Are you willing?

Whom does the Lord call?  What is he looking for?

To me, one of the most encouraging things about how God calls people, is the fact that he does not use the same criteria the world does.  In fact, he appears to delight in using the most unlikely people to do his will here on earth. 

To begin our journey, let's take a look at the life of David.

Setting the stage, Saul was basically a disobedient king, doing things more his way than God's way.  And God rejected him.  The Lord then sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse, telling him that one of his sons would be the one who would be anointed the next king. 

Jesse's older sons, good-looking and tall, were shown to Samuel, and Samuel himself was impressed by their stature, 

"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. 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 Sam 16:7 (NIV)

I love that.  God doesn't look at our appearance, he does not view things the way the world does.  He looks at our heart. 

It pleased him to take David, the youngest, from tending sheep to be used, not only then, but also today as we read his songs whenever we read the book of Psalms.

David was chosen because God saw something in him that his family couldn't see.  

What do you see when you look in the mirror?  What do you see when you look at what you have to bring to God?  We cannot control our past poor choices and where they have led us.  Nor can we bring to God our list of accomplishments as proof that he can use us. 

First we simply must have a willing heart.  That is where the journey of the chosen begins.  We must be willing to be used by God as he sees fit, to accomplish not our own will, but his.  We must say, "yes" to God.

If you have that desire, you can be used by God and you will find your destiny in him.

Paul tells us, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him." 1 Cor 1:26-29 (NIV)

Today, take some time to examine that simple question, "Am I willing?"  The journey will require much of us, as we will see in the lives of those who came before us.  This will be a life about God, not about us.  There are many who have walked away or fallen away on this narrow path. 

But to find our destiny we must follow God, and it starts with the answer to that one question.

Are you willing?

Your destiny

Do you have a destiny?

A popular theme in books and movies, from King Arthur and Cinderella all the way to Harry Potter and beyond, is one of destiny.  Someone is born in humble circumstances yet is destined for greatness.

These stories stir something inside us don't they?  We go about our ordinary tasks from day to day, then we read a novel or watch a movie and we are transported into an adventure.  If we are honest,  something deep inside us wishes their  story was our story. 

Maybe it is?

Maybe deeper than the sword in the stone and the glass slippers, lies a truth waiting to be heard.  Perhaps we were born for a very special reason, to accomplish something only we are called to do?

Paul writes in Ephesians, 

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love  he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—  to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Eph 1:3-6

And also

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10

What does the life of a chosen one look like?  How do we find these good works we are predestined to do?  Can this destiny be hidden?  Does our story have a villain?  Who are our companions along the way?  What do the highs and lows look like? 

For the next few weeks I'm going to explore this theme in the Bible.  Let's journey together into the lives of those who came before us and see how God calls them, how he prepares them, and ultimately how he uses them to do these good works he speaks of. 

Let's see how men and women of God found their destiny and perhaps we can identify how God is working in our own lives to show us our own.

Super moon

Last night there was a "super moon" lunar  eclipse.

According to the news:

The United States and much of the world will see skies graced by a bright, big moon that will be encapsulated in a total lunar eclipse late Sunday evening into early Monday, according to NASA.

The super moon, which comes around once every year, will appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter that evening before it is engulfed by an eclipse for more than an hour.

Another super moon eclipse will not occur again until 2033.

It was an amazing and rare sight.

Or so I hear.

Unfortunately, where I live, clouds covered the sky and hid the moon from my view.   This morning people were posting photos and videos of it on Facebook, but when I looked into the sky last night, I saw only darkness. 

Life can feel like that.  Others are experiencing the brilliance of the Lord, testifying about answered prayer, and praising God.  Yet when we cry out to him, he appears silent and we cannot see him.

The clouds covered my view of that spectacular moon, does that mean it wasn't there?

My trials can cover the beauty and majesty of the Lord, does that mean he is not worthy of my praise?

Why is it that we need to go through times like these?

I'll end with the words of Peter.  If you are struggling, take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to allow this truth to sink deep with in you.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

 "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

 "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)

What do you do when you have no ideas?

I have been away from home, for almost a week for work.  My flight leaves early in the AM, and my brain is completely fried.

So rather than trying to put together some of my jumbled thoughts, I will share with you one of my favorite Psalms, one that has always been a source of encouragement to me.  The Bible is always a good source of wisdom.

Psalm 91 (NIV)

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you

    from the fowler's snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,

    but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes

    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, "The Lord is my refuge,"

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble,

    I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation."

A new song to the Lord

Psalm 98:1 says, "Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds!" (NLT)

 

The weekend is almost here, what should our new song be?

Can you see any wonderful deeds the Lord has done this week?

So many times it's easy to miss them.  One bad thing can happen that causes us not to see the good things around us.  Good things that he caused to occur.  For example we can go through a tragedy and be so focused on the loss, we don't see the love of friends and family surrounding us.  This is something the Lord has given us.

But David knew ups and downs, highs and lows.  Yet he encourages us here in one line, to remember that God does wonderful things, and it is right to sing a new song to him.

 

Some may not have a "wonderful" singing voice, but that doesn't matter.  I'm not even sure it matters to sing.  I think sometimes it is just important to take a moment and vocalize our thanks to the Lord for all he has done.

So let's take a moment, invite the Lord to open our eyes that we may see the wonderful things he has done this past week. 

Remember that first experience

The first time I flew in an airplane I just had to have the window seat. 

I remember as that plane took off, my eyes were glued to the window.  I watched as the scenery rushed by and then, finally we were hoisted into the air!  Everything became smaller until we were high above the clouds.  I was amazed to be that high! I was in the sky, seeing clouds as I had never seen them before.  It was beautiful.

30 years later, after countless flights,  I took the aisle seat.  It's more comfortable,  I can stretch my legs out if needed and I don't have to fight my way across anyone to get to the bathroom.  Hey, when you're fifty you think about these things!

I was almost at our destination before realizing I barely gave the window a second glance.

The beauty of the sky and scenery did not change.  What changed  was me.  I had grown so accustomed to the beauty and the experience of flying that I had grown cold to it.

Reading Revelation today,

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. " Rev 2:2-5 (NIV)

This is a warning to us all.  We can become so occupied with doing things for God, that we forget to simply love God.

Like my experience of flying, we can forget to simply take a moment, look out that window and see the beauty all around us.

Keith Green had a song that says it best, take a moment today and make this a prayer.

Oh Lord You're beautiful

Your face is all I seek

And when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord please light the fire

That once burned bright and clear

Replace the lamp of my first love

That burns with Holy fear

Belief or Faith

I recently flew on an airplane.  I climbed on board with several other passengers and found my seat.

I only half listened to the pilot (whose face I do not remember seeing) announce some details of the flight.  Then I never gave him a second thought as we went barreling down the runway into the sky.

As I sat there I thought.  What is the difference between belief and faith?   I heard it explained this way once, belief is when you say "that chair will hold me" and faith is when you sit down on it.

I not only believed in a man whose name I did not know, but I put my life into his hands when I got on that plane.  I trusted a man blindly.

Do we do that with the Lord?  The Lord who doesn't always show us what he is doing and why?  Yet his  name is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11).  Can we put our lives into his hands as easily as I put my life into the hands of an unknown man?

Can we agree with Solomon who said,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Let's make this our prayer today, 

I trust in you Lord with all my heart

    and lean not on my own understanding;

in all my ways I submit to you,

    and you will make my paths straight!

The way, the truth and the life

I woke this morning with this verse firmly planted in my thoughts. 

Jesus said, " "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6

Think about that for a moment.  Jesus does not lead the way, he is the way.

Jesus does not teach the truth, he is the truth.

Jesus does not point to life, he is the life.

Today people are searching for answers to the meaning of life.  Jesus points to himself as the answer to that question.  To have Jesus Christ in our lives means we understand a fundamental truth that the world does not grasp.

We know why we are here.  And our job, our task is to shine that light so that other may see Jesus.  The testimony of our lives needs to point to Jesus Christ so that others may find him through us.

Jesus told us,

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matt 5:14-16

May the light of Jesus Christ shine through us today.  May we be mindful of any actions on our part that blocks that light.  May we accomplish our mission on this earth to lead everyone to the way, the truth and the life who is Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Living life fully

There is a difference between going somewhere by car or by motorcycle.

It is roughly 20 miles from our house to church.    With the weather finally breaking and becoming a little cooler my wife and I took the long way this past Sunday, adding about ten miles just to lengthen the ride.

We took a different route home, adding about the same amount of miles to the return trip.

When I travel by car, I simply want to get there.  I take the quickest way and arrive at the destination as efficiently as possible. 

But when I ride, the journey itself matters, not just the destination.  I smell the trees, feel the wind, notice details easily missed when driving in a car.  As I lean with the bike into a twist, I am in that moment in a way I can not experience in a car.

I thought about this on the way home yesterday.  Life can be like driving in a car.  Constantly looking to arrive somewhere, in a hurry, checking the time.  How many of us focused so much on this past weekend finally getting here that we stopped living along the way?

How much of our time is spent not focused on the journey, but only the destination? 

How do we live  in the moments we have?  

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  John 10:10 

Life is full of many moments that are easily missed when we are in a hurry to get things done.  The sound of a loved one's voice or laughter, the aroma of a favorite meal and yes, the wind in our face as we head on down the road.

The weekend is gone, Monday is here.  Will we experience every day between this one and Friday?  Will we find the hidden treasures along the way?

Weekend Agenda

What is the Lord up to today?

It's the weekend.  And for most of us, we have a couple of days off. 

How will we spend this time?  Doing some yard work, running some errands, going to church on Sunday?  Perhaps getting a ride in, spending time with family?

That's our agenda.  We make a list, we get moving. 

What if today we spent a few moments asking the Lord what he is up to?  Are we open to changing our agenda to join him?

Let's try that, If you are willing, join me in this simple prayer.

"Lord, open my eyes to see your work in the lives of those I come into contact with today.  Help me see your activity around me, invite me to join in with what you are doing.  I'm willing to change my agenda, today, to join you."

Jesus lived his life on the earth this way, should we do any less?

"Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does." John 5:19-20 (NIV)

Hearers vs Doers

I once knew a  man who used to brag about his Harley.  It was a very beautiful bike, and when I would visit him, I would see it there, parked in his garage. 

When I started riding he confessed something to me.  He told me that he never rode it. 

Never.

It seems he got on it one time and it scared him.  After that, this beautiful bike sat in his garage under a tarp.  Years later I heard he sold it.

Unseen, unused for over ten years.  Do you think that bike lost any of its value?
Those of us who ride can't imagine the thought of this!

Now here is the question,  is this man a biker?  Is he a motorcyclist?

No, he is not.  It is not enough to have the bike, it's not enough to be proud enough about owning it to brag to others.  You have to throw a leg over it and ride.  That is what a motorcycle is meant for.  That is its purpose. 

Reading James today, 

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."  James 1:22-25 (NIV)

Like that motorcycle, it's not enough for us to say we are  Christians and own a Bible.  We must practice our faith, we must be doers of the word.

Being doers of the word, not just hearers brings true freedom!  That is how we find our purpose in life, that is how we live a life wide awake, and fully alive.

Love...

"For God so loved..."

We know those words, they are such familiar words.  John 3:16.  But let's stop for a moment and think about them.  Do we really grasp the impact of that?

God loves us.

God so loved you. 

What does that mean to us? 

Not all of us have been shown the kind of love Jesus is talking about throughout our lives.  Many of us haven't.  Life experiences can change our view of love, distort it, or even cause us to no longer believe in it. 

Or perhaps we've done so many things in our lifetime we feel we do not deserve the love of anyone, let alone the love of the living God.

We don't deserve God's love and we can't earn it, that's the point.  But it is there none the less, for those who would accept it.

God's love motivated him to put a plan into action that pays for our sin and puts us back into a relationship with him.  And it is the foundation of that love that we build off of. 

We need eyes to see it and a mind to understand it.  As Paul prayed, let us pray together for one another today.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Eph 3:16-19 (NIV)

Beautiful Feet?

Do you want to have beautiful feet?

Reading from Isaiah chapter 6:1-4 (NIV) today.

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.  Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With ? wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;

    the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke."

Imagine that for a moment.  You have this amazing vision of God, how do you respond?  You know yourself, and now you see God.  How do you feel standing in the presence of holiness?

The definition of repentance is when we see our sin the same way God does. 

Isaiah sees this powerful vision and hears the shouts proclaiming how holy God is.  He does not join in those shouts, he does not say, "Amen!"  He examines himself and his people in the light of this and is cut to the heart.

 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."  vv5

But then something amazing happens next, let's read on.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." vv6-7

When all hope is lost for Isaiah, suddenly his sin is taken away.  Does this sound familiar?  Haven't we all been there?  Isn't this exactly what Jesus did for us, removed our guilt and took away our sin?

Reading on...

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" v8

Now that we are saved, are we willing to be sent, so that others may hear?

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)

Do we want beautiful feet? 

Are we willing to pray that prayer, "Here am I, send me!"?

Conflicting desires

I heard a secular teaching once that said one of the reasons we do not achieve a particular goal is because we have conflicting desires in us.

For example, you may have a fitness goal.  There is the desire to lose weight.  But there is also the desire to sit on the couch and eat ice cream.

When the time comes to work out, these desires are in conflict.  One is in agreement with the goal (work out lines up with the goal to lose weight) the other is not.  As long as you go back and forth between the two desires, the goal will not be achieved. 

You cannot do both!  Many will do one then the other, going back and forth between the two and eventually giving up.

Sound familiar? 

The same principle is true for our spiritual life.

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Gal 5:16-18 (NIV)

We are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).  However we are still living in this tent we call "the flesh".  As long as we make choices that agree with the goal of being made into the image of Jesus Christ, we will grow and our walk with him will move forward.  Every time we give in to the flesh, we stop that growth because sin is not in line with God's goal for our life.

Let's think about that next time the choice to sin presents itself.  Stop and realize there are two plans for our life.  One plan is from God and leads to life, the other plan is from Satan and leads to our destruction. 

The choice we make, in that moment, will determine the path of our life. 

Old vs New

I have two very different motorcycles. 

One difference between the two is the position of the foot controls.  My first bike, that I rode for five years, has forward controls.  The new one has mids.  There is also a difference in the signals, one has a separate signal on each side, the other has a single switch.  The major difference is in how the bikes handle.  It's like day and night. 

It boils down to a completely different feel riding the new bike - a feel that took some getting used to.  But after a while, the new way feels natural and I actually prefer it.

I rode  the old bike to church yesterday.  It just didn't fit me anymore.  I guess what amazes me the most is how quickly five years of one riding style can feel awkward and strange after only a few months with the new bike.

I was thinking about this on the ride home.  When we first get saved we step into a new life with Jesus Christ, we begin to learn a new way of living and thinking.  Like that new bike it can feel very different.

But the longer we ride with the Lord, the more natural it feels.  The old life just doesn't fit us anymore.

Reading Galatians 5 today,

 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Gal 5:24-25 (NIV)

Our new life fits who we are now in Christ.  When temptation comes to pull you back into the old life, just remember that is not who you are anymore.

What is humility?

Humility

Sometimes we avoid the word simply because we don't really understand the concept.  Humility sounds too much like humiliation.  In a world that praises being "self assertive" being humble sounds weak.

But the meaning of the word humility in a Biblical sense is "strength under control".  The idea is a horse, with all that power directed under the command of the rider.

Reading Philippians 2 today.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!"  Phil 2:-3-8 (NIV)

Think about that for a moment.  Jesus Christ endured what he did, willingly, because he submitted his life to the plan God had for him.  Even though he could have commanded legions of angels to prevent his arrest and death.

There is nothing weak in that. 

Our talents, our strengths, should be used not to promote ourselves, but to benefit others.  That is what we need to focus on doing.

Hope

I think if I had to come up with a list of my top ten movies, Shawshank Redemption would be right up there.  OK, if you haven't seen it, spoiler alert!

Andy Dufresne is in prison for a very long time.  He endures things that no man should have to endure, yet he makes a difference in the lives of the prisoners.  He helps many of them get their GED and even creates a library. 

At one point Andy and his friend Red are having a conversation about music.

Andy Dufresne: "That's the beauty of music.  They can't get that from you...  Haven't you ever felt that way about music?"

Red: "I played a mean harmonica as a younger man.  Lost interest in it though.  Didn't make much sense in here."

Andy Dufresne: "Here's where it makes the most sense.  You need it so you don't forget."

Red: "Forget?"

Andy Dufresne: "Forget that...  there are places in this world that aren't made out of stone.  That there's something inside...  that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours."

Red: "What're you talking about?"

Andy Dufresne: "Hope."

Andy confuses Red with this, both are serving a life sentence.  What is the point of hope when prison is all you have, all you know?

However, what Red doesn't know is that Andy has two secrets.  One is that he is innocent and the second one is that he has been slowly, over years, digging a tunnel and planning not only an escape, but a way to have a new identity and finances when he gets out.  A new life awaits Andy that Red cannot see.  But Andy sees it clearly.

It is that hope, that new name and new life that gives Andy the strength to make it through each day. 

Let's face it, life can be hard.  But if we focus only on the here and now we will lose heart. 

But like Andy, we have a new identity in Christ, and a new life waits for us. 

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4:16-18 (NIV)

As long as we focus only on the here and now, we will lose heart.  This world is not our home, it is not where we belong. 

Fact or fiction?

Recently I discovered an old magazine article online about my former martial arts instructor.  In the article, she was breaking four boards with a jump back kick.

Impressive, considering she was 5'2 , 105 lbs.  

What struck me the most about this find was the confirmation of facts.  For 30 years I have remembered that she did this feat, and have even spoken about it.  But I have to admit, as with some memories, I wondered had it been embellished in that time?  I wondered if I could trust it to be true.  Maybe it was really two boards?  Maybe it wasn't her at all? 

When I found the article it brought a smile to my face, not only to see the old photo, but also to confirm that I had remembered the facts correctly.  Wow, maybe I am getting old!

My memory is a bit sketchy from that time so the more time that passed the less sure I was about the truth.

Jesus Christ came roughly 2,000 years ago.  What was true then, is true now.  Civilizations come and they go.  Rome was once thought to be the whole world, now it is simply the capital of Italy.  People and places change.

But the truth of God's word does not change.  The Word of God remains the same.  We can always trust what is in the Bible to remain the same, unblemished by the years that have passed.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Warmth

Where do you warm yourself?

Without a doubt, one of the lowest times in Peter's life was when he denied the Lord.

I find it interesting that when Jesus was first arrested, Peter was willing to fight to protect him.  Yet later that evening, he denied three times that he even knew who Jesus was.

What happened?

Reading John chapter 18, may offer some insight into what shifted in Peter that night.

 "You aren't one of this man's disciples too, are you?" she asked Peter.

He replied, "I am not."

It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. John 18:17-18 (NIV)

I don't think John just threw these details into his gospel for some literary effect.  Just like he tells us that when Judas leaves to betray Jesus, it was "night" (John 13:30) which shows Judas' spiritual darkness, the fact that it was cold and how Peter was getting warm has some importance beyond just story detail.

There is strength in fellowship.  When we are going through some of the greatest trials is when we need each other the most. 

Watch and see if there's a pattern, when you are having times of discouragement where are you "warming" yourself?  Whose company do you keep?  Is the company you seek out bringing you closer to Christ, or further away?  Or do you try to stand alone, dealing with the attacks of Satan by yourself?  How is that working for you?  What happened to Peter?

As it says in Hebrews, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-35 (NIV)

We are a body, we need each other. 

"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 1 Cor 12:6 (NIV)

A simple question

I am often amazed at some of the things the Lord said to people in the Bible.  Sometimes he doesn't appear to understand a situation and can say some off the wall things. 

Or is it that he understands far better than we ever could?

Reading John 5 this morning.  This illustrates one of those times.

"Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals.  Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.  Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" John 5:5-6 (NIV)

Why would Jesus ask him that?  The man had been an invalid for 38 years!  Isn't it obvious that he wants to get well?  Isn't that why he is at the pool? 

But notice the man's response.

"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." vv7

Jesus asked a very simple question, yet the man does not answer it.  He points Jesus to what he sees as the problem.  He has been so focused on that pool being the only way God can heal him that he cannot answer a very basic question.

Do you want to get well?

Don't we all do that at times?  How many times do we say things like, "Jesus, If only I had more money, if only I had a better job, if only...  (fill in the blank)"

Yet underneath those requests are the real issues we are dealing with.  And Jesus can see through to those issues, every time. 

Jesus never addresses the man's perceived problem.  He does not help him into the pool.  He simply heals him.

Have we cluttered our minds and our hearts with the only solutions that we can see?  Or are we open to simply let Jesus cut right to the heart of the matter and bring us the healing we need?

Words

I find it incredibly convenient to order things online these days.  Especially things that I keep forgetting to buy when I go to the store. 

So from time to time I get an email from the seller requesting a review of something I purchased. 

This morning I got an email with this subject line, "We need you to write an epic review for your Amazon Order!"

Wow, what could I have ordered that required not just an ordinary review, but an "epic review"?

I opened the email...

Umm, in my garage I have a big blackboard, left on the wall from the previous owner.  I ordered ordinary white chalk so I can write on it.  How was I supposed to write an earth-shattering, epic review about... chalk? 

One definition of epic is, "a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation."

And epic tale about chalk?

This got me thinking about how much we throw words around.  Words like epic, or amazing or awesome.

The problem with this is that when we cheapen the meaning of the word, it loses its impact when it is used in its right and proper place. 

For example, let's take the word awesome. 

"Have you had the ice-cream at Sunni Sky's?  It's awesome!"

This word gets used a lot, but what does it really mean? 

Awesome: extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.

synonyms: breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring, impressive; formidable, fearsome, dreaded; mind-boggling, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, excellent, marvelous.

Using the correct meaning of the word, can ice-cream really be awesome?

The challenge really comes when we read the Bible.  The Bibles is translated from Greek and Hebrew using the correct word, in its proper place. 

For example, reading Psalm 66, notice the word "awesome"

"Shout for joy to God, all the earth!

 Sing the glory of his name;

    make his praise glorious.

Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!

    So great is your power

    that your enemies cringe before you.

All the earth bows down to you;

    they sing praise to you,

    they sing the praises of your name."

Come and see what God has done,

    his awesome deeds for mankind! - Psalm 66:1-5 (emphasis mine)

The common use of the word "awesome" has lowered the impact of what the psalmist is saying here.  God is awesome, just like Sunni Sky's ice cream?

To jar us away from this for a moment, let's read verse three in another way. 

"Say to God, "How breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring, impressive; formidable, fearsome, dreaded; mind-boggling, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, excellent, marvelous. are your deeds!'

That's very different isn't it?

When reading the Bible, it's good to keep in mind that what has been done to our language can have an effect on how we read the word of God. 

Who do you say I am?

Who is Jesus Christ?

Many people have an opinion today on who Jesus Christ is.  But he is not subject to those opinions.  I have heard everything from "enlightened being" or "space alien" to just "a good man."

Reading Luke 9 today.

"Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Luke 9:18-19 (NIV)

And there it is, where the rubber meets the road.  Jesus doesn't really respond to what the people think, he asks his disciples what they say.

After Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah (and Jesus tells Peter that God himself revealed this truth to him), Jesus moves on from there. 

Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" Luke 9:24-25 (NIV)

Saying Jesus was a good man or a space alien doesn't require anything after that.  Because anyone who has come to those conclusions has not had Jesus revealed to them by the Holy Spirit.  And perhaps that is why people are comfortable in that ignorance.  To accept Jesus is to change the path of our lives.  Like the rich young ruler, those people encounter Christ but do not want to pay the price to know him for who he is.

However, for those of us who know Jesus as the Christ, we must recognize that our life is no longer our own.

"Who do you say that I am?" 

How do we answer that question?  Does our life show that we truly have accepted him for who he really is?

Soul nourishment

For most of us, a three-day weekend is just about here.  Some would even take an extra day to get some much needed R & R.

What I have found interesting over the years is this, when Tuesday arrives, not many returning to work will seem refreshed.  In fact often they seem even more tired.

Why is that?

Perhaps taking a break from work isn't the same as being refreshed.

In John Chapter 4 Jesus was tired and had a seat by a well.  It was at that time he engaged in a spiritual conversation with a Samaritan woman.

When the disciples arrived they urged him to eat something.  Notice Jesus' reply,

 "But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"

"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."  John 4:31-35 (NIV)

Jesus found nourishment in fulfilling his destiny by doing his father's will.  When we are doing the will of God, there is a nourishment to the soul that cannot be found in any other activity.

Let's pray before this weekend.  Let's give that extra time to the Lord and be open to whatever he wants to do with it. 

Perhaps we will find that soul nourishment we crave by simply doing the father's will.

God

Some years back  there was a movie starring John Denver and George Burns called "Oh, God!"

Now although much of the theology of that movie was not scriptural, I remember one thing that rang true to me and left an impression.

After God tells John Denver's character he is going to be his messenger, John asks for a symbol or sign.  God gives him a business card. John looks it over and there is one word typed on it.

God.

What I love about that is, that really sums it up.  He is God.  Like when Moses asked, "who do I say sent me?" and God answers, "I am". 

Think about that for a moment.  God is God. 

And Jesus Christ is the very image of God himself.  This is the Jesus Christ whom we accepted, who died so that by our faith we are saved, and whom we can trust with our lives.

Reading Colossians today.

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." Colossians 1:15-18 (NIV)

He is able to meet all our needs, calm all our storms, lead our life.

And he is worthy of our full submission, including reigning over our time, talent and treasures.

He is God.

The ultimate boss

Who's in charge here?

Life can be frustrating sometimes.  I'm not talking about the times when we cause that frustration ourselves.  We make poor choices and suffer the consequences just as the Word of God tells us, that's not what I'm talking about here.

I'm speaking of the times when we are doing everything right, working  hard, and someone else, less deserving, gets the promotion.  Or we pray for a particular door to open and it closes tightly.  Or when a health issue does not go away, but gets worse.

At hard times like these, it's easy to forget who is in control of our lives.

One thing we can be sure of, God is in control.  God is always in control.  It's important to keep in mind that this doesn't mean an easy life. It just means that whatever comes our way is in our life only by his permission.

Jesus did not desire the cross.  In fact, Jesus asked his Father three times to allow that burden to be taken from him. 

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39 (NIV)

Jesus was not only facing a painful death and taking the sins of the world on himself, but also separation from the Father.  He prayed three times, and then he accepted God's will.

Later, during Jesus' trial, Pilate would say to him.

"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

That is where we live sometimes isn't it?  We think that the powers around us have the final say.  Jesus knew better.  He had already accepted the cross, not from the people, not from Pilate, but from God.

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." John 19:10-11 (NIV)

Understanding this, and understanding that God's agenda for our life is always to transform us into the image of his son can help to increase our faith even in the darkest times.

Who's in charge here?  Our heavenly Father, the King of Glory.

"Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord strong and mighty,

    the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, you gates;

    lift them up, you ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory?

    The Lord Almighty—

    he is the King of glory." Psalms 24-8-10(NIV)

Squirrels

In the  2010 Pixar movie "Up!" a talking dog made a single word famous.

"Squirrel!"

Saying that single word means someone has become distracted from their train of thought by something unrelated.  I've heard it shouted out during sermons, I've heard it used in meetings at work.

We have a mission here on earth, one purpose.  Jesus made it very clear when he said, 

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

Think about that for a moment.  This is our purpose.  The reason Jesus Christ came and died and rose again.  Are we allowing too many "squirrels' to distract us from this great commission?

I heard a comedian once who talked about how we put off going to the eye doctor.  He said something like, "but then you finally go and you get the new glasses and you realize how clearly you could have been seeing all along!  How can seeing better not be a top priority? How can that be at the bottom of the "to do list?"

The Kingdom of God.  Is this a priority in our lives, or do we allow it to be pushed to the bottom of the "to do" list?

I'm not suggesting everything is a squirrel.  Our life is full of tasks from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep.  However, it does take a discerning heart to judge what is a responsible task, and what is a distraction.  A good indicator is how much we think about the Kingdom of God, how much we pray, how much we prepare.

Today, let's take a moment and pray.  Let us ask the Holy Spirit to point out the squirrels as we go about our day.

After all, "we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

There is a greater purpose for us being on this earth.  Let's not allow distractions to cause us to miss it.