I read this great article today over on Frank Viola’s blog entitled “He Takes Away So He Might Establish.”

It’s powerful reading talk about how God always brings the darkness before light, the first before the second, and that the Second is Always Better!  We see this all over scripture, how God brings the night, the darkness, and the pain before He brings the light and His glory.   It’s seen in the story of Job, David, and Christ himself.   God gave us and removed the OT covenant so He could provide a new covenant, Jesus, that is so much greater.   Praise Him!

In Genesis 1, God brought the darkness before the light, the evening before the morning.   May we praise Him that when our day is ending, His day is beginning!  “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5)

I found out today that a friend who has been battling cancer for quite awhile is in the hospital one final time.   She has fought hard and long, but the doctors have nothing else they can.   Pray for Aaron, her husband, and their children during this time.   Reading this article reminds me that He must take away so that He might establish something better… I know He is doing that for Janet!

Thankful for having a God that is wiser than I….

So, you know those calls you receive that you hope never end.    The ones that are so refreshing, encouraging, and thought-provoking.  Yeah, that is how I would describe my call from Bethany six-weeks ago.   I am still thinking about what I learned from that call seeming everyday.

Now Bethany is not who you think.  Bethany is not an old girl-friend, or an old crush.  Bethany is a little town, two miles from Jerusalem, and about six weeks ago I was give a small book on her, and the significance she had in the life & ministry of Jesus Christ.   Bethany in a short summary is great model for what house church looks like, which is how Apex chooses to do ministry.

The book was written by Frank Viola, and is available here as a free download from his website.   I have also enjoyed reading his blog as some follow-up!

There are four clear verses in which Bethany's importance is displayed. 

The one which was most familiar is from the Book of Luke, 10:38-42.   The passage is Mary & Martha, where Mary chooses to sit at the feet of Jesus, and Martha spends her time hosting the King of Kings.  At the end of the passage Martha complains that Mary didn't help, but Jesus supports Mary's decision to sit at His feet.

But there's some other passages within the Gospel that I felt were significant to the story of Bethany too:

• John 11:1-44 : Lazarus' Death & Resurrection took place in Bethany
• John 12:1-8 : Jesus' would teach in the temple all day, and then go to Bethany each night for rest, encouragement, and fellowship during his last 6 days before being crucified.
• Luke 24:50-53 : Jesus went out to Bethany before ascending into heaven.

There's a lot packed into these four verses, which I would love to share, but I summarized some key points from the article, as well as some challenging thoughts for me and house churches!

1. Jesus is the center & supreme - when he came to Bethany they treated him like a king deserved to be treated.
2. We are to FEAST on His Word, and then RISE and SERVE.
3. Jesus came to Bethany because He loves us, and is our friend --- and we believe that!
4. In Bethany, Jesus gives us the command to set others free from those things binding them.

Challenges to Me:

• We must learn how to see God at work in our lives, and how to share it.
• Content-Time in house church is centered on real-life situations, led by our centeredness on Jesus.
• If we all study for content, it will allow Christ a better chance to lead.
• We must sit at Jesus' feet.  When things aren't go our way, it usually a sign Jesus is speaking to us about our issues, not someone else's.

My hope is that I will continue to learn, practice, and live in a way that mimics Bethany, both at house church, and at home.   The people in Bethany were so important to Jesus, that He spent His last six days on earth with them, my prayer is that we all are people Jesus' would spend the last six days with.