Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear

Related Article for Refelction from the Los Angeles Times

https://www.latimes.com/business/00000179-1a6b-d33b-ad7d-db7b8c440000-123

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

James 3:17-18 NLT.”

My wife, Liza Cucco, used to run the Hackney Foodbank in East London. I served as a volunteer for over three years with her in supporting food drives, moving food, sorting food and volunteering on weekends when possible. The Christmas and Easter periods were peak times in the year when food drives, needs from those in crises and the supply of food was increased. However, during the current climate, the CoVid pandemic, the need for food is beyond any crises she or I witnessed. Its in the name. Its a pandemic. 

The article I have selected from the Los Angeles Times draws us to a crises for us in real time where families, parents and guardians who are usually living pay check to pay check, myself included, find themselves in poverty, without work and having to give up their accommodation, resettle with parents and find ways around the ongoing issues.  

The bottom line is if there is food on the table, shelter over their head and enough to eat for every one in the family then the process of getting from day to day has been achieved. Yet, the problem is this is not going to be manageable, its going to be month to month and the life we once knew is gone. The money we once earned has gone and the West will look very different according to every pessimistic news article you read. Lets look instead to scripture.

In James we read of heavenly wisdom and are called to be submissive to the Lord and peacemakers, whom if they sow in peace are righteousness will receive a crown of honor and glory. The disputes between timelines, death counts and fatalities continue to circle our news streams.

At this moment we need to pause, reflect and pray. At times we say we pray, but now more that ever the Church is called to pray. Lets pray, pray and pray. Volunteering, watching the news and standing up will come a position of prayer, not fear. Lets pray, not fear.

I have attached an image too. Hope this is helpful.

Blessings

Tim

“He is Risen”

“He is Risen” …….words we hear at Easter. And, yes, we say this during worship in celebration of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus to commemorate that Jesus  rose from the dead to new life 3 days after his burial - as was prophesied. But this has a deeper meaning in the reality of our lives day-to-day. Luke 24:1-6 tells the story of how the women who were in Jesus’ ministry went to the tomb on the 3rd day only to discover that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, and the tomb was empty. Jesus had risen! This means 3 things to me: that we can be forgiven; that we have fellowship with Christ who is alive and intercedes for us in heaven; and, that our future is sealed (John 11:25-26).

I remember when the truths reflected in the words, “He is Risen”, became life to me. One Easter many years ago following the time when I had come to faith the previous December……. like the women at the tomb, for the first time my heart was ignited as I understood that I had turned my life over to the Living God who had died for me on the cross and rose again so I could live my life transformed. No longer did I say, “He is Risen” out of ritual, rote confessional prayer. No, I experienced an aliveness within my heart that Jesus was indeed my Savior. And his rising from the dead was the gateway enabling me to put down my old ways and live, instead, a new way…..like Jesus!

“He is Risen” are not words having meaning in my life alone. The truth is that Jesus died and rose again for all who would believe in Him so that you too, can be empowered to live a new way!

How do you respond?

Dr. Saundra J. Taulbee

Lead Pastor

Waiting and the Desert

Have you ever been in a time of waiting? Perhaps for news or a decision to be made about something important to you or someone close to you? There is anticipation, patience, longing, a solemn feeling and maybe even some self-reflection. If you have never heard of it, currently we are in a time called Lent. It is a time before Easter filled with anticipation, preparation, prayer and even the practice of fasting to remind us of our need for God. We also do these things because they are exemplified by Jesus as a means to draw closer to God before he sacrificed his life on the cross to overcome sin and death; which created a way for us to have a deep relationship with God.

Jesus went into the desert for forty days to pray and have solitude with God not long before his journey to Calvary. The Israelites spent forty years in the desert. Throughout the book of Psalms in the Bible, the authors write often about waiting on the Lord and celebrating God’s redemption and goodness. Oh, what a glorious ending to come out of a waiting period and rejoice that you are out of the desert, or into the promised land and that we have Good News! But I am jumping ahead. During this time of Lent, maybe even out of curiosity or unison with Jesus to read some of the Gospels to draw nearer to Jesus who is God in the flesh; to perhaps dwell on the significance of Jesus dying on the cross. It is because of Jesus’s selfless act that we are declared not guilty of anything wrong we have done, and we are able to have deep closeness with God. Many blessings to you.

I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 1:19

by Brittani Laski

Core Team Member

A-ha! By jove I’ve got it! Eureka!

A-ha! By jove I’ve got it! Eureka! These are all statements we make when something powerful, maybe even life changing, crosses our minds and we have a breakthrough moment.

These are blessings where revelation meets a felt need. Jesus comes to us in this way because that’s how he often comes. In huge, dynamic little ways. He came once two thousand years to a world that didn’t expect Him, revealed His light (John 1:9) , His power and His grace as a baby to start, growing in power and wisdom (Luke 2:52), revealing who He always was. The center of the Universe. Love at the core of creation.

This understanding came to all of us who came to believe at different times. Like the Prodigal younger brother, we all “come to our senses”  (Luke 15:17) or have an A-Ha moments, and realize our need and how it is met and is fully covered by the plans and promises of a good and faithful God. I experienced this knowledge in revelations about 5 years apart in benchmark moments of realization that will always stay with me. In college I learned about Him, in my mid twenties I came to thank Him. Now I’ve come to obey Him more and more.

Have you felt a tug on your heart, a need that keeps coming up that you need something to be whole or filled up to tranquility and contentment? When was the last time you had an epiphany or a-ha come to your senses moment?

 That need is placed in you by God. I urge you to dig into that need. You will discover the God given truth sowed beneath your feet.

God bless you and keep your eyes up! A-ha’s are all along the trail of obedience to the Lord.

- Jon Laski, Core Team

A New Year…….Epiphany

I cannot tell you how many people told me that they could not wait for 2020 to be over. Have you said this, too? After a harsh year fraught with wildfires, protests, and pandemic we as a people need Hope ….. a hope that goes beyond what we can see or whip up on our own. And so, it is good that we begin a new year that starts with the season of Epiphany. Epiphany – literally meaning ‘God manifesting’ – is marked by the revelation of God’s gift of himself in the flesh - to us as a gift to all humankind, regardless of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or status in life.

I am reminded of the Biblical passage that makes this point in the book of Acts 10:34-43 where the truth of God making himself known to all humanity - is put forth by the disciple Peter who preaches about how Jesus of Nazareth, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, went around healing all people and doing good. Not only that but that this Jesus accepts all who come to Him – Jew and Gentile – which means….everybody else. The text actually says: “God does not show favoritism, literally means ‘an acceptor of a face’….accepts people from every nation (ethnos = literally every people group).

Imagine that kind of acceptance.

When I think of acceptance like this I get the image of a mother cupping her hands around the face of her child showing them they are the “apple of her eye”, as the old expression goes.

Have you ever felt that kind of acceptance? I did. Twice. From my mother throughout my life, and years later when in my 30’s - I felt it from the Holy Creator God of the universe when I acknowledged I was not doing a good job of managing life on my own and I needed a Savior.

Well, that is how this passage in Acts 10 ends: with the truth that everyone who admits they need a Savior…and “…..believes in him (not as a title or magic formula (Acts 18:13), but the power of Christ himself represented by his name), receives forgiveness of sins through his name”. Jesus’ name (is derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua/Y’shua, which is based on the Semitic root y-š-ʕ (Hebrew: ישע‎), meaning " to deliver; to rescue.") actually means: ‘He will save’.

So, what that means is: you, too, can receive this acceptance that begins with Jesus extending his hand out to you to deliver, rescue, and save. As you come into this New Year of 2021, and decide you want God’s unconditional acceptance as well as help in managing your life better in the coming year..simply say, “Jesus I want you to manage my life from now on…forgive me of my sin”.

That is, it! You are accepted forever…..and have opened up to yourself not only to a better year, but a new life going forward into eternity.

Presents or Presence

I love to get into the spirit of Christmas season. Memories from childhood flood my mind as I think back to how I learned that my parents – not Santa - stayed up all night laying out gifts they had hidden in secret spaces all year long, then carefully placed them under the tree - one for each sibling, after we retired to bed. So excited by the anticipation of what Christmas morning would bring, my siblings and I stayed up until the last stroke of midnight to shorten the time we had to sleep before we were allowed to get up to open presents the next morning. Christmas Eve wound to a close with the ritual that either my mother or father would read to us Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem after we baked cookies for Santa and placed them at the table for him to eat with his coffee. Then, we trotted off to bed. Once I climbed in bed it seemed like 7 o’clock a.m. would never come. Squeezing my eyelids tightly as themes from the poem, “The Night Before Christmas”, danced in my head, I tried to sleep fast. But thoughts about presents “Santa” would place beneath our tree swirled in my mind, building to a crescendo until I wore myself out and finally drifted off to sleep.

By 7 am next morning we raced down stairs to discover ….. in a matter of less than 10 minutes ….that our nicely wrapped presents placed neatly in stacks with our names on top, would be ripped open and strown all over the floor. All of a sudden the uncontrollable excitement drained to an anti-climactic let-down as we looked at the pile of shredded paper there on the floor. Back then I had no clue that the real meaning of Christmas had little to do with wrapped presents, but rather with Presence …God’s gift to humanity….a Presence who came wrapped in flesh, clothed in swaddling, lying in a manger, bearing the name Jesus …..meaning “He will save us” – just as prophecy foretold and the gospel of Matthew reveals, chapter 1:21….”…..you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins”.

Many years went by before I understood the real meaning of Christmas despite the fact my mother read  to us stories from the Bible.  I was probably in my late twenties before real understanding of this truth pierced my heart and in my early thirties, as a divorced, single parent before I had a changed mind and came to authentic faith. I then recognized it was not about me trying to be “Santa”, going into debt as gift giver to my own child. But lifting up Jesus as the Gift who she received at eleven years old as her Lord. After that, together we were baptized for that Christmas.

Receiving presents for Christmas is heartwarming, for sure. But, understanding that what Christmas really means is that Jesus brings His Presence all over again into our hearts – for all who would receive Him. A gift, the real gift that transforms a life. Wipes away and covers our sin. Releases us from our shame. Rescues us from hiding behind perfectionism, addictions. Replaces all this with authentic living and new life, a new mind, a new way of being.

We enter into the 1st week of December celebrating what is called “Advent” in the liturgical year, which introduces the Christmas season. Here….our focus is on the coming birth of Jesus….Yeshua, in Hebrew, means Savior.

Will you ponder this truth with me and invite him anew into your heart?

Dr. Saundra J. Taulbee,

Lead Pastor

Giving Thanks

This morning I took a walk around a park in my neighborhood. The sun was shining, great music was playing in my headphones and it felt so good to exercise. I looked up at the sky and the clouds were beautiful. A feeling of peace and thankfulness came over me. Have you ever had an experience where you felt like that? Where you felt that because of having awareness and were in the present moment you had so many things that you were appreciative of? When you see how events in your life had been orchestrated to bring you far along in your dreams and hopes for life? It is a wonderful, and practically peaceful feeling. It gives the mind perspective. This is really a practice in thankfulness. The definition of being thankful from the Oxford dictionary is to be pleased about something good that has happened. 

I would say that this act of being thankful is also what helps us during times of trouble. Remembering things that you are glad about or feel appreciation for helps us push through hard times and gives us hope. It is safe to say that many people are facing tough times right now. Science shows that giving thanks is beneficial for well being and health. According to Harvard University, research in positive psychology shows gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. It also helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

Thankfulness is also very traditional for many faith beliefs. In the Jewish tradition, it is an important practice to look at all the blessings in life and remember the things, past and present, and a person is appreciative of. In the Christian tradition, the Bible mentions giving thanks many times. Psalm 107 is a reminder of people to “give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds...and tell of his works with songs of joy”. The Apostle Paul also teaches to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you” in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. 

We are entering into a time of celebrating Thanksgiving this month that is going to look a little different than years past. It can be a purposeful time of slowing down and reflection if you allow space for it. During this season, I encourage you to spend time often reminding yourself of the blessings in your life and the things you are appreciative of. May this practice leave you with greater peace.

Brittani Erhorn, Core Team