Grace Is Greater Oct. 16, 2022
Grace Is Greater
Grace is always greater than we can understand or comprehend. God’s grace is greater than our deepest regret, our biggest mistake and the pain of our brokenness. When I say the word grace—you have been saved by grace, you probably understand this or say to yourself, I get it, I think I understand. If you’ve been raised in the church. If you’ve grown up in the church or been inside the church and you have not experienced joy and the life-changin experience of God’s grace, the power of God to change you from the inside then I am here to tell you, you probably have not understood the grace of God.
Grace is a gift. And it is a free gift—with no strings attached. You don’t have to earn God’s grace. You don’t have to pay for God’s grace. You don’t need a long resume. Or need to jump through a lot of hoops and red tape. God’s grace is free. And it is also costly, in respect to it cost God everything in the death of his Son.
There are good people and bad people. There are moral and immoral people. There are nice people and nasty people in this world. But Paul says in Romans 3:23, We are equally spiritually dead—“No one seeks God.” We all fall short. We all miss the mark. Paul says in Ephesians 2:5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—dead in our sins.
If you are without a permanent home, if you are financially strapped, if you are rugged and determined individualist and think you don’t need God or you’re a person who is well off means, attends church and strives to be a good person, either way, you no better off. We are all in the same boat. We all need God’s grace—forgiveness.
There is only one obstacle to receiving God’s grace—one has to know they need it. God’s grace is indepensible. It is greater than anything found in the entire universe. It is the glue that holds everything together. Grace is found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Come and experience the life-changing power of God’s grace this Sunday—it’s free and it’s what every human soul longs for!
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
The Ten Commandments: For A Blessed Life Oct. 9, 2022
Part 8 When Having More Leaves Us Hungry
“Hamad” is the Hebrew word which means covet or lust after. The tenth commandment, “Thou shall not covet” concerns itself with offenses of both the mind and heart. Lust is a strong force within our society today. To covet something means to desire, lust after, take possession or misuse something that is not ours. Ours is the age where the appetite for more seems almost impossible to tone down. We must learn how to make distinctions between desiring something which is wholesome and good and beneficial for both people and the natural world and that which feeds only a hunger for more than we need.
To covet or desire what belongs to another is a sin. The coveting attitude is common in our society. At the root of coveting, is a rejection of the life that God offers us. Just like the people of Israel in the desert, God is providing for us what is needed, and we react with a “that’s not good enough” attitude. We look at what God provides, and say, “I need more.” What is the result? We are consumed with wanting what others have. We want the more impressive career, more real estate, the exotic vacation, the perfect spouse, the perfect body, the fancy sports car, the better toys, the bigger yard – you name it. Whatever it is that someone else has, we start being consumed by what we want. The final consequence is that we can’t stop yearning for it. We can never get enough. We are never satisfied and it leads to complaining. And for many of us, we become tortured by our wanting. Covetness breeds discontent and often leads to abuse and crime: and it is the basic source of social disorder and the fracturing of interpersonal relationships.
Jesus also addresses coveting in his Sermon on the Mount. Murdering, adultery and lusting sexually for someone is coveting. This includes pornography. These actions are not life-giving but tear apart the very fabric of God’s holy plan for your life (Matt 5:21-28). Coveting I believe can be summed up in another point Jesus makes in his sermon “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-24).
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
The Ten Commandments: For A Blessed Life Oct. 2, 2022
Part 7 Bearing False Witness Against Another
There is nothing so delightful as the hearing or speaking of truth. ~ Plato
Truth like light travels only in straight lines. ~ Charles Colton
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. ~ Prov 10:19
The anatomy of a false accusation. False accusations involve knowingly charging a person or a group with something they did not do. And lying is only the most blatant way to make an accusation. A lie is when a person intentionally deceives, fabricates a false report, tells a half-truth or deliberately withholds, omits information. Anymore, the word itself is considered to be a rather harsh word. To call someone out for lying can result in severe defensiveness by those you accuse. Why? Because lying has to do with one’s character. Clearly, God the creator, is a God of truth and has programmed all of us to love what is true. So when someone tries to tell us something that is not true or flat out lies to us, it burns in our ears and in our minds. It goes against the way God programmed us.
Today, particularly in politics, media and news reports false accusations are widespread and of pandemic proportions. And yet, we too are not immune in bearing false accusations against our neighbor. One way to build ourselves up is to push others down with false accusations—blaming and accusing others of something they did not do. To bear false witness also applies to gossip and spreading rumors. And all of us at one time or another find ourselves deep knee with this temptation. In this commandment, God wants to make us aware of the importance of telling the truth.
In the Middle East, nothing more than a single unproved accusation was required to convict an individual of even the most serious crime. The relatively recent practice of due process of law—the right to a fair and impartial hearing, the presentation of evidence, the right to a defense and trial by jury were born from concepts outside the ancient pagan mind. We should be grateful, that our Founders put in place safeguards in our legal system based on English common law and inspiration inspired by Scripture and our moral Christian tradition. Bottomline: when we live and experience truthfulness, we are set free and more able to trust others! And when trust is established, relationships thrive!
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
The Ten Commandments: For A Blessed Life Sept. 25, 2022
Part 6 You Will Not Murder
To kill something and to murder someone are two different things. An animal may prey on another animal to kill it or a hunter may kill an animal or you may swat and kill a mosquito on your arm, but that is not murder. Murder is in many cases an intentional act of violence against another human being. Murder can be premeditated, planned out and also have a malicious intent.
Today in our society, active shooters in our schools, on our streets and violent fights break out anywhere and anytime. And this is all against God’s plan for creation. Taking an innocent life intentionally, is a sin. That includes the unborn child. When one- person murders another, many people suffer, the victim, the families and all of society.
The primary reason God abhors murder is that out of all creation, only human beings are made in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:26 - 27, 9:4 - 6). Even before the endorsement of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, the murder of other human beings was wrong (Genesis 4:8 - 12, 4:23 - 24, 9:4 - 6, Exodus 1:16 - 17).
While on earth, Jesus spoke out against murder (Matthew 5:21 - 26, Mark 10:17 - 19). We also see in the writings of Paul (Romans 1:18, 29 - 32, 13:8 - 10, Galatians 5:19 - 21), James (James 2:8 - 11, 4:1 - 3), Peter (1 Peter 4:15 - 16) and John (Revelation 9:20 - 21, 21:7 - 8, 22:14 - 15) that murder is wrong.
In Matthew 5:21 - 26 Jesus expanded the meaning of the sixth commandment "thou shall not murder." He revealed that to commit murder is more than killing someone, it means having an angry and unforgiving attitude towards them (Matthew 5:21 - 26). One of the Seven Deadly Sins is to murder someone with malicious words— words meant to destroy someone’s reputation and harm one’s character. Today, more than ever, we are experiencing the pain of vitriol and hurtful words
But God writes this Sixth Commandment for our benefit. God is all about life. His desire is that you and creation not only survive but thrive. And through Jesus Christ, God wants to give you a life, a real life. God’s greatest desire is that your days will be long in this world, that through this moral undertaking, life in general will go much better for you and I! .
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
The Ten Commandments: For A Blessed Life Sept. 18, 2022
Part 5 Honoring Our Parents
We are all children who have or had parents. It is a fundamental order of creation. At no age do people cease to be children of parents. The Fifth Commandment, “to honor your father and mother” begins the first of the last six commandments that have an ethical focus—how human beings treat and behave towards each other. If this commandment were written today, it would no doubt take into account the grave societal problem of child abuse and child neglect and lift up the parental responsibilities toward children.
(Eph. 6:2-4).
In the U.S. right now, there are over 400,000 children in foster care.For ancient Israel, the nuclear family was the basic and yet profound building block of a loving and just society. This is surely in stark contrast in today’s society, where we find a fracturing of the family structure. God highlights in this command that not only the father should be honored but honor is equally directed to the mother.
Through the Fifth Commandment, God’s divine concern and authority is exercised through the parent. And children (young and adult) in all dealings with parents, respect, esteem, having regard and concern for, and showing affection, considerateness and appreciation are the order of the day. For children who have suffered abuse from a parent, this is very tender territory. If you need help with this, Dr. David Stoop wrote a powerful book, “Forgiving Our Parents, Forgiving Ourselves: Healing Adult Children from Dysfunctional Families.”
Many scholars believe this commandment focuses more on adults than children. Adult children are called to care for and honor their aging parents. Perhaps this command brings to mind the cases where elderly parents are abused, misused or neglected in old age. In the U.S., 10% or 1 in 10 aging adults are abused. This command is exceedingly complex, in a day when we are living longer, social security income/inflation, scams, long term care facilities and extended medical care for aging parents. Taking care of aging parents is not easy. Ask anyone who has taken care of a parent with Alzheimer’s disease. It takes both loving patience and divinely inspired generosity to care for our parents.
Regardless of its complexity, God writes this Fifth Commandment for your benefit. God loves you. God’s greatest desire is that our days will be long in this world, that through this moral undertaking, life in general will go much better for us!
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
Holy Rest ~ September 11th, 2022
The 4th Commandment
When I was in college, I would go down to the corner pastry shop, get the New York Times Sunday edition, a coffee and donut to go and lay on my apartment floor and read the paper. And the sad thing about it—it never bothered me.
The 4th Commandment defines for us . . .that we will follow God’s creation principle of rest. That we will honor God’s wisdom. That we will not allow the American “rat race” and its fever pitch consumerism to rob us of stopping to look at the sunset (Ps 24:1). That God will help us to be diligent and faithful workers, but at the same time guard us from becoming slaves to our earthly employments (Col 3:22–24). That we will not allow busyness and worldly pleasures to destroy the immense worth and uniqueness of the Lord’s Day. That corporate worship will be more important than hunting, fishing, or football. That to worship God will not be about seeking the best entertainment—the music and style of worship nor will it be about the mega big or house church small—it will be about yielding our will and preferences to the wonder, reverence and awe we have for the God who created us, forgives us and daily redeems us.
The bottom line of Sabbath is this: we rest our lives in God in the worship and adoration of Jesus Christ—the anointed One, the One who saves.
During Sabbath, we stop doing. We stop achieving. We stop competing. We stop shopping. And instead we worship. We stop long enough to allow God’s grace to penetrate our hearts and change us.
We are called by our Creator to structure a weekly life that begins and ends with worship. For Protestants, Sunday, the first day of the week is the holy Sabbath—the Lord’s Day. Sunday is the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. To honor the Sabbath is not a suggestion, an option God gives us, rather it is a command that allows God to restore, heal and care for our souls.
Pastor Dona
The Ten Commandments: For A Blessed Life ~ Part 2 Ambassadors of God’s Name ~ Sept. 4th 2022
At birth, you were given a name or maybe three or more names. You might have been named after your parents or grandparents. Throughout your life, others know you by your birth name. Many of us were baptized with our name—joined to Jesus. You also sign your name to legal documents—your name is identifies you as a person among the masses. And you want people to show respect for your name.
And so it is with God’s name(s). God’s name holds both power and authority. When you and I speak God’s name, we are called to speak it with total reverence and the utmost respect. When we invoke the name of God in our prayer time or when we call out God’s name, we are calling on God’s supernatural power.
In Bible times, much more so than today, names had great meaning. They often reflected something important about a person’s character, personal history or when an important event occurred and God changed the name of that person. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel because he wrestled with God. Simon’s name was changed to Peter when he confessed Jesus as his Lord and Messiah.
In the Old Testament, there were several names used for God which described his divine character. Elohim appears 200 times in the Book of Genesis describing God’s strength and majesty. El Shaddai describes God as “Almighty.” Adonai is a name that represents God’s authority and superiority.
And so when we speak the name(s) of God, we are ambassadors and guardians of God’s name because we have been given the privilege to bear the name of God upon our lips.
Pastor Dona
Life Is Hard, Don’t Make It Harder ~ Sunday August 21, 2022
I don’t know about you but sometimes, I make things harder for myself. Life is hard enough. I often get in the way of God wanting to do something new and radical in my life. I resist by saying, “I can’t do that, this how I’ve always done things—worship, sabbath or my weekly routines! I have to follow tradition. Anything outside my daily routine is an interruption.” Don’t get me wrong, traditions are wonderful. And following rules and regulations in society are very necessary. But sometimes, we hold on to them so tightly, and we police others so heavy handedly, that we squeeze God’s plan for us right out of the picture. And more importantly, we judge others who don’t follow the rules while we ourselves break them.
In Luke 13:10-17, there is a bent over women, she is suffering. Showing great compassion towards the woman’s situation, Jesus makes the choice to heal her. The religious elite standing off to the side, begin to sneer and whisper among themselves. “Did you see that? He has the nerve to heal that woman on the Sabbath. He is breaking the law!” The Sabbath was at the heart of Jewish observance—no one does any work on the Sabbath.
What would you do in this situation: break the law of the Sabbath by healing the woman and take a bunch of flak from your peers? Or would you let the woman suffer? In this story, we see God breaking through long held traditions and the hypocrisy of the elite to heal a suffering woman. We see God’s love running after the woman to bring her some relief from her misery. It was a bold and radical move on Jesus’ part. But God’s love for us is bold, it is nothing less than radical! God’s love will always penetrate every human barrier imaginable.
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
The Universe in 57 Words ~ July 24th 2022
Nowhere else is Jesus’ brilliance manifest more clearly than in the prayer he taught his disciples. You will find the prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. It is known as the Lord’s Prayer. In the original Greek, it is a mere 57 words. But it is a prayer that gathers up all of life and brings it before God. The prayer has one invocation with six brief petitions. It is a prayer that moves us from the way we see the world to the way God sees it. As N.T. Wright writes, “These petitions move us from “paranoia to prayer” and from “fuss to faith.” It is 57 words that changes the world and when prayed draws us into the power of the Triune God.
Many believers know the prayer by heart. I have heard many a person nearing death, too weak to talk, remember the words and gather the strength to mumble them. Many receiving holy communion, say the Lord’s Prayer. Why? Because this is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples. It is a perfect prayer in all its brevity. You might say the entire universe can be summed up in these 57 powerful words!
Over the next few weeks we will explore every petition of the Lord’s prayer, I guarantee you will pray this prayer with renewed faith and if you are not accustomed to praying this prayer you will discover it’s the depth, breathe and saving power to change your life. The Lord’s Prayer is a window into the very heart of God!
Pastor Dona
Who Then Can Be Saved? Devotion June 8th 2022
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Three of the Gospels writers record versions of this striking statement of Jesus (Matt. 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25).
At first glance, Jesus’ saying, “a camel going through the eye of a needle” is wildly outlandish. The camel was the largest animal in Palestine and the eye of a needle one of the smallest things. Why would Jesus give us an action that is not probable, not possible, not even imaginable? Besides, it is rather blunt and unyielding. But it is also very clever and insightful.
As Jesus shares this message with his disciples, notice their reaction: “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’” (Matt. 19:25). Who indeed?
Rich or poor or middle-class, we all have our gods which lead our hearts astray. So many who think they have less than the next person want to use this text to point the finger at those who have more. But even if you live in a smaller house or have less stocks in your portfolio or a smaller diamond ring and wardrobe than a person who has more, you still have your gods.
Now to those who are rich with wealth and possessions, what do you do with all that stuff? We who profess the One who teaches us to give it away rather than accumulate. Jesus also warned, “What will it profit someone to gain the whole world but lose their soul? (Matt. 16:25).
The “gods” we are drawn to are like a moth attracted to a flame- eventually those things will suck the life out you, absorb your time and energy, make you depressed and cranky with worry. Having to work harder and harder to keep it all going robs you of peace.
How can I say this? Because years ago before Jesus transformed my heart— I was one of those people? The other gods I thought I needed to bring my life meaning, were working against me to rob me of God’s joy. And although I had achieved much, I was empty inside.
Questions that surface for me are: Do I give freely a tithe of my wealth, a tithe of my time and a portion of my talents to build his kingdom on earth so others may hear the message and receive the grace of salvation? Do I give with a joyful heart to my faith community? Am I a giver or a taker?
Indeed, a poor man can worship Mammon just as easily as a rich man. The former yearns adoringly for it; the latter clings tenaciously to it. On our own, we have no hope of being saved.
But with God all things are possible. Indeed, more than possible: in Christ alone, they are certain. By his work, by his sacrifice, by his grace and mercy, anyone can enter the kingdom. The good news is this: you can change by asking God to help you. You can repent and He will empower you and motivate you to give up all those little gods. Those who come to Christ and receive Him by faith—God saves and then gives them a new identity that no amount of wealth can acheive!
In His abundant and unconditional love,
Pastor Dona
How Did The Church Get Started? June 5th 2022
We attend church and some of us participate in the ministry of a church, but how did the whole church thing get started? The Church was formed on the day of Pentecost. Fifty days after Easter, God sent the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (called the “sent ones”) and they were sent into the world, to every nation to start Christ’s Church on earth. In fact Peter, gave the first sermon.
In the years that followed, the early Church spread like a wildfire. To the ends of the earth God sent His followers and is still sending us today! These early followers of Jesus had no modern technologies such as smart phones, no jeeps or off terrain vehicles to transport them and no Bibles, no real template or manual on how to start a church. But they had God’s message of love in their hearts and shared it with others.On their faith, the foundation of the Church was built.
And yet, before God set them loose on the world, they had to be given the Holy Spirit to empower them, to guide them and to help them carryout their ministry.
Did you know that the first churches were formed in houses? They were purely organic. Believers who put their total trust in the Apostle’s message banded together and formed small groups between 10 and 30 people. They worshiped in houses around the Apostle’s teachings (Jesus Christ). They broke bread together. They shared life together. They prayed together. And the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on them and in no time, their efforts were multiplied.
For the first three centuries, this was how Christ’s Church was formed on earth. The Book of Acts, is a story of the very beginnings of the Christian Church. And to this day, Christ is the head of the Church! He has full power and authority over His Church. And those who are called to serve the Church, serve Him.
GracePointe of Sedona is also modeled after the early house churches. We base our entire ministry on Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35. We are Christ-centered, we are relationally-focused, mission-driven and we deeply care for another and where each guest is welcomed with a warm embrace!
Pastor Dona Johnson
Perfect Joy Devotion May 25, 2022
In Dallas Willard’s Renovation of The Heart, he talks about the centrality of giving. He writes, “Giving and for-giving are, of course central to the divinely structured life”—as we lose the ways of this world and take on the character of our Lord—here is where we find “perfect joy.” He goes on to say, “At the beginning of the day—often before rising—I commit the day to the Lord’s care. I pray the Lord’s Prayer and sometimes the Twenty-third Psalm. Then I meet everything that happens that day as something sent or at least permitted by God. And as I meet these things that happen in the course of a day, I accept and learn from them.”
What is “joy,” let alone “perfect joy?” The dictionary defines joy “as a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.” Joy is the hallmark of the Christian faith. And God himself, His love for us, His dying for us, His daily forgiveness is the source of perfect joy. And this joy is not dependent on our circumstances. For it transcends those times when our souls are troubled. Joy is lasting, happiness is often fleeting.
St. Francis understood and lived out perfect joy. From chapter 8 of The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi, Francis gives his friend Leo a teaching about what “perfect joy” is. They are trudging through the snow from Perugia to the home of their group at St. Mary of the Angels. For their brotherhood to give a great example of holiness and edification in all lands would not be perfect joy. Nor would a great ministry of healing and raising the dead. Nor would possession of all languages and all science, nor all understanding of prophecy and Scripture, and insight into the secrets of every soul. Nor would even the conversion of all unbelievers to faith in Christ.
By this point Brother Leo is amazed, and he begs Francis to teach him, “where is perfect joy.” The reply is that if when they come to their quarters—dirty, wet and “exhausted from hunger”—they are rejected, repeatedly rebuffed, and finally driven away by force, then “if we accept such injustice, such cruelty and such contempt with patience, without being ruffled and without murmuring,” and “if we bear all these injuries with patience and joy, thinking of the suffering of our Blessed Lord, which we would share out of love for him, write, O Brother Leo, that here, finally is perfect joy.”
May you experience and possess the “perfect joy” of Jesus today and accept with an open-heart whatever God sends or at least permits in your life. God uses everything to teach, admonish, grow and encourage us in the faith.
Pastor Dona
The Power of God to Change a Heart ~ Devotion May 8 2022
Princess Diana met with Mother Teresa at least twice in her travels to India. They had become good friends. Mary C. Johnson, a nun in the same order, hosted the last meeting the two had in 1992. In that visit, they talked for quite some time. And before they parted, Mother Teresa took Princess Diana into a small chapel. It was customary to remove one’s shoes. Diana slowly removed her expensive designer shoes of fine leather. Her toes were nicely pedicured. Then Mother Teresa removed her worn-out sandals. She had worn those same sandals every day for 20 years. Her feet were calloused. And her toes were gnarled and disfigured from all those years of wearing shoes with no support. While in the chapel, Mother Teresa prayed for Diana.
Mother Teresa then pressed into the hand of the Princess a rosary. And then she wrote in Diana’s little Bible, “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life - John 14:6.” She also wrote,
The Way—follow Him.
The Truth—believe in Him.
The Life—live in Him.
No one knows really what was said that day, but what we do know is in 1992 Diana had separated from Prince Charles due to his infidelity. It was said that Princess Diana came away changed. She had a spiritual awakening. Diana found her mission in life. T o continue Mother Teresa’s mission. To serve the sick. T o comfort the disfigured and marginalized. Diana supported over 100 charities. She worked with the homeless, disabled children, HIV Aids and she even protested and walked among the landmines in Angola and Bosnia. She found a mission beyond her royal marriage. And in some ways, I think it is a message for all of us. For those who are married, what is your life’s mission beyond your marriage? Beyond your career? Beyond your daily wants and desires?
Diana was never the same after she met Mother Teresa. In those gnarled and disfigured feet, she felt something she had never felt before. She had seen and touched the risen Lord in the life of Mother Teresa.
How do you define beauty? Designer shoes, expensive and pedicured feet. Or old sandals and gnarled twisted feet.
Both women had a beauty all their own. The Hollywood royal beauty of Princess Diana and the heavenly holiness of Mother Teresa. As someone mentioned in GracePointe during today’s service, “Appearance isn’t everything. Some people look beautiful on the outside and on the inside, they are empty. Other people look unkept, poor and out of touch with the latest fashions but they are beautiful on the inside and full of life and purpose.”
1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us that God does not look at appearances but looks into the heart. He looks into the soul of a person.
Diana died in 1997 from a fatal car crash. As they were preparing her body for her funeral, the rosary Mother Teresa had given her was placed in her hands along with the pictures of her two young boys—her proud identity as a mother. Strangely enough, Mother Teresa and Princess Diana died a few days apart from each other within the same week.
In this 4th Sunday of Easter, may we rejoice in Easter and the power of God working in and through us to change the human heart.
Excerpts from today’s sermon.
Happy Mother’s Day to all,
God bless you!
Pastor Dona
Good Friday April 15, 2022 Who Will Carry His Cross?
Simon of Cyrene was a Jew who traveled from what is now modern- day Libya to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. He is mentioned in all three synoptic gospels.
Simon of Cyrene was the man who the Romans suddenly pulled from the crowd and commanded him to carry the cross of Jesus.
The cross was laid on Jesus in the courtyard of Pilate’s palace. The cross’s final destination was the hill on Calvary. The cross weighed about 220 pounds.
Imagine for a moment, if you had traveled such a long way to participate in Passover worship. You have no idea what’s going on, when suddenly a Roman soldier yanks you into the street to carry a man’s cross.
The weight of the cross was too much to bear for Jesus who had already been wounded by multiple beatings. The weight of the cross, his tired body, the trauma of an impending death—all these things were about to crush him.
But then Simon of Cyrene was quickly pulled from among those in the crowd to pick up and carry Jesus’ cross. He likely felt and smelled the bloody sweat of Jesus on his hands. He heard the jeering crowd yelling “Crucify him.” The cross even for Cyrene was too much to bear. Just an ordinary man, who came to worship that day was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or was it the right place, the right time? I believe it is the later.
This whole experience probably had a profound effect on Cyrene’s faith. And the faith of his two sons Alexander and Rufus mentioned in Mark 15:21. If Romans 16:13 is correct, his wife also became a Christian.
And so it is for us too, bearing the cross of Jesus is no easy feat. Much like Simon of Cyrene, God calls us into places and into people’s lives when we least expect it. When we pick up His cross, when we bear the burden to witness on His behalf, when we love the unlovable, and forgive the unthinkable, especially in a world that shrugs off the name of Jesus with great confidence, where many people ignore Holy Week and reject the message of Easter—God is glorified! God used Simon of Cyrene to help His Son bear the weight of the cross and his faith was changed that day! And that is what matters most.
There will always be those who reject the message of the cross. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate" (1 Cor 1:18). But our task is to continue telling the Easter story!
Prayer: Lord, increase my faith today. Give me the courage and strength to witness in your name.
The story is not over—it’s still being written in the hearts of people like you and me! Join us Easter Sunday!
Rev. Dona Johnson
Maundy Thursday April 14, 2022 Jesus Lamb of God
The term ‘scapegoat’ has its origin in the Old Testament, more specifically, in Chapter 16 of the Book of Leviticus, according to which God instructed Moses and Aaron to sacrifice two goats every year. The first goat was to be killed and its blood sprinkled upon the Ark of the Covenant. The High Priest was then to lay his hands upon the head of the second goat and confess the sins of the people. Unlike the first goat, this lucky second goat was not to be killed, but to be released into the wilderness together with its burden of sin, which is why it came to be known as a, or the, scapegoat.
The altar that stands in the sanctuary of every church is a symbolic remnant and reminder of this sacrificial practice, with the ultimate object of sacrifice being, of course, Jesus himself. Upon seeing Jesus for the first time, John the Baptist is said to have exclaimed, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29).
In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the story of Jesus runs parallel to what many of us see happening in the world today.
“The city is riven by fractures, by cycles of vengeance and counter- vengeance. The only way to purge the hatred and division is by piling the sins of the community onto a scapegoat. It is by casting out the scapegoat that the sins of the society can be externalized and expurgated. It is by killing the scapegoat that unity is achieved."
~ David Brooks, "The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life"
Jesus is the classic scapegoat, the innocent outsider that all the groups could rally around in their bloodlust, and dump their hatreds on. The only thing that is different about the Jesus story – and it is a big difference – is that in this story Jesus came to earth precisely to be the scapegoat. He volunteered for this job, forgave those who executed him, and willingly carried the sins of the world on his shoulders. He came precisely to bow down, to suffer, and to redeem the world. He came not to be the awesome conquering Messiah that most of us would want, but to be the lamb, to submit, to love his enemies. He came not to be the victim of sin, but the solution. His strength was self- sacrificial, and his weapon love, so that we might live.
Prayer: Lord you are the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us. Amen.
Pastor Dona, GracePointe of Sedona
Spiritual Friendships
Proverbs 27:5-6
Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Proverbs 18:24
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Each of us has acquaintances. We have friends and neighbors and coworkers who are interested in things we also find interesting. We have friends who share our faith perspectives. We have friends who help us. There are those with whom we share common convictions and causes, life experiences, and perhaps enjoy the same sports teams and vacation destinations. These friends are wonderful to have, for sure. But in my mind, the best kind of friends are ‘soul friends.’ These are people with whom I can be forthcoming and honest about my own soul. In return, they reflect God’s love for me in their words, their attitudes and their actions. These are friends who ‘enflesh’ God for me. God loves and nourishes my soul through these friends.”
• Who comes to mind when you think about a spiritual companion?
A soul sister or brother?
• Spend time thanking God for this/these friendship(s).
• Inquire of the Lord as to how he might lead you to greater honesty or
vulnerability in these friendships.
• Ask God to deepen your bonds of trust, affection, and loyalty.
If you don’t have a spiritual companion, ask God to reveal to you that person, who is probably already in your midst and invite that person into your life. Don’t be shy. Everyone is searching for true friendship.
Prayer Heavenly Father, I am grateful for the sacred friendships that you’ve given me that enrich my life. Help me to deepen my bonds of trust, affection and loyalty. Amen.
Or
Prayer Heavenly Father, I need a spiritual companion. Please give me discernment, guide me to that special person whom I may trust with my spiritual longings. Amen.
May God richly bless you with a spiritual companion, Pastor Dona
Excerpts from Alice Fryling in Seeking God Together.
Loving Others When It’s Hard To Do ~ Feb 21, 2022 Luke 627-36 (expanded from Sunday’s message )
Jesus grew up in a culture dominated by honor and shame. Everyone had a place, and everyone knew their place. Honor was social capital. It was a vital asset. Such cultures clearly define people according to the groups they represent. Honor was attributed to wealth, education, family- pedigree and political connections. Much of life revolved around ensuring you and your family received public honor and avoided public shame. Boasting, self-promotion and peer-pressure were encouraged. Humility was rarely, if ever considered an asset. You know you are talking about a shame/honor culture when you compare yourself to your neighbor. Or, then you use phrases like “pecking order” or “climbing the ladder” or “What will the neighbors think?”
In Rome’s hierarchical system, power was concentrated at the top. Below the Emperor were senators, high-ranking military officials, political and religious elites who kept the machinery of power running and attended to the needs of the elite. This group comprised between 5-15 percent of the population. The remaining 85 percent consisted of lower-class slaves and at the very bottom we have what they called the expendables, widows, orphans, prisoners and beggars—those without wealth or status but only shame and guilt.
It was against this backdrop that Jesus instructs his followers to love your enemies. He tells them, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you...Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
(Luke 6:27- 31).
So, if you are poor and a beggar, if you are a widow or orphan or when someone from the upper class mistreats or hates you for your poverty and lack of social status, you are to love them, forgive them and wish them no harm. This was a radical request. And for many Christians, this was too much to ask of them and they turned back. And to this day, for those who feel oppressed, unjustly accused or marginalized due to their political views, religious affiliations, economic status or racial makeup this is not easy news to hear let alone put into practice.
Jesus’ instruction to “love your enemies” was a new constitution for a new community. To love your enemy is not based on feelings but on a decision to love. We make a choice to love. We make a choice to forgive. And this choice to love despite the injustice, comes about when we pray for our enemies. God himself loves those who reject him and those who love and serve him. God is equally kind to those who bring him joy and equally kind to those who grieve his heart. For God sends rain on the just and the unjust Matt (Matt 5:45). Today, Jesus’ radical request is our “Golden Rule”—do to others as you want them to do to you. And it is also found in the famous quote by John Bradford, pastor and martyr, who in 1551 while watching criminals being led to the scaffold said, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
God bless each of you!
Pastor Dona
Loving Others When It’s Hard To Do ~ Feb 21, 2022 Luke 627-36 (expanded from Sunday’s message )
Jesus grew up in a culture dominated by honor and shame. Everyone had a place, and everyone knew their place. Honor was social capital. It was a vital asset. Such cultures clearly define people according to the groups they represent. Honor was attributed to wealth, education, family- pedigree and political connections. Much of life revolved around ensuring you and your family received public honor and avoided public shame. Boasting, self-promotion and peer-pressure were encouraged. Humility was rarely, if ever considered an asset. You know you are talking about a shame/honor culture when you compare yourself to your neighbor. Or, then you use phrases like “pecking order” or “climbing the ladder” or “What will the neighbors think?”
In Rome’s hierarchical system, power was concentrated at the top. Below the Emperor were senators, high-ranking military officials, political and religious elites who kept the machinery of power running and attended to the needs of the elite. This group comprised between 5-15 percent of the population. The remaining 85 percent consisted of lower-class slaves and at the very bottom we have what they called the expendables, widows, orphans, prisoners and beggars—those without wealth or status but only shame and guilt.
It was against this backdrop that Jesus instructs his followers to love your enemies. He tells them, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you...Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
(Luke 6:27- 31).
So, if you are poor and a beggar, if you are a widow or orphan or when someone from the upper class mistreats or hates you for your poverty and lack of social status, you are to love them, forgive them and wish them no harm. This was a radical request. And for many Christians, this was too much to ask of them and they turned back. And to this day, for those who feel oppressed, unjustly accused or marginalized due to their political views, religious affiliations, economic status or racial makeup this is not easy news to hear let alone put into practice.
Jesus’ instruction to “love your enemies” was a new constitution for a new community. To love your enemy is not based on feelings but on a decision to love. We make a choice to love. We make a choice to forgive. And this choice to love despite the injustice, comes about when we pray for our enemies. God himself loves those who reject him and those who love and serve him. God is equally kind to those who bring him joy and equally kind to those who grieve his heart. For God sends rain on the just and the unjust Matt (Matt 5:45). Today, Jesus’ radical request is our “Golden Rule”—do to others as you want them to do to you. And it is also found in the famous quote by John Bradford, pastor and martyr, who in 1551 while watching criminals being led to the scaffold said, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
God bless each of you!
Pastor Dona
Loving Others When It’s Hard To Do ~ Feb 21, 2022 Luke 627-36 (expanded from Sunday’s message )
Jesus grew up in a culture dominated by honor and shame. Everyone had a place, and everyone knew their place. Honor was social capital. It was a vital asset. Such cultures clearly define people according to the groups they represent. Honor was attributed to wealth, education, family- pedigree and political connections. Much of life revolved around ensuring you and your family received public honor and avoided public shame. Boasting, self-promotion and peer-pressure were encouraged. Humility was rarely, if ever considered an asset. You know you are talking about a shame/honor culture when you compare yourself to your neighbor. Or, then you use phrases like “pecking order” or “climbing the ladder” or “What will the neighbors think?”
In Rome’s hierarchical system, power was concentrated at the top. Below the Emperor were senators, high-ranking military officials, political and religious elites who kept the machinery of power running and attended to the needs of the elite. This group comprised between 5-15 percent of the population. The remaining 85 percent consisted of lower-class slaves and at the very bottom we have what they called the expendables, widows, orphans, prisoners and beggars—those without wealth or status but only shame and guilt.
It was against this backdrop that Jesus instructs his followers to love your enemies. He tells them, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you...Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
(Luke 6:27- 31).
So, if you are poor and a beggar, if you are a widow or orphan or when someone from the upper class mistreats or hates you for your poverty and lack of social status, you are to love them, forgive them and wish them no harm. This was a radical request. And for many Christians, this was too much to ask of them and they turned back. And to this day, for those who feel oppressed, unjustly accused or marginalized due to their political views, religious affiliations, economic status or racial makeup this is not easy news to hear let alone put into practice.
Jesus’ instruction to “love your enemies” was a new constitution for a new community. To love your enemy is not based on feelings but on a decision to love. We make a choice to love. We make a choice to forgive. And this choice to love despite the injustice, comes about when we pray for our enemies. God himself loves those who reject him and those who love and serve him. God is equally kind to those who bring him joy and equally kind to those who grieve his heart. For God sends rain on the just and the unjust Matt (Matt 5:45). Today, Jesus’ radical request is our “Golden Rule”—do to others as you want them to do to you. And it is also found in the famous quote by John Bradford, pastor and martyr, who in 1551 while watching criminals being led to the scaffold said, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
God bless each of you!
Pastor Dona
Devotion for Feb 11, 2022 by Pastor Dona Johnson
Isaiah 44:7 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”
Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God
Tim Keller, a nationally known pastor writes in Counterfeit Gods, “When we make good things into ultimate things, those are idols. And though we may not think we are worshipping idols, these “good things” stand in the way of us having communion with God. An idol (or a “counterfeit god”) is something you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” Anything can be an idol — especially the very best things in life.”
Since the beginning of time, or the Fall, our default has been to replace God with other things. We live in a culture that is fully saturated with idols—money, sex and power are just a few. We are human and we have cravings, but when these cravings are all we think about, when these cravings consume our lives—they become idols. And these cravings, leave us with very little time, very little energy or desire to fill our hearts with God—the same God who created each of us and gave us life.
As I write this devotion, I am thinking about the upcoming Super Bowl game with a packed stadium and millions of us watching it from our big screen TVs. But don’t be fooled. Behind these scenes, there is high-staked gambling taking place, halftime entertainment that is often pornographic and human traffickers are on the streets and in the motels selling the bodies of underage women (someone’s daughter or granddaughter) to men, some violent who have an insatiable appetite for sex. Super Bowl Sunday in Phoenix is high season for human traffickers.
The Coalition Against Human Trafficking of Northern Arizona is passionately working in Sedona and throughout Northern Arizona to help all of us recognize the devastation caused by the idols of sex and human slavery.
In the end, all idols will disappoint us. And the only way to free ourselves from the destructive influence of counterfeit gods is to return to the one true God, the only one who can fill the deep longings of the human hearts.
If you’ve struggled to put God first in your life, the last two years have likely shown you whatever you once placed your hope in has failed to deliver. I pray in the name of Jesus, that we all can reset our lives, pay attention to the counterfeit gods in our lives and return to the God—the only God who saves and satisfies the longings of the human heart. Amen.
May God bless each of you!
Pastor Dona Johnson
Don’t Go Into The New Year Alone
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your ways. ~Proverbs 16:3
As we move into another new year, may we take a pause and give God thanks and praise for the new life he gives us each hour of every day. Jesus is our present teacher. And it is Jesus who will lead us into the new year in His great power and sovereign care.
Jesus wants to share with you His living power so that you will be able to align your life and priorities with His. You see God has a perfect plan for your life. He has always had a plan for your life. But, we so often stand in the way of that plan and stop it from fully- unfolding.
Perhaps you may ask, “How do I come into this new life with God?” Or, you may ask, “How can I come to know God in a deeper way?” There is no human scheme, or no three easy steps, that will make this happen. It is the work of Christ Himself in your life. It is not our work. It is His work. It is always His initiative, which has nothing to do with how we feel or think. Faith is always God’s work in us.
This year, do you want to make a life-giving change in your life? Do you want peace in your heart? I have good news for you! You can have that new life today. Right now, ask God to be your living and ever-present teacher. Ask God to enter your heart. Ask Him to go with you into the new year. Listen to Him by day and night. Confess every sin and forsake everything that opposes His way—His teachings. Obey Him in everything He instructs you to do and live with Him in this new Life. Carry the torch of His love and grace into 2022. He will without a doubt be your constant companion. He will counsel you. He will lead you. He will guard your heart. He will rule you. He will govern you. And He will give you the courage and the faith to follow Him in some very profound and unexpected ways!
May the new year be good to you in Jesus Christ!
Happy New Year! Happy new LIFE!
Pastor Dona