Making Music

A little while ago, I decided to purchase an inexpensive keyboard and learn a thing or two about playing the piano.  Having some musical knowledge, I was able to begin plunking away making some nice sounds.

Then I decided to see what was out there on YouTube that I could learn from. 

What amazed me is the beautiful music a true piano player can produce with access to the same notes I have.

The instrument can be exactly the same, what makes the music amazing, or not, is the hands that play it. 

The same can be said of our lives.  When we are in charge of our own decisions, we are playing with our life.  But when we surrender to the master, our lives can take on a beauty that we never dreamed possible.

Reading Jeremiah 18:1-6

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message."  So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 

Then the word of the Lord came to me.  He said, "Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. " (NIV)

Are you allowing the Lord to play, or have you shoved him aside to make your own music?

Individuals

Last time, we were looking at a healing that always baffled me.  I presented it, and asked you to think about a few things,

As a reminder, this was the scripture.

Mark 7:31-35 "Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.  He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!").  At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly." (NIV)

My questions were, why would he do all that?  Why is this healing so different from others?  Why did he take the man away from the crowd?  What's with the spit and sticking his fingers into the man's ears?

Jesus is able to heal a person without them even being present (as with the centurion's servant,), so why all this apparent drama?

I think this is an example of how God treats us all as individuals.  Although he could have healed this man differently, this is the way he chose. 

We have a habit of wanting to put people into categories.  We tell people they are certain personality types that can then be classified and dealt with accordingly. 

I'm thankful that we serve a God who sees us, each one of us, for all the wonderful complexity of who we are.

Only an all powerful God is capable of that.

Healing

There is a healing that always baffled me.  I honestly don't have a definite answer, so I'll simply present it to you to you to think about.

Mark 7:31-35 "Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue.  He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!").  At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly." (NIV)

Now my questions are, why would he do all that?  Why is this healing so different from others?  Why did he take the man away from the crowd?  What's with the spit and sticking his fingers in the man's ears?

Jesus is able to heal a person without them even being present (as with the centurion's servant), so why all this apparent drama?"

I have my own speculations, but for today I'd rather leave this one for you to simply ponder.

And I'll share my thoughts on this in the next Daily Rock

Lord, Teach Us...

Reading Luke 11 today, the chapter starts,

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." (NIV)

Sometimes we just skip ahead in this scripture to get to the "meat" of it.

The Lord's prayer.  Even people who don't read the bible regularly, those who don't memorize Scripture, know this prayer.

But before reading on, think about this first verse.  Read it again.

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

Just hearing Jesus pray caused his disciples to ask him to teach them.

Do you know anyone like that today?  

Are you that kind of person? Someone whose prayer life inspires others to desire more just by hearing you pray?

What was it about Jesus' prayers that lead his disciples to ask?

I'm challenged by this thought, where are the prayer warriors today?

Something to think about?

In Step?

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul tells us 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (NIV)

I recently read an interesting thought in the book "Forgotten God, written by Francis Chan.

He posed a question; based on the fact that  we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, shouldn't we have a supernatural advantage (over those who have not accepted Christ,) to excel in the areas that the fruit of the Spirit represent?

Shouldn't then Christians be the most loving?  The most peaceful?  The most patient?  Exhibiting the most self control?  This list goes on and on.

I am challenged by this.

Because if our display of these attributes are no different, or even worse, than someone who has not accepted Christ (and therefore does not have the Holy Spirit imparting them) then what does that say about us?

Perhaps we are not keeping as much in step with the Holy Spirit as we may assume we do?

As Paul goes on to say, "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." VV 24-26

Are we truly in step with the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit

What could be better than having Jesus, in the flesh, walking with you day by day?

Jesus said to his disciples, 

"but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'  Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.  But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:5-7 (NIV)

Jesus, speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit, said that it was good that he left so that the Spirit would come.

Do we give any thought to the Holy Spirit?  Do we understand who he is or what his role is in our life?

What does this even mean to us today?

Take a moment and read this scripture where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.  Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.  I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,  but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

"Come now; let us leave."  John 14:15-31 (NIV)

What does this mean to you?

Our Greatest Need

Sometimes we think we know what is right, sometimes we feel if we had the power of God, we would know just what people need and give it to them.

Reading in Matthew 9,

"Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.  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."

Doesn't a paralyzed man need to walk?  Wouldn't that be the greatest need he had?  Why didn't Jesus simply heal the man?

Perhaps it's because Jesus knew that to simply heal him wasn't nearly enough for what was grieving this man's heart.  Jesus saw that his need for forgiveness outweighed the need to walk for this man.  Jesus also saw an opportunity, not only to forgive this man's sins, but to point to himself as being able to forgive all our sins.

Continuing to read...

At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?  Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, take your mat and go home." Then the man got up and went home.  When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man." Matthew 9: 1-8 (NIV)

After all, what good does it do any of us to have our needs for today met, if in the end we die in our sin?