Who Am I?

 "Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far?" (1 Chronicles 17:16 NIV)

These are the words of King David after he had expressed a desire to build a house for the Lord. God's response through the prophet Nathan was to inform David that he would not be the one to build the Lord a house but one of David's own sons would be raised up to complete the task. I can imagine that David on the one hand may have been somewhat disappointed that he would not be the architect for the Lord's house. However, on the other hand, David's response in 1 Chronicles 17:16 was the opening statement of his prayer of worship and appreciation for all the Lord had done for David and his family as well as all that God was going to do in the future. 

GOD IS FAITHFUL

As I was meditating on this verse I was struck by God's history of faithfulness in my own life. I don't consider myself to be better than or more loved by God than anyone else. When I go out into the community, people are not stopping me on the street and asking for my autograph. In today's culture a person is considered as having "made it" if their fame and fortune becomes recognized not only in the country but all over the world. Their pictures are plastered all over magazine covers and their social media is followed by millions of people. However, it only takes one poor decision or some other catastrophic event to cancel their celebrity status. One could say that king David was a "celebrity" in his day. God raised him up from the status of a shepherd to become king over the nation of Israel. Yet, even after the Lord informed David that he would not be the one to build the temple for the Lord's glory, David did not throw a tantrum and declare "But I'm the king! How could You deny me this great opportunity?" No, in humility David demonstrates a sense of awe that he was even chosen to fulfill God's plan. A plan and a lineage that would eventually lead to the coming of the Messiah. 

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

Similarly, I stand in awe of the Lord's movement in my family. If someone had told me that the Lord would one day call me to bring spiritual healing to His people through pastoral ministry, I would have thought they were on drugs or insane. My great-grandmother, a woman of Jamaican descent co-founded a church which still exists today in Roxbury, Ma. Some of her daughters, my great aunts, went on to faithfully serve the Lord until their passing. Out of all of my extended family members, I find myself asking the same question, "Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far?" A black woman who lives in a country overshadowed by a history of racism, yet who has been able to cross cultural barriers and bring the word of God to His people regardless of their race and ethnic background. Such a feat can only be accomplished by the Lord Himself. Jeremiah says of the Lord, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You." (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV) In the same chapter, the Lord declares of Himself, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?" (Jeremiah 32:27 NIV) 

GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

In the New Testament, in Luke chapter 18, Jesus shares a story of a rich ruler who wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. This ruler had kept the Law to the best of his ability so no doubt he thought he had it "made in the shade." However, when Jesus challenges the ruler to sell all he has and come follow Jesus, the man couldn't give up his wealth. Jesus went on to tell His listeners the difficulty the rich face in entering the kingdom of God. His listeners feel a sense of hopelessness and ask Jesus, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." (Luke 18:26-27 NIV) The lesson? Our God has the power to move mountains and raise people from the dead. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ have been given gifts by His Holy Spirit to fulfill His calling and will for their lives. The apostle Paul in speaking about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:11 states, "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines." (NIV) I confess I struggled and at times still do with what I call "Moses moments," wishing God had chosen someone else under such challenging circumstances. I question why God gave me pastoral gifts, knowing the hurdles I would face not only from the world but also from some fellow believers. Over time I have come to the humble realization that God doesn't make mistakes and I and my extended family have been gifted by God's grace with what some may see as an impossible task. However, I serve the God of the impossible!

All glory to Him!

Pastor Sheree 

Help My Unbelief!

 For many people, the summer of 2021 was very challenging. We all expected the pandemic would be in the rearview mirror by now and we would again resume "normal" living. However, the pandemic appears to be lingering beyond our expectations. Covid-19 has taken up a lot of time and energy in people's lives but the challenge becomes even greater when we experience unexpected situations. This has certainly been true for me this summer. My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has since undergone surgery and the prognosis is positive. However, the week before his surgery he was diagnosed with melanoma. Needless to say, this was an unexpected, unforeseen, and unwelcome situation. These circumstances have certainly challenged my faith. The struggle has taken its toll on me spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In my work as a mental health counselor, it has been difficult to encourage others while I am operating out of a place of personal discouragement. I am thankful for the many friends and family who have been praying for us. 

An Imperfect Faith

During this difficult season I am drawn to the story of the father in Mark chapter 9 whose son was possessed by an impure spirit. Prior to this encounter, Jesus' closest disciples had just witnessed the transfiguration and are now rejoining the others. In Jesus absence the father of the possessed boy had asked the other disciples to heal his son but they were unsuccessful. The father, quite distraught, brings his son to Jesus for healing. However, at this point the father's faith is on shaky ground. After explaining to Jesus the history of his son's dilemma the father says to Jesus, "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us." (Mark 9:22b NIV) Jesus responds, "If You can? Everything is possible for one who believes." (Mark 9:23 NIV) The text goes on to tell us, "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24 NIV) Jesus subsequently goes on to heal the boy. The father's statement appears to be a paradox. How can belief and unbelief exist at the same time? What the father is actually asking for is more faith or a deepening of his faith. He is acknowledging that as a human being his faith is not perfect. The father is in need of Jesus' help not only to physically heal his son but spiritually and emotionally strengthen him. I can relate to this man's struggle. As a pastor, I receive no special favor from God and I am not exempt from trials. Life is not easy and our faith is often tested when we have no control over circumstances that negatively impact us and the ones we love. However, Jesus did not walk away from this man or his son. Jesus did not tell the father that because of his spiritual struggle, his son could not be healed. 

A Perfect Lord

We need to remember that like this father our faith is not perfect but Jesus is. Even the apostles in Luke 17 made a similar request like the father of this boy, "The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He (Jesus) replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." (Luke 17:5-6 NIV) So, I can move forward even in the uncertainty of what the future holds for us. I can rest in the assurance that Jesus will never leave or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5) He will not judge me for what I perceive as an inadequate amount of faith. One of the members in our church family stated that he recently listened online to one of his brother-in-law's sermons. The point that stood out to him is a good word for us all. His brother-in-law preached that in times of uncertainty, "We don't know how but we do know Who!" May the Lord bless, keep, and sustain you in whatever difficulties and challenges you are facing or will face in the days ahead.

Peace and Blessings,

Pastor Sheree

In Pursuit of a Mystery

Many people enjoy reading a great mystery novel. Part of the attraction captured in the story is the tension throughout that ultimately leads to the resolution of the mystery. What would happen if at the end of the story, the last chapter was removed from the book and the solution was never revealed? There's no doubt, the reader would experience feelings of confusion, frustration, and even anger. There's something within our human nature that struggles with unresolved situations. In other words we feel uncomfortable with the unknown. We need to know how and why something happens so we can capture, control, or at times manipulate our circumstances. We operate from a tangible place wherein something is  "real" only when we can experience it with our senses and understand it. This fact is not necessarily true of all situations. Most people won't be motivated to find out what gravity tangibly looks like, we just accept scientifically that it exists. The closest evidence we have that tells us gravity is real is seen in outer space as we watch astronauts float around on the international space station. God is often a challenge to us as human beings. For many, God is not "real" because they cannot tangibly perceive Him. Followers of Christ are called to operate by faith which is defined in Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." 

THE MYSTERY OF GOD

There is a mystery about God which does not allow us to neatly package Him up and put Him in a box of our own creation. Yet, something within our spirits keeps human beings in pursuit of God, in pursuit of a Mystery. We see examples in both the Old and New Testaments. Moses was drawn to investigate a phenomena that didn't make sense, a bush that burned but was not consumed. (Exodus 3:1-3) After, the Lord called Moses, he continued to have a desire to tangibly "see" God. In Exodus 33, Moses asked God to show him His glory. However, the Lord declined to fully reveal Himself to Moses. God declared, "... you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live." (Exodus 33:20) However, God allowed Moses a glimpse of Himself while Moses remained safely shielded in the cleft of a rock. Moses was able to see God's back but not His face or put another way, he was unable to see the full revelation of God. (Exodus 33:21-23) Moses was left in pursuit of a Mystery. In the New Testament, Jesus becomes the "face" and reflection of God. However, the disciples were never fully able to comprehend the mystery represented in Christ. In one of His many miracles, Jesus calms a storm which the disciples perceived was a threat to their lives. After Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves, we are told the disciples were terrified and asked each other, "...Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him." (Mark 4:41) The disciples came to understand more fully who Jesus was after His resurrection and especially after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to empower them to carry the gospel to the world. (Acts 1-2) However, like Moses, the disciples were still left to some degree pursuing a Mystery. 

LIVING BY FAITH, NOT SIGHT

Paul puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 13, "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12) Furthermore, John states, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2) God has created in humanity a longing and desire to pursue a Mystery whether or not we are followers of Christ. On the one hand our challenge is this, will we become frustrated and deny or give up on what we cannot capture and/or understand? On the other hand, will we pursue the Mystery of God and rest by faith in the revelation of who Jesus is, even though we will not fully know Him until we enter into His presence in eternity? For those who choose to follow Jesus Christ and "...live by faith, not sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7) let us embrace Paul's words to Timothy as we pursue a Mystery, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will reward me on that day---and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." (who have pursued this Mystery. italics mine) (2 Timothy 4:7-8) 
Pursuing Him,
Pastor Sheree