Who is Lord?

From the beginning of time when Eve picked the forbidden fruit and shared it with Adam, we as a human race have been struggling with this question. Who will determine my destiny? Even after we make a decision to accept Christ’s gift of salvation, we struggle with who is in charge. Think you got this one down? Here are a few litmus tests to see how you are doing.

1.   Did you just do some Christmas shopping? How did it go when someone grabbed the last item off the shelf in front of you or cut in a long line or took the parking space you were obviously ready to pull into? Did you see that person as a human made in the image of Christ and pray for his/her redemption? Did you bless them or curse them with your thoughts, words and/or actions?

2.   Last time an aggressive or tentative driver got between you and your goal, did you respond with grace or did you tell them some unpleasant things even though they didn’t hear you?

3.   When you get up in the morning, is the first thing on your mind your ‘to do’ list of all the things you need to get done today and what order you want to do them in or is it to thank God for another day and ask Him what His plans are for you today?

4.   When the bills come and the paycheck doesn’t or at least doesn’t reach, do you panic or do you take it to Jesus and ask His guidance on how to proceed?

5.   When your body experiences sickness, do you gather your pharmaceuticals around you and complain about how you feel until you get over it, or do you go to the Master Healer and ask for His healing and guidance in dealing with the sickness? 

These and many other things that happen daily in our lives tell us much about our progress in allowing Jesus to be Lord. In the end, it will become very clear who is Lord and it will go much better for us if we have chosen the Lordship of Christ before we get to that point. In “Today’s Quiet Walk Devotional” for December 28, 2014, (Walk Thru the Bible), the author speaks in regard to Revelation 19: 

“Apocalypse: ‘The revelation of a violent struggle in which evil will be destroyed’ (Webster's Dictionary). The second coming of Christ will be the apocalypse fulfilled. While the symbolism of the language in Revelation makes it difficult to ascertain exactly how events will unfold, it is clear that when Jesus returns again, it will be to confront evil and destroy it. The heavens will split and Jesus will descend upon the armies of the earth which have gathered in opposition to His return. In contrast to His past role as Savior of man, He will now come as King of creation. Whereas once He made Himself subject to men, now all men will become subject to Him. History will end and eternity will begin.”

In John 18:4-6, we see the first glimpse of every knee bowing to our great and awesome King. “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.”

Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10 all tell us that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. We can either choose to bow or we can bow as the soldiers did when they arrested Jesus, but we will bow. 

Lord, I want you to be Lord of my life. Help me in my weakness when my flesh wants to take over to listen for Your voice and to allow You to be Lord of each circumstance as it occurs. You are indeed Lord and I am not. Thank You for the gift of peace when I acknowledge that. Thank You for the grace that washes over me and allows me to speak blessings over others rather than curses. Keep opening my eyes to see You and give me a heart to follow You every day of my life. Amen.

Transforming Power: Not what I expected!

The story of Joseph in the Old Testament continues to intrigue me. I wonder, could Joseph have become the leader he was if he had not gone through the years of slavery and prison? I wonder how those years transformed Joseph’s spirit and mind. How could he go from being a prisoner to being second in command – only Pharaoh had more power? We are not given his thoughts while he was in the caravan on his way to Egypt, sold by his brothers to be a slave. We don’t know what he was thinking when he was unjustly accused and thrown into prison where he was ‘forgotten’ for a few years. I’m guessing it was a process working through anger and trusting in God’s goodness. He didn’t have the “story of Joseph” to look back on… he was living it!

And then I hear story after story of people who have been ‘relieved’ of their ministry positions where they were being eroded by the prevailing powers, unable to use the creative gifting God had given them and unable to express their love for people because of all the ‘stuff’ that was going on. They were so controlled by the situation, they didn’t even have the power to resign. I have watched them go through a time of searching, longing, and sometime self-deprecation. But in the end, they are transformed into powerful leaders, placed in positions that are ready for them, and able to be God’s ministers of reconciliation and healing to people around them. They would tell you that while it was hard, they are now blessed to be working in effective ministries where they are fulfilled and full of God’s grace.

Very few, if any, people go from the womb through blissful childhood, untainted by teen years, and given positions of power and authority which they maintain happily ever after. It seems that the tough things in life are the things that get our attention and allow God to transform us into useful vessels for His purposes. And in the end, we can say with Joseph, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20

Having been through some hard things myself, I have learned some of the deep secrets of God. And I can see quickly in another person when they have been through some hard things. The marks of God’s grace are on them. We become less taken by the things and positions of this world and more filled with compassion and desire for others to really know God – not as the guy who keeps us out of hell, but the One who loves us deeply and would stop at nothing including the death of His Only Son on a cross to open all the doors for us to come ‘home’ to the One who created us. We are learning, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” We are learning His grace is sufficient for every day He gives us breath and that there is nothing to fear because we know we are called and we have an eternal focus, knowing that when we are done on this earth, we will be going to heaven to worship our Lord and King forever.

The world may be in turmoil, but we live in peace, trusting God to help us navigate the path before us. Thank You God, for Your grace each day and for the joy that I can experience here on earth regardless of my circumstances. You are an awesome God. Thank You for Your awesome love. Amen.

Why God Doesn't Like Lukewarm

Have you ever choked on lukewarm coffee or soup? It’s not very pretty as it goes flying across the table and/or your clothes. It’s even kind of embarrassing if it happens in public and all around frustrating as you clean up the mess. But that is the reaction Jesus has to the Church of Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 That is the NIV version. Other versions use words like ‘spew’ or ‘vomit’ rather than ‘spit’ which are probably closer to what happens when you choke on lukewarm liquid.

I’ve often wondered why Jesus is so strong in His reaction to the Church of Laodicea. All the other churches, in Revelation 2 and 3, He begins by complimenting them on what they are doing right and then challenges them to work at something they have been missing. But with Laodicea, He jumps right in with ‘spewing’ them out. So I wonder what makes them lukewarm to begin with and why this is so very disturbing to Jesus that He gives this message to John.

Recently, I was talking with a friend who is a pastor. He was sharing the pain of a young friend who recently was sexually abused and very confused. He commented on how bold sin has become in our world. It is not even hidden anymore. We talked about how important it has become for us as a church to be bold and clear on who we are. We cannot afford to ‘blend in’ but must stand out as different. A picture came to me of using a vacuum cleaner when I was young. I preferred to vacuum when the floor was really dirty because it was easier to see where I had been and where I needed to go yet. There is a bigger difference when you clean a dirtier floor. I wonder if this is some of the picture of hot or cold vs. lukewarm.

What made the Church of Laodicea lukewarm? “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17 It appears that they have become self-sufficient. They don’t need ‘cleaning’ because they have become comfortable with themselves just the way they are. They have found a way to ‘blend in’ and not stir things up too much around them. And they are happily going along ‘blind’ and ‘naked’!

I wonder then, if the reason God hates for the church to be ‘lukewarm’ is because we just blend in with the world. We keep accepting more and more of the worlds’ view on things and pay less and less attention to what Christ came to change. How then can others see any need for Christ in their lives if we as the church are really no different than anyone else? If we don’t need Christ daily in our lives because we are self-sufficient, how can others see their need for Christ in their lives? In essence, we hide the Gospel from others because we appear to be something we are not – good in and of ourselves. If we can’t see that we are ‘blind’ and ‘naked’ and in need of God’s help, we really have nothing to offer to others but another social gathering of the ‘feel good club’.

So what is Jesus’ remedy for lukewarm sickness? “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me” Revelation 3:19-20 Did you ever notice that this invitation is for the church?!

We need to quit trying to ride in the middle of the road. That is a very dangerous place to be. We are not saved because we are “good” or because we are doing “good” things. We are saved because Jesus Christ gave His life for us. We need Him. He is the very air we breathe. He desires relationship with us – deep abiding relationship with us. We need that relationship with Him. We cannot be His church, inviting others into relationship with Him if we are anything but in desperate need of Him ourselves. Then we will stand out like a light in the darkness and help others find their way to Him. We will be the salt bringing out the flavor in life.

Oh Lord, do not let me hinder your Gospel message from going out into the world. Help me to be bold – to live humbly in desperate need of You so that others can see who You are and how You forgive, heal and restore. Thank You for providing everything I need. Amen.

The Battle Rages

If we are not experiencing suffering and loss at the moment, we all know someone who is. What do we do when a friend, neighbor or acquaintance is going through a difficult time? Do we stay away because we don’t know what to say? Or do we babble nonsense because we need to say something? Or do we seek to understand God’s wisdom and heart and encourage them for the journey? As many times as I have read Job, I don’t remember ever distinguishing so clearly between man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom as on this read through.

I wonder how often readers read Bildad’s words, Zophar’s words, or Eliphaz’s words thinking, “They are in the Bible, so any verse here is God’s truth.” After all, they make sense to our impoverished minds as we read them. But, they come totally from human wisdom and not from God’s wisdom. While Job continues to confront them throughout the whole book, we don’t hear from God until the end of the book of Job. After God has dealt with Job, He addresses Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has… My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.” Job 42:7-8

Keeping that in mind, as I read the book of Job, I know pay better attention to who is speaking and what they are saying. This book now begs me to think about how I speak to those who are suffering – to be careful to not spout off platitudes of my own understanding, but rather to prayerfully and humbly speak to the person who is suffering.

The mistake I see in Job’s friends as they speak is that they look at what is happening and, trying to make sense of it, pronounce judgment on the one suffering. Essentially they are saying, “Why would all this bad happen to you if God were not judging you for something?” And then they proceed to make up the things they believe God is judging Job for. Job must have cheated people, stole from them, disregarded people’s needs, etc. in order for God to be so angry with him as to treat him so badly because they are sure that is how God works.

Job defends himself saying that he has always cared for others. His friends don’t believe him because all the evidence (God’s judgments in their minds) point to the opposite. In the end, God vindicates Job and replaces all he lost with even more and humbles his judging friends saying that He will forgive them when Job prays for them.

“Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18. Chris Tiegreen writes, “At a practical level, that means that hardships you endure today are pointing toward a purpose. They will give Him occasion to demonstrate Himself, and they will give you occasion to demonstrate your faith. Both occasions lead to a glory that far outweighs the pain. In the end, it will all be worth it. The God who endured the Cross gives you His guarantee.” January 21 in ‘Wonder of the Cross Devotional’

My hope and prayer is that I will prayerfully and humbly approach those who are currently suffering and that I will offer them the encouragement of God’s compassion, comfort, and love and together we can watch for God to demonstrate Himself and use this opportunity to grow in faith. That He is to be honored and glorified is not selfishness on God’s part and disregard for our suffering, but rather a demonstration of His caring intimately for us as He continually rescues us, comforts us, and opens our eyes to see Him for who He really is! Our God is worthy of our praise!

And Lot Went With Him

“God doesn’t have grandchildren – only children.” I’ve heard that phrase countless times in many different settings. We all know that it means each one of us must make a personal commitment to accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ because we won’t be able to ride to heaven on the coattails of our parents.

Many times I have looked at the story of Abram and Lot and noticed that Lot’s life was not nearly as fulfilling as Abram’s. Today, as I was reading the story of their journey again, something stood out to me that helps me understand more why that might be. In the beginning, Terah ‘took’ Abram, Sarai, and Lot with him when he left Ur. After Terah died, Abram was called by the Lord to “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you… so Abram left as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.” Genesis 12:1-4 Later, “Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.” Genesis 13:1.

We don’t see Lot talking with the Lord or committing to obeying the Lord. We only see him going along for the ride with Abram. Maybe he liked adventure. Maybe he saw something in Abram that he liked and was drawn to but didn’t see the need to purpose his life to obeying the Lord. For a time, at least, he was enjoying the blessings by hanging out with Abram.

But when their servants began to fight over pasture and water for their herds, Abram suggested they split ways. He gave Lot the first choice which way to go. And Lot (like many of us would) chose what he perceived to be the best. “Lot looked up and saw the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar.” Genesis 13:10

Now Lot is on his own. And when trouble comes to the land he is living in, he and all his family and possessions are taken as plunder by the conquering kings. When Abram hears about it, he takes 318 of the trained men born in his household and pursues them. They successfully recover the plunder including Lot and his family and return them to their home in Sodom. Abram is still looking out for Lot even though Lot is no longer ‘his responsibility’. God blessed Abram and his men with the strength to overcome the kings who had overcome Sodom. Lot once again benefits from Abram’s relationship with the Lord and seems to be content with that and not motivated to have his own relationship with the Lord.

Years later, when the Lord has made a covenant with Abram and renamed him Abraham, Lot is once more in trouble because the Lord is planning to destroy Sodom because of the great sin there. Abraham pleads with the Lord to not destroy Lot. And the Lord sends angels to remove Lot and his family before destroying the city. In that action, Lot loses everything – even his wife who seemed more attracted to what was left behind and not able to focus on what was ahead. Lot and two of his daughters survived and lived in a cave because they were afraid to stay in Zoar. So Lot has escaped with his life, but the ‘good life’ he had in Sodom is a thing of the past. Lot doesn’t ever seam to recover from that because he has never sought his own relationship with the Lord. Even in his distress, he didn’t seem to understand that it was the Lord leading and protecting Abraham and that he could experience that too if he were to be obedient to the Lord. He was content to ‘take care of himself’ and not ‘need the Lord’.

I wonder how often I am content to ‘take care of myself’ and ‘not need the Lord’ and how many blessings I walk away from because I am too busy to listen and be obedient to what the Lord is calling me to do. It is so very easy to get caught up in the daily living things, to develop ‘comfort habits’, to take the easy way that looks inviting, and to ignore the voice of God speaking into my life. When I look at the outcomes between Abraham and Lot, there is no comparison! Being obedient to God has a much, much better outcome than following my own desires.

Lord, please open my eyes to see and my ears to hear You. I desire to obey you, serving you with my whole life, holding nothing back. I know Abraham had to do a lot of hard things and I will too, but in the end, those hard things bring me closer to You and that is where I want to be. Thank You for Your great love and awesome grace through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus Wept

Sometimes, I feel guilty for feeling sad. God has done such awesome things and blessed me in so very many ways. But I still really miss having our son around here in the flesh. Today is one of those days. And as the sadness washes over me, I find myself apologizing to God for feeling this way.

But the Spirit within my quietly says, “Jesus wept.” And I remember, there are at least two very specific times Jesus wept. One was when He was looking over Jerusalem and agonizing that they would not recognize Him for who He was – God with them in the flesh; and that their hearts were so far from Him. He wept over lost souls refusing to come to God. How lost are those who know the truth and yet refuse to believe it!

The other time was when He went to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus and Lazarus had died. Death caused Jesus to weep. Death came as the result of disobedience/sin. And Jesus had come to conquer death once and for all, to remove the fear of death and replace it with the knowledge and the hope of the resurrection and the promise we would be with Him for eternity. He knew all of that and yet He wept.

I often wonder what Jesus was thinking when He wept over Lazarus. I wonder if He was weeping for all of our pain and suffering we go through in this world because of sin. I wonder if He was weeping for all of us who have had to say good-bye to those we love for a time until we can be together in heaven. And I wonder if He was weeping because His good friend, Lazarus, had gone through the physical process of dying and His good friends Mary and Martha were in emotional distress and pain because of Lazarus dying. Even though He knew He was going to call Lazarus out of the grave, Jesus wept!

I wonder if He might also have been weeping knowing He too would be going through the suffering and death because of those whose hearts were hardened toward God. His earthly body was going to have to suffer and die too.

So today, as I weep, I know that Jesus is weeping with me. We are weeping because death is a horrible thing. We are weeping because there are so many who continue to turn their backs on God and refuse the blessings He has waiting for them. And we weep because there is still a lot of pain and struggle in this world. But even as we weep, we rejoice that Jesus did conquer death. We rejoice that we live with eternal hope because of God’s power demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus and the promise that we too will rise to be with Him. We rejoice because each day He waits to return, people are waking up and discovering new life walking with Him. We rejoice because this is not the end. There is more to come… much more… eternity in the presence of God our Father.

“Weeping will last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

Will the True Me Please Stand Up!

I wonder, who is responsible for people coming to faith in Christ Jesus? There are many answers to this question and many angles to come from. Ultimately, it is Christ Jesus himself. He says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:44 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32

But as we go to the next level, I wonder, how does Jesus do this? And here is where it gets a bit more complicated. Sometimes, it seems He makes Himself known to people without the involvement of anyone else. They have a dream, see a vision, or something happens that they become aware of the true, living God and are transformed through that experience into true followers of Christ. Other times, they get there through a search – sometimes to prove God does not exist – and by reading the Bible and other historical documents, they come to believe in the true God and begin to follow His teachings.

But many times, it is by invitation of followers of Christ. While He doesn’t need to involve us in calling people to Himself, He often chooses to use us and let us be part of the experience. And here is where it can get very tricky. I am weary of hearing people say things like, “Christians who go to church think they have the truth. Well, I don’t see any difference in them more than anyone else. They are all just a bunch of hypocrites and I’m out of here!” Many times, it is an excuse they give themselves to not follow Christ but rather follow themselves, making themselves their god. But as a Christian, their accusation stings a bit and causes me to wonder about whether or not I am one of those ‘hypocrites’ who drive people further from the true, living God.

There is a list of sins in the last days in II Timothy 3:1-9. In the past, I have always thought these were sins of people outside of the church. But as I read this scripture today, some things caught my attention causing me to wonder how much of this is actually directed to people within the church, and might it be a definition of hypocrites. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,… ungrateful,… unforgiving,… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power… always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth…”

Many of these are the subtle sins of the heart. They are related to motives for behaviors, not always easy to see, but even more damaging because of that. I wonder how many of us sit in church on Sunday morning listening to (learning) the truth, but never applying (acknowledging) it in our daily living. Are we allowing the Truth to sink in and transform our lives from the inside out? Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 God’s will is stated in II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” And in Matthew 18:14 “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” And in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And in John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

So I wonder, how can we live out God’s will that no one would perish? I believe there are several steps and it is an ongoing process. First, I need to seek after God with everything I have – to study His Word and let it sink in. Second, I need to open myself to His Holy Spirit living in me, to be obedient to His instruction and as I do this, He will be transforming my thinking – renewing my mind – so that I respond to others the way Christ responds to others. And third, I need to die to myself. As I die to my flesh, there is more room for Him to live through me. So in the end, it is still Christ calling others to Himself, but He is choosing to do it through me as I live in submission to His Spirit in me.

I do not want to be responsible for others turning away from Christ because I am a follower on the outside, but not transformed on the inside. So Lord, do your work in me. Show me where I am in need of repentance and change. Heal me and make me a true follower of Jesus Christ from the inside out. Make me into ‘salt’ and ‘light’ so others will know who You are. Amen

Some of us have studied long and hard to learn the truths of the Bible. We dig deep and study commentaries by theologians. Some have become so knowledgeable that they can hardly speak in lay terms anymore, but use four and five syllable words that cannot be pronounced by the average person who, in the end, has no idea what the other person is talking about. Along with that study comes many ‘right ways’ to do things. I wonder why we as mortal beings are so quick to make things complicated. Sometimes we make things so complicated that people turn away and say, “I just can’t understand it so I will avoid it.”

As I study Jesus during my wondering through the New Testament, I find Him often to be quite simple and straight forward. The healing of the blind beggar is one of those moments. When the beggar finds out it is Jesus walking by, he calls out to Him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Luke 18:38 Jesus could have said, “Well, what have you been doing all your life? Have you honored God? Have you followed all the rules of the Synagogue? Have you honored your parents? Fix those things and then come back.” But that is not what Jesus said. He simply asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” to which the man replied, “Lord, I want to see.” Luke 18:41

Jesus took notice of the faith of that man at the moment. He wanted to see and he believed that Jesus could heal his eyes so he could see. And Jesus did just that. He attributed the healing to the faith the man had. Sounds unbelievably simple!

I wonder sometimes if we carry our religion around like a heavy backpack, full of assignments and hard work, and totally miss the simplicity of faith in the One who came “to preach good news to the poor… proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-19. Do we make it so hard that people turn away when it is really very simple? Jesus wants to heal us. He wants to free us. He wants to bless us. All we need to do is ask and believe.

Lord, please help me to shed the backpack and to just look and listen for You. I want to see. Help me to focus my eyes on You. Amen.

Who Is Listening?

Sometimes it is just plain hard to live in this world. I would venture to say that no one who lives to adulthood has escaped the horrors of being betrayed or rejected by someone we thought was our friend at one time or another. Some live with deep scars and are unable to develop meaningful relationships while others seem to be able to recover and still have confidence in others.

But more disconcerting yet is the fact that most of us have at one time or another betrayed another person. Whether it was purposeful or not does not change the fact that we betrayed them. I wonder if that is why there is so much teaching in the Bible about relationships and how to relate to each other and care for each other.

For the past number of years, these verses in Luke have buzzed around my head causing me to think carefully (at least most of the time) before speaking. “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear of the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Luke 12:2-3

I wonder… what if a loudspeaker on the roof of my house and my car were to broadcast what is coming out of my mouth moment by moment? Would I say what I am about to say? Or would I try to change my words to be more gentle and kind? Would I even say it at all?

Someday, if not now, I will need to give an account of all the words I have spoken and the affect they have had on others. Will it be a good account or will it be a sad account? “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” Matthew 12:36

But more than avoiding judgment, how do I choose to use words? “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 As I ‘hang out’ more with Jesus and begin to imitate Him more and more, as I die to myself and allow His spirit within me to transform me and teach me to love others (whether or not they are ‘loveable’), I pray that gracious and healing words will become more and more a part of my vocabulary and that cutting and harsh words will be removed. I pray that the words I speak, whether out loud or in secret, would be words that would bring healing and hope – even if they were to be broadcast from a loudspeaker on my roof.

What Do Others See?

Knowledge – it can be such a good thing. Yet, it has a down side. Knowledge that comes from self can get in the way of knowledge that comes from God. When Jesus was in His home town, He did not perform the miracles as He had in Capernaum – not because He couldn’t, but because the people had come to see the ‘show’, not to worship God. Their knowledge of Jesus growing up in the home of Mary and Joseph brought with it disbelief that He was indeed the Messiah. (Luke 4:14-30)

Some of us who grow up in the church struggle with knowledge about who Jesus is… not because we haven’t learned all about Him in years of Sunday School, but because we are so familiar with that ‘information’ that we fail to seek the ‘person’ of Jesus Christ. We become self-righteous because we know the right behaviors, but our hearts are not in love with Him.

Paul says in Romans 2:28-29, “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” We could substitute ‘Christian’ or ‘church member’ for ‘Jew’ and then substitute ‘baptism’ or ‘confirmation’ for ‘circumcision’ and that would be a pretty good picture of who many of us are in the church. Paul says, “As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” Romans 2:24 We give God a ‘black eye’ when we call ourselves Christians, but we have no personal relationship with the Living Christ. We confuse others if we parade ourselves as Christians, but we are not disciples and servants of the Living Christ.

Today, God is reminding me that He desires close, intimate relationship with me – not just good behaviors or doing everything ‘right’! As He loves me, so He desires to love others through me – so that they will also desire a close, intimate relationship with Him.

The Miracle of Giving

Anyone growing up in the church knows the story of the feeding of the 5,000… a small boy… five small loaves… two fish… Jesus blessed it and fed the whole crowd with leftovers. Where did the bread and fish come from? John tells us that it came from someone else – a child. Most children in this country do not worry about where their next meal will come from. The parent provides and they eat. If the child was not hungry at the time, it would have been easy for him to give up the food – especially if he didn’t really like it anyway. Yet, he did give it and Jesus used it.

In the feeding of the 4,000 as told in Mark 8, Jesus asked the disciples, “How many loaves do you have?” Mark 8:5. The disciples have been traveling with Jesus. This is not a high salary ministry position. They live from day to day on what is provided to them by others. I wonder if they were tempted to say, “We have seven loaves here, but it is all we have and we don’t know if we will have anything tomorrow, so we had better keep this and make it stretch. We are already pushing it to feed 13 of us with only seven loaves!”

Jesus didn’t give them that option. He took the bread, blessed it, and shared it with the crowd. And amazingly, everyone was fed and there were leftovers. I wonder though if the real miracle was the willingness of the disciples to give up the bread – to let go of their daily sustenance and trust that God would continue to provide for them.

When I look at what God is able to do with that small offering, I wonder what He would do if all those who follow Him would be willing to give whatever they have to Him. It seems there would be no need in the world because when Jesus touches something and blesses it, it has a tendency to multiply and meet many more needs than it would if we hold it tight to ourselves.

Paul takes this idea into the emotional and spiritual realm as well. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 It seems then that God does not bless us so we can hoard it all for ourselves, but rather so we can bless others. As we offer whatever we have to others, God blesses it, multiplies it and many more are blessed. It is a kingdom full of gracious giving – and everyone benefits!

When Jesus prayed, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” I wonder if He was envisioning this kind of giving, where we offer everything we have to Him to be used for His honor and glory, holding nothing back. It sounds like a bit of heaven to me.

Lord, please give me a kingdom perspective about all that I have. I offer it to you to multiply and use for bringing comfort and blessings to others, not just me. Thank you that I can trust you for provision each day. You are my Provider and I offer all that I have to be used for Your good purposes. Amen.

Learning From the Birds...

Last fall, we traveled to Texas for a family reunion. Being an avid bird watcher, I often have a goal of seeing a bird I have not seen before when we travel. This trip, I was focused on seeing a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. My prayer went something like this: “Lord, I would love to see a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. It is a beautiful part of Your Creation and I am really hoping to see one on this trip. Please show me one somewhere along the way. Amen.” Simple – but God has shown me many beautiful birds when I have asked Him. A Blackburnian Warbler flew in and sat on a branch just a few feet in front of my face. A Scarlet Tanager flew down right past me and perched on a branch just a few feet off the ground. They normally sit on the top of very tall trees and you can hear them, but they are hard to see. That morning, I was sitting on our deck doing my morning devotions and I kept hearing the Scarlet Tanager above me. I tried to see it and could not. In desperation I said, “God, why did You make such a beautiful bird and then perch it so high in the branches I can’t see it?” It wasn’t long after that the bird flew right in front of me and perched on the branch where I could see it clearly without binoculars! I wonder… Does God sometimes tell a bird where to fly and perch?

As we drove through Oklahoma, we watched for the Scissor-tailed. We went to a wildlife preserve thinking it might be a place where they would hang out. No Scissor-tailed was to be found. We were in Texas for several days. Each day, we would go to a local park that had a stream running through it or to another place where we thought Scissor-tailed Flycatchers might hang out. Local people said, “Oh yes, they are around here all the time.” But we didn’t see any. We prayed – my husband prayed that I would see one. I prayed that God would help me accept that I might not see one. I acknowledged that the more important part of His Creation is the people He created and we had rich fellowship with extended family during that time. Finally, hours before we were to depart, we had again gone to the park. Still no Flycatcher. Then on the way back to the hotel, my husband said, “Stop! I think I see one.” We stopped and there sitting on the power line above us was a beautiful Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. I was thrilled. “Thank you God, for showing me this beautiful bird!”

Driving back up through Oklahoma, we rejoiced in the family time together and in seeing the bird I had asked for on this trip. We stopped to spend time with more family and decided to go out to dinner that evening. We chose a restaurant in a nearby town and began our drive. I was with my sister and was telling her about the Scissor-tailed sighting and she pointed up to the power line to the right and said, “There is one now! And there’s another one! And another one! And another one!” Soon I was laughing joyously as we noticed that the road was lined with Scissor-tails on either side the whole way from their house to the restaurant. We counted close to 50 of them. The strange thing was that there were only a very few other birds along the way.

I soon realized that God was again teaching me something about Himself. He said to me, “You asked to see A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Texas. So I showed you ONE Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Texas. Now I am showing you that your vision is too small. I am the Creator of the universe. I am able to give you so much more than you ask for. I love you. Trust ME to be your Provider. Just as I lined the road with the Scissor-tailed Flycatchers for you to enjoy, I will provide whatever you need. I delight in YOU even as you delight in ME.”

I was reminded of this event as I was reading the story in Mark 6 about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and then walking on water and calming the storm. So often, I read about things like that in the Bible like they are isolated incidents that happened in the past. Sometimes I forget that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to live in us and make this Creation power available to us on a daily basis. We need only to believe and to ask. He can turn a few small loaves of bread and a couple of fish into a feast for 5,000 people! He can tell the wind to calm down and the water to be still! That same God is watching, listening and has compassion for each of us here and now.

Lord, help me to never forget who You are! Open my eyes to see Your wonders all around me, Your assurances that You delight in me, and Your working in me and through me throughout the day. You are an awesome and holy God. I worship You and praise You and delight in You. Today, please give me the strength and focus to serve You well and to reflect Your glory for others to see. Amen.

A 'How To' Manual on Praying

We live in a day and age when we believe we can do anything we set our minds to and we can control our ‘universe’ by the choices we make. We learn to modulate our tone of voice and choose our words to gain cooperation, acceptance, admiration, etc. from others depending on our goals. We learn from science that if you put A with B, you will get AB and if you remove C from CD you will get D. It is very clear that this is how the world works.

So when it comes to God and praying, we tend to believe that if we do everything just right, our prayers will be answered according to our wishes, hopes and dreams. We look for verses in the Bible about prayer and say, “If I have enough faith…” or “If I am persistent enough…” But it doesn’t work quite like that. God is not constrained to our demands, thoughts, and desires. Even Jesus had to accept a different answer than He hoped for. Let’s visit Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. “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 The answer? Jesus was arrested, put on trial, mocked, tortured, and hung on a cross to die. This was God’s very own Son!

By our definition of answered prayer, Jesus’ prayer was not answered. He did not get what He wanted! So I wonder if maybe we need to change our definition of what answered prayer looks like. Jesus wrote the ‘Procedure Manual on Prayer’.

“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. He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation… So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’” Luke 11:1-4, 9-11

How does this possibly line up? “Ask and you will receive.” All I have to do is ask and God will give me whatever I want. Right?

Back to the Garden… What was Jesus really doing in the Garden? Why didn’t God ‘answer’ His prayer? When I picture Jesus in the Garden, I picture a very stressed – even in anguish – young man. I believe Jesus, God in the flesh, was struggling to align His heart and actions of His flesh with God’s will. He obviously knew that He was going to die. He had told His disciples that on several occasions. But when the time came, the flesh struggled to submit. Because Jesus was fully human as well as fully God, He had to deal with very human responses to stress and anguish. Jesus spent the night in prayer not demanding God give Him what His flesh desired, but aligning His will with the Father in order to be willing to submit to the death on the cross that was coming.

When is the last time I struggled with my flesh, wanting one thing while God was taking me somewhere else? Did I spend the night praying my flesh through the difficult choice to obey or not obey? Because Jesus was willing to obey, we are given the wonderful gift of salvation. When I choose to obey – even when it is painfully hard – is it possible I am extending that gift to others?

I have learned through many hard trials to trust God. If He can take the hardest thing ever – Jesus, the One without sin being tortured and killed on the cross in order to pay the price for our sins and in order to bring about His resurrection, demonstrating eternal life and inviting us to join Him in His kingdom – surely He can take the trials in my life and use them for good.

What I have learned from Gethsemane is that I can share my heart’s desires with God, but then I ask God to show me if they are His desires and submit myself to His answer, whatever it is, in order to do the most good for His kingdom. My desire is to align my heart and will with Him – not get Him to align His will with mine. As a child of the King, my desire is for His will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Following at a Distance

Peter – the Rock – the Rock upon which Christ intended to build His Church – the one who would never leave Christ’s side – committed, strong and focused. This is the Peter who “followed at a distance” (Matthew 26:58) and then denied that he knew Jesus not once, but three times! How could this be? How could one so close and committed find himself denying that he even knew Jesus?

It is easy to give Peter and the other disciples a hard time for not sticking close and defending their Lord. But then I wonder – would I have been able to stick close? Would I have totally abandoned Jesus or would I have had the courage and curiosity to follow at a distance? And then the wondering goes deeper… how do I respond even now?

Jesus taught His disciples day after day about the Kingdom of God – a spiritual kingdom – not an earthly one. But the Jewish nation was looking for an earthly king – like David – to rise up and free them from the Roman rule. The disciples heard Jesus day after day, but applied it to their understanding of an earthly kingdom. Imagine the confusion when they watched as He was arrested! Everything they thought they understood and believed just went up in smoke! And their human response was to try to save their own tails and disassociate from the One whom they had been following – every one of them including Peter, the Rock. But Peter followed at a distance.

First I wonder, how many of us as Christians follow Christ at a distance – not wanting to put ourselves on the line or get into the heat of the spiritual battles. When discussions begin in the workplace or neighborhood gathering, do we identify ourselves as followers of Christ? Or do we slip into the background and disappear? We feed on His words Sunday morning year after year, but do we understand what He is teaching us? Or do we try to fit what He is teaching us into our own ‘truth’ and perceptions of the world around us?

And if I were to be asked outright, “Do you follow Jesus?” how do I respond? Do I say, “Yes, and here is why…?” or do I fudge or even outright deny so I don’t have to put myself on the line and possibly be ‘crucified’ socially?

Like Peter, I have in my past found my weakest point, when I was willing to deny I knew Him to ‘save my skin’ or at the very least to avoid conflict. Maybe I didn’t say the words, “I never knew Him,” but my actions did. And I saw Jesus turning to look at me while the cock was crowing – I knew on the spot I had failed. It had become more important for me to be socially accepted by those around me than to identify with the One who came to save me and establish His Kingdom here on earth as well as in heaven.

At that point, I have the choice. I can go like Judas and fully self-destruct because I have failed. Or, like Peter, I can have that hard conversation with Jesus and decide to accept His forgiveness and get about the Kingdom work again. Jesus doesn’t avoid us or kick us out when we fail. He offers us His hand of fellowship and reinstates us if we are willing and continues to give us Kingdom work to do – “Feed my sheep.” Jesus is saying to Peter, “Don’t just say the words, DO THEM.” If you love me, “Feed my lambs,” “Take care of my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

We all have a choice every day… we can wallow in our self-destructive behaviors or we can accept God’s forgiveness and get about the work of “feeding His sheep.” We can learn to love others the way Christ loves them – being willing to die for them in order for them to experience His great love and forgiveness. My human side wants to hold onto my skin. But when I am willing to abandon the need to protect myself and willing to give myself freely to God’s Kingdom, I can experience the deep, forgiving, re-instating love of Jesus and get about caring for others.

Thank you, Jesus, that you don’t give up on me. I am awed that you continue to use me in your Kingdom even when I have failed over and over. Keep teaching me your love and give me a heart to love others as you do, to see them as sheep in need of being fed. Fill me with your Spirit of love, compassion, mercy and grace so that I can extend a hand of fellowship to others just as You have done for me. Thank You. Amen.

But Jesus Remained Silent

In his novel, “The Trial,” Franz Kafka tells of a man who is accused, tried, and sentenced to death while never knowing what he is accused of, what was said at his trial and why he was condemned to die. In our American culture, this is unthinkable. We have laws protecting us and those who are accusing us are to do so in the court of law. If we can’t afford a lawyer, one is appointed to defend us. We have a jury of peers who sort through the evidence presented and determine whether or not we are guilty – all this before we are sentenced according to our guilt.

Matthew tells us that Jesus was arrested and taken before Caiaphas, the high priest. “The high priest and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.” Matthew 26:59 Finally a couple of people brought false testimony against Jesus. “Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent.” Matthew 26:62-63

I wonder why or how Jesus could keep silent. When I’m falsely accused, I want to set the record straight. I want people to understand the truth about me. I might even bring other people into it to defend my integrity. This is a time when I do not want to be silent.

So I wonder again, why did Jesus keep silent and how could He keep silent under those circumstances. Jesus was taken before the governor where the chief priests and elders brought their accusations, and again He gave no answer. “Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.” Matthew 27:13-14 The governor had the authority to set Jesus free. Yet, Jesus did not defend himself.

Jesus was sentenced to torture and death without defense. His friends betrayed Him and abandoned Him. Yet He resolutely stuck to the plan. The author of Hebrews tells us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

I believe Jesus was silent for at least two reasons: He already knew what the outcome would be and the importance – for the salvation of all humankind. He did not need to defend Himself – He knew who He was. “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” John 13:3-5 He took on the role of a servant even though all power and authority belonged to Him.

Secondly, He knew that if these people were blind and ignorant enough to put God on trial for ‘pretending’ to be God, no argument would be heard no matter how carefully spoken it would be. If people are not open to hearing the truth and have decided what ‘their truth’ is, they simply won’t be able to hear or accept the real truth. It might be a bit like “throwing your pearls before the pigs.” Matthew 7:6

So what do I learn from this silence? First, I don’t always need to defend myself – in fact sometimes, it is better to remain silent. I know who I am – a child of the Living God – and I can trust my Father to take care of me and, if necessary, to set the record straight. In the end, the truth will prevail. Misrepresenting the truth does not change the truth. How I behave and treat others does not need to depend on how I have been treated. I can choose a loving response: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

Secondly, I am called to serve – even those who may betray me or accuse me or abandon me. In becoming a servant, like Christ, I am making a way for reconciliation. That seems to me to be where God’s heart is at – helping us to reconcile with others and live at peace and in unity, so the world will know that we are His disciples (John 17). May God give me the strength and wisdom to live out these words.

Decision Points

In my Bible, Matthew 14:13-21 carries the title, “Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand.” Naturally, when I read that section, I focus on the miracle of the loaves and fishes – feeding a crowd of thousands with just five loaves and two fishes.

But today, I wonder if some of the ‘real’ story is in the first two verse. The previous 12 verses tell of the beheading of John the Baptist. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Matthew 14:13 I wonder if Jesus was feeling tremendous grief at the loss of a great man, a great friend, “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 I wonder if Jesus was considering what men had done and whether or not the human race was worth redeeming. How deep His suffering and grief at that moment!

“Hearing this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14 I wonder if the Father brought the crowds to Jesus to remind Him that He loved them and as He showed the compassion that so naturally flowed from Him, He began to make up His mind that, yes, He would go through with His purposes here on earth. Yes, He loved them enough to die for them – even those that killed one so dear to Him.

Moments like these in Scriptures remind me that Jesus could have turned away at any time and returned to heaven without any of the betrayal, torture, or the cross. He could have given us all what we deserve and ended the human race at any time. Yet, because of His great love and compassion, He healed the sick, provided nourishment, and met the needs of the crowds who followed Him.

He is still the same God – full of compassion and mercy. He loves us in spite of all the wrong we have done and encourages us when we do well. He cheers us on in this life as we learn to be more and more like Him, as we prepare for eternity with Him.

How awesome is our God! There is nothing that can compare to His great love for us.

The Gift of Forgiveness

In the world’s economy, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is considered reasonable. There is even allowance for compensation beyond the harm done for ‘emotional damage’. Our natural tendency when someone hurts us is to say, “I’ll show you what it feels like – and more!”

As I consider what I have seen others experience and have experienced myself, I notice that ‘getting back at’ and ‘showing others’ never seems to be enough. When we take justice into our own hands, the problem is never really fixed. It simmers below the surface and watches for opportunities to boil from time to time. Sometimes it boils out of the pot into a full rage. Sometimes it just causes a few burns here and there. But it continues to bring pain and suffering. As the rage grows into bitterness, all of the person’s life is affected by the bitterness and joy cannot be found. Jealousy is often added to the rage if the person we are angry with seems to be doing well. Jealousy and bitterness usually move to the next level of hating the other and seeing them as the enemy. And enemies must be killed – gotten out of the way. Only killing the enemy will bring true justice from this perspective.

God knows all about that weakness in the human race. Throughout history, He has tried to steer us away from it. God spoke with Cain before he chose to kill Abel. He tried to help Cain see that what he was thinking was not going to get him where he needed to go. After Cain killed Abel, he lived in fear. His problem wasn’t fixed. (Genesis 4) Then God gave the Ten Commandments through His servant Moses. These included: don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony, don’t covet. (Exodus 20) God knew that all of these things would lead to rage, hatred, and killing. God provided a way for people to seek forgiveness and to forgive through sacrifices and through laws.

When Jesus came, He taught us that loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves were the most important of all commands given to us because everything else takes its place when these two are in order (Matthew 22:37-40). He taught us that even thinking hateful thoughts about others was the same as murder because He knew that if we allowed ourselves to follow those thoughts, it would end in death.

In spite of all of those teachings, many of us (even in the church) continue to harbor unforgiveness and jealousy. It usually isn’t full blown and public, but it simmers under the surface causing unrest and brokenness, pain and difficult relationships. Sometimes, people who have been ‘murdered’ by hatred or have seen others ‘murdered’ leave the church and say that God must not be real because ‘His children’ behave just as badly as those who do not know Him – sometimes worse. Unresolved bitterness leads to an often toxic environment – a cancer that eats away at relationships and disables important ministry.

God loves us all too much to leave us in this desperate place of bitterness. He gives us a way out. He says, “If you forgive others of their sins, your sins will also be forgiven.” Matthew 6:14. He says, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17

It may be difficult, but the only way to full healing is for all parties involved to talk with each other and seek God’s wisdom through His Word and through the prayers and wisdom of other believers. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 shows us that unity with each other is the key to demonstrating to the world who God is and how much He loves each of us. When we work through difficult disagreements and come to a place of healing, we show the world God’s redemptive love at work and make it possible for them to believe there is a God and He loves and teaches His followers to love as well.

I have been pondering what it is about forgiveness that Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34. Why did He need to forgive when He had every right to be angry and even call down curses on them? Why did He choose to forgive those who were mocking Him and driving nails into his hands and feet? Why did He choose to forgive even His closest friends who betrayed Him and left Him when He needed friends most?

To forgive someone is to give up my right to be right, to be in control, and to have justice served in my favor. It is a merciful act toward the offender, but much more than that, it is a freeing act for the one who has been offended. It makes us free to love others no matter how they treat us and behave toward us. It frees us to fix our eyes on heaven and to worship our God. It frees us from the stress and strain of ‘remembering all the wrongs done to us’ and allows us to experience joy and peace. It brings healing to us physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It brings us a step closer to Christ as we identify with Him. We understand even more what He did for us on the cross and experience a greater portion of His mercy He extends to us. And He often shows us more of the big picture – that even our enemies are made in His image and He loves them too. His love extends to everyone. And His love in me must be extended to everyone as well. 




Lord, teach me to love others so much that I am able to forgive - even if the offender is unwilling to talk about it or is unable to see the pain they have inflicted. Keep my heart and my mind close to You and teach me to live in peace, knowing that You have forgiven me much and I must also forgive others. Show me where I have offended others and make me quick to seek reconciliation and forgiveness, offering others the freedom and peace that comes from forgiving as well. Thank you for the example you have put before us through your journey to the cross and beyond. Open my eyes to see the depth of your love for me and for others. In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.