Daily Rock!

Reading in Luke this morning where two rich men encounter Jesus.

This is first  (Luke 18)

18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[a]"

21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. (NIV)

Here is the other, Luke 19

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.  2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (NIV)

Both were rich, both had an interest in seeing Jesus.  One man was considered the worst kind of person by the people around him, the other would have been seen as "righteous and good."

Yet one went away from Jesus sad, while the other found salvation.

What was the difference?  What makes the difference?  Was money the issue?

It's a matter of the heart.  If we come to Jesus with conditions, the "I'll follow you if..."  or "you can have everything but this..."  then we are placing something between ourselves and the Lord, making something more important than our relationship with Him.

Let us ask the Lord to examine us today, is there anything He is asking us to lay down?

Daily Rock!

Yesterday I wrote about how we can cry out to the Lord in our times of trouble.  Today I took a look through Psalm 18, a beautiful picture of what that looks like.  David wrote this after the Lord "delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." 

Starting in verse 4 notice where David was:

4 The cords of death entangled me;

    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;

    the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called to the Lord;

    I cried to my God for help. Psalm 18 (NIV)

This is David's point of view.  Ever feel like that?  Like everything is crashing down around you?  Let's see what happens next.

From his temple he heard my voice;

    my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6 (NIV)

Sometimes we picture God as this king on a throne, ordering angels to come down to earth to take care of things for him.  But that is not the picture of God that David paints with his words here.  God is coming, let's see what that looks like

7 The earth trembled and quaked,

    and the foundations of the mountains shook;

    they trembled because he was angry.

8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;

    consuming fire came from his mouth,

    burning coals blazed out of it.

9 He parted the heavens and came down;

    dark clouds were under his feet.

10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;

    he soared on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—

    the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven;

    the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,

    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

15 The valleys of the sea were exposed

    and the foundations of the earth laid bare

at your rebuke, Lord,

    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.  Psalm 18 (NIV)

Take a moment and read that again.  That is your Father in Heaven, coming down to do business with your enemies on your behalf. 

I remember once as a child, getting picked on by a much older and bigger kid.  He towered over me.  He pushed me around in front of everyone.  Unfortunately for him, he didn't know my older brother was picking me up that day.  When my brother drove up and saw him, he was furious.  He chased him into the church where the kid hid behind a group of adults.  My brother ignored the adults and told the kid if he ever laid a hand on me again he would kill him. 

Back in the car I was pretty upset, I remember that.  My brother took me out for ice cream, kept making jokes until I smiled again.

My brother had all that fury at my enemy, but then tenderness toward me.  We see that here with the Lord as well.

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

    he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

    from my foes, who were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

    but the Lord was my support.

19 He brought me out into a spacious place;

    he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18 (NIV)

I pray for all of us today to have a deeper understanding of our God.  To strip away preconceived ideas of who He is, and to see that wild love He has for each of us.

He is there for you today, call on His name.

Daily Rock!

Last night I was cutting up a box for today's recycling day when my pocket knife slipped, cutting my thumb.

I came inside trying to stop the blood, telling my wife what had happened while heading to the bathroom to bandage the wound.

"Do you need some help?" she asked.

"No, I got it, thanks."

Ever try to open band-aids while your thumb is bleeding?  Teeth make a poor substitute for the extra hand.  At one point I even had a useless band-aid stuck to my lip!  I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, looking ridiculous!

Finally I was able to get the bleeding under control.  As I sat there looking at the bathroom counter that had now taken on the appearance of a crime scene, I had one question in my mind.

Why didn't I accept my wife's offer to help?

I wasn't upset, I could clearly have used the help, and there was no shame in accepting the gracious offer.  Yet my first reaction was to refuse and try to  take care of my "wound" myself.

Now some of you reading this may say, "because you're a man!"

But I think it goes deeper than that.  I think we forget we have others in our lives to lean on, and ultimately we have our Father in Heaven waiting to bandage our wounds if only we would let Him.

If ever there was a man's man, King David was it.  Slayer of bears, lions, giants and enemies in battle.  Yet in his time of need, he cried out to the Lord. 
Let's learn from him.

"Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God;  have mercy on me, Lord,
    for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust in you.
You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
    because you answer me." Psalms 86:1-7 (NIV)

-MB

Daily Rock!

Tuesday after a three day weekend.  For many of us, we are back in our routine.  We woke to the alarm and need to head off to work.  Our general consensus is, our weekend, though one day longer this time, was still too short. 

Peter had taken about three years off his work as a fisherman to travel with Jesus.  He had been through all the miracles, the death, the burial, and finally had seen the risen Lord.

But now life seemed to return to routine and normalcy, and he decided to go back to work.  Peter tried to re-enter his old life.

"Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymu), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it waas Jesus.

He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water." John 21:2-7 (NIV)

Peter tried to go back to the old routine, fished all night and caught nothing.  But Jesus reminds him that he is in his life now, and that his life has changed forever. 

Peter's day turns from dull routine to the excitement that causes him to leap from the boat just to be near Jesus again.

After Jesus Christ comes into our lives, there is no going back to life as we know it.  He changes things, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Daily Rock!

The Lord often uses my motorcycle to teach me life lessons.

Some days I struggle with understanding what the Lord is up to and what He is doing in my life.  There are times when He simply is silent, and I feel worn out.  Like Bilbo Baggins said in Lord of the Rings, "I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread."

During one of those times, the enemy came, telling me to stop trying and just give up.  Why try to serve a God who doesn't appear interested in your life?

I didn't choose to walk away, but I didn't affirm I was staying either.  For a moment I just sat there, in the middle, feeling the weight of life.

But then I pulled my motorcycle out of the garage.  Just looked at it gleaming in the morning sun.

I heard that still small voice of the Holy Spirit, "Do you really want to get on that without me?"

He is talking about more than just my bike, he is talking about my life.  He's talking about living in this crazy chaotic world.  A world full of hazards, like the road offers us each time we throw a leg over our bike and get ready to start off on a ride.

I get what He is saying.  There are no promises of an easy life, not even a promise I will make it to the end of the day alive.  He is asking me, like he asked his friends some 2000 years ago when many other disciples deserted Him (simply because His teaching was too hard for them to accept), "You do not want to leave too, do you?" John 6:67 (NIV)

Many, too many, have chosen to leave him.  I have seen the wreck of their lives, like fallen soldiers in a battle field around me.

No, I don't want to ride without Him.  Because outside of Jesus Christ, there is no life worth living.  Jesus doesn't promise easy answers and  a smooth ride.  But He does promise to ride with us.  He does promise life.

I sit on my bike, fire it up and answer the Lord, borrowing Peter's words from John, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:68 (NIV)

Then I head on down the road with my God and Savior.  Continuing to ride down the narrow path.

-MB

What did Jesus set us free from?

Memorial day weekend is just about here.  The weather looks favorable.  Many of us will be riding, I know we will!

And a word that will be tossed around quite a bit is "freedom".  We hear a lot about how we are free in this country.  I have to admit, most of the time I hear that word it goes along with, "We are free to do whatever we want.  Free to say whatever we want.  Free to worship as we please."

These things are good things, and yes we should be grateful. 

But what did Jesus set us free from?

The word of God teaches, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Gal 5:1(NIV) 

Is this political freedom we are talking about?  Or a type of bondage that goes far deeper?

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:17 (NIV)

Living as Christians in this country we are truly not only free from sin but free to speak and worship as we please.  But what are we called to do with that freedom?  Do we use this to simply live a life focused on ourselves exercising our rights?  Post whatever we want on Facebook and go to church on Sunday without fear of being arrested?

Is there more required of us?

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 5:13-14 (NIV)

This weekend, when the word "freedom" gets tossed around, let's ask ourselves the deep question, "Do we use our freedom to serve ourselves, or to serve others?"

The sobering thought is this; with all this freedom we enjoy in this country, when I read the news I see a country in bondage to sin.  This country is not experiencing the freedom that Jesus Christ offers.  Our laws that protect our church doors from being closed are not going to do us a whole lot of good if no one cares to come inside and find Jesus. 

It keeps coming back to our theme from Refuel. Love God, love people, do something about it.

We have work to do.

Daily Rock!

Reading in Luke chapter 10

"On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" - Luke 10:25-29 (NIV)

Love God, love people, do something about it.

A few years back I was out for a nice ride.  It was a beautiful day, early in the morning, not much traffic;  the perfect day for a ride.

Unfortunately a deer thought it was also a great day for a run across town.

I locked my breaks, missed the deer and laid my bike down in the middle of the street.  I watched, bewildered, as the deer jumped through the glass door of a local business.

The car behind me stopped and a woman got out of her car with her husband.  Anyone who has gone down on their bike can know the thoughts going through my head as my knee began to throb... "Oh no... look at my bike!"

The woman sat with me, talking, asking if I was OK while her husband moved my bike from the middle of the road.  Then they both waited with me while the ambulance came to check me out.  That wasn't enough for them, they drove me home.

That could not have been in their plans for the day, I know it wasn't in mine!

Let's face it, tithing and going to church is easy.  Having your day interrupted to help a total stranger, that can get messy.

I wonder, are we so caught up in our lives that we are not willing to help a stranger or even a friend?  Do we schedule our times for service and consider ourselves "off the clock" and on our own time for the rest of the week?

Could it be, that subtly we have become slaves to our routine, not wanting it to be interrupted, and we don't even see the chance to help?

Back to Luke 10.

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:36-37 (NIV)

Love God, love people, do something about it.

-MB

Are you all in?

In just a few days most of us will enjoy a three-day weekend.  We get an extra day to rest, cook out, maybe get some miles in on the bike.

After the last few weeks, I have felt like I really need some down time.  Ever feel like that?  Life has been beating you down, or maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one or some dreams.

Perhaps you are simply weary.

In those times it's easy to want to withdraw, focus only on our own needs.  We even call this "me time".

Reading Matthew this morning.

"On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much  that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.  Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."  The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted  and had John beheaded in the prison.  His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." Matthew 14:6-13 (NIV)

Let's stop there for a moment.  John the Baptist was a prophet yes, and the forerunner for Jesus.  But he was also Jesus' cousin. Jesus just found out that a family member was murdered in a very brutal way.

Isaiah tell us Jesus was, "a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief." Isaiah 53:3 (NLT).  He needed to get away, get some down time.

The break would not last.

"Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns." Matthew 14:13 (NIV)

I don't know about you, but I would feel like, really?  Can't I catch a break?  I'm off the clock, this is my time!

But Jesus does not respond that way.

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." Matthew 14:14 (NIV)

Jesus did not operate from a selfish nature as we are prone to do.  He was full of compassion and love.  And he was always focused on his purpose for being on earth.  As he said in John 5:17 (NIV), "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."

Do we want to follow Christ?  Do we want to be his disciple?

Jesus said "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

What does it take to follow the Lord and be used by Him?  What does he require of us?

Everything.

Are you all in?

Is our life with the Lord real?

My father-in-law, Ingvar, was 84 years old and had been riding motorcycles for 70 years in Sweden.  One Sunday afternoon during a visit, I, my wife, and some friends met together, looking at classic bikes and listening to Ingvar tell stories of his days of riding. 

That afternoon I could hear the bikes when they were started up, I could touch them, sit on them.  When Ingvar told stories about riding them, racing them, his eyes grew so bright and his laughter contagious.  I was taken back through history, like a time traveler.  I understood things I have only read about in a way I never could before.  When I got back to the US, I shared this experience with several people, spontaneously, and enjoyed it all over again.

We've been studying 1 John.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." 1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)

What motivated me to share my experience of that afternoon, when I did not share times that I have read an article on classic bikes in a magazine?  I tasted that experience, I heard the bikes, touched them, talked with a man who rode them.  It was tangible, personal, and amazing.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good" Ps 34:8. (NIV)

It is easy to fall into a rut with the Lord.  Read about Him, pray to Him, go to church and sing songs about Him, but have we tasted Him? Have we spent time with Him and enjoyed that so much we cannot help but share that experience with others?

 

Is our life with the Lord tangible and real?

Daily Rock!

Living in North Carolina has its advantages, one of them being that if you dress warm enough you can ride your motorcycle year round.  Cold weather riding isn't for everyone, but there are those of us who will layer up even as the temperature drops.

As the weather warms up, there are more of us on the open road.  I'm always amazed this time of year at just how many of us there are out there.  Motorcycle sightings are rare in winter, but rather frequent as spring comes along.

Awesome, love seeing all the different bikes out there.  Harleys and other cruisers, speed bikes, the occasional cafe racer and more.  All different but all sharing that same bond.

We see each other and wave.  We don't look at color, age, or sex.  We just see the motorcycle and instantly acknowledge the connection.  There is a certain unity among those of us who share the love of two wheels and the wind in our face.

I have to wonder though, why don't we see more of that with Christians?  Do we recognize that the body of Christ, that family, is a bond stronger than motorcycles?  It's family yet even if we see a Christian t-shirt on someone at the grocery store or notice a co-worker with a bible on their desk, we are often silent.

This scripture was on my heart this morning before I even cracked open my Bible.

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Eph 4:3-6 (NIV)

What is it that causes bikers to acknowledge one another?  And how do we apply that to the Body of Christ today?

-MB

How do you see God today?

What is your impression of God?  When you think of our Father, does an image come to mind?

Many times our image of God is affected by our relationship with our earthy fathers.  For example, if they were cold and distant, we will see God that way. 

Because of my distant relationship with my own father I had trouble seeing my Heavenly Father at all.  My first year being saved, I talked to Jesus, He was easier for me to relate to simply because He is God, but also a man.  And that was one of the reasons he came.  To help us see God. 

But my heart desired to know God as my father, and I was challenged by this verse.

"Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

"Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. " John 14:8-9 (NIV)

They are the same.  
If Jesus is loving and approachable, then God is as well.  When I began reading the bible with that revelation in mind, the Holy Spirit slowly replaced my wrong view of God the Father with the image closer to the one revealed in Scripture. 

Yet even today, some 30 years later, I am still blown away with how personal and loving He is. 

"The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Mighty Warrior who saves, yes I can see that clearly!  Even, He will take great delight in you I can grasp.

But rejoice over you with singing... that one stops me dead in my tracks.

I used to sing to my sons when they were small.  Little songs I wrote just for them.  That image comes to mind with this verse and I must admit... seeing God love me that way...  wow!

There is so much of Him I still need to learn, to get from my head to my heart.

How do you see God today?

Our lives matter!

This weekend looks very nice, sunny and in the 80's.  The memory of that nasty winter is far behind us. 

Some days bring difficult things, some wonderful things.  We can plan, as my wife and I do, to put some miles on our bikes.  But really only the Lord knows what this weekend will contain.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be."  Psalm 139:14-16 (NIV)

The Lord knows the days ahead, what they will bring.  And there is some comfort in that, knowing that He is in control.

But also, the very fact that He takes a personal interest in us to begin with.  Not just that He knows our days, but that he formed us and knows who we are.  He has a personal interest in our lives.  That is why he ordained our days.

Our lives matter to the Living God.

It is up to us how we will respond to each day given to us.  Will we draw closer to Him?  Will we make choices that honor Him?  Will we learn to trust him, no matter what these days bring?

After pondering these things, David ended the Psalm with a prayer.  Let's join David in that prayer, and trust the Lord with whatever this weekend brings.

"Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Riding at Night!

Life can be a lot like riding our motorcycles at night.

Do you know how to ride in the dark?  You focus on the light you do have to see by.

Those times when the sun has gone down and we feel the encroaching cold and darkness surrounding us, we focus on the light the Living God has already given us.  The light of knowing His Son, and the light of His word. 

In John 8:12 Jesus said of himself: "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (NIV)

At night It is also more important  to stay within the boundaries of the road.  At some points on the ride home, when oncoming headlights make it hard to see or the road has turned completely dark, all we have to judge by are the lines painted on the road.  Staying between those lines, we won't go riding off the shoulder. 

Also when riding at night you can judge the road ahead of you if there is someone riding just before you.  You can see the turns, judge the speed, watch for hazards, if their break lights come on.

The Lord has made it very clear in His word how we should live.  From the beginning of the Bible to the end there are boundaries set in place to keep us alive.

Every single time I have gone off on my own, broken those boundaries, I have eventually hit something head on or ended up in a ditch. 

Keeping God's Word  keeps us upright and on the road.  This is especially important during those dark days when the road ahead is hard to see and we are very tempted to stray from the path set before us. 

The Bible is God's word, but it is also full of the stories of men and women who walked with God.  One of the things I truly appreciate about the people in the Bible is how they are portrayed.  Not as perfect people, but as people who chased after a perfect God.  I find it encouraging that David can so gravely sin, and yet still be called  "a man after God's own heart", or how Peter can be so arrogant as to rebuke Jesus, then deny him, yet still be the first to be shown by the living God, the true identity of Jesus.

I can identify with these people, and their lives are recorded for you and for I.  If we pay attention to them, we can truly avoid danger and make it safely home.

Daily Rock!

Have you ever asked a question of Jesus and not gotten an answer?  Especially in a time when you really needed one?

"When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples  to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" Matthew 11:2 -3 (NIV)

John in prison, and apparently discouraged.  At those times it is easy to focus on what we don't understand and end up discouraged and doubting God.  We can start out with, "why is this happening to me?"  And end up with, "if God is allowing it, does he really love me? 

Which really is more a question that doubts God is who He says He is. 

Jesus loved John, but he does not answer the question directly.  In fact he doesn't even send John back a personal message.

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:  The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me." Matthew 11:4-6 (NIV)

Jesus reply may not be a simple "yes", but it is empowering to John.  It pointed him back to the scriptures that spoke about what the Messiah would do when he came. 

As if to say, "John you know the Word, and you know what is happening, what conclusion can you draw from these things?  Am I the one?" 

In writing  there is telling and showing.  For example, telling is saying, "Susan was nervous about her history exam." OK, the information was passed, but that can quickly be forgotten.

But if I say, "Susan sat at the table and did not touch her pancakes, only pushed them around on the plate while she kept looking at her history book.  She looked up at the clock ticking loudly, class was only an hour away." 

That is showing.

When I used "telling" you got the information.  When I showed you, you arrived at the conclusion yourself by what you observed.  Perhaps you even had an image in your mind.  That is much more effective story telling, and also much more effective teaching.

Many times we want a direct answer, and that can come.  However, in those times when it does not, perhaps the Lord desires us to see something deeper.  Perhaps he desires for us to  see and understand for ourselves.  What do we see?  What does it tell us?

Let's pray for eyes to see what the Lord is showing us today, and allow that truth to nurture our souls.

Welcomed?!

Have you ever felt unwelcome? 

Perhaps rejected because of the way we look, or mistakes we have made.  Or perhaps we didn't live up to others' expectations of us.  For whatever reason, we no longer felt welcome in a certain place. 

This morning I woke up with this song from David Crowder in my head.

Come out of sadness

From wherever you've been

Come broken hearted

Let rescue begin

Come find your mercy

Oh sinner come kneel

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't heal

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can't heal

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

This is a beautiful song that reflects the heart of God when we come back to Him.

In Luke 15. Jesus tells the story of a son who takes all his resources from his father and loses them all.  The young man is clearly in the wrong, and he is not invited to be a part of anyone's family.  He comes to his senses and just wants to be a servant in the house of his father.  When he returns  his father sees him coming.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." Luke 15:20-24 (NIV)

This is the welcome that is there for us all.  There are times when we will still mess up, make mistakes.  But we belong to a Father who will never give up on us, who cries out to us to come, just as we are. 

I have a patch on my vest that says, "Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family" and there is some truth to that among people on earth. 

Those who truly are family do not have to be the ones we are related to by blood. 

However, from Jesus' perspective, the patch would read, "Loyalty makes you related, my blood makes you family"

As the singer Michael Card wrote, "Could it be that He would really rather die than live without us?"

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

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"Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song," - Psalm 98

A Life Worth Living!

What does the world see when they look at us?  Do they see a life worth living?

I watched an interesting movie last night called "Life inside out".  The story was centered around a middle-aged soccer mom.  When she was younger she had a passion for songwriting, but had put that aside to embrace the responsibilities of adulthood.

Her and her husband had three sons.  Two sons were thriving in the busy sports-centered family.  The third, the youngest, was just lost and angry.  He had no sense of who he was in the family.  Rules and discipline were met with reluctant obedience.  Nothing seemed to reach him.

Then the mom rediscovers her passion for songwriting, performing in a small coffee house.  Her son comes along, reluctantly at first.  But the more she lives from her passion, the more he discovers his own by observing her.  He discovers a deep hidden talent and comes alive.  He connects with her and the rest of the family.

So much of what the world sees of us as Christians today is like that mom.  We are tirelessly working, but there is no life inside.  We try to impose our values without showing the world our passion for Christ and for life.  We try to make the world come into line with the Word of God.  Something the word of God clearly says they are not capable of doing  (1 Cor 1:18).

Jesus, speaking to the Church in Ephesus said,  "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." Rev 2:2-4 (NIV)

Love.  Love for Christ and love for others.  That is the heart of the Gospel, that is what motivated the Father to send Jesus to die for our sins.  Everything we do must spring forth from that.  And when we do, when we live a life from that love, then we show the world a passion for life, not tireless duty.

And the lost will be drawn to that light, drawn to our Father.

"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

Daily Rock!

George Carlin once said about driving, "Ever notice anyone going faster than you is a maniac, and anyone going slower than you is a moron?"

We love to set ourselves, our opinion, as the standard, don't we? 

Reading in Mark this morning, 

"While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly." Mark 14:3-5 (NIV)

Sounds like a sound argument at first, doesn't it?  Why waste money on something like this, be a good steward! 

But notice Jesus' response to their rebuke.

"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.  She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Mark 14:6-10 (NIV)

Jesus and "those present" saw the same thing.  Some felt that it deserved a  rebuke, but Jesus wanted to make sure that 2000 years later we would be still talking about it.  He said "She has done a beautiful thing to me"

James teaches us, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" James 1:19 (NIV)

Maybe this is why God gave us two ears, but only one mouth... and teeth to bite our tongue.

Let us pray today to see the actions of others the way the Lord does.  Lord, grant us eyes to see and hearts to understand.

Daily Rock Blog!

I am often amazed at how just a small detail in the Bible can mean so much.

Reading Matthew 8 this morning.

" When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.  A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy." Matthew 8:1-3 (NIV)

Imagine for a moment being a leper.  Leviticus gives us a small glimpse into what that must have been like, 

"Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp." Lev 13:45-46 (NIV)

The life of the leper was one of isolation.  As they went about the day, they had to hear their own voice announcing their condition over and over.  And human touch was no longer known to them.

Can you imagine never being touched?  How that would make a person feel?

"Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man." 

Stop there for a moment.  Before healing, moments before, he touched him.

This is the same Jesus that can cure a person without even seeing them (as with the centurion's servant).  He could have simply said "be clean!".  But he touched him first.

What is Jesus teaching us here?

It's more than a lesson on the power of Jesus to heal.  It is the sensitivity of our Savior to the often overlooked needs of people. 

Simple gestures go a long way.  A short note of encouragement, a cup of coffee or a sincere compliment.  We get so busy in our day that we often overlook these needs around us.  Yet meeting them can make a huge impact on someone's day.

I read once where a high school student picked up the books of another student who had been bullied.  They became friends.  Year later he would discover that the very same day, the bullied young man had decided to take his own life.  His simple act of kindness saved a life.

Let's ask the Lord, who in our life could use that touch today?

Why belive the Bible?

Last night at Refuel Michael Grant talked about approaching the Bible, the Word of God with reverence.  It made me think about how so many today question the authority of the Word.  Why do they do that?  Well, some may do this out of a genuine desire for truth.  It is a legitimate question, "why believe the Bible?"

But others do this so they don't have to obey what the Word says.  If they can disprove it, they can dismiss it. 

This morning I read Matthew chapter 21.  Keeping in mind Jesus is the Word of God (John 1) notice how he handles being questioned about his authority.

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?"

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'  But if we say, 'Of human origin'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."

So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."

Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." Matthew 21: 23-27 (NIV)

Many people approach the Word of God like these men did.  Not to find truth, but to justify themselves.  Jesus would not reveal his authority to these men because they were not seeking him with the right motive. 

When we approach the Word, we need to be open to whatever God wants to reveal to us through it.  Not to prove a point, justify sin, or to collect Bible knowledge to impress others.

And then He will reveal to us mysteries hidden since the foundation of the world.

"The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

"Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Matthew 13:11-12 (NIV)

What do you see?

When we look at people, what do we see?  Do we make quick judgments based on what our eyes tell us?  Are we able to see beneath to the actual cries of their hearts?

I was reading Matthew this morning and was struck by two accounts, right in a row where Jesus sees something different in a person than everyone else does.

"Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Matt 9:2 (NIV)

His friends saw a man, a paralyzed man, needing a physical healing.  Jesus saw a man who was heartbroken over his sins in need of forgiveness.  Only after the teachers of the law question Jesus' authority to give the man what he truly needed, did Jesus heal him. 

Next there is the calling of Matthew, a tax collector.  A man who was wealthy, yet despised by all because he made his money as a traitor to his country and by exploiting the people he had power over.

"As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Matt 9:9-11 (NIV)

This same Matthew would be used by the Holy Spirit to write the book that bears his name. 

When we walk into a situation it is so easy to make a snap judgement about who a person is, or what they truly need.  We are good at that.

"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

 

Today, let us pray to have the eyes of Jesus to see the people we encounter today with His eyes.

So much is changing around us...

I bought some new toothpaste the other day and it made me think about the Word of God.

I opened the box, pulled out the tube and saw something I did not expect.  Instead of the new style toothpaste, you know, the one that you can stand up on the big flat cap, this was just a normal looking old-fashioned tube of toothpaste.  The kind with the little cap.

This is the only kind I'll buy from now on.

It was nice to see something as simple and as familiar as that.  Something that didn't give way to the modern world and change. 
I recently passed the half century mark.  A lot has changed since I was a kid.

The internet, Youtube, cell phones, texting, Ipads... technology is changing how we relate to the world and to each other.  Harley Davidson is experimenting with an electric motorcycle (yes, I wake up in the middle of the night screaming with that one!) and kids don't play army and make forts any more, they plug into an Xbox and have battles that last well into their thirties. 

So much is changing all around us. 

One day some kind of food is bad for you, the next day it is good for you.  I think the only thing the diet people agree on is water, and even there we can't trust what comes out of the tap these days so we buy bottled water. 

Buy water?  Had someone told me that one, I'd had invested in... water?

And morality has changed as well.  What was once clearly seen as sin, is now openly celebrated. 

Back to the Word of God.

"I the Lord do not change." Mal 3:6 (NIV)

The Word of God remains constant and fixed like the North Star, it does not move and it can be trusted to never change.  It has no cause to change, simply because truth from God 2000 years ago is the same today.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Heb 13:8

Man's opinion may vary, but God's truth remains the same.

With so much changing around us, that is what we can cling to.  It is easy to be caught up in the changing seasons of mankind, but as we stay daily in the Word, it becomes  the solid rock on which we stand. 

I'll leave you today with something penned in 1834 by Edward Mote.  Songs based on the Word of God stay relevant too, they never need to change.

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.

Refrain:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

Who do I trust?

I recently had the need to learn how to clean and lubricate a motorcycle chain.  Having only ridden my Harley, I never had need of this knowledge before.

My search for this knowledge started with the internet where I was able to find several articles and YouTube videos on the subject. 

The internet can be a great source of knowledge, however it is not always a reliable source.  The YouTube videos I discovered had two very different points of view on how to lubricate the chain.

Who do I trust?  They both sound right, convincing even.  Fortunately I have my trusted source for this subject.  I'll go to my mechanic and ask him.  I trust him because I have gotten to know him as he has worked on my bike and my wife's bike.  He has never steered me wrong. 

But how do we live our lives?  How do we navigate through all the decisions and choices that are out there?  How do we know what is right and what is wrong?  Where is our trusted source of these answers?

"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for gaining wisdom and instruction;

    for understanding words of insight;

for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

    doing what is right and just and fair;

for giving prudence to those who are simple,

    knowledge and discretion to the young—

let the wise listen and add to their learning,

    and let the discerning get guidance—

for understanding proverbs and parables,

    the sayings and riddles of the wise."Proverbs 1:1-6 (NIV)

There are some pretty practical and straight forward nuggets of wisdom here.  This morning I would like to encourage us all to open up the book of Proverbs each day.

If you haven't developed a daily Bible reading schedule yet, this is a great place to start.  A good habit is to open up to that day's chapter.  For example, today is May 5th, open up to chapter 5 and read the proverbs until one stands out to you.  Once you get that one, write it down and think about it throughout the day.

Unlike the internet - the source of human wisdom - the Bible contains words of life.  It is our trusted source.

Some days feel like a battle, don't they?

Some days feel like a battle, don't they?  Some feel like weeks, some months, some even years. 

Circumstances come along, and we find ourselves getting angry at people or events.  Or, something blows up in the news, and we get angry at the injustice.  We want a villain, and we want to see that villain punished.

Or perhaps  it is as simple as having  a co-worker who continues to rub us the wrong way. 

But if we focus only on the external "enemies" we will fight those battles only. 

The Word of God is clear, that is not where our battle lies.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph 6:10-12 (NIV)

Satan, the Devil, the enemy.  A preacher once said, "If you loved Satan, gave everything to him, laid down at his feet and worshiped him, he would still hate you just as much."  That is the kind of enemy we are dealing with.

As long as we focus only on the battles we can see, we will not be aware of the true battle we should be engaged in.  We will not put on our armor and we will not fight.  And he likes it that way, because we have victory over him every time we fight. 

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 (NIV)

He will not fight us head on, he will hide behind what we can see.  So we must learn so see what is truly going on around us.

 "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Cor 10:3-5 (NIV)

You are a Christian, you've been enlisted, make no mistake, we are at war.

But the victory in that war is ours - if only we will fight it.

April Showers!

April showers bring May flowers.

We have little sayings like that to remind us that good is coming.  We remember that April normally has a lot of rain (in my opinion too much of it fell on weekends this year... just sayin'), and that May will have more sunshine. 

Sayings like this are meant to inspire hope on a cloudy day.  Unfortunately today is May first and it is raining.  Nature does not always follow those sayings to the letter.  Much to my dismay... since I wanted to ride my motorcycle to work today.

Sigh.

That is what happens when we trust in the wisdom of man.  There can be some truth in it, but the ultimate source of truth is the Word of God itself.  When the two collide, the wisdom of man and the Word of God, the Word of God will triumph every time. 

Everything we need to live a life fully alive is contained in the pages of that book.  Secrets hidden from the foundation of the world.  Visions of heaven, God's love, fencing, fighting, true love... (sorry couldn't resist,, some of you will get that reference). 

It is all there, along with the Holy Spirit to teach us what it means.

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Heb 4:12 -13(NIV)