He's our advocate

Yesterday my friend George went to buy a new car and I tagged along for morale support. Buying a car can be quite an ordeal. It should be easy. For example George had already qualified for an auto and all he needed to do was fax in the paperwork. He went online and located two or three cars he wanted to look at. The prices were listed and all the pertinent facts were there to see. All we had to do was kick the tires.

We made the mistake of stopping at another place along the way and a short jaunt turned into an all day affair. I don't know why car dealers like to play games. Since my brother in law and a couple of good friends worked at a dealership a few years ago, I learned a lot about the business. It reminds me of a shell game and I don't like to play along.

George actually found a car he liked and the price was reasonable. We haggled a bit and then he signed the papers. I had to run some errands so I left. But then they ran him around in circles for a while. They began to play games and really left him hanging most of the afternoon. I came back to check in on him after a couple of hours and they had basically ignored him from the moment he signed a purchase agreement.

Like Jesus storming the temple, I came in and ended the charade. I told the salesman that we were leaving and George wanted his deposit back. Immediately the whole place moved into action. Within ten minutes George was the center of attention again and within forty minutes he was driving out of the lot. I joked about me playing the bad cop to his good guy cop. But the truth is that I acted as his advocate and helped move the process along.

It got me thinking about Jesus. Sometimes it seems as if the world is against us. Nothing seems to work in or favor. It is at those moments that Jesus has promised to step in on our behalf. He speaks up and make things happen. The apostle Paul asked, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" What I did for George is nothing compared to what Jesus does for us. He opens the doors to heaven and brings God's grace to us. Thank God we have a friend in Jesus.
Cal

Talking about Jesus IS cool

Tonight I am not at home. I decided a few weeks ago that I would take advantage of an offer from the Connecticut Baptists Minister Council to spend 24 hours at our American Baptist Camp Wightman in North Stonington with a group of fellow ministers and their wives. It was perfect timing. After a very busy week preparing for our Annual Meeting, I knew I could use a breather. So here I am. I got here about 5:00 p.m. and got settled in my room and then went over for dinner at the dining hall.

I have to tell you it was nice to be here right from the start. I think the reason for that is that from the moment I walked in the door it was a given that we could talk about Jesus. Sounds funny doesn't it? You would think that a minister would always feel free to talk about Jesus. Well, I am free to talk about Jesus but you would be amazed at the number of people who don't want to hear about it.

Jesus is with me 24 hours a day. The Bible reminds us that he is there when we rise and when we lie down. But when you talk about that in some circles, people get nervous. They think you are questioning their faith. So they don't want to hear you talk about it. The sad thing is that I am not talking about sharing Jesus at the Rotary meeting or at a PTO fund raiser. I am talking about sharing Jesus at a church function.

Why is it okay to speak about Jesus from the pulpit but not from the seat at potluck? In too many of our churches we shy away from giving our testimonies because we are afraid of what others will think of us. Why? Because the world has told us that it isn't proper. Everywhere we look we are getting messages that our faith is a "private" matter.

Why then does it feel so good to tell someone what Jesus did for us. I keep thinking about the woman at the well in John 4. She carried around a burden of shame for a long time. Then she met Jesus and her world turned upside down. He accepted her and she couldn't wait to tell the world about this man she met.

Dr. David Bartlett is the retreat leader for this event and tonight he asked us what it was that blocked us from a deeper relationship with Jesus. Everyone shared various things. Then he reminded us of what Jesus had done for us.

The message: Don't let anyone or anything stop you from sharing the joy that Jesus put in your heart. Go ahead and tell the world about it. It will make your heart feel good.

Cal