The Final Conversations of Christ- Part 11

Sometimes we can become so accustomed to the traditions of a holiday like Easter, that we may lose sight of its importance. That might sound like a distasteful sentiment for a Christian, who should be eager to celebrate our Lord overcoming death and the grave to give us the spirit of adoption into kinship with the Father. And most of the time, I do feel that way. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve had many Easters that are transformational experiences, where God lets revival break out in the fellowship or speaks to me very personally, imparts a revelation or just lifts my spirit with a message of renewal and reconciliation. But if I’m being honest, being in the faith a long time has conditioned me to expect a repetitive series of traditional events to take place during Holy week.

But the wonderful thing about God’s Word, that never fails me, is how it is new each time you read it. It revives you and surprises you. It is the ultimate renewable resource. And this week, Pastor Aaron’s message made me view the resurrection as a kind of CSI mystery, which I had never before.

Stooping down, (John) saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. John 20:4-7.

The scene described in this passage was inconsistent with the methods of grave robbers, who were more likely to take the linens and leave the body in the tomb; or with the Romans, who if they’d chosen to remove Jesus to prevent a grave robbery would have taken the remains in one piece. This was a clue to Jesus’ personal resurrection, which our witnesses had overlooked.

But perhaps the best thing for me this week was the altar call. Not just because more than a dozen people made a declaration of faith this week, which always blesses me, but because it challenged me as well. In Hebrews 11:6 it states, “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who seek Him.” As many of you may relate, I have mistakenly thought of the sinner’s prayer and call to repentance as de rigeur for Sunday – for Easter in particular. I used to view it as a moment of prayer designated for non-Christians, believing that it no longer had an application to my life. But now I almost never miss a chance to pray that simple prayer with everyone else, because while we are in the flesh we are never done repenting. And, I find, if we pray scripturally we are never done experiencing God’s grace for professing our faith. If my appetite for sin seems inexhaustible, His forgiveness seems just as vast. He really does reward our seeking, and the Word is the best search tool I know.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning – great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23

Written by: Chad Halcom

Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

The Final Conversations of Christ- Part 10

Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them [the armed soldiers], “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth, they replied.”

“I am He," Jesus said. When Jesus said, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. "John 18:4-6

As I was listening to Pastor Aaron read this passage on Sunday, goose bumps came all over me. At this point in time, Jesus was awaiting his crucifixion. He knew the soldiers were there to condemn Him of a faultless life, but His response was incredible. Rather than wait for someone else to point Him out, He powerfully proclaimed, “I AM HE.”

As I reread the passage, one thing comes to my mind: Jesus owned it. What I mean by that is Jesus took so much control over not just His name, but the way He said it. He was unafraid and spoke with conviction.

Not only did Jesus have the control, but His words carried great power. In this instance, the soldiers literally fell to the ground. Who do you know that can do that? When we focus on the the power of those words, we may realize that Satan had no say or control over what was taking place. Although Satan may have been present in the situation, God had the authority.

As I sit here and reflect on how powerful Jesus’ words were in this instance, I start to think of how those words could influence us day to day.

In John 18:10-11, Peter pulled a sword and wounded the high priest's servant, Malchus. But Jesus told Peter to put away his sword and allow God's plan to unfold. When circumstances are difficult or frightening, we have the tendency to take things into our own hands, like Peter did. Sometimes we think we know what's best for ourselves, and other times, we opt to take the easier route. In the end, however, God will redirect us to His purpose. Likewise, in frightening or difficult situations we must not fear, but trust in what God has for us.

I challenge you to ask yourself, “How many times have I run from God's plan?” You can run, but Jesus is not done with you. Jesus is and will always be in charge every step of the way. In times when you’re tempted to run away, I challenge you to remind yourself of God’s power. Trust him and continue to live out his plans because HE IS GOD.

Written by: Saule Staugaard

Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

All In

Sunday was Freedom’s annual Missions Service.  We celebrated all that God has been doing worldwide and community-wide through the people and finances of our local church family. Missionary Steve Pennington shared. We turned in our faith missions promise cards.

Those are the straight facts.

Beyond the facts were layers of nuance and deep, life-changing truth. I am deeply altered by what the Lord spoke.

The text was Matthew 15:21-28. Every time I’ve ever come upon this portion of scripture, I either cringe or skip over it because as Steve mentioned, it doesn’t sound like the Jesus we know.

It’s the account of Canaanite woman who pleads for healing for her demon-possessed daughter. At first, Jesus ignores her. (Ahhh! What?!?)Then he says, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26).

Ouch, Jesus.

Upon dissecting this statement within the context of the culture, it smacks of racism and sexism. It’s ugly and vile.

But Steve pointed out, that in most other parts of the world, there’s a type of conversation that happens with which we are unfamiliar. Generally, we, as Americans, look people in the eyes and say what we need to say directly. In other parts of the world, if something important needs to be said, the deliverer of the message will say something cryptic to someone else within earshot of the person needing to hear the statement – kind of like subtweeting.

Steve proposes that perhaps Jesus’ harsh words to the woman were actually aimed at the disciples to reveal the ugliness of the current mentality of the culture.

The disciples needed to realize that they were bound by a mindset that kept them from reaching those who truly needed the touch of Jesus. In that day and age, interacting with the unlovely could result in being ostracized socially and financially, among other things. There was fear tied to that cultural mindset.

Fear hinders us. Fear devalues us. Fear keeps us from reaching the lost with the lifesaving message of Jesus.

This Canaanite woman, a gentile, – who scripture never names – knew Jesus could change her life. How did she know this? Because someone told her.

And then Jesus changed her life with a single sentence.  I want to be the catalyst through which Jesus changes lives with His words. Fear can hold me back. I don’t want to give in to that fear. I want to do all that I can to further that message with my actions, my words, my finances, and my life.

After church on Sunday, I was attempting to soothe my overloaded introvert brain, (because NO. ALONE. TIME. ALL. WEEKEND. LONG) by mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and I stopped at one particular post. A family had been discussing and analyzing the message (which I love, by the way). One of the older children in the family asked her younger sibling what he liked about the message. His reply, “I like that there was a happy ending. That she got the healing she asked for.”

So do I. My prayer is that I will be a part of many healings, salvations and miracles. And if you don’t mind, I’ll pray that for you, too.

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Fine Arts Festival

“Talent is God’s gift to us. What we do with that talent is our gift to God.” –Josh Wellborn, Michigan District Youth Director

This weekend, I watched REMIX students from Freedom Christian exhibit an immense amount of talent. From excellently performed melodies, to rocking percussion solos, to beautifully composed art, to sobering human videos, REMIX displayed a plethora of talents at Fine Arts. While there is something to be said about the natural talent possessed by REMIX students, that is not what is most impressive about this group. Rather, it is their heart behind the performance. It is their urgency to develop, create, and do what they were made to do.  It is their desire to use their gifts not to perform, but to WORSHIP that is so inspiring.

In worship to God, students gave their time. REMIX students could have spent their time over the past few months watching tv, shopping, playing video games, or doing anything else. Instead, however, they dedicated their personal free time to develop their God-given talents.

In worship to God, REMIX students stepped outside their comfort zone. Instead of letting fear hold them back, students boldly and confidently used their talents to sing songs of praise, reflect the beauty of creation through art, and teach the gospel.

In worship to God, excellence was actively sought after. The performances and art created by Freedom Christian’s youth were not done halfheartedly. Each performance was well-practiced, thoughtful, and intentional. REMIX did not solely bring God glory through their performances at Fine Arts, but by pursuing excellence in preparation.

 In worship to God, encouragement and support was given to all those developing their skills to share the gospel. At the celebration service (when all the merit awards are announced), REMIX students loudly cheered for every single winner, regardless of whether or not they knew the person.

The mindset behind sacrificing time, stepping outside one’s comfort zone, pursuing excellence, and supporting the Church as a whole boils down to one thing: WORSHIP. REMIX students have captured the vision of living a lifestyle of worship, using their gifts to glorify God and share the gospel. It is my hope that we, as a church, follow the great example set by our youth. Let us give sacrificially of our time, willingly step outside our comfort zone, pursue excellence, and have a missional mindset.

God has gifted you with talent. What are you going to do with it?

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant

The Final Conversations of Christ- Part 9

As part of the body of Christ, we’ve had a growing tendency to be self-harming. We suffer from anxiety over our image to the rest of the world, and attempt to apologize to the world for our various shortcomings by inflicting wounds on ourselves. We seek to gain the approval of our faith from the world by tearing apart those around us who need grace most.

It is time we have a conversation regarding the way we talk about the massive, and massively public shortcomings of others who profess our faith. There’s the televangelists caught buying lavish homes and cars with money solicited from average people “for their ministry,” the people who scream slurs and wave hateful signs around at funerals, and the pastors who gain their spotlight by protesting coffee cups and saying women shouldn’t speak in church. We’ve seen every article to ever circulate Facebook about them—and we LOVE to tear them down. We love to swoop in and be the bigger, more lovable Christian that says these people are not real Christians, call them names, strip them of all legitimacy and association with the body of Christ, and cheer on their bashing by our Christian and non-Christian friends alike—but we have to stop it, now.

 Don’t get me wrong, I understand where this quick-to-kill attitude comes from. Nothing hurts like watching the word of God, full of love and grace and compassion that you work so hard to portray as such be mutilated and muffled over the deafening noise of controversy caused by none other than our own fellow believers.

However, our own reactions are often as radical and unbiblical as the things that cause them. While it is certainly right to take stance against the principles at the center of many of these issues, we must not take a stance against our own body-the body of Christ.

When an individual is having a difficult time, whether it be behavioral, emotional, etc., we never prescribe self-harm as the solution. We give love and patience abundantly, and we seek counsel. Church, it is time we started seeking Counsel. Specifically, it is time we stop seeking the approving nod of the world, and start seeking The Counselor.

This past Sunday, Pastor Aaron spoke about the things Jesus himself prayed for in the hours leading up to his crucifixion. Among other things, in John 17, Jesus prays specifically for his disciples in a way that shakes my core about the way I have approached this situation. In verse 11, Jesus prays; “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be as we are one.”

It is in Jesus’ final prayers that he asks for the complete unison of the body of Christ; that we be so in step with one another as he himself is with the Father. Therefore, when there is a problem with one, we must guard our hearts and our lives not only against the harmful actions themselves, but also against the knee-jerk reaction to reject those who we are called to stand united with. Instead, we are called to lift them up in prayer and to ask for the conviction of the Holy Spirit to come. Not out of condemnation and judgement, but out of our legitimate hope for renewal.

As we, the Church, continue to try and navigate our faith journeys in a time unlike any other before it, I challenge all of us—myself included—to not be tempted to sever a body from itself. Instead, let us lean into the righteousness, Christ, and His vision for the church when those around us begin to fail.

Written by: Brianna Vanderveen

Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

The Final Conversations with Christ- Part 8

When I was younger, I had a love for desserts (I still do). However, I was only allowed to have a dessert if I ate all my dinner. Often times, I would plead with my mom, begging her to let me have a cookie without finishing my meal. Her response would typically go something like, “Eat all your vegetables first,” or “You may only have dessert after you finish dinner.” Sometimes when I did not finish dinner, the mischievous side of me would sneak a cookie late at night when my mom wasn’t looking. After all, I wasn’t directly telling her no right? And I was SO hungry after (not finishing) dinner. I’m sure she would have wanted me to eat something!

Looking back on this instance, I can clearly see how it didn’t feel quite as bad eating dessert when I didn’t get caught. It didn’t seem as wrong when, after all, I was so hungry. However, there is no question that I knew I was ignoring my mother’s command to finish my dinner, and was deliberately disobeying her by eating the dessert without permission.

While I’d like to believe I’ve moved past this type of disobedience, I can’t help but wonder if I ever treat the Holy Spirit in this way. In John 15:26, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as an advocate for God. The Holy Spirit is one who brings a sense of goodness, righteousness, justice, and understanding. The Holy Spirit is a direct extension of God, revealing what is right for the benefit of everyone. Likewise, when we are followers of God, the Holy Spirit will challenge us to do things that bring goodness. As my mom challenged me to eat vegetables as a child for my physical health, the Holy Spirit may ask us to do things that are a little uncomfortable for our benefit, as well as the benefit of those around us. However, how often do we hear the command of the Holy Spirit, then go off and do our own thing?

Just as I tried to internally justify disobeying my mom, we often try to justify ignoring the leading of the Holy Spirit. We may make excuses like, “Well, now is not the right time,” or “No, I don’t think that suits my personality.” Deep down, however, when we make excuses like this we are simply telling the Holy Spirit “no.” We are telling God, “no.”

Finally, sometimes we want the dessert without the vegetables. My mom did not challenge me to eat vegetables to torture me, but to help me gain physical health and grow. Likewise, the Holy Spirit doesn’t push us outside our comfort zone to simply make us uncomfortable. Rather, the Holy Spirit challenges us for our benefit, and for the benefit of those around us. It is when we begin to align our step with the Spirit that we may experience his blessings.

This week, I challenge you to consider your walk with the Holy Spirit. Are you allowing him to guide you, teach you, and direct you? Or are you simply seeking your will, hoping to be blessed along the way?

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: Jenelle Kelly