Recovery at Cokesbury UMC

2009-02-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

Recovery for Jerusalem

2009-02-13T10:34:00.002-06:00

In the book of Nehemiah, we learn how the walls of the city of Jerusalem were re-built as a result of a man answering God's call. Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians and the people led off into slavery. After 70 years, the first small group of Jewish believers returned to a city lying in ruins with their temple destroyed. Without a leader, the people lived like this for years. But God wanted to restore his people and had a man in mind for the job. His name was Nehemiah and this is his story.

Nehemiah was living in Persia and serving as cupbearer to the King. In other words, he was a common man doing a common job, but living a great life. That is - until his family returned from Jerusalem and told him how bad things were back home. The people were broken and lost. This impacted Nehemiah and when he heard this he prayed and cried out to God.

Nehemiah was a determined man, so God gave him a vision of Jerusalem. Nehemiah followed the vision, returned to the city, and worked with his Jewish brothers to re-build the walls of the city. And did it all in 52 days. Why? Because Nehemiah saw what no one else saw - the walls back up and his people worshipping in the temple. What vision, what courage, what perseverance, and what influence.

In Celebrate Recovery we have a vision of how lives can be restored to what God intended us to be. For us to accomplish that vision, we have to have focused on our 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles. But there is also something else we need to focus on and keep us moving forward: Let's try the five P's:

1. Prayer - all good things start this way. Start now, pray with you Accountability partner or Sponsor.

2. Process the vision - think out of where God is leading you in your recovery. See the healing begin.

3. Personalize it - that means get take serious your recovery.

4. Pursue it - hard work pays off, and true recovery is not easy.

5. Persevere- no matter what, stay focused on the goal.

In the last few chapters of the book, Nehemiah does not sit still. He continued to work for God, and eventually the nation was led to repentance. We as a people need to emulate Nehemiah both personally and corporately. Focus on the vision of our recovery and work with Christ and others to succeed in it.

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire

God's Call In The New Year

2009-01-03T14:32:00.001-06:00

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Philippians 3:12-14

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul says that we should forget the things that are behind and reach forward to the things that are ahead. We have all done things that we are not proud of and that is why we need forgiveness. I've heard people say, "But you don't understand what I have done." What we have done is not the point; it is what Jesus has done for us and what He will do that will cover our past. Like Paul says, we are to forget about the things that lay behind us - old baggage, relationships gone bad, drugs, alcohol, abuse, anxiety, etc.

So what is the goal that we are to strive for? It's a restored relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and an eternity with him in God's presence. He wants our focus to be on him and to be forward looking. Only then does the past slowly fade away. That's what we strive to help others do at Celebrate Recovery.

What a blessed mindset to not only be able to allow God to forgive us, but for us to forgive ourselves and others and forget the past. This is possible and can only come from understanding two things:
1. Those things that are behind us can truly be forgiven; and
2. We do not have to struggle with them in the future.
This comes from a proper relationship with Jesus and a faith that we are truly forgiven.

As we close out 2008 and enter into the new year, we at Celebrate Recovery want to encourage you to leave the baggage of the past behind, allow Jesus to cover your past with forgiveness, and move into the new year knowing that the future is bright in Jesus.

The Birth of Jesus

2008-12-25T10:05:00.003-06:00

Luke 2 The Birth of Jesus

"1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

The Greatest Gift of All

2008-12-25T09:57:00.003-06:00

Every year at this time, our thoughts turn to Christmas and the birth of Jesus. And we traditionally look to Luke Chapter 2. While Jesus was born and died nearly 2,000 years ago, his presence has been felt throughout the ages. He was born into a political climate that saw his people living in poverty, being oppressed and overtaxed. He was born at a time when his people were awaiting the prophesied king who would lead them out of their circumstances. However, God had other ideas for his son’s birth:

1. God chose a young and poor female named Mary to be the mother of his Son. It’s an exciting and happy time in her life; she’s in love with a man named Joseph and pledged to be married to him. However, life changes when an angel of God shows up to tell her she’s going to have a baby. From this point on Mary is destined to have an interesting life - her peers and family would ridicule her, her fiancé would come close to leaving her, and the baby she was carrying would one day be rejected by his own people and hung on a cross to die – right in front of her. Point – God’s purpose in our life may require great acts of submission.
2. Who is this Joseph fellow? A carpenter and feeling good about his future. That is, until his fiancé tells him she is with child. Imagine his thoughts and heartbreak over this news. To his credit, Joseph is able to swallow his pride, marry the girl he loved, and become father to the Saviour of the World. Point: God’s purpose in our life cannot be scripted, just lived out in faith.
3. God provided a stable and manger as the place of rest for his newborn son and family. An ironic story to say the least. The Jewish people wanted a warrior to save them, but got a baby instead. A baby that should have been born in royal surroundings, but was born in a lowly manger. Point: God’s plans do not always meet up with what we envision they should be.
4. Shepherds in the field are invited by angels to see this baby named Jesus and spread the story of his birth. Shepherding was the occupation of the poor, so imagine how the shepherds must have been humbled by having an angel visit. Yet God uses the shepherds in the story to get the news out of the greatest birth announcement in the world. Point - God accepts who we are and uses us as he needs. Don’t ever think God won’t use you, and use you mightily!

So why was his birth so important? Because it happened at the right time, in the right place, for the right people – God’s people – all of us. Jesus was there at the creation of the world, waiting, know what his duty was to his people, and willing to serve his father. Only this man Jesus could have walked out of heaven, stepped into humanity, and changed the world as he did. That’s why his birth is so important.

So we celebrate this season as a remembrance of Jesus’ birth. Maybe not the way we would have scripted it, and maybe not using the people we would have used. But it was God’s precious gift to us as only he could give it.

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire

The Race of Endurance

2008-11-26T11:41:00.001-06:00

“Therefore, since we are surrounded with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” – Hebrews 12:1-3

Ever felt so down you couldn’t look up? It may have been something you experienced in your life, or there may be challenges that stand in your way. So how do you get up when you are so down? Look up and pray! And also learn from the past.

In the book of Hebrews, the writer is exhorting Christians to stay true to their new found religious way of life. But these Christians were living in difficult times. They were no longer accepted by their Jewish ancestors, and the Roman authorities had no use for them. They were persecuted both socially and physically, and some had died for their faith. In short, the new Christians were trying to figure out where they fit into society and everyday life. It’s the same with us, so often we try to figure everything out on our own. We try to fix things ourselves. And finally, we do last what we should have done first – we pray.

The easy thing to do was to fall back into the Jewish culture and the old way of life. The writer of Hebrews could have given them explanations of how to be strong, but he did one better, he gave them examples from the past. The writer of Hebrews has given these new Christians a “great cloud of witnesses”. Let’s call them mentors, accountability partners. Why? Because there was a lot to be learned from these mentors. The writer knows there are a lot of things in life you can’t learn on your own. You learn them from the community of believers that has gone before you. The writer knew that these mentors were important to this newfound Christian community.

We always grow faster and stronger with living, breathing examples who can model for us what a true disciple of Christ life looks like. Explanations are fine, but we learn more from real life examples. Who are your models for following Christ? Who are you watching and learning from? Here’s a tougher question: Are you an example for anyone else? You may be surprised that unknowingly you are.

A few years back there was a common phrase to live by: “WWJD – What would Jesus do?” In today’s culture, we need to know in our hearts how to relate to our kids as Jesus would, how to truly love our spouse and make a marriage last as Jesus would, how to run a business with integrity as Jesus would, and how to handle conflict in the way Jesus would. These are lessons many times we learn by watching others. Ask yourself this: “What’s been the greatest positive influence on my life?” It probably was not a sermon, a seminar, an e-mail or a small group lesson. More likely it was somebody who shaped your life through a personal relationship.

Rick Warren says “…it’s wise to learn from experience, but it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others.” Our lives are just too short to learn everything by personal experience. And many painful experiences can be avoided if we learn from mentors in our church family. I can testify to this. Write down the names of people in your church and small group that you’d like to learn from. Then identify what you’d specifically like to learn from them. Remember, they don’t have to be perfect to be a model or mentor.

To grow spiritually, you must also be willing to be a model or mentor to others. That may scare you but all it takes is being one step ahead. People don’t expect you to be perfect – they already know you aren’t. What they want you to be is honest! So let them see your struggles and tell of how you grew from them. Don’t just tell them your successes. We usually can grow as much from others’ weaknesses as we do from their strengths.

Somebody said if you look behind you, you'll be defeated. If you look ahead of you, you'll be distressed. If you look around you, you'll be discouraged. But if you look above you, you will be determined. The next time you're down or discouraged, let me give you the best piece of advice that you could ever hear: Run to God! Pray, and find the “great cloud of witnesses” he has placed around you. Now, how simple is that? Don't make prayer and a mentor your last chance… make it your first choice!

In Christ,
Jerry McGuire

FAITH REQUIRES ACTION

2008-11-08T11:35:00.001-06:00

"And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe." (Mark 5:34-36)

As Christians, we all hear words such as grace, salvation, and faith quite frequently. And all play a part in our daily life whether we know it or not. In the story above, a woman of desperate faith had just touched the hem of Jesus’ robe and been healed. Did the robe heal her? Of course not, her faith that the man wearing the robe could heal her resulted in her being healed. She had an active and courageous faith.

The setting for this scripture points us to a faith that is beyond the natural, it points to a God-based faith. We can only lay hold of the things of God by faith. The Bible is only a book until, by faith; we receive it as the living Word of God. In contrast to the woman, the synagogue ruler was afraid, but Christ told him to believe.

It is interesting to note that those who were standing by said to the synagogue ruler, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” In essence, they said, “There is no hope, just accept it and go on.” Many well-meaning people today tell us it is too late, but not Jesus. He tells us with all assurance that it is not too late! It is never too late with God. Look beyond where you are to what God says about you. We do that in Celebrate Recovery.

Jesus spoke some very powerful words to the ruler and He speaks these words to us today, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” What would truly happen in our lives if we dared to believe God? How about an Imagination Campaign that puts Cokesbury out of debt. We all know that we cannot please God without faith, but do we truly believe God at His Word? We see people with terrible hurts, habits and hang-ups that find faith hard to lay hold to. But through a systematic 12-Step program and working with the 8 Principles of CR, we see them go through a healing process that only God could provide.

You have to begin with the faith you already have: it may be just a little, but you start there. A great example of this is the story of the man who brought his sick son to Jesus in Mark 9. Jesus looked at the man and said, “I can heal your son. If you will believe, I will heal him.” In response, the father then makes a classic statement: “Lord, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”

Have you ever felt like that? “Lord, I have some faith. But I also have some doubts.” This man was filled with faith and doubt, yet despite his honest doubts, he went ahead and asked Jesus for a miracle. And Christ true to form gave the man his miracle – Jesus healed his son. Christ helps us with our addictions, our grief, and our failings, whatever. You believe he can do what he says he can do.

So, both the synagogue ruler and the woman had faith. And with this faith, Christ was able to work miracles – for both of them. By faith we lay hold of the things of God and act upon God’s promises. What a blessed place it is when the life we have we share with God in faith. The life God gives through faith in him is life-changing.

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire

Rebuilding Lives Through the Spirit

2008-10-07T19:39:00.001-05:00

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other.” Zechariah 7:9-10

As disciples of Christ, we have residing in us God’s Spirit. It is this spirit that gives us the desire to want to help others, to help rebuild their lives, as well as give hope to those who can see no hope in sight. In Celebrate Recovery we call it compassion for others. God offers a fresh start for all, but uses his disciples to get the message of hope and compassion out.

So how does this help look in real life? It is best described in Proverbs 11:25: “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” (Proverbs 11:25 MSG) So this compassion goes around in a cycle. Here’s how it works: God gives us compassion and blesses us, we in turn give this compassion to others for their blessing, and then we in turn receive compassion from God and others in our time of need. What goes around – comes around! This time for the good of ourselves and others.

How do we show Christ-like compassion to others?
1. When we don’t judge others – Christ taught his disciples to accept people as they are. A good example is the woman at the well, a Samaritan. We are to be the voice of those with no voice. Our compassion helps the forgotten, the ignored, the defeated, the addicted, or the powerless.
2. When we forgive – When we show compassion and mercy to others who may be wrong, we are not letting them “off the hook”, but instead are recognizing they are human and in need of salvation. Freely salvation was given to us; freely we are to pass it on.
3. When we protect others – Our compassion compels us to look out for the interests of others, in particular, those in volatile or vulnerable situations. Each week in Celebrate Recovery we see examples of people’s lives in need. I, in turn, get to see a whole lot of CR volunteers reach out and help. That’s my blessing, seeing a program of caring people in action.
4. When we are kind to others – In this day and age, we seem to see little or no grace outside the church doors. As models for Christ, we need to show kindness to others in the community, even to those with whom we may disagree. Put simply, it is respect for others.
5. Finally, we can use our advantages to help – In America, we live in a rich and abundantly wealthy land by the world’s standards. But more than money, we have the rich spirit of God within us. So, instead of focusing on getting the advantage on others as we sometimes tend to do, we can use what advantages and privileges we do have to help others. Remember, Jesus willingly put himself at a disadvantage in order to serve others. He didn’t have to wash the disciple’s feet – he chose to do so. There is a lot to be learned from that.

God says when we do this, our light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around us will be as bright as day: “The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.” (Isaiah 58:11-12)

Love God with all your soul. When it comes to modeling the life of Christ, set aside your agenda and humbly serve in a manner that points to God. Like Pastor Philip says, we are all ambassadors for Christ, representing His desires, not our own.

In Christ,
Jerry McGuire

Hugs Are Worth It

2008-09-01T00:34:00.002-05:00

Have you hugged your Sponsor or Accountability Partner today? They need hugs too!!!

No Blame Game Here - The Man Saw

2008-08-31T23:38:00.002-05:00

No Blame Game Here - The Blind Man Saw
In John Chapter 9 we see the story of a man blind from birth that was healed by Jesus. In ancient cultures, blind people often had no choice but to be beggars. This man was very poor and was begging along the roadside, but Jesus saw him with compassion as he passed by. On the other hand, the disciples believed his blindness was a punishment for sin, based at least partly on Old Testament texts like Exodus 34:7. They just wanted Jesus to tell them who to blame for the man’s blindness.

“Teacher,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?” They saw the effect, they wanted to know the cause.

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” (John 9:2-3) Jesus shifted their attention away from the cause of the man’s problem and instead toward the purpose. Jesus was about to mightily demonstrate the power of God. In was time for the disciples to get over the blame game.

As the story goes on, several other groups of people and the man are described for their view of the miracle Jesus performed, and really for what was in their hearts.

1. The man’s neighbors – Knowing the man for many years, and now seeing the man had his sight back put them in a state of surprise as well as skepticism. Do people in recovery really recover?

2. The Pharisees – since Jesus did a miracle their prejudice at his ministry caused them to disbelieve a healing occurred. Even the staunchest Christian may have problems believing in recovery.

3. The man’s parents – They knew their son was healed. After all, they had raised him since birth and knew his condition. However, their joy was tempered by the fear of losing their ability to go to synagogue. What do I lose in the church by others knowing I have a recovering individual in my family?

4. The man himself – as the story proceeds we see his faith grow. We also see his simple testimony of what happened is a great testimony for Christ. That’s the way we are to be, just tell our story of recovery – Jesus will do the rest.
The important lesson from this story is that God does not work in cause-effect. He does not look for fault. Jesus uses his power to change the situation for his glory. It may not be immediate enough to suit our needs, but nonetheless he is in control.

We do the same in Celebrate Recovery. We teach our people to be forward looking – in other words stop looking in the rearview mirror. We call it looking through your problems and looking to God. As Christians we are to look upon the things above – the power and strength and majesty of our loving Heavenly Father – and get yours eyes off the things below – your circumstances, your weakness, your fears (Colossians 3:2). Point here – if the world beats you down, then look up. Look for what God can do; rely on God’s faithfulness, knowing that he’s got it all under control and we are safest when we stay in obedience to him.

And so Jesus came upon a man who’d been blind since birth. The man was begging on the streets of Jerusalem, just to survive until the next day. Although people were all around him, he sat in isolation. No one could truly understand his fears and his frustrations; People passed by, some even spoke to him, some even gave him money, but no one could really understand his situation.

But along came this man named Jesus who understood and was willing to use his power to heal. Jesus sent the man home whole – physically and spiritually.

In Christ,
Jerry McGuire

2008-07-31T17:53:00.000-05:00

This Little Light of Mine

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

As disciples, we are to live a life worthy of the calling we have. This is not being passive, but rather requires us as true and effective followers of Christ to get into action! Since God is our Creator, he created us for his pleasure and good things. Which in turn means he has a calling for us to perform.

So how do I know my calling? Let’s look at three characters from the Bible and see what they experienced:

Noah - Do you sometimes feel inadequate for the task at hand or unsure whether God really wants you to go where he is leading? That is how Noah must have felt when he got the happy news to build an ark – many miles from any water, and for a flood that was not going to happen for over a hundred years. In a faithless generation, Noah acted in faith – that is he got to work. As disciples, we know that God's ministry should be known for its muscles as much as its mouth.

King David – David is called a man after God’s own heart - pretty cool. However, his early life did not start out that way. David slept with another man’s wife and had the man killed so he could have her. Those actions and the outfall from them followed David his whole life. However, God forgave David and still had good use for him. Point being, you have to put your past behind you. Not easy to do when the past is littered with broken relationships and past hurts. The lesson from David exposes the misconception that once a failure, always a failure. Not in God’s eyes. Like David, you have to ask God to help you put your past behind you so you can go forward. That’s cleaning up your spiritual inventory.

Paul – Paul started out a murderous Pharisee, but was converted to a person that God used greatly. His past could have kept from being effective, but he found forgiveness in the Christ he followed. Paul knew something we sometimes forget when events don’t go so good in our lives - Failure in the past does not mean we’ll never be able to change. Focusing on past failures, however, does guarantee their repetition. But Paul says it right in the letter to the Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV), “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal ….”
Is there something that prevents you from serving? Ask God to help you clean it up. We work on that in Celebrate Recovery each week. Once you do that, then the question becomes: What is my calling? Trying to figure this out and going forth is not always the easiest thing to do. But that’s what we are expected to do. Each week in our bulletin there is an invitation to complete an Every Member In Ministry booklet and perform service. For Cokesbury UMC – sure, but more importantly for Jesus Christ.

God does not create us with unspiritual abilities; we just have a habit of misusing the abilities he gives us at times in our life. Noah moved forward in faith, David sought God’s heart by putting his past behind him, and Paul strained to move ahead for the goal. No matter what the task, God can and will use you.

In Christ,
Jerry McGuire

2008-06-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

2008-06-22T21:26:00.001-05:00

2008-06-22T21:20:00.002-05:00

OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.
This verse to Christians is very comforting and quoted quite often. We, as Christians, will face difficult time and struggles throughout our life. We are not exempt from struggling, no more that Jesus was when he walked on the earth. Did Jesus suffer? Was Jesus lonely at times? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood and criticized unjustly? The answer is undeniably yes.

But Jesus did not live a defeated life or live in total discouragement. Instead, he lived victoriously and reigns today in heaven. There is one element that separates those who live a defeated life from those who live a victorious life. It all has to do with where you find our source of strength. Jesus found his refuge – his security and his strength - in his Father.

So, Jesus lived in this imperfect world, and we do too. So why shouldn’t we go through hurts, habits and hang-ups that can weigh us down and get us discouraged? Are we any different that Jesus? Absolutely not. What God is developing within us is the character of Christ, and in order to do this, he must take us through all of the circumstances in life that he took Christ through. What does this mean? It means God is more interested in our character than our comfort, and he’s more concerned about our holiness than our happiness. So, the question becomes not if we will go through dark times in life, rather when we will go through them.

Does God cause these hurts and tragedies? No. But God can and will use dark and stressful times for our good. Although painful, He will use them to build a Christlike character within us. Knowing this, then what should we do when difficult times come? Let’s look at three things:
1. Refuse to be discouraged – In the 23rd Psalm, David said, “I will fear no evil”. This implies David made a choice, or a decision to not fear evil. In the same way, when Jesus faced the cross, he made a choice to follow God’s will; he made a choice to face down fear; he made a choice to ignore despair.
2. Remember God is with you – David said, “For you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). God not only promises his power, he promises his presence – a “present help”. We do not have to go through dark days alone. Jesus knew he was not alone when he walked to the cross.
3. Rely on God’s protection and guidance – Again, in Psalm 23:4 David says that God’s rod and staff comforted him- a source of strength. Shepherd’s used these tools daily to guide and protect their sheep. In the same way, God will be with you to protect and guide you through any troubles. When Jesus faced the cross, he could have called down 10,000 angels; or he could have called his disciples to arms; instead he relied on God to protect and guide him.

Perhaps you are facing problems in your life with health, family, finances, or maybe career issues. Maybe a hurt, habit or hang-up has got you down. Whatever you are facing, remember - look to the Lord for His strength. It might seem like you will never come out from under the weight of despair. But as you call upon God, and draw strength from His Word and His presence, He will give you the strength you need to persevere.

Be encouraged further by the words of Isaiah 40:29-31:
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire

2008-03-23T18:27:00.001-05:00

Stack the Sacrifice & Pray

In 1Kings 17 - 19 we see the story of an Israelite nation led by King Ahab, rich and powerful but living in dark and desperate days. Idol worship had destroyed the nation and all manners of evil prevailed. To draw his people back, God chose to send a prophet. The man he sent was a Tishbite named Elijah. Elijah was a man full of faith, bold, and willing to take a stand. Elijah was also a man of passionate prayer - a spirit-filled man who knew God was alive. There was no watering down the message when Elijah spoke.

In Chapter 18 the story culminates with Elijah confronting King Ahab and challenging him to a contest between the king’s 850 prophets and Elijah. They meet at a place of idol worship called Mount Carmel to see whose god could provide fire for a sacrifice. Over several days the Israelite people gathered to see whose god/God was more powerful. Elijah, being true to his nature, asked the people directly, “Whose side are you on?” The people waivered - they wanted to see the winner before making their decision. In other words, they “wimped out.” We, as Christians, have the same decision to make – the world, or Jesus.

With God’s assistance, the contest is won and the false prophets are no more. Elijah had made it to the top. With a powerful victory like this, one would think Elijah would be “riding high.” However, recent victories and successes do not always last. News that Queen Jezebel was looking to have him killed caused Elijah to surrender to fear and flee. He ended up under a broom tree bathed in depression, just having a good old-fashioned pity-party. He needed recovery.

The same God who called Elijah to service, will now reach out to the despondent prophet. He will ask Elijah, “What are you doing here?” God is not going to abandon Elijah, but comes to him in gentle wind. Elijah had been on a “high,” but now has sunk to an all time “low.” God knows Elijah needs to quiet down so he can hear God speak.

Recovery isn’t a mountaintop experience, nor is it a rock bottom life. It has to be worked out day by day, focusing on God in prayer and action. On Friday nights that’s what we try to accomplish at Celebrate Recovery - helping people deal with their “hurts, habits and hang-ups,” and get back on track with Christ at the center of their life. You can stay where you are, and live with your issues; but, we hope you will come…and together we will Celebrate Recovery!

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire

Lord, Have Mercy on Me

2008-03-02T20:58:00.001-06:00

LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME

In Matthew 15:21-28, we see a story where Jesus restores a woman’s daughter possessed by demons. We need to remember that, even today there is a spiritual battle going on. We, and those we love, may have our own “demons” which can contribute to sinful choices we make. We can put ourselves in situations and fall into lifestyles that hinder us from approaching God. The way to overcome these “demons” and the sinful choices we make in our lives, is through recovery that only Jesus Christ can provide.

In this story, Jesus has slipped away from the pressures and mounting tension of Galilee and into the area of Tyre. He needs rest and a chance to spend time with his disciples. The cross is drawing near and the disciples training has to intensify if they are going to start the Christian Church after he is gone. However, being widely known, people seek Jesus out, even Gentiles. In this case, a Gentile woman in search of mercy.

The Bible says she comes to Jesus, falls on her knees before him and begs for mercy. At first Jesus ignores her pleas, but relents after his disciples ask that he send her away. His initial answer to her seems harsh. The word used for dog here is the diminutive form of the word and therefore is a term of affection or small size – a puppy! So the words are not as biting as they may seem. Probably Jesus said them with a smile starting to show on his face. And with that smile, the woman knows she has come to the right man – “the son of David” – the one prophesied about. In other words, her mercy she seeks is staring into her eyes. She presses on out of love for her daughter and the desire to see her recover.

Like the Gentile woman, we sometimes have a loved one who faces demons. Instead of focusing on the problem, do like the woman did and focus on Jesus. He provides recovery and transforms lives as only He can. That’s the major component of Celebrate Recovery – God’s mercy extended to people who have lost their way, and struggle with hurts, habits and hang-ups. If you are seeking a safe place in which to recover, heal and serve, come join us at Celebrate Recovery. CR starts on March 14th at 6:00 p.m. in Bullington Hall at our Ninth Avenue Campus.

So, back to the story of the Gentile Woman, she came to Jesus looking for mercy. Jesus gave her mercy, and a miracle to boot, in the healing of her daughter. As only Jesus can do, he lavishes mercy on the faithful.

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire

2008-03-01T06:39:00.001-06:00

A Chosen People

In 1 Peter 2:1-10, Peter portrays the church as a living, spiritual house with Christ as the cornerstone or foundation. At the time of Peter’s writing, Christians were in exile and most were persecuted daily. In this short text Peter exhorts the new believers to stay faithful. Peter also defines who we as Christians are, what our purpose is, and how we receive the power to do God’s work in building the church community of believers. In recovery we too find our way back to a risen Saviour.

Let’s see how this works:

1. Who are we? Peter says in verse 9 we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people best described as “belonging to God”. We are God’s possession – a peculiar people, a covenant people. Therefore, we boldly live in the truth that we are His. We are not to let our hurts, habits and hang ups keep us down.
2. What is our function? We are to be witnesses for God and “…to declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness”. Christ is the cornerstone, but one stone in itself cannot be a church or even a wall. It takes others hearing the Gospel and becoming believers to build the church into the community of believers. Our job is to be one of the builders by sharing the gospel of the Living Stone, Jesus Christ. Through Celebrate Recovery we too are restored and become a building block for Christ.
3. Where is our power from? Peter says in verses 2 and 3 – we have “…tasted that the Lord is good”. We are now his people and have received his mercy, and above all the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the fire we need to boldly face others and share the gospel. What a great big wonderful God we serve!

Peter was rooted in Old Testament theology being a devout Jew. It took a servant’s heart and Christ to shape Peter into the man he became for a New Testament Gospel. We as a people are like Peter. A people once without a name, but now with a name – God’s covenant people. A people once without mercy, but now living a victorious life because of God’s mercy.

The important thing in life is not how we are clothed, how much money we have in the bank, what others think of us, but our dedication and commitment to God. God called us (a chosen people) and will grow us into what He has called us to be. The things of this life are good, but God would have us choose the things that are great – and those are only found in Jesus Christ the cornerstone.

In Christ,

Jerry McGuire
Celebrate Recovery Lay Ministry Leader
Cokesbury UMC Pensacola, Florida