Him and trust Him

Are you living in fear because of Boston?

 

 

Once again our nation has been attacked and this time in Boston at the Boston Marathon. The terrorist attack was not aimed at bringing down a building, or a plane.  It was not aimed at some prominent politician but rather at innocent citizens watching a race, a race that for some included their family and friends.  As a result of these kinds of attacks, whether it be at a mall, theater, school, bus, building or athletic competition it causes people to obviously react.  For some, it is easy to over react however over reacting can be dangerous.  One way to over react is to begin to live in fear.  That might be natural, but fear leads to phobias and phobias tend to keep us indoors, isolated and basically stop living.  And soon, we become afraid to do anything or go anywhere.

This week a friend of mine named Ben (who Pastors in the Boston area) wrote an opening paragraph to us pastors on a pastors email list that I am on and then included a letter he had written to his church and community. I want to share the introductory paragraph and then the letter he wrote.  His words are great words of encouragement that surely will speak to all of us.

Men,

After speaking with a friend from the church who was 30 yards from the first bomb explosion, hugging his daughter over a crowd barrier as she finished the race I wrote down a few thoughts. He and I had spent the past few weeks talking about kids, travel, and safety (My oldest is traveling to teach in Turkey this summer)...you quickly realize safety anywhere is an illusion outside of Christ.

Ben

Now here is the well written letter to his church and community.

Boston, Bombs, & Belief

 Dear Church, friends, and community,

 

We live in world that is not right...moments like this are painful reminders that our world needs what Jesus Christ brought. Better intelligence, safer cities, more laws, and stronger armies are no substitute for a renovation of the heart. When the reality of a moment like this has finally settled, in our thoughts turn to “what next?” and “how do we respond?”.  Here are three ways we can begin:

 

 Pray for justice

 

The aftermath of moments like this one can bring out the best and worst in all of us. We speak of justice but our spirit craves vengeance. Vengeance is justice gone wild - justice laced with hatred. Justice is right, righteous, and fearsome…and it belongs to God and to the governments He has established.

 

The Apostle Paul directs us to give our vengeance to God in one chapter - apparently He is good at it - (Rom 12:17-21), and then moments later he speaks of God directing governments to bring the righteous consequences of justice to evildoers (Rom 13:1-7).  

 

Pray for justice, pray for our leaders, and pray for our country as we seek justice.

 

Live without fear

Terrorism has a singular goal:  terror…to exchange our peace and confidence for fear and dread.  Our natural reaction is to limit risk, to run from life and living to a safer place…but where is this mythical safe place?  A tranquil elementary school, a celebratory finish line, an office tower built of steel and concrete?

While we seek safe places, God reminds us that confidence comes from within:  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (1 Timothy 1:7).

If the safest place to be is in the center of God's plan, then the question we should be asking is, “Am I where God wants me?”  If  you are…stay there, serve others, and spread His love in small acts and bold reminders of the unconditional love of God - love proven once and for all in Jesus Christ.

Resolve to love

Hatred can feel empowering in moments like this.  Water cooler moments, Facebook walls, and Twitter feeds are full of bold declarations of resolve. Resolve is good, but let us resolve to love…the rarest of emotions in moments like this.

Jesus famously said “Love your enemies” (Mt 5:44) - a declaration not faded one bit by an enemy's tactics or hatred. Justice and love are not enemies but allies. They validate each other in ways that  capitulation and hatred only hope to.

Pray, Live, Love.

As I read Bens article I thought of the video of Francis Chan that speaks to this subject as well.

A video well worth your time to watch

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=FE29CFNU

Are you hindering the cause of Christ?



 



In the film, ‘Remember the Titans’, you see the true story of two coaches, one white and one black who are asked to coach a newly integrated team.  The head coach (played by Denzel Washington) has to try to get this team to put aside their differences and focus on their common goal.  As they begin to do this they not only begin to play good football, but they begin to change individually as well.  And this change that begins within themselves and the team, begins to change the entire community.

 

In the same manner we come from different backgrounds.  We have different tastes, styles and interests.  And we can let our differences divide us or we can let our common experience of grace in Christ unite us.  Yes, in our quest for truth we may still debate issues..but our goal will not be to be focused on self or my way, but to know Christ better.  Our differences will not be the cause for division they will provide opportunities to grow.

 

I’ve said it before and will say it again, Christians fighting Christians only causes the world to turn away.  But when Christians work together, the world takes notice. In the early church many people didn’t understand the gospel, but what they did understand was that these people loved each other.  If we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel we will gladly set aside our ego for the purpose of advancing the gospel.  We will overlook minor differences and discuss bigger differences in a spirit of love. 

 

Let me ask you a straight forward question.  What fellow believer are you figthting with or at odds with right now?  It doesn't matter if they are within your church or not, someone is watching and it will effect the cause of Christ.

I thirst

Right now as I am writing it is pouring down rain outside.  It is not one of those days that is hot and dry and where you are craving for a glass of water.  Believe me, like many of you I have had those days when living in Redding where the temperature in the summertime can soar to 115 for several days in a row.  But today: that is definitely not the case.

At Smith River Baptist Church   http://smithriverbaptist.org/ we are in the middle of a series that deals with the final words of Christ on the cross that can be heard at http://smithriverbaptist.org/sermons/ 

This Sunday we are looking at the passage where Jesus said “I thirst”.  It is the only statement in which our Lord referred to His body and His physical suffering.  Perhaps you have wondered why he would say that.  I mean after all He was Jesus, He was God and yet He thirst?  You mean He suffered and got thirsty just like we do?  Well, as a matter of fact He did and as a result He is able to sympathize with our needs.  You see, while Jesus was 100% divine, He was also 100% human. Because He walked upon this earth as a man, though He knew no sin, He did become very much acquainted with the difficulties of life here below. When He was a child, He probably skinned His knee a time or two. As a teenager, it is likely that He knew what it was like to not be part of the "in" crowd. Learning the carpenter’s trade in His father’s shop, He possibly had a splinter or two, and He also could very well have smashed His finger on occasion with a hammer. As a man, He knew what it was to grow tired, to be cold, to sweat, to be hungry, and, of course, He knew what it was like to be thirsty.

During an airline flight, concern over the heavy turbulence mounted until the soothing voice of the pilot came over the inter¬com: “No need to worry, folks,” he said cheerfully, “Just remember: these bumps are made of air!” We may wish the bumps we face in life were made of air, but they are not. Life is difficult; adversities are real. Physical trials sting and smart. Emotional trials leave us with unresolved baggage. Spiritual trials drain our souls.

Jesus felt the "bumps" as He lived here among men. Because this is so, we know that He understands where we are and what we are going through in our struggles in this life. 

“We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” - Hebrews 4:15-16 (The Message)

One of Denmark’s leading sculptors had a burning ambition to create the greatest statue of Jesus ever made. He began by shaping a clay model of a triumphant, regal figure. The head was thrown back and the arms were upraised in a gesture of great majesty. It was his conception of Christ the King: Strong, Dominant. "This will be my masterpiece," he said, on the day the model was completed. But, during the night a heavy fog rolled into the area and sea-spray seeped through a partially opened window of the artist’s ocean-side studio. The moisture affected the shape of the model so that when the artist returned to the studio in the morning, he was shocked to find a wounded figure. The droplets of moisture that had formed on the statue created the illusion of bleeding. The head had drooped. The facial expression had been transformed from one of strength to compassion. And the arms had dropped into an attitude of welcome. The artist stared at the figure, agonizing over the time wasted and the need to begin all over again. But something came over him to change his mood. He began to see that this image of Christ was the truer one. Then he wrote at the base of the newly-shaped figure: "Come unto Me!"

God told me to do it part 2

 

 

So…..God told you to do that?  Really? Seriously? How do you know that?

 

For those of us who lived back in the 70s there was a CB phrase that truckers used.  Remember it?  It was this:  “Got your ears on?”  What did that mean?  It meant, are you listening? Are you tuned in to the same frequency, the same CB channel, are you listening to me?  Well actually Jesus said something of the same thing over 2,000 years ago when He said in Luke 8:8 “He who has ears to hear let him hear”.  He is talking about if you have the equipment needed to tune in, then tune in..listen.  And the truth of the matter is that we do have the equipment needed, God has given you the ability to hear from Him.

 

There are times when you are traveling on the freeway and about to enter a city that you might see a billboard with a message and a radio station call number on it.  The message on the billboard reads, “for updated traffic conditions tune in to _______ on your AM dial. But you don’t do it, you ignore the advice just like I often do.. I mean really, how many of us turn off the music and turn on the traffic report?  But then comes the time you wish you had because you come upon construction or unfortunately an accident that is causing hours of delay.  If you had just tuned in and heard the message you could have taken a different route and saved yourself all that time.  But no, the information line was ignored and we are stuck suffering the consequences of not tuning in and listening.

 

So this leads me to think of a very important reason to tune in, put my ears on, and hear from the Lord.  And it is this: ‘It protects me from mistakes’.  If you will listen, God will warn you in advance of the delays, and traps of life.  Proverbs 3:5 & 6 is very real when it says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.”  Proverbs is saying, “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do and everywhere go. He’s the one who will keep you on track.”  God is trying to say to us, “Watch out for this today”.  Because His warnings and directives will at some point during the day protect me and keep me from making a stupid mistake.  God will do that for you if you will listen to Him.

 

God told me to do it....

 

Probably one of the most dangerous phrases in the English language is this phrase:  ‘God told me to do it’.  This could be one of the most misunderstood phrases, most misused, most abused phrases and it could be one of the manipulating phrases when somebody says that.  Because how do you argue with God when someone says, “God told me to do it”?

 

A lot of bad decisions have been blamed on God because people think that it was God who told them to do a certain thing.  I have to admit, even as a pastor when someone tells me “God told me to do this” I get a little skeptical at times.  Because I want to know, how do you know it was from God. 

 

Perhaps you have said that yourself at some point, or you have even heard someone said it only to scratch your head and think, “what?…no, I don’t think so.”  I heard it twice recently on television. Once on Restaurant Impossible when Chef Robert Irvine asked a restaurant owner where he came up with his terrible tasting spaghetti sauce?  The owner replied by saying, “it was divine, God told him how to make it.”  Hm….The second time was when one of the American Idol contestants, (who was only seen during the audition segments and never did sing the right note) was asked by the judges, “who suggested you tryout for this”? The contestant said,  “God told me to tryout”.  Well, how do we know when God is truly speaking to us?  How do we know when it is not our own self talking to us, satan talking to us or simply some bad spaghetti sauce we ate late one night?  Because knowing where this ‘voice’ is coming from is very important in making the proper decisions in our life.  We better make sure the voice we are hearing and the instructions we are receiving is in fact coming from God and His Word.  And there are some ways to know this….

 

Stay tuned..to be continued