The Solid Rock
Morgan Kennedy
 
When my husband and I were planning our wedding, we got a lot of advice from people. People told us the “secret” to marriage. Whether it was to always forgive one another, kiss each other goodnight every night, read together, pray together…. It was a long list! These have been helpful for sure, but there was one piece of advice that Ridge and I really took to heart.
 
When Ridge and I were in college at ECU, he asked my dad for permission to date me (yes – date) with the intention of marriage, if the Lord willed it. I wasn’t there when they were having this conversation and was a nervous wreck! I remember the look on my dad’s face after their conversation. He had tears in his eyes as he looked at me, which made my nerves even worse! What did Ridge say? What did my dad say? Why was my dad teary-eyed? I later found out that Dad gave Ridge his blessing and also this advice:
“Marriage is like spinning a plate on a stick. You have to have the right balance, with Jesus at the center. If He isn’t, then the plate starts wobbling and will fall.”
He said you must have God as the foundation of your relationship.
 
During Pastor Lesly’s sermon yesterday on the beloved hymn “The Solid Rock,” I began to think about that conversation again. As the Word says in Matthew, “Anyone who hears these words and puts them into practice is like a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.  When the storms of life come, that house will still stand because of its foundation. The solid rock. Not like the house built on sand which will give way and crumble.”
 
This hymn written by Edward Mote is so deep in theology and very personable and relatable to today. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” Sin looks appealing. That’s why it’s so easy for us to fall into. But as the hymn writer states, don’t trust it! It will lead to destruction and misery. Our foundations as Christians, the very core of who we are, must be centered in Christ. We must wholly lean on Jesus name. He is our Helper, Friend, and Redeemer.
 
On Christ the solid rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Blessed Assurance
Sharon Austin
May 25, 2021

Blessed Assurance…what is that?  And why is it desirable?
Yesterday Pastor Lesly shared the remarkable life story of Fanny Crosby, who penned the lyrics to this enduring hymn of the church a hundred and forty-eight years ago.  The theme reflects a confidence beyond our own abilities, or disabilities, allowing a joyful expression of what is possible, in fact, only possible, through the grace of Jesus.  In her verses, there is no dwelling on personal issues, just praise and gratitude.

So what does that have to do with assurance?  Well, let’s take look at the subject of insurance. What is the purpose of insurance in our daily lives?  In the realm of maintaining our financial stability in providing adequate health care for ourselves and our families, protecting our possessions from accident, theft or disaster, even providing for end-of-life care and burial, a fair number of people pay heavily for insurance to cover these future uncertainties in their lives.  And for what reason?

Personally, it is peace of mind – a state of being where, come what may in the course of normal living, we can be freed from undue anxiety about things for which we cannot plan.  We are less burdened with stress, and hopefully, able to live, build, support and contribute in our little area of time and space.  Unburdened, free, confident, encouraged, joyful……even blessed!

What does this have to do with the Lord Jesus’ blessed assurance?  Simply, he has already paid the “premium” for our life “insurance”….both in this life and for eternity.  We pay nothing!  We need only to accept his payment for a blessed assurance of his love, grace, mercy…that’s what Fanny Crosby described as “perfect submission.”  Fanny was then set free from her blindness, to confidently use the gifts God gave her in positive and exuberant ways.

I want to make this my story too – my daily story – my song of praise to my Savior, being filled with his goodness and lost in his love.  That’s quite an insurance policy….it’s blessed assurance!

Psalm 1: A Meditation on Verse 3
Jackson Witt
May 17, 2021

After a few hectic weeks in my personal life of purchasing a home, working on said house and hosting a birthday party in just two short weeks, I needed some time away from the daily grind. And the crazy thing is that I didn’t even know I needed it. But I found myself in the midst of the perfect storm for an internal revival.

I have been doing some prep work for a Young Adult Sunday School class that is loosely based on spiritual disciplines and they just went through the practice of Meditation. And while I yearn to be able to participate in those conversations, it is refreshing to research in depth some of the practices of the early church and rediscover their value.

I also attend a small group on Monday nights with some of my dearest friends from college, in which we just began a similar series taught by Tim Mackie from Door of Hope in Portland, Oregon. And last week’s message was on the discipline of solitude.

After listening to his compelling message, I decided that I needed to work on this spiritual discipline of meditation/solitude, but I didn’t really have the motivation or time for it. Which is why I say this was the perfect storm because on Wednesday night we had our monthly night of worship and prayer which was focused on Purification and Cleansing.

Needless to say, I was convinced that if I was serious when I sang the song “Refiner” that night, I needed to rearrange a priority and begin the practice of regular meditation. And the model for that meditation is taken from the life of Jesus, who would regularly retreat from the crowds into solitude and likely meditate on the Psalms through prayer.

And so, I found myself on Thursday morning in Psalm 1.
There were three lines that struck me and so they were my emphasis for meditation and discernment:

[The one who follows God’s ways]
He will be a flourishing tree planted by God’s design,
Deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss,
Bearing fruit in every season of life.

We see several times throughout scripture this metaphor of our lives as vegetation. And often times the metaphor plays out to be the most meaningful when we talk about the process of bearing fruit and being harvested. Which is why these three lines stuck out to me.
Bearing fruit is only a result of being planted by God’s design and being deeply rooted by streams of living water. I won’t even go into the idea of bearing fruit in every season of life – even the offseason!!! – because I want to focus on the other two aspects of this metaphor.

All who “remain true to the word of ‘I AM’” will flourish and have purpose. Regardless of our occupations, we all exist in unique ways. We all have a different  social network that allows us to connect with people from different spheres. We all have different gifts and skills that allow us to reach people through varying strategies. But we are all in our unique lives for a purpose. Could you imagine if Christians across the world yielded simply a 1-to-1 ratio for the kingdom? It would take only a generation or two for our world to be radically changed. You have a purpose, and you are called to flourish where you are. And we are identified by the fruit that we produce – namely, love for our God and our neighbors.

But the surface level evaluation of a tree does not tell us the health of the tree. In fact, a tree is only as healthy as its root system. Something interesting about trees is that most of what exists above ground is the trees way of giving to its ecosystem. They provide food for animals, shade from the heat, and oxygen to breathe. With the exception of sunlight, the only way a tree absorbs nutrients to grow is through the root system.

We are called to be rooted by the stream of living water. Following Jesus so closely that we absorb the nutrients of his values, certainly. But perhaps more importantly his lifestyle. When our root system (our community, our prayer life, our worship, our intake of sound teaching) is healthy, we will not be able to help but to bear fruit - love for our enemy, acts of service, and the like.

With Love,

Jackson

Cleanse & Purify
Morgan Kennedy
Director of Music Ministries

Hi friends,

This may not come as a surprise to many, but I love to praise and worship our Father in song! I love to lift my voice unrestrained, raise and clap my hands like He’s the only one in the room, and dance before the Lord without a care in the world of what others think because God has been so good to me! So, when I tell you that I am excited about this Night of Worship and Prayer, I want you to know I’m really excited! God has been speaking to me about His desire for this night for several weeks now and for such a time as this. As I’ve planned for this night, I’ve had two words on repeat: cleanse and purify.

The definition of “cleanse” is to make thoroughly clean. The word thoroughly jumped out at me, so I researched it. Thoroughly means in a thorough manner, and thorough means complete with regards to every detail, not superficial or partial. King David expands on this meaning in Psalm 51 verse 2: “wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me of my sin.” He goes further in verse 7: “cleanse me and with hyssop and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” God desires us to be faithful to Him, but He also knows that we are all sinners just like King David. But how good is it to know that if we ask God to cleanse us and to wash us, then we will be whiter than snow? He will cleanse every detail to completion!

The definition of “purify” is to remove contaminants from. A contaminant is a polluting or poisonous substance that makes something impure. James 4:8 reads, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  We need to get our hearts right before the Lord. I think that’s where transformation comes in.

My prayer for this Night of Worship and Prayer is that we would be intentional about repenting before the Lord and asking Him to cleanse us. That we would be completely open and raw before Him in asking Him to search our hearts and shine light in the impure places. That He would wash those areas and make them whiter than snow. That we would encounter Jesus and be made like Him! If there’s an area of your life that needs breakthrough, I pray that you will come. If you’re in a season of spiritual drought in your life, I pray that you will come. If you just love the Lord so much and can’t get enough of His presence, I pray that you will come. God knows your need. He longs to be with you. He loves you and He is for you! I hope to see each of you excited and expectant to be in His presence this Wednesday night!

P.S. I’ve put together a playlist with our worship set if you’d like to familiarize yourself to the songs.  I pray that they will bless you!

Love you all so much,
Morgan

The Persecuted
April 2, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I know a pastor who sees himself as a prophet. He’s been “persecuted” in almost every church he’s pastored. He’s just too much of a prophet, or so he thinks. And it’s not just pastors who falsely claim persecution. I read about a difficult and contentious person who went to speak with her pastor saying, “Nobody in my office likes me, because I’m such and outspoken Christian.” In a moment of candor and honesty the pastor responded, “Not really. I suspect it’s because you’re so unpleasant a person.”
 
We must be careful that when we face opposition we don’t automatically place ourselves as the upright prophet experiencing persecution for being on God’s side. It may very well be we are on the wrong side. This beatitude says, “Happy are those who are persecuted because they are good,” and “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (Living Bible)

The blessings of the persecuted come not with any persecution, but when that persecution is because of righteousness, right living. You are blessed by God when you face ridicule for your Christian morals and values. You are blessed by God when you are dropped from social circles because of your Christian convictions. You are blessed by God when you are turned down for a promotion because of your honesty. Remember, these blessings and be thankful for the opportunity to enter into Jesus’ sufferings in a small way.

You are invited to attend our interactive Stations of the Cross services tonight at First Church at 7:00 in person and streaming online. This intense examination of the cross will bring you to tears as you fully prepare yourself to meet the resurrected Jesus.

Also, don’t forget about our two Easter Sunday worship services. Our online-only sunrise service will begin at 7:00 a.m. Our primary Sunday morning worship will begin at 10:45 and will be offered in-person and streaming online.  I look forward to greeting you this Sunday morning as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!!

The Persecuted
April 1, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In the early church it was expected that Christians would be persecuted, and they were. The first and second centuries were dangerous times to proclaim faith in Jesus Christ, but the early church never gave up. Trials, tribulations, and suffering were an expected part of living out the Christian faith.
 
What about now? We’ve already seen there is very little or no actual persecution of Christians in the United States. When there is no tension between the church and the world that means one of two things. First, it could mean the world has been completely converted to Christ, and we can celebrate. Or second, it could mean the church has completely watered down and compromised its message, and we better be concerned. So, when you are not facing persecution it may simply mean you are not being faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This seems out of line with what we are taught. We are taught that persecution of and opposition to Christianity is a bad thing, a sign of the demise of our culture, but looked at from this light we can see it is a blessed thing. Facing persecution and opposition for being a Christian is a cause of hope, not despair or cynicism.

Read these words of Jesus found in Matthew 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Those who endure to the end; those who remain steadfast in the faith; those who remain faithful even in the face of horrific persecution and suffering, will be gathered together when Jesus comes in His glory. They will indeed inherit the kingdom of God. May you be found steadfast and faithful even in the face of adversity and trials.

The Persecuted
March 31, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We can’t deny that a clearly anti-Christian voice and power is erupting in America. Certainly, for most of our country’s history Christians have benefited from a place of power, prestige, and privilege, but the tide has turned. Currently, it seems to be en vogue to discriminate against Christians, but not against other religious groups. But more so, there is a distinctly anti-faith bias in our country. People of any faith are ridiculed in the media, in entertainment, and in elitist circles.

This brings to my mind Paul’s words to young pastor Timothy, “The time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” (II Tim. 4:3-4)  And Paul is not just talking about those outside the church who will turn away from the Truth, but also those inside the church. With the rise of churches espousing a watered-down gospel and even teaching clear heresies, we are seeing more and more lured away to an “easy” gospel, one with little or no demands.  “Just believe and God will give you all your desires,” they teach.

But Jesus didn’t sugarcoat the demands of the gospel. He seemed to believe it wasn’t a matter of “if” persecution would occur, but “when” persecution would occur. And he blessed those persecuted Christians, saying theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

On Monday you were asked to think back to a time when you have faced ridicule, discrimination, or even outright persecution because of your commitment to living out your faith. Instead of being frustrated, embarrassed, or angry because of that persecution, take a few moments to thank God for the opportunity to suffer for your faith. Pray for those who persecuted you. If you are facing persecution today because of your commitment to living out the gospel pray for your persecutors. Ask God to use your commitment and courage to bring others to the faith.

The Persecuted
March 30, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

According to the Pew Research Centre, Christians face public persecution in 110 countries, the most persecution of any religion. Open Doors, a ministry to the persecuted Church, says that 340 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus. That’s 1-in-8 believers, worldwide. Likewise, in the 20th century alone close to 100 million people were martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ, according to World Mission Digest. The countries leading the way of persecution of Christians includes North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, and Eritrea.

Persecution of Christians seems to be so distant.  It is always "over there" and never “over here.” What message is there for those of us who have spent our lives worshipping in freedom?

Hebrews 13:3 may be one answer: “Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.” We are called to live in solidarity with those suffering for their faith. We are called to remember them and enter into their pain.

Pause, right now, to pray for those facing persecution for practicing their faith. Ask that God might give them courage to face violence, pain, and imprisonment. Ask that God might give you a heart for the persecuted Church.

The Persecuted
March 29, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, 
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, 
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


Whereas the topic of previous two beatitudes, purity and peace, are desirable, even among those outside the church, we come to a beatitude that is desired by no one. Persecution. It’s not what any of us want, especially those of us living in a country that is so comfortable and compatible with our faith. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the changing tide of our culture and it is becoming more and more difficult, culturally, to practice the Christian faith. But persecution in the United States for living out the Christian faith occurs very rarely. Certainly, we have recently read about some who are facing opposition because of their stances, formed by their faith, on social issues, but outright persecution is a rarity in our country. This talk of utter persecution is a bit foreign to us, but not so to Jesus’ first century followers. They knew persecution. They saw it and experienced it daily from their foreign Roman oppressors and the Jewish authorities. They saw it lived out in the thousands of crucifixions that occurred in the first century, in the multiple imprisonments they experienced, and the ostracization they faced.

As we begin to think about persecution, examine your own life and determine when you last faced even a bit of opposition because of your commitment to righteousness. Was it way back in high school when you refused to take part in parties? Was it in your career as you abstained from unethical behavior? Maybe it was in your family as you attempted to live out the Christian faith in the midst of an unbelieving family. If you can’t think of the last time you experienced even a bit of opposition because of your commitment to your faith it may be that you have failed to take a stand at times. Today, think about what are the essential aspects of your faith that you would not be willing to set aside, even if it meant facing opposition or even persecution. Commit yourself to holding fast to those aspects of your faith today.

The Peacemakers
March 26, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.


Throughout this week we have been examining the meaning of peace and the making of peace, but we little has been said about the methods or ways of making peace. Today, that is where we turn our attention.

The making of peace first begins in our own hearts by finding peace with God and with ourselves. Most of us realize we have conflicts within our own hearts – bitterness, resentment, anger, unforgiveness, fear – that easily break out upon the people closest to us. I say it often. When we continue to stuff our own emotions deep down into our souls those emotions are going to come out one way or another, and they often come out in unexpected and inappropriate ways and times. Dealing with these deep internal conflicts is essential in making peace. And dealing with them means confessing them to God, giving them to Him and asking Him to redeem them in your lives.
 
Recognizing that we possess such deep internal conflicts is not easy. How can you tell that you have such internal conflicts? One sign is to place blame on others. Listen to the words of one noted psychologist:  

One of the symptoms of a personal failure is the desire to change the social order, usually
in one’s immediate environment. The youngsters suffering from personal failure, often
want to change their families, not themselves.  The student who fails in her studies wants
to change her teachers or the grading system, not herself.  The employee who fails to get
the desired salary wants to improve his employer, not himself.

Now don’t get me wrong. We can’t postpone service to others or concern for our world until we have reached personal perfection, but we would be well served to first search our own souls before we seek to correct others.

The second part of becoming a peacemaker is that we will likely need to join some larger movement. Being a pastor I think the Church is the best option when it comes to peacemaking impacts on our community. Engaging in our missions ministries, financially supporting our missionaries deployed around the globe on three different continents, and engaging hands on with our ministries to the poor and disenfranchised in Oklahoma City are all vital peacemaking ministries at First Church.
 
And finally, being a peacemaker means daily practicing simple acts of kindness. Acts of kindness begin to break the chains of hate that imprison so many people. If we will see ourselves as peacemakers, wherever we go we will discover there are opportunities all around us. From a smile at a clerk to a friendly gesture in traffic to a letter to a senator. These are the acts of peacemaking that bring about peace in our world.

I pray you will join us in worship this Sunday at Oklahoma City First Church as we explore the great call of becoming peacemakers.

The Peacemakers
March 25, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

The Jewish Rabis held that the highest task which a [person] can perform is to establish
right relationships between [one person] and [another person]. That is what Jesus means
[in this beatitude]. There are people who are always storm centres of trouble and
bitterness and strife. Wherever they are, they are either involved in quarrels themselves or
the cause of quarrels between others. They are troublemakers. There are people like that
in almost every society . . . and such people are doing the devil’s own work. On the other
hand – thank God – there are people in whose presence bitterness cannot live, people who
bride the gulfs, and heal the breaches, and sweeten the bitternesses. Such people are
doing a godlike work, for it is the great purpose of God to bring peace between [humans]
and Himself, and between [one person] and [another person]. The [person] who divides
[people] is doing the devil’s work; the [person] who unites [people] is doing God’s work.
(Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, p. 105)

So how can we determine if we are a peacemaker or a troublemaker? Let me tell you, it’s difficult. Our natural inclination is to see our enemies as those who are the instigators, agitators, oppressors, and troublemakers and to see ourselves as the innocent victims of our enemy’s evil actions. We claim the higher moral ground of the victim. But for reconciliation to occur we must move past, to some degree, of instigator versus victim. Justice and reconciliation will never occur as long as we see our enemies as the instigators and us as the victims. And this is where the cross of Christ comes in the picture. Jesus was the innocent victim and we were, are, and will be the instigators of the violence that led to Jesus’ death. We are all the instigators, agitators, oppressors, and troublemakers. If Jesus, the victim of our sins, can forgive us for his death, how much more so should we forgive our enemies, instigators, and victims alike.

Where have you found yourself to be the instigator in a conflict? Where have you found yourself to be the victim in a conflict? Make peace today by offering reconciliation and forgiveness just as Jesus has offered it to you.

The Peacemakers
March 24, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

It should be carefully noted this beatitude does not say “Blessed are those who are at peace,” or “Blessed are the peaceful” or “Blessed are the peace-keepers,” or even “Blessed are the peace-lovers,” as if Jesus is saying blessedness means enjoying peace. No, this beatitude speaks of something far more heroic. “Blessed are the peace-makers.”

If a person loves peace in the wrong way that person may succeed in making trouble, not peace. We may, for example, allow a threatening or dangerous situation to develop, and our defense is that for peace’s sake we do not want to get involved. This may be loving peace or keeping peace or even being at peace, but instead it is piling up trouble for the future. Those who love peace are often those who will do anything to keep the peace, frequently refusing to face the situation and to take action that the situation demands. Read what William Barclay says about peace:

The peace the Bible calls blessed does not come from the evasion of issues; it comes from
facing them, dealing with them, and conquering them. What this beatitude demands is not
the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything
about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to
peace is through struggle. (The Gospel of Matthew, p. 104)

Think of a situation in which you are avoiding peace because it would take too much effort, cause too much conflict, or create too much trouble for you. What is God calling you to do in that situation? How can you actively make peace in that situation? Take the first step in making peace today. Be careful not to think that your way is the only way to peace. It just may be the other person’s perspective is God’s desire.

The Peacemakers
March 23, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

No doubt, to understand this beatitude we must begin with a fuller understanding of the word peace. Jesus would have grown up with a great word shalom. For the Jew this was a word of greeting and farewell. It was “hello” and “goodbye.” But the word entailed more than just a simple greeting or well-wishing.

When we think of peace, we have in mind the absence of war or strife. We see peace not as a quality in itself, but as freedom from a negative state. The Hebrew word, however, was a very positive word meaning “everything which makes for a person’s highest good.” Peace means not only freedom from all trouble, but enjoyment of all good. Peace is not just the silencing of the violence of warfare and strife, but a state of well-being and fullness. And this gets to the heart of some of our problems today. We bring an end to armed conflicts, but we leave a vacuum where perhaps greater conflicts can take root and grow. True peace is not a vacuum, but a fullness.
 
If by miracle we could bring an end to all international conflict we would still lack peace in our own lives. I heard a story about a soldier who wrote from a battlefield to a family member, “Please stop nagging me, so I can fight this war in peace!” If we are to have peace, it will start in our own lives and own relationships. If we don’t have peace there, we aren’t in a very good position to be working for peace in arenas outside our own lives. To quote a favorite hymn, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Almost all of the early church commentators on this beatitude took this beatitude in a purely spiritual sense and took it to mean: blessed is the person who makes peace in his own heart and soul. In every one of us there is an inner conflict between good and evil. We are a walking civil war, always tugged in two directions at once. But blessed is that person who has found inner-peace in which the inner-warfare is over and the whole heart is given over to God.

What areas of your heart and soul are you experiencing this civil war? Do you find yourself struggling today with consumerism, a quest for power, striving for control? Do you find yourself echoing Paul’s words:

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I
want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing . . . So I find this law at
work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight
in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I
am!

Right now, pray that God might make you wholehearted toward God. Ask that God would rescue from this war waging within you so that you might be fully devoted to God today.

The Peacemakers
March 22, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Yesterday when speaking of purity of heart, we saw that purity is what most of us want. Pure water, pure gold, pure medicines. Purity of heart is certainly something else though. We don’t really want purity of heart because it would mean giving up too much to have a pure heart. But peace is different. We all want peace. Even contestants of beauty pageants are hard pressed not to publicly admit their greatest desire is for “world peace.” We all want peace, especially on the world stage.

In watching the news over the past several months, we are all concerned about the growing crisis in Myanmar. We continue to be worried about the increasing tension between North Korea and the surrounding countries. We see the conflict in Central Africa and are disturbed at the rising loss of life. We are heartbroken as we see the ethnic and religious cleansing taking place in the Xinjiang region of China. As of March 22, 2021, there are 26 countries in Africa, 14 countries in Asia, and 4 countries in Europe and the Americas involved in wars. War has been a major part of the human experience since the beginning of humanity. Just in the 20th century there were over 240 million deaths due to 355 major wars. World peace is the desire of all humanity, but we have a long way to go to see our wishes fulfilled.

On Wednesday morning, December 2, 1942, a group of scientists completed an experiment on a converted squash court that would eventually turn the corner on the history of humanity. From their research would come the atomic bomb. One person in that group of scientists was Nobel Prize winning physicist Arthur Compton. When asked about the event later in his life Dr. Compton said he was keenly aware of God’s great gifts and he had a sense of gratitude to God, but he knew their discovery would put humanity on a certain path to the future. Dr. Compton then said, “Man must now go the way of Jesus or perish.”

How are you going the way of Jesus? Are you going the way of Jesus in your home, in your community, in your church, in your relationships? Are you helping to bring about world peace right here where you are? Today, commit to living in peace with those closest around you.

The Pure In Heart
March 19, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

A few months ago I had to upgrade my eyeglass prescription. It seems like just yesterday I bought my first pair of reading glasses. I had to purchase them after one morning not being able to find a splinter in my thumb. When I looked for the splinter I not only couldn’t find the splinter I also could barely see my thumb when it was held close to my face. After I got my first pair of reading glasses I was amazed at how much I had been missing. I started noticing more things. I noticed my bloodshot eyes. I noticed whiskers I had missed while shaving. It was amazing to finally see my face clearly for the first time in years (amazing, not necessarily pleasant.) I realized you see only what you are able to see. For example, when I look into the night sky, I simply see a bunch of twinkling lights, but a trained astronomer sees planets and galaxies and constellations. Or when I walk down a country road, I only see a tangle of weeds and wildflowers and grasses, but a trained botanist sees and recognizes each species, their uses, their lifecycles, their intricacies. We see only what we are able to see.
 
But likewise, as William Barclay put it, “there are people with filthy minds who can see in any situation material for a prurient snigger and a soiled jest. In every sphere of life we see what we are able to see.”

I think that’s what this beatitude teaches us. Only those with pure hearts are able to see God. We mock the gospel when we reduce the demands of the gospel to simply believing that Christ died for our sins, giving intellectual assent to that truth and accepting by faith the eternal securities it offers us. But the true demand of the gospel is a changed heart, a pure heart, an unadulterated heart, a heart washed clean, a heart free from chaff, a heart purged of discontent. And it’s only those with such a heart who are able to see God clearly for what He is - a loving parent who has sacrificed and died for our wretched souls.

So what do you see around you today? Do you see opportunities for “easy violence, casual sex, or constant distractions? Or do you see opportunities for ministry? Do you see prospects for the hidden areas of your heart or do you see prospects for bringing light into a dark world? Try to view those people and situations you experience today with the eyes of God. Try to see God in every situation and person you meet today. And make sure you join us this Sunday in worship at Oklahoma City First Church as we examine together what it means to be blessed with a pure heart so we can see God.

The Pure In Heart
March 18, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Jesus is concerned with our heart. That was what the religious rulers of his day just couldn’t grasp. They had spent all their time and effort on their actions. They had neglected their heart, their intentions and motivations.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the
cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean
the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.27 “Woe to you, teachers of
the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on
the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the
same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of
hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:25-28)

The aim of Jesus Christ is not to reform the manners of society, but to change the hearts of sinners like you and me. So, for example, Jesus would not be satisfied with a society in which there were no acts of adultery. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28)

The heart is what you are, in the secrecy of your thought and feeling, when nobody knows but God. And what you are on the inside matters to God as much as what you are outwardly. "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). From the heart are all the issues of life.

What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart . . . “18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
(Matthew 15:18–19)

So, the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. What we are in the deep, private recesses of our lives is what he cares about most. Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be broken. He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified.

My own conviction is that the fundamental problem in American society and culture is that we attempt to solve human problems while neglecting the centrality of God in the life of the soul.

As you did yesterday, spend more time examining the quiet recesses of your heart. What have you hidden from others, even those closest to you? What do you secretly yearn for? What hidden part of your heart needs cleaned and purified today? Let God into that hidden, dark, secret place. Allow Him to bring light into that dark area so God can begin the work of purifying that area of your heart.

The Pure In Heart
March 17, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

People in biblical days, like people now, tended to measure themselves by their fellow humans. The Pharisees especially loved to do this, to compare themselves with others thereby assessing themselves to be better than others and therefore acceptable to God. Typically, when people desire to judge their character, to test their ethics, to calculate their morals, and to build up their own pride and confidence, they measure themselves by others who are inferior to them.

You can always find someone with lower morals, ethics, and character than you. So, you feel better than someone below you. But the one below you feels better than the one below him. And it just keeps descending until finally the standard for morality, ethics, and character is the most vile and worthless person on earth. “At least I’m better than her,” we think. So, the standard we judge ourselves against is the worst person. But the fact is that God is the standard of our lives. “Be holy as I am holy,” God says.

Jesus answers the question of the people by saying that only the pure in heart will see God’s Kingdom. The people in Jesus’ day, as in our day, were trying to be outwardly pure. They were trying to be better than their neighbors. But Jesus said only the pure in heart will know God. Only the pure in heart will inherit eternal life, for they alone attain God’s standard of holiness and purity.

What exactly is a pure heart then? It is a heart that has been transformed, cleaned, sifted, and purged of all that is soiled and sinful.
 
How can you tell if you have a pure heart? In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus teaches: “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thorn-bushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.” You can tell what’s in your heart by how you live. A pure heart will produce a pure life.

So how pure is your heart? Are your actions pure, showing a pure heart? Or are your actions selfish, immoral, unloving, showing an impure heart? Today, instead of putting all your energies into fixing your actions take some time on working on your heart. Spend time in prayer, asking God to change your heart.

The Pure In Heart
March 16, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Yesterday we saw how many people misinterpret purity. Some Christians have equated purity with numerous rules and regulations dealing with the clothes you wear or the interaction with modern culture. Other Christians who reject that type of “puritanical” outlook have rejected the idea of purity altogether. So, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of a pure heart?
The Greek word for pure is katharos. This word was used in a number of ways in ancient times, but the basic meaning was “clean.” First, it was used to describe soiled clothing that had been washed. Second, it was used for grain that had been cleaned by winnowing and sifting and was free of chaff. Third, the Greeks used this word to describe an army that had been purged of all its discontented, cowardly, and ineffective soldiers.

When Jesus speaks of a pure heart, he speaks of a heart that has been purged and cleansed so that it is unadulterated and unspoiled. That’s the high calling of this beatitude and it puts us at odds with our culture from the outset. Most of us are unconscious of our culture’s impact on our lives. We are fed a constant diet of easy violence, casual sex, effortless classroom cheating, indifferent human relationships, and constant distractions. Purity of heart sounds so foreign to our ears and lives that we scoff at the notion of it.

But not Jesus. He holds it up as an object of blessing.

What around you right now is calling you to an impure life? The distractions around you right now, the computer you are looking at, the smart phone on which you are reading this, the surroundings you are experiencing at this moment? Maybe it’s a relationship you are worried about, maybe it’s pleasurable or maybe it’s miserable? Where is God calling for purity, cleanness, in your life today? Make a commitment to yield that area of your life to God so that God may wash you and make you clean.

The Pure In Heart
March 15, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

None of this beatitude makes sense to us modern readers. Purity. It’s a thing mostly scoffed at in today’s society. Condescending smiles or scorn are often the responses to purity nowadays. In generations before us purity may have been ignored, as it is today, but at least back then it was seen as a virtue. Not so today. Purity is seen as an irrelevant, hyper-religious activity used by religious radicals to control their followers. And to be sure, there is some truth to that. In some Christian circles keeping oneself pure and unstained from the world is of utmost importance. Not wearing the proper attire in public or wearing improper clothing or accessories is considered a sin above all others. The idea that we must keep ourselves unstained from the world is an old idea. This was the thought of the Pharisees. “Keep the rules,” they demanded. What they were really saying was “Remain pure.”

We chafe at the thought of Jesus promoting hyper-religiosity or the religion of the condescending Pharisees. So, we ignore purity. But Jesus brings purity to the forefront with this beatitude. He says those with a pure heart will see God.

When was the last time you saw God? Put another way, when was the last time you noticed God’s presence and work? It may just be that God is working all around you, but you haven’t noticed. It may be that your heart needs purified in order to notice God at work. Today, work on purity of heart and look for God’s handiwork around you at work, at home, and in your relationships.

The Merciful
March 12, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.

Mercy isn’t easy, as we saw yesterday, but this Beatitude is easy to agree with. We want to obtain mercy because we need it, and we want to extend mercy because doing so makes us feel good. But extending and receiving mercy isn’t easy. If it were, we would practice it more often. Mercy, though, is one of the most divine qualities that humans are allowed to practice. When we are merciful, we are imitating Jesus Christ. When we are merciful, we are blessed. When we are merciful, we will be shown mercy.

And the opportunities to practice mercy are all around us. Almost everywhere we look someone desperately needs mercy, someone wants mercy, someone longs for mercy, even though the cry may be inaudible or the need unseen.

For disciples of Jesus responding to those in need of mercy should be easy for us. After all, we’ve received mercy. We’ve received forgiveness when we deserved damnation. We’ve received love when we deserved animosity. We’ve received life when we deserved death. Mercy is at the very heart of our relationship with our Lord and mercy must be at the very heart of our relationship with others. So, the next time you see someone in need of mercy try to see them with the eyes of our Lord. Try to look upon them and treat them as our Lord has treated you, with mercy.

I hope to see each of you in worship this Sunday morning at OKC First Church as we explore how we can best extend and receive mercy.

The Merciful
March 11, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.

Mercy is messy. Extending or receiving mercy is often complex. To be sure, it seems clear cut that when someone is experiencing difficulties or pain in life that we should always extend mercy. Mercy involves our emotions. We can’t remain safely detached or unsympathetic when you feel mercy. Instead, you hurt with the other person. You feel their aches of their aging bodies, their fears become your fears, their warts become your disfigurements. But it’s not just enough to feel someone’s pain as true mercy requires action. True mercy requires that we act to ease the pain of those in need. Even simple things as a phone call or card or even tears can be acts of mercy. But other, more robust actions are often called for. Mercy requires that we act on behalf of others.

But as emotional and practical as mercy is, we can’t forget that mercy involves our intellect. Without it, we often create more problems than we solve. For example, in serving on a jury, if we are merciful to the defendant are we doing so at the expense of the injured party? If one of our students is doing poor work are we merciful when we let that student believe they are doing good work or are we setting that student up for a bigger failure down the line? When a child needs discipline is it merciful to withhold discipline or might it be more merciful to enforce discipline? You see, mercy must be intelligent if it truly has the other person’s welfare in mind. Mercy is never easy and it is rarely simple.

When have you experienced extending or receiving mercy to be a complex issue? What has been your biggest struggle in determining if extending mercy was the most merciful thing you could do? At work? In your family? At church? Caring for the poor and needy? It may just be that we need to allow God to be our guide in how to best extend mercy and what actions are the most merciful. Spend a few minutes in prayer asking God to guide in you those areas in which you find mercy to be complex.

The Merciful
March 10, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.

I’ve pointed out that these Beatitudes don’t seem to make sense, but that might not necessarily be true when it comes to this Beatitude. This Beatitude seems to ring more true to our world than the rest. It generally works out that those who show and extend mercy also receive mercy. At least in a microenvironment, like a church or a small community. But not so in a macroenvironment like social media or the culture at large. I recently made the mistake of reading the comments and replies to social media posts of our state’s politicians. I was shocked at the vitriolic responses to our mayor, governor, and congressman. In fact, it made my stomach turn when I read the threats of violence, vulgar obscenities, and hatred aimed at these leaders. But let’s be honest, the reason social media has become so toxic is because our culture has become so toxic. It’s not just on social media where we are attacking one another.

A friend of mine can’t say the name of one of our state’s leaders without it being followed by a curse word. We criticize our leaders, our favorite team’s athletes, our favorite team’s coaches, our community’s leaders and teachers, the parents of our children, and the list could go on and on. It seems to me that it’s not just the unmerciful who aren’t experiencing mercy, none of us are experiencing or extending mercy.

Where are you currently seeing mercy extended? Are those who are merciful experiencing mercy? Where is mercy not being extended in your life? To whom do you need to extend mercy today?

The Merciful
March 9, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.

I’ve said earlier that these Beatitudes seem to be arranged in some sort of order. This is certainly the case with this Beatitude. Mercy follows righteousness in the Beatitudes, as it certainly should. Righteousness and mercy belong together because righteousness without mercy slides dangerously into revenge and mercy without righteousness tumbles into denial and enabling.

Jesus tells a couple of parables that could well be seen as illustrations of this Beatitude. The parable of the vineyard owner is one of them. A vineyard owner goes out at the beginning of the day and hires workers. He agrees to pay them the normal wage for a day’s work. He goes out again about midmorning and hires more workers, agreeing to pay them, “whatever is right.” He repeats this process throughout the day until an hour before the end of the workday. When it is time to pay his workers, the vineyard owner lines up the workers, starting with those who began working last, and pays them for a full day’s work. When the workers who had worked an entire day see that those who had come later got paid for a full day, they expect to receive more; after all, they had done the most work. But when their turn comes, they too receive exactly what the vineyard owner promised, a full day’s wages. Not surprisingly, these workers are angry. They should be paid more! They bore the heat of the day, worked the longest; how can it be that those who worked only an hour or so received the same reward? Here is the vineyard owner’s response to these complaints: “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I gave to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Mt. 20:13-15)

Mercy is well and good, unless we think others have received more of it than we have. Even in our relationship with God. Sometimes we can experience an underlying sense of resentment toward God because we feel God has been unfair in giving out rewards. We, too, have toiled in the heat of the day. We, too, have labored long and hard. We deserve more. But this parable tells us we are wrong. God’s righteousness is not about getting what we deserve.  It is not about working longer or receiving more. No, God’s righteousness is about mercy, rooted in true love of God and other people, genuinely wanting God’s will done, and placing ourselves at God’s disposal to make it happen.

Have you experienced a time when you have seen others receive more mercy than you received? A coworker received a raise while you didn’t. A classmate received a higher grade on a paper. A fried received an invitation to a party from a mutual friend while you were left out. How about those times when you extended mercy to some, but not to others? Mercy, when not extended equally, confronts our egos, and arouses jealousy and selfishness. Spend a few moments and take to the Lord those times when you have seen and experienced mercy not extended equally by others and by you.

The Merciful
March 8, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

7 Blessed are the merciful,
 for they will be shown mercy.

Surely Jesus meant to say “blessed are the sleek” instead of blessed are the meek or “blessed are those who raise corn” rather than blessed are those who mourn or even “blessed are the cheesemakers” instead of blessed are the peacemakers, as Monty Python suggested. The beatitudes of Jesus’ just don’t make sense. I mean, I’ve never heard anyone saying we need to start posting the beatitudes like we want to post the 10 Commandments. Can you imagine posting “blessed are the merciful” on the wall of a courthouse or “blessed are the peacemakers” in the Pentagon?

These beatitudes don’t make sense in our world, but it’s not our world about which Jesus is talking. Jesus is speaking about the Kingdom of God. These are the types of people who are blessed where and when God rules and reigns.  
 
The Kingdom of God, where God rules and reigns, is here and now, but more fully in the future. In the future, when God is able to fully reign and rule after the last judgment in heaven, the Kingdom of God will be fully realized. But until then we get glimpses of the Kingdom of God here and now when the mourning are comforted, the meek inherit the earth, the peacemakers are called children of God. When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” we are praying that the Kingdom would come here to our world, here and now. So, we help bring the Kingdom of God here to earth when we help fill the hungry and thirsty for righteous, when we assist the pure in heart to see God, when we aid the poor in spirit to find their way to heaven through salvation in Jesus Christ. We are coworkers with our Lord in bringing the Kingdom of God to earth.

What part have you played in bringing the Kingdom of God to earth? How have you sometimes hindered the Kingdom from coming? Look for ways today that you might be a coworker with the Lord in bringing forth the Kingdom of God here on earth.

Those Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteousness
March 5, 2021
By Pastor Lesly Broadbent

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

The great 20th century preacher Dr. Ralph Sockman once said, “We must have more than enough to live on.  We have must have enough to live for.”  Righteousness is what we are to live for.  Life must be about more than filling our stomachs with food and drink or filling our social media feeds with likes and retweets.  Life must be about more than simply winning the battle with a bad temper or refraining from satisfying our unquenchable sexual appetites.

Righteousness is the high calling of Christ-followers.  But notice, Jesus does not bless those who are righteous or who become righteous.  Had he done that few of us would experience blessedness.  Jesus, instead, blessed those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
 
The grand depositum of Methodism, according to John Wesley, was our doctrine of sanctification.  Put another way, the primary gift and great message that Methodism has offered to the Christian world is our understanding of holiness and righteousness.  We Methodists are optimistic about God’s salvation, we believe God can save us to the uttermost.  We believe God not only saves us from the consequences of sin, we believe God saves us from the power of sin as well.  Holiness, righteousness, is God’s desire for our lives.  So we aren’t satisfied simply with a desire or a quest for righteousness, we want to truly be made righteous.

Righteousness begins with a hunger and thirst for righteousness, then comes confession of sin. Then comes an openness to the move and work of the Holy Spirit.  Then comes the melting away and cutting off of sin in our lives.  Then comes the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts.  This is the righteousness we believe God desires of us.
 
Do you want that righteousness today?  What sin do you love more than you love righteousness or even the Lord Himself?  Remember that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Nothing should take the place of God as the center in our lives.  Start right now with confession.  Take a few minutes to confess that sin that rivals God for the affections of your heart.  Then sit back and be open to the power of the Holy Spirit to melt away or to cut off that sin from your life.  Finally, open yourself to the possibility that God desires to free you completely from the power of that sin and to truly make you righteous.

I hope you will join us in worship this Sunday at 10:45 in person or online at Oklahoma City First United Methodist Church as we examine how we can best develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness.