Check out my ride....

A few weeks back the second round of the Moto GP World Championship was held in Spain. It was reported that King Juan Carlos attended the race and decided to take a tour of pit lane on his own schedule that unfortunately coincided with the riders heading out for track time. As with kings being used to going where they want, when they want, it is reported that he had a near brush with a snarling Moto GP bike leaving a team garage.

Reports said that the race commission apologized for the incident, even though most people know you have to be on your toes in pit lane, royalty or not. Someone mentioned that if he had been wearing a crown to identify himself, perhaps he would have been given time to clear the lane before the release of the riders.

Well, it seems that if the king really wanted to be recognized, he should have been riding a donkey! That’s right, Pastor Barry Clair mentioned in his message for Palm Sunday that Jesus as King and other biblical kings always rode donkeys and mules.

2 Samuel 16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on...”

1 Kings 1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

John 12:14-15 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”

So there you have it... Jesus is King and other kings should follow his lead in more ways than one. Also, if they tour pit lane in style, make sure the royal scoopers clean up before the riders take to the track!

Is this thing on....

Ever been in that awkward situation when you thought it was just you and the walls around you, or even maybe a close friend or confidant engaging you in conversation, only to find out later that someone else was closer than you thought? As of late, someone at the top of our nation has found out firsthand that they should ask, “Is this thing on?”

As I listened to this being bantered about the news reports, I thought to myself that it should not really matter whether there are microphones around, or that someone may be just behind the closed room door. Getting deeper into this thought, I really began to ponder and make a checklist of what it takes to live a consistent life that has nothing to hide, or have worry of thoughts that you would not want others to hear...

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

It appears that the microphone is always on! Now, about that checklist....

The Heart of Primal Christianity...

When Jesus was asked by a teacher of the law, of all the commandments which was the most important - Mark 12:28-30.  Possibly, he expected to hear a ranking of many by Jesus for the some 613 Old Testament Commands. The lawyer must have been taken back by the response he received. Jesus took all of the commands and laws, then in comparison to the many, offered them up condensed into one simple yet very complex statement.


AMO DEI. LOVE GOD.

Simple in that the greatest command is to love God, but complex in all of the respects that we are to love Him. In any case, His answer was short, direct and to the point. To the same extent, that is what Christianity should look like... simple and to the point. So let’s take a journey of simplifying how we love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength.

It would be difficult if not next to impossible to love God with a heart that loves as the world does! So let us take some time to look at how God makes it possible for us to love Him with all our heat. The following passage of Scripture gives us an illustration of this heart transplant of sorts - Ezekiel 36:22-27.

Transplanted in you... When we give our lives to Christ, we experience a phenomenon of receiving the heart of Christ in us. At that point we are cleansed and purified then our heart of stone is removed and replaced with a heart that is receptive, tender and feels the same compassion that Christ Himself would feel.

In this exchange of hearts, we now begin to act and feel as He does. We begin to find our heart breaking for things that breaks the heart of God. If we are not careful and mindful of our relationship to Him; over time our heart can be hardened by the happenings of the world and attitudes around us. So ask yourself the following questions.

Q. Can you describe what is was like when you first noticed in your Christian walk that you no longer thought as the world does and began to have sympathy breakthroughs for the needs around you?

Q. Do you find yourself wishing you had acted or reacted differently to a situation that has taken place and then search for a change of heart to react differently next time?

Q. Have you ever found yourself giving someone or something more time with your heart than God, and if so, what are some of the things we can give up or cut back on to begin the process of giving our total heart back to God?

Stay tuned in the following weeks for the next steps we will take together in this journey.