Following Crowds or Following Jesus

I wonder, why is it so easy for people who call themselves Christians to follow crowds, movements, etc. and so hard to follow Jesus? We have Scripture that was written down by His followers that tells us many things that Jesus said and taught while He walked on this earth. Jesus tells His disciples in this passage that He speaks in parables so only those who truly are following Him (not the crowd) will understand what He is teaching. “When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.” Mark 4:12

Today, we may follow the crowds to church because that is where the good people hang out. We may go because that is a habit, and we somehow believe that going to church on Sunday morning will qualify us for heaven. We may go because we have friends there that we like to see on Sunday morning. We may go because we want others to think we are good people. We may go because our children need Sunday School. We may go because there is a dynamic or charismatic speaker there each week that is fun or easy to listen to.

Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to explain things to us as we hear and read His words. But if our hearts are closed, we will not understand. When we read or hear the Scripture about the seed falling on various types of soil, we believe ourselves to be the fertile soil and everyone outside the church to be the less productive soils. That is a mindset of self-righteous people. And self-righteousness actually creates a hard, untilled soil in our heart. It is a belief that I know all about it and I don’t have anything new to learn or need to change in any way. We sit in judgment on others and see how they don’t measure up and how the Scripture being taught is for them.

The next type of soil Jesus talks about is shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprout but they cannot take root. So the plants quickly whither and die. In the church, this may look like those of us who get excited about what is preached or the worship music on Sunday morning. We may even shout, “Amen!” But by the time we get to the door of the church, we forget what we heard or experienced. It makes absolutely no difference in our lives throughout the next hours let alone the next week! By Sunday dinner, we cannot even tell anyone what the sermon was about.

Seeds can also begin to grow but be choked out by weeds. To the church-attender, this is likely the most common soil. We have lives so scheduled with other activities (sports, meetings, projects, vacations, work schedules, etc.) that we don’t feel like we have time to spend specifically with God (reading His Word, praying, worshiping Him). We defend ourselves, make excuses and talk about all the good things we are doing. Meanwhile, our Father is waiting with amazing things He wants to tell us, but we don’t have time for even a short visit with Him. How can what He teaches us take root if we don’t nurture our relationship with Him?

So what does the fertile, tilled soil look like in the church? Those who are truly fertile soil are the ones who are filled with joy, are quick to love and show mercy to others, are quick to acknowledge that they need Jesus. They are humble, gentle, kind, and full of compassion. They have empathy for those who are struggling and are quick to pray for others with faith that God sees, He hears, He cares about what is happening to them. They spend time reading and studying Scripture, inviting His Holy Spirit to teach and instruct them so they can live out what they are learning. They pray deeply for themselves and for others. They listen for God’s voice to speak to them and obey when they hear Him speak.

My heart breaks for the number of people who sit on Sunday mornings and hear His words preached, but it falls on the hard, untilled soil, the rocky soil, or the weed-filled soil. Oh that it would fall on the fertile, tilled soil ready to receive the seed and allow it to grow and produce fruit! May we become a church filled with mercy and grace where people come to be healed and to grow in faith because we are tilling our soil, removing rocks and supplementing it with the compost of spending time with God and building strong relationship with Him. Amen.

All the Cattle on A Thousand Hills

I have worked for non-profits most of my life and been a member of several different churches as we moved where God sent us. Whenever a non-profit is in dire need of finances, I hear Psalm 50:10b “I own the cattle on a thousand hills.” And it is used to assure ourselves by saying that God will provide. I’ve been in a different frame of mind on my reading through the Bible this year. And it struck me that this verse has been abused and taken out of context quite a bit through the years. Indeed, God will provide and indeed He owns more than the cattle on a thousand hills! But maybe that is not what He had in mind in Psalm 50!

Here is the context of this Scripture.

“The Lord, the Mighty One, is God, and He has spoken; He has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets… Our God approaches, and He is not silent… He calls on the heavens above and the earth below to witness the judgment of His people… O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God! I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine… Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” From Psalm 50:1-15 NLT

It is really the same message that is in Isaiah 58. God wants our faces turned toward Him and our hearts fully engaged with Him. He doesn’t need anything from us! He already owns everything. He desires relationship with us. The sacrifices in the Old Testament and the final sacrifice of Jesus himself are all about reconciliation between a holy God and a sinful people. He constantly pursues us because He loves us and wants what is best for us.

The next time I hear that phrase about God owning the cattle on a thousand hills, I am going to choose to remember what He did for me, be thankful, and share the good news!

Digging in My Heels

The Israelites groaned under the hard labor and God heard their cry and remembered them. Not that He had forgotten them. But the time had come to move them from Egypt to the Promised Land. I wonder if they had not been groaning under the oppression, would they have heard God’s call to move? What would entice them to leave Egypt and go and fight the “giants” and claim the land God had promised them?

We see the story unfold and know the ending of the story and forget sometimes how many years it took for God to get the right people in the right place ready to obey. And we forget how hard it was for the people to move away from everything they knew and were comfortable with. They complained in the wilderness, but as I think about it, I am pretty sure I would complain too. They left the comfort of their homes and after God defeated the Egyptians by closing the Red Sea over them, the Israelites shouted with joy! And then the journey began in earnest. They found themselves camping in the desert wilderness, longing for the comfort of their homes. They forgot the slavery part – the expectations by slave masters and the beating when they didn’t meet those expectations. All they could think of was the comfort of their homes and the food they had to eat. And when they faced the possibility of having to confront giants in the land they were being led to, they buckled and dug their heals in and mutinied.

And I wonder, would I have done any better? As I look back over my life, I can see where God has led me. Many of the transitions were hard and painful. I felt like I was in the wilderness wondering if I would ever come out again. I had to face some giants. And I wonder if I ever would have left my comfort if there would have been a choice.  What did God have to do to get me to go to the “promised land” He had for me. Just as He needed to teach the Israelites to trust Him and go even when it wasn’t comfortable, He has needed to teach me to trust Him and be willing to go even when it doesn’t feel comfortable. Maybe if I paid attention to His still, small voice, I wouldn’t need the loud, “GO! NOW!”

That’s the big things. But what about all the little decisions I make daily. Am I willing to hear God’s voice – His nudgings? Or do I need for a bigger, louder voice because I am not tuned in to His channel? When He is nudging me to spend more time with Him, do I make time? Or do I say, “I am too busy. I have so much to do,” and then He has to lay me down in a sick bed or ice me in for a day or two in order to show me that my agenda is not Lord of my life?

Change is usually hard. We all seek comfort and shy away from discomfort. Yet, it is through discomfort that we become more teachable and are more likely to hear God’s voice. By reframing the hard things in my life as part of the journey to the promised land, I can become more content with my circumstances rather than fighting them. I can watch for ways God is working and align myself better with Him. I am free to serve wherever He sends me and I can experience joy because even if I don’t know where I am headed, I know the One who leads the way.

Thank you, Lord, for your patience in leading me even when I dig my heels in. You are so determined to get me safely to the promised land and I want to go willingly and with joy, whatever the circumstances along the way. Amen.

What is that Word ‘Wait’?

We live in a world that is instant everything! We drum our fingers, sigh and explode if the file we are downloading takes more than 2 seconds. Food is acquired by delivery or drive through, microwaved and eaten in mere minutes. We Facetime, Skype, or use another favorite app to communicate with friends and family around the world. We fly to get there in a few hours instead of days or weeks of travel. But wait? That is not something we do very well. There is at least one thing that still teaches us patience. It still takes about 9 months from conception to birth of a baby. We cannot rush the cell-by-cell growth of the fertilized and implanted egg in the womb as God does His work of creating another human being! Then we rush headlong into life and gasp when we begin to realize that we may only have a few years left as we reach our “golden years.”

God seldom moves at that pace. He understands that good things take time. The best food is that which is cooked, roasted, prepared slowly with much love and savored slowly with family and friends. The best times together are those when we slow down for a good conversation without one or the other of us having to rush off. And those who take the time to meet with God without throwing prayers like darts as we run by, find that the time with God is refreshing and enlightening and pulls us deep into a relationship with Him and sometimes calls us out to things much bigger than ourselves!

“When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ ‘Here I am,’ Moses replied.” Exodus 3:4

I don’t know about you, but if I heard a voice coming from a burning bush, I don’t think I would calmly say, “Here I am!” Unless I knew the voice. The story of Moses’ early life is brief and without a lot of details. He was born to a Hebrew family in Egypt during a time of extreme oppression. His family had been instructed to throw any baby boys into the river! Of course, his parents couldn’t do that! They kept him as long as they could, then placed him in a basket in the river being watched from a distance by his sister. He was rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter who apparently had a much softer heart than her father. He needed a wet nurse and through the quick thinking of his sister, he was given back to his mother until he was weened. In those days, that would have given her the better part of the preschool years with him. In those years, Moses would have learned the Hebrew language and begun to learn about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Hebrew people would have lived with the hope and promise of returning to Canaan prophesied by Jacob and Joseph.

Like any adopted or foster child, Moses would have always had a longing in his heart to return to his people even while enjoying the ‘good life’ in the palace of Pharaoh. In that longing, I wonder if Moses prayed and talked to God regularly even while learning the Egyptian way of life and the skills of leadership. I wonder if he prayed for his family and prayed to be returned to them. There was something there or he would never have attacked the Egyptian who was torturing a Hebrew slave. But the time wasn’t right, and Moses had to flee for his life and ended up in Midian where he married, started a family, and lived as a shepherd for many years.

During his time there, he must have continued to talk and walk regularly with God and likely prayed for his Hebrew family who were still very oppressed as slaves in Egypt. Have you ever prayed and prayed for something/someone and then one day you hear God say, “Let’s go! I want to use you as my instrument to answer your prayer.” I wonder if that is what happened with Moses and that is why he so quickly said, “Here I am.”

As that conversation went on, God began to get very specific and asked Moses to go back to Egypt. Through those years, God had been grooming Moses for one of the biggest jobs He ever asked a man to do! He had not rushed Moses. He was working through the infancy, toddler, primary, teen, young adult, and manhood years of Moses’ life, patiently preparing Moses for what was to come – the leading of several million people on a 40-year camping trip in the dessert without a supply wagon! Who in their right mind would accept that job offer? Only someone who walked intimately with God and understood the calling.

Lord, help me to be patient, to wait, and to sit at your feet learning from you, and then to be obedient when you call me out to go where you call me to go and to speak what you teach me to say. Amen.

Big Questions that Want Answers

From the time we can talk, one of the first and most consistent questions we ask is, “Why?” There is no end to what children attach to that word. Why is the sky blue? Why is there a moon? Why do I need to go to bed? And on and on they question. As we grow up, the question takes on a different intensity. Scientists and philosophers answer the question with their research and ponderings.

One question in particular plagues us most of our lives. Why do ‘bad’ things happen to ‘good’ people? It is an age-old question that comes up pretty much every time we suffer hardship or loss.

Reading God’s preserved stories about Joseph and Job simultaneously and adding my own experiences with suffering, has given me a different perspective on this big question, “Why?” Joseph answered the question with, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT And Job was answered by God with, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” Job responds with, “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I – and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things too wonderful for me… I have only heard of you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I have said, and I sit in the dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Job 42:2-6 NLT

Somehow, in this world, we have a magnified self-importance. We forget who created us for what purposes and we get busy taking care of our own interests – things that make us more comfortable and put our mind at ease. Like Job, we may be good people doing a lot of good for others or like Joseph, we may be striving as slaves for masters who get all the benefits of our labors. Both had a relationship with God but could only see their little part of the world. Job used his wealth and position to bless others. Joseph used his gifts and talents to do well where he was placed. He didn’t know why, but he continued to believe that God had a plan, and he used his time in slavery to learn and develop skills that would later take him straight to the top in a foreign land, second only to Pharaoh. Job lost everything including his health and questioned God. Up until now, he believed that if he shared and was hospitable and used the wisdom God gave him to bless others, God would fulfill his need for comfort and peace. So he was trying to defend himself but God wouldn’t listen to his defense! Different journeys, but same destination! God, in His wisdom, uses the trials in this world to bring us to a place where we meet Him face to face and come to terms with His sovereignty and our need of His grace and mercy.

It is in our own suffering that we are able to gain this new perspective of where we fit into the picture. Without suffering, I believe I am king or queen of my own little universe. When suffering comes, my little perfect universe begins to crumble, and I begin to see that God is truly the ruler of the whole universe. He created it and He knows how to best manage it. I am a small but important part of His creation. He loves me dearly and will do what it takes to open my eyes to His glory, His goodness, His faithfulness, His power, His love and His awesome presence. Who am I to question my maker? As Job says, it is all too wonderful for me to comprehend!

Now He has me in a place where I can more easily be used to His purposes. I become more flexible, more in tune with the Holy Spirit, more willing to obey. I don’t just go through the motions of worship. I truly worship because now I recognize who He is – my awesome Maker! God inhabits the praises of His children. His presence in me is more pronounced. His grace is evident in me and is easily extended to others because that is who He is!

We don’t naturally choose suffering, but God, in His mercy, knows exactly what each one of us need to come to the place where we can meet Him face to face and see His glory! He can use any circumstance in this world to bring us to this place. If we give it to Him, He will use it for good because He is good.

Thank you, Lord, for not allowing me to be lost in my own little kingdom. In your mercy and grace, you called me out and brought me into your presence through your word and through my life circumstances. I praise you and honor you and give you all the glory, for you alone are worthy of all glory and praise! Amen.

Don't Miss Jesus!

Religious beliefs in any religion are helpful in guiding us and keeping us together in social groups. But are they meant to be walls around us? I grew up in a faith-filled home where the Bible was read openly and we were taught straight from the Bible in church and home. The things I learned were helpful in the decisions I made as my faith was being developed and taking shape. Unfortunately, those very same laws became a stumbling block because all my good works gave me confidence in the wrong place – in my ability to follow the rules and do the “right” thing. That is called self-righteousness and it is a nasty business.

Jesus and His disciples were walking through a field. The disciples were hungry and pulled off a few heads of wheat to chew on as they walked. Those who were devout followers of the Law had determined that what the disciples did was called work and it is a sin to work on the Sabbath. They confronted Jesus and the disciples with scathing judgment. In that process, they totally missed Jesus, the Messiah! He tried to tell them, “There is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Then, Jesus went on to push a few more buttons for the religious leaders. They asked Him, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” They had already made a judgment. Healing was determined by them to be work. Jesus tried to help them re-frame that judgment. He asked them if they wouldn’t be merciful and rescue a farm animal that was in distress even if it was the Sabbath, and they all knew they would. And He continued then to tell them that a person is ever so much more valuable than a farm animal. Of course, the law would permit a person to do good on the Sabbath – including healing a man with a deformed arm! And He proceeded to heal the man. And the religious leaders proceeded to condemn him and plot how to kill Jesus! How dare He question their interpretation of the law? Again, they missed Jesus, their Messiah!

Yes, self-righteousness is a nasty business. It keeps us from seeing Jesus! We look at others through the eyes of judgment and condemnation – interpreting the law from our perspective and visiting it on others around us. We condemn them, look down our noses at them, and avoid them.

But Jesus!

Cornelius was not a Jew. He was a Roman officer. Yet he was a devout believer in God. He prayed. He gave to the poor. God sent an angel to him with specific directions to ask Peter to come. At the same time, God had some work to do in Peter to get him ready to go. He gave Peter a vision inviting him to feast on unclean animals (animals the Jewish law forbade them to eat). Three times Peter saw the same vision. In dream interpretation, that means it is God’s final answer and it is going to happen immediately. Peter was puzzling over that when Cornelius’ party arrived at Peter’s door. Now Peter understood. There was no question what God was asking him to do. He was to go with the men and preach the gospel – to Romans who were considered by the law to be unclean! Peter went and Cornelius and his family and friends he had invited to join them were all saved! And just to make sure Peter didn’t waver, the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and all who were with him and there was no question that they were also saved and citizens of God’s kingdom!

God does not follow our rules. He does not dwell within the walls we have built! What he wants is our repentance and a personal encounter and relationship with each one of us. If we are willing, He wants to dwell inside us! He is Lord even over the Sabbath! When He says come, we are to come. When He says go, we are to go. Yes, He gave us the Bible to guide us. But that is not enough. He wants to guide us and He can only do that through a personal relationship with Him. When we see our own need for His mercy, we are free to give mercy to others. Instead of spreading condemnation, we are filled with His Holy Spirit and begin to spread love and grace. We encourage others and teach them who God is and then let God work in them – just as He has worked in us to bring us to a place of deep, abiding, fruitful relationship with Him!

Lord, in your mercy, fill me with your love for others that I can be an agent of healing and grace in their lives. Amen.

Here I Stand

Job’s friends were without mercy! The kept telling him God wouldn’t be punishing him if he hadn’t done something wrong. Job is in pain – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He is grieving deeply and doesn’t understand why all this has happened to him, but he does believe he is in God’s hands. Job begins his response to his friends with sarcasm. “You know everything, don’t you?” In his pain Job tries to help his friends see how they are hurting him, not helping him! “People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling.” Job 12:5 NLT.

Job is frustrated with his friends who are speaking from their own wisdom and not God’s wisdom. He would prefer them to remain silent! He asks them, “Are you defending God with lies?” As though God needs to be defended! He tells them their “platitudes are as valuable as ashes,” and their “defense is as fragile as a clay pot.” Job 13:12 NLT This is so full of warning to self-righteousness! Job teaches us what it means to fear God. “Doesn’t His majesty terrify you? Doesn’t your fear of Him overwhelm you?” Job understands that God is powerful and that his friends could be next and not know it! They believe they are protected by their “right living.”

When we speak from a place of self-righteousness, we are believing it is our good works that protect us. Job understands it is God who protects us and allows us to suffer. He is miserable and he wants relief. He wants so badly to talk with God about what he feels is an injustice visited on him that he says, “God might kill me, but I have no other hope.” Job 13:15 NLT Job understands his vulnerability before God – the God who gives breath and knows the number of our days. Job is in a submissive position – like a dog on his back with his belly exposed. He fully trusts God and yet understands God has full authority and power over his very life.

Psalm 14 reminds us that none of us are righteous in our own right. We all need God! Psalm 15 says, “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?” And then answers … those who speak truth with sincere hearts, refuse to gossip, refuse to harm neighbors, refuse to speak evil of friends… keep promises even when it hurts, lend money without interest, cannot be bribed to lie. While we are busy being self-righteous in our churches, how many of these places do we fail? In the past couple of months, I have seen lies, gossip, harm, and more in our little church alone. How many churches struggle with this? Lord, come and convict us and turn us around! We want to worship you with all our heart and we need to prepare ourselves to do this with repentance!

Self-righteousness is never fruitful. It judges others and harms them without understanding the pain and suffering the other is enduring. It says, “If you live right and make good decisions, no harm will come to you.” And it doesn’t take into account where God is working and that there is an evil force in the world that brings much pain to its victims. Job makes me ask the question, “How can I catch someone who is stumbling rather than push them on down?” What does this look like in our church? In our family? In our neighborhood? Lord, give me eyes to see and wisdom filled with love and mercy to care for those around me and help them get back up!