Month: August 2014

When people ask what Crossroads Basel is all about I say, “Direction for Life and Friends for the Journey.”  We are all looking for direction in our life. Every day we face choices and have decisions to make. Every so often we stand at a crossroads and need to know which road is the right one for us. The Bible refers to a number of different roads or pathways we can choose – the path of life, the path of righteousness, paths that wander aimlessly, the path with thorn bushes, the path of the wicked, the walk of the evildoers, the path of the upright, the path of peace, and paths that lead by the still waters. But really there are just two main paths. Jesus talked about them in the gospels, the broad and narrow path. The broad path is marked by a wide gate and it leads to destruction. The narrow way is marked by a small gate and it leads to life. (Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus’ teaching leads us to conclude that everyone is on one of these paths. Where it leads is important. I often have conversations with people who aren’t sure which path they are on. They want eternal life but aren’t sure they can find it. They want to know what they must do. I remind them that the way to get on the narrow path is through the gate – Jesus. It’s only by going through him we can be sure of being on the right path. More than that, I believe that Jesus is also our guide. He wants to help us on the journey, the journey to know him better. It’s when we wander to far from Jesus that we get in trouble. Direction for life comes from the one who is “the way, the truth and the life!” We’re starting a new season this Sunday at Crossroads. If you are in Basel I hope you can join us for a great day together. 

I think that reading through the gospels on a regular basis should be a consistent part of our discipleship. It’s in the gospelswhere we really meet Jesus and get a clearer picture of who he is and what he teaches. All scripture is written for our benefit and no verses are more important or more inspired than others. But there are some powerful verses that stand out and remind us of the most basic elements of our faith. I’ve picked ten of Jesus sayings that I think are helpful. Learning these verses and getting them deep into our spirits will build us stronger spiritually. I tried to rank them in order of importance but really couldn’t. So I just offer them for your consideration. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 Your sins are forgiven. Luke 7:48 The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:10,11 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:35,36 Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:15,16 Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31 So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time. Matthew 6:34 I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:30 (The Message) But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John13:35 What sayings would you add?

It hit a little too close, news that friends in China have been arrested under the guise of stealing secrets from the Chinese government. Ridiculous! Our friends aren’t interested in Chinese government secrets but they did have a mission there and they were doing it successfully – helping to build the kingdom of heaven. Last week they were taken into custody and no one knows what will happen next. The government has been cracking down on religious activity. It hit us close because we know what it is like to live and work in that kind of restrictive environment, to be watched closely and to wonder who is watching you. We have more friends in other countries doing the same kind of work, sharing Jesus with anyone who will listen. I know pastors who run the risk of going to prison for holding a prayer meeting in their home. Here’s the thing that people in the West sometimes forget – serving Jesus is serious, dangerous business. We often make it sound like becoming a follower of Jesus is the easiest thing going. The bar is often set very low, what Bonhoeffer called ‘cheap grace’. Many people have simply added Jesus to the list of things they include in their life but he has no preeminence, there is no surrender. Salvation a free gift but it was purchased at a high cost. There is no promise that following Jesus is safe. The news channels this week are full of reminders that following the Christ of the cross can be costly. In many parts of the world the persecution of believers has intensified. It’s always been there but we are hearing more about it. Ancient Christian communities in the Middle East are facing genocide, dynamic groups in South Sudan are fighting for life and freedom, and small groups of evangelical believers in Asia are simply trying to stay below the government radar. Many people will die this year for no other reason than they carry the name of Christ. Jesus said there would be days like this. He told his disciples upfront; “they hated me and they will hate you. They persecuted me and they will persecute you. A servant is not greater than his master.” (John 15) The world is not our friend and we should not be surprised when our rights are denied or our lives are in danger. Yet, God is at work. He continues to bring his plans and purposes to fulfillment. We are called to be intercessors and to remember that serving Jesus is serious business.

Have you ever noticed how often food is mentioned in the Bible? It starts with a healthy dose of fruit in the Garden of Eden. Then there’s Esau who sells his birthright for a pot of stew. Before the Exodus from Egypt the Jews ate lamb and unleavened bread. They were headed to the land of milk and honey. Scripture talks about herbs and spices; figs seemed to be a popular treat. Some of the disciples were fishermen and there’s a story about Jesus and his followers having a fish breakfast on the beach. And it all ends up in heaven with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a full course meal and time of celebration. Food is an important part of life. Some people live to eat; they enjoy the taste and texture of every bite. They plan holiday times around finding good restaurants and sourcing out new taste experiences. Other people, like me, eat to live. That is, I only eat because I need the nutrition. The other day around eight in the evening I felt hungry and it occurred to me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, which was a bowl of yogurt. If it wasn’t for hunger pains I could easily forget about eating. Either way, we all need a regular intake of healthy food options. Jesus used a food metaphor to describe himself, “I am the bread of life.” What’s more he promised “whoever comes to me, shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)  Bread was the staple of life for people in Jesus day. It was essential for daily living. We often use this passage of Scripture in the context of salvation. People need to come to Jesus so they will no longer be spiritually hungry. That’s true. But often we forget that as believers we still need that bread of life. Accepting Jesus into our life is just the beginning. We need to keep coming back to him each and every day. We need the spiritual food that only he can provide. When we wander from him, or forget to spend time with him, we find ourselves spiritually hungry and thirsty again. It’s all about Jesus. When my spiritual life gets complicated or I’m dry and discouraged, I go back to Jesus. As his followers that’s where our focus needs to be. Just like we need food each and every day, we need Jesus each and every day.