The blog is back

The Asbury UMC blog has been silent for a few years, but we are re-activating with the hopes that this can be a new and refreshing way to share information from the Pastor, Staff, and members of the Church Council to our congregation and community at large.

Be on the look-out for information coming soon!

Stay deeply rooted in Him

In John chapter 8 we learn about a woman who is caught in the act of adultery.  Caught in the act ... there is no doubt she was guilty of the sin.  According to the Law of Moses, both she and the man should be put to death for this sin.  But, the Pharisees, trying to trick Jesus, brought her to the temple courts and made her stand before the people.  They asked Jesus, what should we do with this woman?  Then, Jesus reacted not by wagging his finger in their face or by crossing his arms in judgment of the accusers.  He simply bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.  When the Pharisees continued to badger him for an answer, he stood and with one calm, brief answer he convicted each one of them there.  “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  At this, they all started turning away…the older ones first.  Then after everyone was gone, Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir,” she said.  “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.  “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

So, what is God saying to me in this passage?  First, God’s Grace is amazing … it makes no sense … it is huge.  Moses law makes sense … you do something wrong and you pay the price for that.  Grace is not justice, Grace is love … unending love.  That is what we are given.  That is what we should then in turn give to everyone in our path.  My path in the past seven days has brought me in contact with a homeless man who wanted money to buy drugs, a friend going to the doctor to get scary test results, a Mom who was just visited by Children and Youth services, and a 45 year old who just found out she may have a brain aneurism.  God has really challenged me this week to just be firm in Him and to love everyone with His love, not mine.  Extend His Grace to them all.  I can’t fix their problems; I can just give them what has been given to me … the love and Grace of Jesus Christ. 

Secondly, turn from sin.  Jesus did not condemn the woman, He simply said “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  I always looked at that verse and thought … yeah, that is easier said than done.  Then yesterday when I prayed the Lords prayer it hit me.  I can’t leave my life of sin in my own strength.  I need to be in constant prayer for His help … God, Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one!  I need complete devotion to Him so that I won’t fall prey to sin. 

Don’t let the struggles of this life take you away from God.  Stay deeply rooted in Him each second of each day … leave your life of sin and live for Him. 

Betsy

The man who created God-Signs

John 11:38-43

Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave - after he was in there for 4 days and was sure to smell mightily after all that time. He did this to bring glory to the Father. Jesus looked up to heaven and said” Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all the people standing here, so they may believe YOU sent me.“ Then Jesus shouted “Lazarus, come out.”  And Lazarus did just that in his grave clothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth.

John 11:45-48

This was a real turn around for those who witnessed this miracle, many came to believe in him. Some however went to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. Then the Pharisees met with the Jewish ruling body and said what do we do now? This man keeps on creating God-Signs. They knew sooner or later everyone would come to believe in Jesus and the Romans would come and remove what little power and privilege that they had been allowed to have.

In John many God-Signs are there for us to see.  We too have a choice to believe and trust in what we read in the bible and what we hear in the pulpit or not.

Take time this week to recognize the God-Signs in your life and the man who created them. Purpose in your heart how you can use those God-Signs as a testimony to friends, family and even strangers as God opens up the door of opportunity to you.

—Pat

The Life-Light

John 1:3–6, 19–23

In the Message Jesus is called the Life-Light.  John’s whole purpose in life was to point the way to this Life-Light.  John was the witness who testified that when he baptized Jesus he saw the Spirit descending and remaining on Him. This was fore told in Isaiah 11:2–3:

                  

                   The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over Him,

the Spirit that brings Wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength.

Again John testifies when the Jews sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was.  He said straight out I am not the Messiah, I am not Elijah and I am not a Prophet.  Exasperated they said, just who are you then—we want to know! His reply was” I am the thunder in the desert: Make the road straight for God! I am doing what the prophet Isaiah preached.”

What does John’s message mean to you? Is Jesus the Life-Light of your life and do you testify to that? Do others see that light in you and wonder what makes you different? That is a question we all have to ask ourselves.

--Pat

                                                                                                                   

"He must become greater; I must become less."

John 3:30

“He must become greater; I must become less.” TNIV

We live in a narcissistic world. Everything is about us. Our spot light, our recognition, our desires, preferences, you name it, it’s all about us. Social media has fed narcissism and made us all feel that it’s important to post what you ate for dinner, as if anyone really cares! In reading through the first three chapters of John he is constantly pointing back to Christ. In the verses just preceding verse 30 in Chapter 3 John’s disciples are in flip out mode because everyone’s going to Jesus to be baptized and no one is coming to him. They’ve missed the whole point, and many times so do we. My definition of success 10 years ago had to do with the kind of car I drove, house I lived in and salary I earned. Today my life definition of success is materialistically more simple but significantly harder to achieve. “Did they see Jesus in me?” If I die living on the streets without a dollar to my name and the answer to this question is yes, I will have achieved more than most people could ever imagine.

Oh my God, when you look on us

A broken people who have turned from love

Instead of the words we throw and the wars we wage

I hope you forgive us

I hope you see Jesus

I hope you see Jesus

I hope you see Jesus

Standing in our place

Bearing all our shame

I hope you see Jesus

--Aimee

Just Do It!

It's late and I don't want to miss my blog spot again.  (Sorry about the 19th!!)  So let's go back to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a & 13.

A brief review of Love (vs 4-8):  Love is patient, kind, rejoices with the truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, & perserveres.  Love does not boast, is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil & never fails.  And vs 13:  "And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love."

My NIV Study Bible footnote says, "Love will be the governing principle that controls all that God and his redeemed people are and do." 

Well, we are his redeemed people so let's "Just Do It!"

Peace & Love,
Linda

Heart Transformation

 I have been in continual conflict over how to feel about all that is going on within Asbury's walls. After meeting Yvette several months ago, I had been confident she is the person for Asbury. Then the whole service changes "stirred the pot", so to speak, and fear set in. I heard the grumblings that began.

 I will admit I was not too fond of either service choices presented to us, so I chose not to vote last week. And all week I've been afraid of the verdict that would be presented to us, knowing some church members would be leaving and that some have already chosen to leave prior to this announcement. People who have become family to us.

 Then, my whole heart, mind and soul changed this morning. When Yvette started to pray for each of the confirmands, individually. I was blown away. I always felt the Holy Spirit emulate from her, but when you realize she had never really met any of the young people or spent any time with them, and to hear her pray for them in such an accurate and personal way, was nothing short of AMAZING! I know several of the youth in this group of kids and she was right on with each of them and Morgan confirmed she was accurate with them all.

 I couldn't begin to express how I felt after the prayer she laid on Morgan and how perfect it was for all of us. I feel very blessed to have had that prayer said out-loud for my daughter.

 (We ran into Mikayla after church and she asked if Pastor Paul had written the prayers for Yvette for each of them since they were so accurate and couldn't believe it when I told her "no, I don't believe he did.")

 And then to see and feel the negativity after Trish read the announcement at the second service, I wanted to scream, "Don't you people get it?!? It's not about us!"

 Yvette will bring the Holy Spirit with her in everything she does for and with Asbury. It's not about where we sit, or which room we're in, or what songs we sing. It's about being the hands and feet of Jesus. It's not about whose service style "won". Because if we make it about those things, we totally loose sight of what and why Jesus sacrificed for us. Yet no one wants to sacrifice anything for the betterment of Asbury. Really?

 Please Asbury, let's open our eyes and hearts to what God has brought to us.! Let's be the congregation we pledged to be to those young people who made a promise to God today.

 GOD DOESN'T MAKE MISTAKES

 Roseann Brown <><