BBQs, Baptisms, and the Kingdom of Heaven...

Our church family amazes me more and more as the weeks pass. The leadership inspires me, the servanthood humbles me, the generosity awes me, the courage convicts me... I am honored to be part of such a dedicated, passionate group of Jesus followers. We had our bbq baptism last night at the Hayes' house. I watched as even more followers symbolically declared that their hearts and lives are for His Kingdom. I spoke with three amazing young women afterwards, and we agreed that talking about Jesus beats many other convo-topics, by far. We were encouraged by seeing our older brothers anoint the younger ones... and we are excited about our generation's call. It's incredible to be a part of this stuff...

When I think about times like that, I see that God is doing so much. But we don't always need those signs to know that He is working... Jesus says that an "evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet..." He goes on to say that Nineveh didn't have Jesus come to them--they had Jonah, and still they believed more than the generation that craves signs. He says that the Queen of the South "came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here." That queen didn't have Jesus come to her--but she had the idea that Solomon was onto something. The generation that craves for signs has the "something greater" than even Solomon's wisdom... but they turn to the cravings rather than the Lord in their midst. I'll be honest, that part of the story scares me! ...I want to turn to the Lord...

But Jesus continues (He usually does...), and He gives His disciples hope when they ask Him how anyone is supposed to understand all this crazy stuff He's saying! Jesus turns to them and says...

"To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not... But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Matt.13:11, 16-17).

...I want us to be the disciples that turn to the Lord... the ones that He then turns and says that to...

When I watch baptisms and church gatherings and encouraging moments with our incredible church family--when I think about times like that--I try to remember that visuals are wonderful, but we do not always need the signs. I try to remember that JESUS is in our midst, and that it is He Who even grants us the eyes to see and the ears to hear these mysteries of His Kingdom.