Change

Acts 3: 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

This past week, in my sermon "A Voice In the Wilderness", I mentioned this text. It stood out to me as a significant view into the mission and ministry of John the Baptist. As you read it, think about the implications of this text in your own life.

Tax collectors and soldiers were both the highest of traitors. Considered outcasts and sinners they were shunned from temple life.

Rome had wars to finance, as well as all their governing agencies around the world, and they financed it all through tax monies. Local, indigenous people were often given the task of collecting Roman tax. Each of these tax collectors had a specified amount that their territory was required to contribute to the tax coffers. Once that tax quota was reached however, it was all too common to abuse the system, overtax the residents in their territory, and gain significant personal wealth. If we look at the story of Zaccheus it shows us some of the social and cultural costs of being a tax collector.

The Roman army was not made up of just Roman citizens, they also conscripted military "volunteers" from regions that they conquered. This, just like collecting taxes, placed the burden of keeping order and following Roman law, in the hands of your friends and family members. Fear, intimidation, and brute force were how soldiers maintained order.

So, what drew them to John? Were the tax collectors hanging around to see if this was a good place to set up for business? Were the soldiers there because they were assigned to find out what was going on by the Jordan? Regardless of the why, something happened when John spoke and invited people to look deeper at what God wanted for them.

The Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts and change happened. In front of their friends, family, and maybe even the victims of their greed or brutality, they declared that God came first.

Let's not pass over this moment as just ordinary. Here we see how John set the stage for what the ministry of Jesus was going to look like to: the centurion, the woman at the well, Nicodemus, Matthew, Simon the Zealot . . . the list goes on.

While encountering John, both the tax collectors and soldiers knew they had to live differently. They would still work for Rome, but they would now live to represent God. This is the power of the Gospel to change and redefine us.

Is our understanding of the Gospel this big? Allow God to move you into a deeper understanding of His grace and His power to change us. Wrestle with this question "Teacher (Father), what shall we do now?"

—Jackie James

Protecting God?

When I was at Walla Walla, I met someone who had a unique perspective on certain concepts in the Bible. It was like, everything you thought you knew, she looked at with an alternative lens. One thing in particular caught my attention. She said, "People try and protect God when in prayer". I was confused until she explained further. She said, "How many times do we pray for the clearly possible, but not the necessary impossible?"

This brought me to a piece in I Kings 3 verses 4-15. This is the story where Solomon was told by God to ask for anything that he would want the Lord to give unto him. Out of all the things Solomon could have asked for - fame, wealth, a perfect life, etc - he asked for wisdom.

Solomon asked for wisdom so he could lead his kingdom in a prosperous and righteous way. Because of that request, God gave him great wisdom. But, God also gave Solomon great wealth and honor. Solomon's cup was overflowing with the riches of God.

Like my friend said, I think we often pray for the little things, the manageable things, the things that are just annoyances. But, when it comes to the impossible things, we think there is no way - like they are too big for God. For Solomon, he probably thought it was impossible to run the nation. But God is a God of the impossibles. God can handle it. We don't need to protect God. Like Solomon, let God work powerfully in our lives.

—Mitchell Powers

II Chronicles 24:4-7

This week, I have been studying the above passage in Scripture on King Joash. The story is only one chapter, but it has really hit me with some tough lessons.

Joash was only seven-years-old when he became king, following the reign of a brutal and pagan ruler. At some point, Joash saw the dilapidated conditions of the Temple and the missing sacred vessels. He knew Moses had laid out a plan for upkeep of the Temple, so he reminded the Priest and Levites of this part of their job.

The Temple’s beauty was not only in the building itself, but also in the ornate gold, silver, and jeweled vessels used during worship services. Did the Priest and Levites need to be reminded to their duty? Did they see the deteriorating Temple or had they gotten so accustomed to it, that it all seemed normal?

Joash saw it and knew something wasn’t right, and that something had to be done. When his direction was not followed, he didn’t back down. He called the Chief Priest and demanded action.

We can get so accustomed to living with dysfunction, it can seem normal - even acceptable. God is always calling us to live richer and fuller lives. This means God has to confront the dysfunction within us. In my own life, God has used His Word, the wisdom of friends, and even difficult life lessons to deal with the dysfunction within me.

What about you? Is there something in your life that has seemed normal, maybe even acceptable, that God is revealing to you as dysfunction? Maybe it’s too embarrassing to admit, or maybe you just don’t know what to do. You are not alone. There is power in the gift of community.

Joash saw the Temple regain its rightful glory because he called upon the community to help.

—Pastor Jackie

Worshiping Again

Recently while watching at-home church, my son said to me, "Mom, can you tell me where to find verses about worshiping inside a church building?" As usual, when my kids ask excellent questions, I was busy. I wanted to listen to church (like a good pastor, of course). So I told him to look in his Bible app for references to "Temple" and "Church."

Here are a few of the verses he found:

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in your midst?" - 1 Corinthians 3:16

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:9

"So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." - Acts 12:5

"It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them." - Acts 12:1

After a few minutes of this, he looked at me with big eyes and said, "Mom! In all of these verses, the temple and church it is talking about are people! The people are the church!"

As we begin to gather together again, please remember: it was never about the building. You - we - are the church.

—Jana Lee

Let Go

While I was at Walla Walla, I worked at the Center for Humanitarian Engagement. This was a student-based team focused on engaging WWU students in local service opportunities and initiatives. I had started working there at the beginning of the school year. As each month went by I grew closer to the staff and soon there was a real sense of family within the team. When Christmas season arrived, we celebrated together with a party and dinner. We went to a restaurant in downtown Walla Walla, sharing stories and engaging in good laughter. We had all carpooled in different vehicles. As we said our goodbyes and began to leave, a random stranger walked through us, opened my friend's door to his car, sat in the back seats, and locked the car. As you can imagine we were all a bit confused and shook up. We talked with her and, after a long time, convinced her to get out of the car.

It was so surprising, so out-of-the-norm, so circumstantially changing. Now, months later, I still think about that incident. I think to myself, "What if, when God tries to enter our lives, all we do is try to convince Him to get out"?

In John 15:5 it says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit". We all want to stay connected to the Vine, we all want the Presence of God, it's in our nature as human beings created by God. So what is it that, at times, makes us think that we should pull God out of the "car"?

1. Control over Uncertainty

Do you ever try and control everything? I do sometimes, especially in my walk with God. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. When God takes control of our worries and fears, we have to let go of control and let God handle it all. Sometimes, we get so obsessed with the control, that it's more important to us than God and we convince Him to "get out of our car".

2. Distractions

Do you ever feel so good and spiritually connected that you hit a "high" with God, but then forget Who even brought you to that place? Satan uses distractions in our lives to make us create idols out of anything and everything. Phones, media, errands, workouts, "me-time", have-to's, sports, just to name a few. Thus, we kick God out of our lives.

3. More Room

I struggle with space and maybe you do too. As soon as I give God the go-ahead in my life to make a change and bring me restoration, I feel as if I'm in another episode of Extreme Home Makeover. But, instead of shouting "move that bus" to a new creation, I ask for my old space back and for God to put down the hammer in my life.

4. Not Enough Time

In my life, I say "there's not enough time" constantly. As a result of the society we live in, I imagine you do the same. We are hurried people and say "I'm too busy for a devotional", or "I have a meeting, I can't have a time of prayer right now". This cycle, sooner or later, pushes God out of our lives and throws us into the depths of this world.

Here is my prayer for you:

That the Spirit of God may be with you and may guide your steps. That you may let go of control and let God take your fears, your anxiety, and your doubts. That you can keep a focus on God and His purpose for you in this world. That you back up, and make room for God in your life, and make God a priority over anything else in your life. When God jumps into your car, don't ask Him to leave, but rather jump into the driver's seat and ask "Where to now"?

—Mitchell Powers