Conversion

I gave my life over to Jesus about three decades ago. I didn’t know what I was really doing. I had no clue that the Holy Spirit was working inside of me. I don’t know if it was working inside of anybody else. I still remember the person who shared the gospel message, the essential gospel message. He talked about feeling the rhythm of music in his legs, but not in his arms. He was a drummer.

The rhythm needed to move from his legs to his arms. He couldn’t play the drums if he couldn’t make that transition. He said the same thing happened in his life. He grew up with the rhythm of the gospel in his mind. He knew it in his mind but he had difficulty transferring it to his heart.

Today the gospel hasn’t changed from that campfire experience about thirty years ago. Every day I am seeking out that rhythm. I want to make that transfer from my mind to my heart. I think both are important, the mind and the heart, but that transfer is key. It is the Holy Spirit working inside of me delivering through the layers of sin that try to keep it out.

Jesus I pray you continue to allow my heart to know the way my mind knows. Allow your Spirit to work in me.

Love is Not Hell

The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. The Four Loves

God's Reaction to Violence

My thesis is that the practice of non-violence requires a belief in divine vengeance…My thesis will be unpopular with man in the West…But imagine speaking to people (as I have) whose cities and villages have been first plundered, then burned, and leveled to the ground, whose daughters and sisters have been raped, whose fathers and brothers have had their throats slit…Your point to them–we should not retaliate? Why not? I say–the only means of prohibiting violence by us is to insist that violence is only legitimate when it comes from God…Violence thrives today, secretly nourished by the belief that God refuses to take the sword…It takes the quiet of a suburb for the birth of the thesis that human nonviolence is a result of a God who refuses to judge. In a scorched land–soaked in the blood of the innocent, the idea will invariably die, like other pleasant captivities of the liberal mind…if God were NOT angry at injustice and deception and did NOT make a final end of violence, that God would not be worthy of our worship. ~ Volf

The Hobbit

I am excited about seeing this movie. If anything like the others instant classic!

Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands

Today's Reading
"They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together." ~ Mark 14:53

Reflection
Far too often we take matters into our own hands. We plot, gather evidence, invite others to join our cause, and eventually make the attack. Instead of slowing down and turning to God, we use every human effort to get our way.

The Jewish leaders made the mistake of trusting themselves and not God. Instead of following the rule of law, the Jewish rulers sought to capture, sentence, and destroy Jesus as they saw fit. After all, Jesus was threatening the entire religious system of the day. If we don't "do something," all will be lost... our power, authority, and life as we know it.

The Jewish leaders, under the cover of darkness, took matters into their own hands and passed judgment upon Jesus. They set decorum aside and did what was right in their own eyes. Judges were to conduct and conclude capital trials during daylight. Further, trials were not to occur on the eve of a Sabbath or festival day. Pharisaic rules required a day to pass before a verdict of condemnation could be issued.

Likewise, the Sanhedrin (court of justice) should not have met in the high priest's palace. The spirit of Jewish law opposed condemning a criminal on his own admission, but the Sanhedrin treated Jesus' words here not as admission of a crime but as a crime itself--blasphemy--to which they themselves were witnesses, obviating the need for other witnesses. Finally, whatever else may have been illegal, the physical mistreatment of a prisoner certainly was; this would have shamed Jesus as well, for such treatment was inappropriate to the status he had claimed.

We too can take matters into our own hands when our little "kingdom of self" is threatened. Do we look to God as our solution, seeking Godly wisdom, looking to God's Word for guidance; or do we control every situation trying to manipulate others to gain what we want the outcome to be? Do we lord over our spouses, associates, and family members rather than trusting God to make the changes in their lives? If we forget whose servants we are, we can easily fall into idolatry, vying for the power and honor that rightfully belongs to God alone (Mt 21:38).

Response
When is the last time you took matters into your own hands and tried to play god instead of trusting him?
What was the outcome?

About The Author
Gary Middleton is a teacher at Cal High and came to Canyon Creek because of the testimony of high school students attending here. He has have been richly blessed through the teaching and followship at CCPC.

The Fullest Measure of Love and Forgiveness

Abba father," he said," everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.
Yet, not what I will but what you will."
~ Mark 14:36

Reflection
Jesus left the upper room after revealing that He would be betrayed to the chief priests and that the disciples would deny being His followers. Jesus needed to prepare Himself for the events that had now been set in motion. He sought the solitude of the Garden of Gethsemane to connect with His Father through prayer and meditation.

Jesus was mere hours away from fulfilling His destiny, His purpose, His story. The fullest measure of strength, obedience, compassion, and forgiveness would soon be demanded of Him. Lovingly, an obedient Son called out to Abba, His Father. Jesus asked if this cup bearing the weight of the sins of all mankind might pass from Him. The Son submitted to the Father.

Jesus was determined to fulfill His Father's will, sacrifice on the cross. By trusting in the Father and committing to obey God's will, the Father strengthened Jesus to become and bear my sin, to face pain and rejection and condemnation. Can you imagine the battle fought during Jesus' three days of death and being totally separated from the Father?

My sin weighed heavily on God's heart. Adam and Eve's first sin broke the intimate bond man enjoyed with the Creator. At what cost could my sins be redeemed, be forgiven? Only the shed blood of the sinless and perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ, would forever satisfy the debt for all my sin. Roman soldiers may have placed Him on the cross, but it was my transgressions, my sins that nailed Him there. It was His love for me that willingly kept Him there. The sacrifice of God's very Son was demanded to forgive my debt and heal my brokenness. What Adam and Eve broke in the Garden of Eden, Jesus Christ began healing and restoring in the Garden of Gethsemane. He finished it on the cross and rose victoriously three days later.

Jesus had prepared the disciples to spread His message. Jesus now entrusted this mission to them. At Gethsemane He asked God to continue to protect and bless His followers. Jesus prayed for future believers who would come to know Him through the disciples' work.

Response
How would my life be different if I grasped these key points?
· Crown God the Lord of my life. Beyond just acknowledging God's existence, I must yield myself, submit myself in obedience to His purpose and will for my life. I must strive each day to allow Him to reign supreme in my heart and in my life.
· Just as Jesus sought the Father in Gethsemane, I, too, must surrender my struggles, my hardships, my hopes to God and His purpose. I must place my full trust in God who created me and loves me and reigns over all. Jesus' victory on the cross began when He fell on His face and knees in prayer in Gethsemane. I will pursue God's heart through prayer and study; I commit to listen intently and obey confidently as He speaks to me.
· I must step up to share my faith and serve others in love, compassion, obedience, and forgiveness from God. Jesus entrusted this mission to me as His follower.

About the Author
Joining the Canyon Creek family in September 2009 with his wife Sue, Bill Locke serves as a Sunday night small group leader and enjoys singing with the worship team and choirs. Daughter Chelsea enjoys serving as lobby host and greeter! They enjoy being together and traveling together.

Today's Reading
27And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 31But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.
~ Mark 14:27-31

Reflection
Early in the evening of the Passover, Peter swears his allegiance to Jesus saying, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." However, before morning breaks Peter denies he knew Jesus on three occasions. Consider two questions: why did Peter's attitude towards Jesus change within a few hours? and why do we (like Peter) deny God when faced with pressures from others in our community and culture?

To understand why Peter's attitude changed leading him to deny Christ, we first need to understand the culture of the day. At this time, the Romans had been ruthlessly ruling Jerusalem for over 60 years, causing many Jews to hope for the prophecies of a militaristic Messiah to be fulfilled (refer to the prophesies of God's second coming mentioned in Joel 2 and Isaiah 9). These prophecies called for a Messiah to remove the foreign government and rule as king forever on earth, but the Jews did not understand that these prophesies would not be fulfilled until Jesus' second coming. When Peter learned that Jesus was not the militaristic Messiah, he did not want to be associated with the way Jesus was accomplishing God's will. Peter was willing to give up his life for Jesus, but only on his terms.

Why are we like Peter at times and do not have courage to trust in God's ways? Francis Chan, a pastor in Simi Valley, says that many of us have great ideas as children on how we can serve Christ, but as we grow up people/culture calms us down. We are on fire for God when when we first learn of God's grace, but over time, we become scared to share our faith publicly. Like Peter, we may be afraid of being ostracized or discriminated against. Or more simply, we may just be afraid of being politically incorrect. Jesus never promises that following Him will be easy, but He does tell Peter in Mathew 19:28, "in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones...And everyone who has left houses...for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

The life of Peter gives us hope that through God's grace He can change our motives and give us courage. After Jesus' resurrection, we see Peter's change of heart and actions. Peter and the other disciples were arrested for teaching the word of God and brought before the same council that condemned Jesus. This time Peter boldly proclaims he is a follower of Christ (Acts 5). The council had them flogged but the disciples rejoiced that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.

Response
1. What do you feel God is telling you to do that you may not have the courage to do? Are you willing to suffer for Jesus' name?
2. Was there a time in your life when you had a plan for life, but God had a different plan? How did you respond?
3. What would your life look like if you trusted God completely?

About This Author
Ben and Tricia- We joined CCPC shortly after getting engaged in 2008 and have become very involved in the 20's/30's group, which is growing as it is grows us in our faith. God is currently teaching us how to trust more in him as we seek to truly show His love to those we meet every day.