I bet that every time the disciples heard Jesus repeat something familiar to them and then follow it up with the words “but I say to you that…” Their mouths must have hung open with an incredulous expression of  “you’ve got to be kidding!” But Jesus was not kidding! He was demanding that we live by the highest calling … a calling that comes directly from the Father … a calling that demands righteous living from the heart.

And what we heard this week from Pastor John was the calling of the Father to live from a place of desperate dependence so that our attitudes toward others reflect a deep confidence in God at work in our lives … a work that frees each of us to serve the other in love by the power of the Spirit.

We must consider Jesus, Jubilee! And we must draw courage from him … confessing our sins of anger and asking to be set free from fleshly desires so that we might walk in the power of the Spirit.

Learning to rejoice in Christ with you … in the impossible,
Dan

I am traveling for work in England for a few weeks.  I was wondering where to go to church on Sunday.  I had heard of a church with our namesake “Jubilee Church London“ so I thought I would head down and check it out.  It was a such blessing to worship with them!

After the service I was welcomed as a newcomer and was able to talk with one of the pastors, David Pask.  He mentioned among other things that John Piper has spoken here a few times as he passed through.  He was very interested as I began to explain the vision of our budding Jubilee.

I mentioned how our church was blessed to start with a number of established ministries, (Hope Academy, Say Yes, Jericho Road etc) and was full of passion for new ministries and ways of shining a light on and spreading the gospel.  Then I told him of my passion for the Fatherless and our ministry, Jubilee for the Fatherless.  He mentioned that they had been thinking of how to bring a focus to that area.  In fact, the UK is changing some of their adoption laws to make the process easier and more attractive for prospective parents.  Part of this revolved around the policy historically that you could not adopt interracially.  This has led to many children languishing in the system without a forever family.  They are planning to open up these restrictions and thus hope to enable more adoptions.  He was very encouraged to check out Jubilee for the Fatherless on the website and learn more about our ministry.

Who knows how God will use this little interaction.  What will happen if David catches the vision and brings a tangible message of God’s heart for the orphan to Jubilee London, first recognizing that we were all pursued by Him as orphans and then how we can respond and extend that same love and care to orphans and the least of these?  Jubilee London is part of Newfrontiers family of churches.  There are currently 700 Newfrontiers churches in over 60 nations.

Pray that God will use this little spark for His glory and that many children would find themselves pursued in the coming years like they never dreamed would happen.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” – John 14:18

- Charlie Evertz

Did you awaken with the thought running through your head that Jesus is praying … Jesus is praying for me … for me and my household … for my church?  Did you give that truth a chance to simmer a bit as you pulled yourself from bed?  Did you get a mental picture of Armond’s father working hour after hour … pulling rubble away from the building … unwilling to quit because of a promise to ‘be there for him?’  Nothing can separate us from his love.

Jubilee, Russ reminded us on Sunday from John 17 that Jesus is praying for us so that we might be kept from evil … asking that we might have eyes of faith that glory in what is true even in the midst of hard circumstances.  Jesus is praying for us that we might continue in the path of holiness … we are being changed more and more into the likeness of Jesus himself.  Jesus is praying for us so that we might fight hard in this life and then go and spend all eternity with him in his glory.

Glory in Christ Jesus right now … delight in the truth that he is for you … working … asking his Father for our good.  Turn away from the confidence you might put in your flesh or some earthly idol … listen instead to the one who is praying for you … and join with him in prayer for our Jubilee family.

Happy to have an advocate with the Father,
Dan

This past Sunday we were reminded that God is the giver of life. God also is the One who resources our lives (gives us everything over which we exercise a measure of control), and He has given us both life and resources so that we might in turn ‘resource’ or pour into the lives of others, thereby imitating Him.  Life is given to us with the purpose of giving that life away … as Jesus said: I did not come to be served but to serve and to give my life!

We recognized that we are like Diotrephes in our flesh.  The only way we will gain a testimony like Gaius is by the power of God working to free us from the greedy patterns of this world … to live with our hands open and not clutched around resources like Gollum … calling them precious!  And so we called one another to prayer … submitting to God’s authority … asking Him to work in this manner at Jubilee … in our families … to the end that we might joyfully serve those placed within our sphere of influence.

With delight and confidence in our God, I joined in prayer with my family this morning.  And then here at the office, I joined with you in prayer as you have scattered throughout Minneapolis/St. Paul and around the world … that God might so work in us that the testimony of our life as a church will be … they give themselves to faithful investment in the lives of others.

May God be gracious to us,
Dan

The worship and teaching on Sunday reminded us that we are all a part of something much bigger than ourselves.  We are called into a ‘priesthood of believers’ in which each of us uses the gifts and resources given to us to build up and push one another onward in the journey of life.  And we saw that some will fill specific roles in this priesthood  as elders and deacons, but all serve together for the joy and progress in the faith of the whole.

Remember, as you serve one another, that we are all broken and needy priests who need to hear gospel filled words from one another.  We are not here to fix one another but to point one another to the One who can fix.  We have hope to share with others because of God’s work in us, not because we are somehow ‘good.’  Let’s not misdiagnose problems around us but learn with others and work to the end that dignity and hope in Christ flow from all our efforts as a priesthood that seeks to point others to Christ.

I have on my desk a wooden sign that says, Daniel Keita.  Ke-i-ta was the family name given to my family in West Africa.  It means ‘grab the inheritance.’  At Jubilee we must do the same.  We must seize the inheritance given to us—an inheritance of being priests to our God … a role that is filled with much responsibility and delight!

Ke-i-ta, Jubilee,
Dan

Morning and Evening - June 28th
“Looking unto Jesus.”
Hebrews 12:2

It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.”

Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith.

We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to him; when thou liest down at night look to him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail thee.

“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.”

The Lord regularly uses the prayer meeting before church to encourage and bless my heart. I view that time as a treasure, a treasure that multiplies the more people partake in it. I can relate to the lepers in Samaria, who found the unattended treasures of the Syrian army. They decided it would be sinful to not tell a starving city about an abundance of food.

So I want to share the blessing of praying as body with you. Here are some reasons I’ve found prayer meeting to be a treasure:

• It is a precious opportunity to come before the very throne of God as a body
• Hearing other saints cry to the Lord in faith is fuel for my own faith in the working of God
• During prayer I get to hear and know the hearts of my brothers and sisters
• Praying before the service brings me to worship with humility and dependance upon God
• Prayer bring clarity to the body’s mission to be light and salt in the world
• Wrestling with the promises of God in prayer leads my heart toward joyfully singing his praises.

But prayer isn’t merely a spiritual bonus. It’s a necessary action for the body of Christ. Jubilee depends just as much on the prayers of its people as it does on the words of its pastor. Successful praying is just as vital as successful programs. There is no fruit without prayer. Indeed, we claim the power of all God’s promises for us—for our city—only when we ask, by prayer.

Will you join us in prayer at Jubilee? Grab a few family members, and ask God to pour out his Spirit among us. Or come to a prayer meeting. We currently meet on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:15 PM, and Sundays from 9 to 9:30 AM. Both prayer times meet in the library.

Are you thinking about oranges this week, or are you thinking about an orchard?  In one sense, both are great visuals for you to take with you as you contemplate the working of God in and through the life of the body—bearing juicy fruit (not the chewing-gum) that has the taste of God in it!

Individually, we are all called to be a part of this great orchard. What a privilege.  And we are all called to grow into mature, oaks of righteousness, definitely a planting of the Lord!  And guess what … every one of those oak trees is different from the others and grows with a unique pattern that was given way back in the seed, a God-given pattern.

That particular ‘you’ that God placed in the seed and is now growing in concentric circles will bear the fruit of proclaiming good news in a particular way that God has ordained so that others will enjoy the truth of God through you and give thanks to him because of his work in you!

Rejoice, Jubilee!  Learn to wait on the Lord!  Use up the resources given to you for the benefit of others!  Embrace the Lord’s pruning hook … knowing that in his wisdom, the result will be more fruit that glorifies his work!

Thankful to be a tree in his orchard with you,
Dan

Are you trusting your Father today? Are you walking with him today, knowing that he will lead you to safety and peace? When you are afraid, do you run to his arms?

Several weeks ago Dan walked us through Psalm 56, and encouraged us to trust the Lord. David had a hard life, surrounded with trouble, but he was confident in his Lord’s deliverance. Listen to Dan’s sermon, and look once more at the faithfulness of God. When we know for sure that God is trustworthy, we too will be equipped to face suffering.

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Certainty in Walking with the Father

It was great to welcome some more folks into the family of membership here at Jubilee this past Sunday.  Six more who are pledging to shine like the sun in their spheres of influence as God pours into them, and he does that most often through the encouragement and help of the rest of us.  The blessing in being a part of the body of Christ is tremendous.  I want to encourage each of you to renew with your families a determination to fulfill the role Christ has given you as members of his body!

One way we do this is by helping one another see the baskets under which we can hide the light of Christ. Often we do this without even realizing it.  Hardness of heart creeps in easily, and we find ourselves buying into a worldliness that reflects cultural norms.

Pastor John called us to watch out for the basket of racism, the basket of love and desire for the world, the basket of media noise filling our heads and hearts, and the basket of busy hearts and lives.  He called us back to the pedestals of seeing all people as coming from one Father, pursing love for God in all we do, finding quiet and meditative times to enlarge our capacity for God, and pursuing a heart at peace … content to enjoy living in a Father’s abiding love.

To be light is to love, and to love is to seek the best for the other, and the best is found in Christ … so speak and proclaim the good news of Christ at home and at work and at church. We all need to hear the gospel daily!

By grace, shining!
Dan

Last Sunday we talked about how a false understanding of “race” can be a basket over our light. Here are four resources that pastor John recommends to help us think through this issue:

1 . An excellent message from Pastor Thabiti Anyibwile on Ethnicity and the Mission of God

2. A helpful message on the theme of Only One Race from Answers in Genesis

Only One Race

3. PBS documentary on The Story of the Freedom Riders

4. Powerful documentary – Race: The Power of Illusion