Trust in the Lord, Not in Man

I opened my Bible to Jeremiah 17 today which has a few of my favorite verses. I think its appropriate today, both as a reflection, and in light of the fiscal cliff discussions. The Lord is our only real source for confidence and provision, and looking anywhere else, is dangerous to our faith.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 NIV
This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. [6] That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. [7] “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. [8] They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

So, let us remember to put our trust in the Lord, so that we can see His provision and blessing. As we trust in Him we will become a source of light and life to those around us, for we will be drawing life from the true source of life. Difficult times sometimes provide the greatest opportunities, especially for spiritual growth and openness to the Gospel. Let us look to Him and let Him guide us to His life, and experience His blessing daily in 2013!

In the Face of Opposition

This morning I opened my Bible to 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 NIV
"But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, [9] because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me."

I was just thinking about the optimism of Paul, and his willingness to continue on in the face of opposition. Here in one sentence he talks about a a great door for effective work being opened, and in the same breath the fact that there are many who oppose him there. He was not discouraged by the opposition, rather it appears he was just acknowledging the fact, but had his eyes focused on the opportunity.

I think at times, I would experience the opposition and be dissuaded from my efforts, because I don't want to cause conflict. The reality that Paul understood was the fact that the Gospel will cause conflict, for it is the establishment of a new Kingdom, and the old kingdom will not just give away what it possesses. The defeat of an existing kingdom is always accomplished through conflict. As representatives of the Kingdom, we need to understand that conflict and opposition will occur and we should not be afraid of this. Rather it is a sign that we are advancing the Kingdom. We must recognize the fact and accept it and let the opportunity drive us forward.

I think in the coming years, as our nation becomes covered with darkness, it will be even more important for us to understand this concept. Lord, help us to put our trust in You, and continue to work to advance Your Kingdom.

Pressing On

Hosea 6:3, 6 NIV
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. ” [6] For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

As I opened my Bible this morning, was directed to Hosea 6. This verse about pressing on to acknowledge God really caught my attention. As I was writing yesterday, my tendency is to quickly become distracted or to wander off the path. I like the fact that this is an encouragement from one person to another. I see in my minds-eye the guys racing on the beach in the movie Chariots of Fire, encouraging one another to run faster.

The promise is clear, its in pressing in and pressing on, that we will see Him. He will come, He will appear. He will bring refreshment and life.

The second verse is translated a bit differently in the NASB version, replacing the word mercy with loyalty. This is closer to the original Hebrew. It also makes more sense, following the first verse. God desires our loyalty and faithfulness and acknowledgement more than sacrifices or burnt offerings. This speaks to me of constant regular communication, rather that the once or twice a year grand show. I know for me the choice to remain loyal to the Lord, following His word, living by His example, is a daily, hourly and even almost every minute decision. Pressing on speaks of persevering in pursuit, kind of like Tommy Lee Jones in the movie The Fugitive, just dogged pursuit that never gives up.

Let us press on to know Him and love Him, and He will come!

Staying on Track

This morning I was reflecting on my inability to stay on course for a long period of time. At some point I start making decisions, or choices that slowly lead me away from the path I want to be on, and for a while I don't even notice. When I opened my bible this morning, I felt led to read from Deuteronomy 17:13-20 NIV:

[14] When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” [15] be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. [16] The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” [17] He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
[18] When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. [19] It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees [20] and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

Verses 18-20 really seem to be helpful in maintaining a consistent walk, as they were intended to guide and ground the king in the reality of who they are, and their purposes, and dangers to their focus. I think this would be very helpful to me, to write down the directives of the Lord for me in this season and read them every day, and meditate on my following them. Lord, I pray that You will help me, for I know You desire me to walk in Your ways.

Looking to Others

This morning I felt like I should be reading about John the Baptist. Luke 3:3, 7-9, 16 NIV
He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

[7] John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? [8] Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. [9] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

[16] John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

As I read through these verses I am reminded that there had been a drought of hearing the active word of God for 300+ years, since the last prophet was sent. That is probably close to 10 generations of people. The message of repentance was familiar, for it was spoken in the major prophets, as well as the minor prophets with some regularity. However it hadn't been spoken of in hundreds of years by anyone with the authority of God active in their lives, like John.

Its interesting that the fruit of there repentance that John focused on was looking beyond themselves to those around them. He was speaking against the pure individualism, and the greed that was present. The call was to not just change their mind, but to change their actions.

Luke 3:10-14 NIV
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked. [11] John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” [12] Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” [13] “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. [14] Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely---be content with your pay.”

I think this is a fitting word for my life, and I see in many ways the same type of environment all around me. Let us embrace the message of John and seek forgiveness for our sins of selfishness and greed and turn to those in need.

A Child is Born: Isa. 9:6

This morning as I came downstairs to pray I was humming Handel's Messiah, the wording comes from Isaiah 9:

Isaiah 9:2-3, 6-7 NIV
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. [3] You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

The day of the Lord's visitation, the day of His birth was a day of incredible blessing. Jesus revealed to us the Holy Spirit the wonderful counselor, showed us the Father, gave proof of God's love, justice and righteousness, in Himself made peace between the Father and all people, and demonstrated the power of God! The people of Israel were looking for King to rule them, but He was so much more. They were looking for a great human king, and kingdom to be established. He brought forth a heavenly kingdom on earth. The signs of Kingdom were cleansing, healing, miracles, deliverance and raising of the dead. His Kingdom is still present and still active in our day, as Isaiah correctly prophesied - "He will reign ... over His Kingdom...from that time on and forever!"

Finally it is the 'zeal' of the Lord almighty that will accomplish this. The Hebrew word here translated zeal, has a bit more depth. The word is Qin'ah:

Definition
1. ardour, zeal, jealousy
a. ardour, jealousy, jealous disposition (of husband)
1. sexual passion
b. ardour of zeal (of religious zeal)
1. of men for God
2. of men for the house of God
3. of God for his people

If you look at the three main words ardor, zeal and jealousy, they speak of a burning passion, a fervent pursuit, and protectiveness all based out of love and desire for another. This is how the Lord views us...passionately loving us, pursuing us, protecting us and guarding us, desiring that we love Him alone.

That burning love and passion for us is what caused Jesus to come to earth, born as a baby boy, and become as we are so that forever a way might be open to the Father, and we might enjoy sweet fellowship with Him. Lord, help us to recognize Your burning love for us today!

The Humility of Christmas

I was just thinking about amazing it is that You decided to come to earth Lord, that You humbled Yourself to become man. It is so far outside our expectations of a true God. We have stories from Greek and Norse mythology of gods coming to earth in disguise. We have stories in scripture of the sons of god coming to earth and having children with human women - Gen 6, and I think those stories all seem plausible or reasonable, because at no point did they ever give up their divine powers or abilities, they just cloaked them for a time so the could appear like us humans.

In coming to earth and becoming fully human, is where the real miracle of Jesus birth comes from. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he describes this emptying of divinity:

Philippians 2:6-8 NIV
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross!

And John describes the miracle well in the opening verses of his Gospel:

John 1:1-5, 9-14 NIV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[9] The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As I sit and meditate on this reality I am just overwhelmed by the complete humility it took to empty Yourself of all Your divinity, truly becoming a man, in the flesh, who was capable of dying, being wounded, and every other human condition. The idea that God became a human infant, fully dependent on his mother and father continues to be astounding.

Lord, help us to think of the reality of what Christmas is about this year. Help us to take time from out parties and gatherings and family events to think about the miracle and wonder of You becoming man, and becoming man, being humbler still and being a newborn baby.

The Real End Of The World

I had not intended to write about the end of the world, but this morning I felt led to read out of Joel 3:14-18 NIV:

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. [15] The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. [16] The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. [17] “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. [18] “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias."

I find this an interesting verse to read on this day, when so many people are thinking about the end of the world. In one way, they are all correct, there will be an end to the world, according to scripture, these verses in Joel are just one example from the old testament, and the words of Jesus, in Matt 24-25 as an example. It will come, it will be terrible, and our only refuge in that time will be in God.

This supposed end-of-the-world is for the most part laughed off by people and largely an excuse for an end-of-the-world party. The real end of the world will not be something to be taken lightly, nor will it be pre-scheduled event that you can plan a party for in advance. It will be an event where it becomes very clear that there is indeed a true God, whole protection is real, and whose provision is our only hope, as described in the verses above.

I think its wise to think about the end of the world and what is beyond. Our faith tells us there is an eternal life which we are invited into, whose invitation is extended through relationship with Jesus. This eternal life exists after the end of the world. Our place in eternity is dependent on our lives here, and as such worthy of thought and action. As it says in 1 John 5:11-13 NIV:

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. [13] I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

Let us consider our final destination today, not because today is the end-of-the-world, but because we are one day closer to the real end.

Semi-Random Thoughts on His Birth

Continuing my reading of Luke:

Luke 2:7-14 NIV
"...and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. [8] And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10] But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. [11] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. [12] This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, [14] “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

As I was reading these verses, I had a few new thoughts:

1. The very first of created things to see Jesus, besides His parents , were the animals in the manger. I find that an interesting thought, as God does nothing by accident. Is there a purposeful parallel between His birth and the creation account, where the animals were created before man?

2. The lowly state of Jesus birth, a clear sign of the completely different revelation of God than what was expected, makes me wonder why God chose this time to reveal that component of His nature?

3. The first people to hear about his birth are shepherds, who weren't even looking for Him, or probably even that religious. I find it reassuring that God chooses to reveal His plans and purposes and glory to those who are not looking for Him.

4. Most people missed the real significance of the first Christmas, and that is understandable. We, on the other hand, have in large part lost the real significance of this celebration, due to our own distractedness, or spiritual blindness.

I pray that we all might experience the visitation of the Lord in unexpected ways! I pray that we might be reminded of the real significance of what we are celebrating - that God chose to come to earth, to reveal himself more fully, and to save us all by taking our place, and paying the price we could not pay.

Part of the Plan

Continuing in my reading of Luke's account of the birth of Jesus, from Luke 1:67-75 NIV
"His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: [68] “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. [69] He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David [70] (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), [71] salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us--- [72] to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, [73] the oath he swore to our father Abraham: [74] to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear [75] in holiness and righteousness before him all our days."

There is a sense of fulfillment in Zechariah's words that is important for us to grasp and understand, in our need everything now society. God's purposes are generational, and are played out over hundreds of years. We are so quick to try to fully understand things in our present context, but God is operating at a completely different level. God's promise to Abraham was given approximately 2000 years before Zechariah uttered these words, according to some bible time lines. Regardless of the actual number of years, this gives us some context for understanding the perspective God has versus our limited time perspective. I can rarely remember clearly more than a few days in the past and see not at all into the future. I want to understand how my situation fits into the grand scheme of things, but in reality, don't really have a clue.

For example, I recently have been looking at my genealogy, and have traced my ancestory back to the 1700's. As I look back at all the marriages and children born, and each successive generation that leads to my own birth, I get a better sense of the ordering of God's purposes, for each link in this genealogy and each relationship is critical to my existence. I have their DNA in me. Seeing 300 years into my past is amazing, and helps me to see the greater scale of things, and God's ordering of all.

We really need to learn to be at peace with God's workings in our life, trusting that He does know what He is doing, and does have a master plan, of which we are part and participants. Most of the time we won't understand it all, but once in a while, like Zechariah, we will be able to see how we fit into a part of God's plan. Lord, give me patience and help me to trust You

Believing in His Promises

This morning I am reading from Luke again.

Luke 1:41-45 NIV
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [42] In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! [43] But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. [45] Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

My attention was drawn to the last line of her statement - "Blessed is she who has believed the the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!" I guess I am still thinking about the promises of God, and meditating on their significance.

A few thoughts:

1. They are God's promises - owned by Him. He made them, and His word is perfect and He is true and faithful. We can believe them because of His nature and character.

2. Our work is one of belief. Continuing to believe in His promises, even while in the waiting period is good for us. We enter into a place of humility, and anticipation, and longing for God, all of which are things He looks for in His people. I am reminded of 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV: "...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

3. Elizabeth's statement was as much about her as it was about Mary. Both believed in the promises of God, and both were blessed. In the same way, God's word and promises can be applied to many people and many situations for it is perfect.

Let us believe in the Lord's promises to us! Let us turn to Him and pursue Him in prayer and humility, anticipating His time of visitation in our lives and the fulfillment of His promise. Let us believe in the revealed character of our Lord, made visible in Jesus

Light in Darkness

In response to the happenings in CT last Friday I think the following verses are helpful:

Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. [2] See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. [3] Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Matthew 5:16 NIV
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Philippians 2:14-16 NIV
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, [15] so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky [16] as you hold firmly to the word of life."

We, in the Body of Christ, need to rise up in these circumstances and be a light to the nations. Our light is Christ, and as we let Him shine through us, people will recognize there is hope and peace in Him. Our ministry should be that of love and mercy! Let us love these stricken families, let us love our own children and let us turn to Him, who is our peace. We are truly living in a time of increasing darkness and we were destined for such a time as this. Let our light shine!

Approval to Expand

This morning I felt I should read from Joshua 17, and was surprised to see that this contains the story of Tirzah and her sisters, which is a great story of how the Lord extended the blessing and inheritance to the daughters as well as the sons. It also talks about the encouragement that Joshua gives to the two tribes of Joseph - Manesseh and Ephraim. They were complaining because they needed more room, since the Lord had blessed them and made them multiply. They wanted Joshua to appoint for them some other inheritance that they didn't have to work for. Although this isn't stated exactly that way in scripture, reading between the lines of verses 14-16 you can see that is their desire.

Joshua, on the other hand, feels that they can extend the borders of their inheritance by some hard work, and that will bring an increase to their inheritance. He encourages them in their abilities and in their efforts to expand their territory - verses 17-18.

This is what I felt the Lord's encouragement was today. That if you are feeling constrained by your situation, due to increase, the Lord is approving and encouraging expansion. However, it won't just be handed over with no effort, but rather through perseverance and new strategies. God desires our increase and is the God of abundant provision and blessings, and He means for us to expand our territories, and will provide the means to expand. This will require effort on your behalf, but it will be worth it.

Here are the verses from Joshua 17:14-18 NIV:
"The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.” [15] “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites. ” [16] The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” [17] But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph---to Ephraim and Manasseh---“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment [18] but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”

God's Humor

This morning I was reading through Luke again and I was struck by the humor in one of the stories about the birth of Jesus, that of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Here are the critical verses:

Luke 1:20, 23-24, 64 NIV
"And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

[23] When his time of service was completed, he returned home. [24] After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

[64] Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

So as I was reading this, I realized how funny this situation was, and actually started laughing, hopefully you find the humor in this as well. Setting the stage for this comedy - Here we have a man and his wife, well past the age of being able to have children, and God takes away the husbands ability to talk, right after He tells him that his wife and he are going to have a baby. I think there is a whole bunch of stuff that happened between the end of verse 23 and the beginning of verse 24.

What struck me as funny was imagining Zechariah coming home and trying to explain to Elizabeth this whole situation, without being able to speak. Granted that Zechariah could write, but only so much can be communicated that way, and here he is trying to convince her that they needed to try and get pregnant, and that he saw an angel, and why he lost his voice, etc. I find that quite humorous, and can imagine myself trying to convince my sweetheart of something this significant without the ability to talk, and failing miserably.

Add to this his inability to talk for close to 10 months and it becomes quite a bit funnier. I am wondering how does he explain to his friends and family when Elizabeth becomes visibly pregnant. I can imagine all the one sided conversations that happen in his house prior to the birth. Anyway, I could go on imagining situations and circumstances that would be funny or awkward or both.

I just think looking at the humanity of this situation, and seeing the humor in it is proof that God enjoys a good laugh!

God Protects His Promises

This morning as I was thinking about the birth of Jesus, the Lord pointed me to an unusual theme, His ability to protect His promise. I was reminded of the several times God sent Angels to provide directions and reveal the plans of the enemy to try and kill Jesus when He was yet a child. It is very clear that God is capable of stepping into our lives to guide and direct us.

I think sometimes we believe that God and the enemy are equal powers, or that God is generally either disinterested or disconnected from our lives. All of these are lies and as such we need to recognize them and cast them away from our thinking. The Bible is a great record of God's ability and willingness to step into our lives and reveal His love and faithfulness to us. I can think of numerous times in the old testament, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and on and on, when God touched their lives, gave them direction, protected them, and blessed them. The whole message of the New Testament is that God cared so much for us that He came to earth, took on Himself our punishment and established a new kingdom in the midst of this fallen World. That is exactly what we are celebrating at Christmas.

My meditation today is on God's ability to protect His promise, and at the same time not interfere with the fulfilment of His plan. I am amazed that He came to earth, took on the form of man fully, and became absolutely the most vulnerable form possible, that of a new born baby. Jesus purposely chose to become fully man, and in doing that put himself at the mercy of those around Him. When He was in danger, He could have taken back that which he gave up freely, His Godhood, but then he wouldn't have been able to fulfill the requirements of the law as a man. So God the Father chose to entrust His son, in this most vulnerable, state to people like you and me, Mary and Joseph, and guide them to safety with angelic visitors.

Here are a few verses that speak of those interactions:

Matthew 2:7-8, 12-14, 19-20 NIV
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. [8] He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” [12] And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

[13] When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” [14] So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

[19] After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt [20] and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

I know that I tend to think that this would happen with Jesus because He was God's Son, and of course God would protect Him. What I felt the Lord say today, is that He does the same thing for all of us. We are all His children. He loves each of us uniquely and individually. The story of His protection over Jesus is meant to reveal to us the Father's heart for us all! He watches over us, and He watches over His promises, and He is capable of delivering both. Whether its through Angelic visitors, family members who watch over us and protect us, or the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God is fully capable protecting His promise, of which we are part. God is not disconnected or ambivalent about our lives and situations, but sees our lives clearly and understands our needs. He is willing and able to break in and move in our behalf, but He also gives us the ability to choose our destiny. What a great love and faith in our nature, allowing us to choose Him.

So in summary, if God has spoken a promise to You, He is good for it. He hasn't forgotten; He hasn't become bored with You; He hasn't decided He likes some else better; He hasn't taken back the promise because of something bad you have done, or something that's happened to You. He loves You and will stand by You.

Amen Lord!

The Long Wait

Continuing my read of Luke's Gospel - I was struck by the personal story of Zecharaiah and Elizabeth. So often I read stories and am so familiar with them, I just pass over really significant things, and don't let them fully impact me. In this case it was the fact that they were both, according to Luke, very old. Even in those days they knew when a person was past being able to bear children, and understood the normal rhythm of life. If the author, in this case Luke says they were barren and says they were very old, it must have been clearly so (see verse 7 below).

I was thinking about the personal ramifications of this barrenness. There was a belief that children were a blessing from God, and unfortunately a couple without children was considered disgraced - or unblessed by society. Yet in the midst of that social stigma, these two were faithful and honoring of God, and unwilling to become offended at God, which is such an important perspective to choose. I am also struck by how often we look at people in difficult situations and somehow think it is their fault, or they are to blame somehow. That was a weight they felt, and more specifically felt by Elizabeth as her child-bearing years passed her by. She speaks about being free of that disgrace - in the Greek 'a bad name' in verse 25, so it clearly was something she felt.

One almost gets the feeling that they had probably, by this point, stopped praying for a child, as the time was past. Yet those prayers that were long ago prayed were still remembered by God. They didn't know their long wait was over, and that God had a miraculous plan for them.

That was my encouragement this morning, that God's plan and blessing is worth waiting for and believing in, regardless of how long of a wait there is on our part. He is capable of reaching into the most impossible of situations and bringing life and blessing. In the perfect time, God will act and it will be glorious. I heard someone say that the longer we wait for the fulfillment of a promise, the more glorious will be the fulfillment. So that is my encouragement today - to not give up on God, no matter what, it will be worth the wait!

Here are the verses from Luke:

Luke 1:5-20, 23-25 NIV
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. [6] Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. [7] But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

[8] Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, [9] he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. [10] And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. [11] Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. [12] When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. [13] But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. [14] He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, [15] for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. [16] He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. [17] And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous---to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” [18] Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” [19] The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. [20] And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

[23] When his time of service was completed, he returned home. [24] After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. [25] “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

The Messenger of Good News

This morning I was continuing my reading of Luke. I am so encouraged by this verse: Luke 1:19 NIV. The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

God loves us enough to send messengers from His every presence to bring us good news. The good news that is proclaimed originates from the goodness of God. All good things come from Him! His love for us, His mercy, His perfect will, His words of life are all good. His invitation to intimacy, relationship, and interaction are all so good.

I love Gabriel's statement about who he is - "I stand I the presence of God". That closeness is all we need to know about to recognize the authority in his words. As I was saying previously, intimacy is closely related to authority. Here is a mess anger who stands in the Father's presence, being dispatched with a special message of hope and life.

I love the fact the God knew exactly where and when to send the angel to meet with Zechariah. In the same way he knows where we will be and when, and knows what we need to hear. That is the thing about His word being perfect, not only is completely true, it s always spoken at the perfect time, to accomplish exactly what it was supposed to accomplish.

I guess I am just encouraged because I know that good news is coming to those that need it. Lord, I pray that You will send messengers with Good News to all of us that need our hope and life renewed.

Parents and Children

This morning I was reading from Luke's Gospel the story of John the Baptist, and my attention was drawn to the following verses:  

Luke 1:16-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

As I was reading through these verses, I was intrigued by the fact that this turning of parent's hearts to their children was part of the preparation for the coming of Jesus.  I know this is a restating of the last verses of the Old Testament - Malachi 4:6, but I think there may be more to this than just linking what was happening at that moment with what God had promised.

My experience with God is that His words are perfect, and often times have more than one meaning and application.  I believe that in addition to being the first prophetic words heard in about 400 years in Israel, these spoken by an Angel, they are also significant in exactly what they say.  There is something that changes the spiritual environment that prepares the way for the Lord to come, when parent's hearts are turned toward their children.

As I think about my own heart during the Christmas season, I am always more aware of my children's needs, wants and state of mind.  My heart is warmed towards them, more than normal, as they open the gifts that I have given them.

As I put that in the context of this verse, I think that the Lord's desire for all of us is that we would turn our hearts toward our children (as parents) and towards our parents (as their children) and that this would not just be a seasonal change, but something that has lasting affects in our lives.  Additionally, as we see our relationships changed for the positive, we are preparing the way for the Lord to come again!

One of the Greatest Gifts

In the season of gift giving I am reminded of (NIV)Matthew 7:7-11:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] 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 good gifts to those who ask him!"

And the parallel passage in (NIV)Luke 11:9-13:
“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. [10] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] 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!”

Also referring to the Holy Spirit Jesus said the following: (NIV)John 16:7, 12-15: "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. [12] “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

I think these last verses, and specifically John 16:7, are astounding. Here we have the Messiah, the long awaited one, the Son of God incarnate, telling us that its better for us if He goes away (to Heaven) that the Holy Spirit might be given to us! I think the giving of the Holy Spirit is one of the great accomplishments of Jesus coming to earth. He dies on the cross to fulfill the law, His blood atones for our sins, He opens the door to Heaven that we might enter in, and the Holy Spirit is poured out on all men - see Acts 2:17!

So, in this season of gift giving, let us ask the Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit, one of the greatest gifts of all time!!!

The Season of Preparation

Last night I read from Isaiah 40 again. (NIV)Isaiah 40:1-5
"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God. [2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. [3] A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. [5] And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

As I read this, I am reminded of the season we are in, waiting for Christmas, which should directly relate to our waiting for His second coming. We celebrate His first coming, and wait in joyful anticipation for His second coming. The ministry of John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy literally. The work of preparation for the coming of the Lord was initiated by his ministry in the wilderness. He called the people to repentance, and remembrance, and preparation.

I love the season of Advent which some churches celebrate as a season of watchfulness and waiting and preparation before Christmas. It is right and good for us to remember what we are celebrating and what we are looking towards. Our culture has made this season all about gifts and family, and shopping and parties, but the real reason for the season is to call us to remembrance and repentance, preparing the way for the Lord's second coming.

David Guzik wrote the following commentary on these verses: ii. The idea of preparing the way of the LORD is a word picture, because the real preparation must take place in our hearts. Building a road is very much like the preparation God must do in our hearts. They are both expensive, they both must deal with many different problems and environments, and they both take an expert engineer.

Lord, I know that so often my thoughts don't go anywhere near these thoughts during this season. I am often more concerned about what gift I need to purchase than I am with what changes I might need to make in my heart. Lord, I pray that You will help me embrace this season of preparation and help me to call to remembrance the real reason for this season. Help me to prepare myself for Your coming!

God Cares

I am reading from Isaiah 40 this morning.

(NIV)Isaiah 40:27-31
Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? [28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. [29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. [30] Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; [31] but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

As I was reading through this, I was thinking of how many people think that God doesn't care about their situation, or feel that because of what they have been through that He doesn't love them. The truth is that God does love you and does care and is always there. He is the only one we can depend on always. His view is eternal, He sees everything and hears everything. This doesn't mean that we won't have difficult times, or won't ever stumble, but rather that when we do, He will be there to give us strength and hope.

It is in turning to God, acknowledging Him, and seeking Him that He is found, and in finding Him that we experience His mercy and love. I am reminded of some verses in (NIV)Isaiah 55:6-8: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. [7] Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. [8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord."

Lord, I thank You that You are not like us, not limited like we are, not unforgiving, not unmerciful, not unaware. So often we want to think of You like You are human, but then You would be limited and undependable. It is so reassuring to me to know that You are God Eternal, all powerful and all knowing, and that You care for me.

Intimacy and Authority

I was just thinking that our level of intimacy with the Lord is directly related to our level of authority in the Body of Christ. Its in the place of being known, and knowing You Lord that we find out who we really are, and become more and more like you.

As an example Moses talked face to face with God. (NIV)Exodus 33:11. "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend."

David was called a man after God's heart. (NIV)Acts 13:22 "God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do."

The Apostles spent many hours with the Lord, and knew His heart and purposes. (NIV)John 15:15. "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

Lord, it is clear that there is a direct relationship between the time we spend with You and what You entrust to us to do. Its also so clear that its not head knowledge that is sufficient, but knowledge of You the person, knowledge of Your heart. Help us Lord to know You more.

His Flawless Word

Just opened my Bible to (NIV)Proverbs 30:5-6
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. [6] Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."

What a good reminder to me of the Lord's perfection, and complete holiness. His words are flawless. I am reminded of (NIV)Isaiah 55:10-11, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, [11] so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

His words are full of purpose and life and perfect. Its important to know that our understanding of His Word is at best only imperfect, in time. Paul writes in (NIV)1 Corinthians 13:12. "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.". If we don't understand something that God says, its not Him who hasn't communicated clearly, but rather a limitation on our understanding.

The second part is also important, we must not, in our limited understanding, try to change or add to His words. My tendency is to ty to make His words fit what I want to hear, so that requires either trimming or adding to them. As I have learned to walk in maturity, which Paul was talking about in the preceding verses in 1 Corinthians, I have learned to trust in God's word, and not worry about the gaps in my understanding, knowing I am not probably going to grasp the perfection and full meaning of His words any time soon. However, I know God, His goodness, His faithfulness, His loving kindness, His mercy, and His infinite love, so I can trust myself to Him, making Him my refuge.

Miracles and Repentance

I was reading was in Matthew, concerning the miracles Jesus did and their purpose:

(NIV)Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. [21] “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. [23] And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. [24] But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

As I read these verses, the first sentence caught my eye, for it describes the main purpose of the miracles, that people would repent, or more literally 'change the way they think'. Here was Jesus ministering powerfully in their midst and they weren't changing the way they thought about God. In John 10:25, identifies miracles as revealing who He is:

(NIV)John 10:25
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works (miracles) I do in my Father’s name testify about me,..."

In spite of these great miracles and countless people being healed, delivered and set free, the overall response was one of apparent unbelief, and unwillingness to recognize who He was. They were more willing to hold onto their old ways of thinking than change and recognize that God was truly in their midst.

As I write this, I wonder how often I have had similar responses to God's moving in my life? Do I recognize His presence, His interactions, His moving on my behalf and change the way I think, the way I act and the way I live? I think that the people were probably glad for the miracles, but just wanted to go on living life the way they had all along. How often am I the same way? Good questions for me to ponder, as I know God is after change in our lives, changing us into His likeness, to be His representatives. Lord help me to be willing to change.

Heart Motivation

This morning I am reading from Romans 6:

(NIV)Romans 6:16-18
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey---whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. [18] You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I like the phrase - "obey from your heart" as that so clearly describes the true motivation for changing one's life to follow Christ, its a heart motivation. Its not a decision for following rules, or some guidelines or even some teaching. It is a relationship of love, that affects our hearts, that changes what we want to do. The pathway is laid out for us in scripture, but if we are not motivated in our heart than we can just as easily change our minds and do something different.

A heart motivation provides lasting change, because with that comes a willingness and longing that rises up in our being. As an example, the difference between being in love with someone and being an acquaintance is significant in our desire to spend time with them, even in our thoughts and actions toward them. Being in love causes us to rearrange our priorities, change our plans, and think about our lives in a new way.

In the same way our response to Christ should be motivated by love. To be in love we need to meet the person, not the idea, not the teaching, not the doctrine. A relationship with Christ should be the core of our faith, and that which motivates us in our lives. A relationship with Christ has the same components as any other relationship - communication, interaction, knowledge of one another, and genuine affection. Ultimately the end result is oneness of mind and heart.

My daily time with Him increases my knowledge of Him and deepens my relationship with Him. Its in these times that I understand Him more, feel His affection for me, and express my affection for Him. Its in this place of relationship building that I become like Him, just as two people who are in love for years and years become more like each other. Its in this place of knowing and being known that my heart connects with His heart, and I want to please Him, and be a part of what He is about and doing.

Reality of the Bible

This morning I was reading from Genesis 23, the story of the burial of Sarah. What I found interesting was the mention of the town, where Abraham purchased a burial cave. The town was Kiriath Arba, and that town still exists today. According to a site with a Bible timeline, Sarah died around 2030BC.

http://bibletimeline.info/

According to the website describing Kiriath Arba (Hebron) the caves where Sarah was buried, along with Abraham and Isaac was revered as their burial place since 1000BC.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/hebron-tombs-of-the-patriarchs

In 1BC, Herod the Great built a wall around their tombs, and that wall still stands today. I guess I hadn't really ever done any research on this area, and it amazed me that it was so well preserved, and also so accurate to the Bible. It gave me another anchor for the literal reality of the scriptures. Thank You Lord for over 4000 years of history and roots of my faith.

The Awesomeness of God

Reading a few Psalms this morning - PS 92 & 93.

(NIV)Psalm 92:1-5
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, [2] proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, [3] to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. [4] For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. [5] How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!

(NIV)Psalm 93:1-5
The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. [2] Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. [3] The seas have lifted up, Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. [4] Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea---the Lord on high is mighty. [5] Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days.

Its a great day to meditate on the awesomeness of the Lord, His Love, His Faithfulness, His Holiness, His majesty, His reign for all eternity.

It is amazing to me that the Lord loved me and called me when I was yet a sinner and paid the price for all my sins. He knows my inner man, He knows my thoughts, He knows my failings, yet He is always faithful and loving.

He is so unlike us, His thoughts are so far above ours, His love and faithfulness incomparable. He reigns eternally in heaven, surrounded by angels and creatures who constantly praise His majesty. We see glimpses of His majesty in the beauty around us! How much more majestic is the creator than all creation?

His eternal reign is beyond comprehension, for He is beyond time, before and after time, present everywhere, aware of everything. He is more powerful than the combined sum of all the universe.

Yet, He knows me and loves me in small and intimate ways. He answers my prayer as soon as it leaves my mouth. He speaks into my thoughts His words of wisdom and love. He has taken up residence in my heart. He delights in showing me His love. He delights in me!

I am sitting here awed by the incomprehensible nature of God, yet He is constantly revealing Himself to me, desiring to be known by me, and loved by me, and willing to interact with me! You are truly amazing Lord! Words cannot ascribe to You Glory enough! I am so thankful for the chance to know You, to love You, to serve You and to be called your friend!

Obedience and Presumption

This morning I felt led to read from 2 Kings:

(NIV)2 Kings 23:1-3, 25
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. [2] He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets---all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. [3] The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord---to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
[25] Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did---with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

I am always inspired by the heart for the law that Josiah had as King. He followed everything that the law said, and carried it out completely. He was ruthless against the sin of the nation, and literally ground the images and poles to dust, and cleansed the land. He is an awesome example of purity, obedience and passion.

I am also amazed that he died the way he did, presuming the Lord's protection, stepping out of the will of God to attack the King of Egypt, when he had no real quarrel with him - see below:

(NIV)2 Chronicles 35:20-24
After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. [21] But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.” [22] Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo. [23] Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, “Take me away; I am badly wounded.” [24] So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.

I think its so important that we only fight the battles that the Lord directs us to fight. We don't need to go off searching for things to battle in our pursuit of God and His ways. I think so often in our lives we presume to know what the Lord is doing, based on some theme or some unrefined word we hear, or what someone else has heard, and we set off with zeal and passion and end up in a battle or situation the Lord is not in.

I have a good friend who said he had learned to stop and listen and make sure he knew what the Lord was saying, because in his early walk he had just started running as soon as He heard the Lord say something. The problem was the Lord would be warning him abut the cliff in that direction, but because he was already running he never heard that part, and off the cliff he would go.

It is my experience that the Lord will give each of us clear direction, and usually is only working on a couple of issues at a time. We shouldn't be taking on other things, just because someone else is battling in another area and we think its a good idea, or that by doing so we will show God how much we love Him. God is very capable of managing our uniqueness and dealing with each of us independently of each other, and doesn't need us messing ourselves up.

We also can have a tendency to judge others in areas we have been dealt with, thinking that God clearly wants them to get their act together in the same area too. Again this is presumng God's will. Most of the time, in my experience, God will deal directly with the brother or sister about their own life, and He rarely needs my help. That doesn't mean I don't encourage others, or speak the word of the Lord, or even give words of encouragement, but I can't presume to know God's will for someone else because of how He has dealt with me.

Also, the Lord clearly gives us areas of influence ad authority, and presumng His favor or authority in other areas can also get you in trouble. I think in the story of Josiah, his zeal outran his authority and commission. He wanted to capture Egypt for God by defeating the king and armies, but God had given him a clear focus of cleaning up his own kingdom and maintaining the kingdom in a state of pure worship, not expanding the kingdom. God appreciates our zeal for Him, but we must be careful to listen to His warnings. If Josiah would have turned back, he would have lived. As it was his loss to the King of Egypt brought Judah under a terrible tax burden and resulted in his son being carried off to Egypt in chains, where he died.

Hope, Riches, Power

This morning I am reading from Ephesians:

(NIV)Ephesians 1:17-23
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. [18] I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, [19] and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength [20] he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, [21] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. [22] And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, [23] which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

I think this sentence is so important: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." Three key things we should be praying for each other and ourselves - hope, inheritance and power.

These are related to the eyes of our hearts being opened. I think this relates to real connection in our relationship with Him. Its in this place of real relationship that we discover who He thinks we are, how He thinks about us, and His will for us - this is our hope. We do have purpose and significance. He does want relatationship with us, regardless of our state of mind and heart. He has called us because He wants relationship with us.

The riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, is the church. Imagine that - we are His inheritance! There are great riches in the Body of Christ, in the people around us, and He wants us to discover the riches. His prayer is basically that our hearts might be enlightened to see the riches in those around us. That should be our heart attitude when we meet together, discovering and enjoying the riches hidden in our brothers and sisters.

Finally, His incomparably great power. Incomparable means nothing else is like this power. I know I have seen things and had experiences that nothing else can compare too. His desire is that we all have these types of experiences, and understanding. Nothing and no one is like our God. He wants the world to experience this reality. We need to believe that if this is His desire, then He will deliver experiences that are in line with this desire. He wants us convinced that nothing compares to Him, or too His power!

One could argue that these are Paul's prayers, but we know He wrote these words under the unction of the Holy Spirit, and was expressing the Holy Spirit's heart, and that the inclusion of these in the Holy Epistles means they are for us all, not just the Ephesians.

Lord we pray that we would have enlightened eyes in our hearts to know the hope tonwhoch you have called us, the riches of the Body of Christ and the incomparable power available to us! Amen Lord.

Arise and Shine

This morning I opened my Bible to one of my favorite verses in Isaiah:

(NIV)Isaiah 60:1-5
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. [2] See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. [3] Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. [4] “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. [5] Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

I really believe this is the call to the Church in these increasingly dark days. We are supposed to rise up and shine! The Lord is our light, we are called to show Him to the world! His glory will rise upon us, and will appear over us! Oh Lord, help us to rise up, to shine Your light in the this dark world. Let us love like no other! May Your mercy and compassion, love, faithfulness and forgiveness flow out of us to the world. Fill our hearts with joy!

You are what we need and want. The nations long for You and when they see Your glory shining out, they will be drawn to it like moths to the flame. Lord we cry out for this generation, for Your people!

As I was praying this I was reminded of Isaiah 35:

(NIV)Isaiah 35:1-10
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, [2] it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. [3] Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; [4] say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” [5] Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. [6] Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. [7] The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. [8] And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. [9] No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, [10] and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Yes Lord, we pray this over the church, over ourselves. Strengthen our feeble hands, encourage our fearful hearts, bring healing and restoration. Let Your river of life flow out and quench the dry grounds, the desert, the hearts that are dying of thirst.

Investing Ourselves

This morning I have been meditating on Matt 25:

(NIV)Matthew 25:34-40
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. [35] For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, [36] I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ [37] “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? [39] When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ [40] “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

So the question for us, is what are we doing? Where are our hearts aligned? This needs to be individual, not a body or organizational level. Personal lifestyles of love. Taking some of the things I have been reading about lately - starting little, being faithful in the little, seeing what God has put in your heart and stepping out into that in small ways. I know both Tina and I have a heart for the orphans, lost and unloved children, one could say the fatherless. This more than anything causes our hearts to be stirred. When we see a special on TV, or an article about a situation, we feel a special anointing of compassion. I believe the Lord leads us with our hearts.

As I look at the parable of the talents - Matt 25:14-30 - there is a starting with a small entrustment, and the expectation that we will invest with that which we have been entrusted. When reflecting on the heart stirring, I believe that is part of the entrustment I have been given, a piece of the Lord's compassion for the fatherless. This is one of the areas I am called to invest into.

Lord help us to realize that we have been given much, not just to prosper us, but to invest into others, through love and service and relationship.

God's Awesome Character

I was reading from Exodus 34 this morning and this is where God makes the covenant with Moses:

(NIV)Exodus 34:5-7, 10
Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. [6] And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, [7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
[10] Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.

I love these verses because they so clearly state how God wants to reveal Himself to us. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love for us, forgiving our wickedness, sin and rebellion. What an awesome character list.

I was thinking about how we, as Christians, are so often portrayed as angry, judgemental, stupid and bigoted. I am sure that the Lord would want His Bride,the Church, seen in the same light, with the same characteristics. Lord help us to truly represent You so that when people meet us, they meet You shining through us, displaying Your character.

I also like the part where God promises to do wonders never before seen, demonstrating how awesome is the work that He will do for them! What a great promise! Lord I long for days of seeing You do astounding things, so that we, and those around us, might understand how truly awesome Yu are in Your compassion, mercy, love, faithfulness and forgiveness!

Jesus' Glory In The Church

This morning I felt like reading John 17:

(NIV)John 17:20-24
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one--- [23] I in them and you in me---so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. [24] “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

The word that stood out to me this morning was 'glory'.

In verse 22 Jesus says that He has given them the glory that we might be one as He is one with the Father. That is an interesting prayer. He is saying that we, the Church, were given His Glory which will bring about unity. I don't know if we have any grasp of that idea. We have been given, and are thus bearers of His Glory. The word translated Glory in the Greek is Doxa which is pronounced dox'-ah.

Its Definition is:
1. opinion, judgment, view
2. opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone a. in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory
3. splendour, brightness a. of the moon, sun, stars b. magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace c. majesty 1. a thing belonging to God a. the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity 2. a thing belonging to Christ a. the kingly majesty of the Messiah b. the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the majesty 3. of the angels a. as apparent in their exterior brightness
4. a most glorious condition, most exalted state a. of that condition with God the Father in heaven to which Christ was raised after he had achieved his work on earth b. the glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven

I don't see the Church in this light much at all. I believe we will see a change in the Church, a restoration of His Glory. Pastor Bill Johnson believes the Glory will be one of the outstanding characteristics of the next major move of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Jesus prays in verse 24 that He wants us to see His Glory, and to be with Him where He is...

He is seats in the Throne at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, yet He is present in our gatherings too. Its in that place of His presence that He wants us to experience His Glory. I say Yes and Amen Lord! We want to experience Your Glory. We want to know that the Church is far more than a meeting of good people, but that it's is meant to bear Your Glory - Your magnificence, majesty, brighteness and splendor. That this may result in our perfect unity with each other, and be a light to the world.

Stand With Our Brothers and Sisters

Yesterday I was reading Obadiah, and was struck by the passages against Edom / Esau for standing by and letting Jacob (their brothers) be attacked and doing nothing.

(NIV)Obadiah 1:10-15
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. [11] On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. [12] You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble. [13] You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor gloat over them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster. [14] You should not wait at the crossroads to cut down their fugitives, nor hand over their survivors in the day of their trouble. [15] “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.

Standing by and watching, gloating over their fall, are just as bad as actively participating -in the Lord's eyes. In His eyes this is all violence. One of the things we need to learn to do is defend our fellow brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Choosing to stand by them - in support and care, rather than in judgement. Lord, help us to rightly discern the Body of Christ, and rightly treat those who are our brothers and sisters, bringing them aid in their day of trouble.

More importantly, not asking or thinking about how they got into the trouble, etc. For clearly Jacob's (Israel) trouble came form disobedience and not following the Lord. How often do we immediately assume that people who are going through difficulty, deserve it, and then stand by and watch them go through it? Should not our response be to come along side them to help them.

Paul writes: (NIV)1 Corinthians 12:25-27
'...so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. [27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

John writes: (NIV)1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Lord, help us to love the body and encourage and strengthen the body. As Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians: (NIV)1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [8] Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

I think specifically verse 6-8 are applicable here: " Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." Amen Lord!

As I was reading through this I felt the Lord say this is important for those of us who live in KC, and are confronted with the recent news about IHOP (International House of Prayer). Let us stand with our brothers and sisters, regardless of our thoughts about that ministry or Mike Bickle. We must love them and support them and believe the best about them! For our love for each other must be true. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails"

Humble Leaders

This morning I was thinking about the leadership model in the church and how important it is to have healthy, balanced leaders. I was directed to Daniel and was reading from the first couple of chapters:

(NIV)Daniel 2:27-30
Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, [28] but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these: [29] “As Your Majesty was lying there, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. [30] As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

I was captivated by Daniel's humble reply to the King. Rather than use the gift of God to position himself before others, or flaunt his abilities, he saw that this was God revealing himself through Daniel. So often those in church leadership get this wrong. They think that God's gifts to them is meant to lift them up above others, and so allow themselves and even encourage others to put them on a pedastal.

God's gifts are meant to Glorify God, and point to Him. People will recognize the benefits of the gifts, but should never use these gifts primarily for personal gain or recognition. It is so important that leaders never lose sight that they are servants and representatives of God, and that is a humble perspective. How quickly pride sneaks in and causes one to think of themselves in the wrong perspective. Lord, please help us all to keep ourselves in proper perspective. I am reminded on Paul's letter to the Philippians:

(NIV)Philippians 2:3-6
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, [4] not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. [5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

Amen Lord!

I Was Chosen

Reading 1 Peter today, what a great start to a letter!

(NIV)1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, [2] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

I could almost hear him saying it to me. It is so good to remember that God chose me, that its through the work of the Holy Spirit that I have faith and am able to obey Jesus, and that its through His sacrifice that I am saved. I gladly accept the grace and peace in abundance! In fact I will gladly sign up for a double portion!

Thank You Lord for choosing me and setting me on the path of life! I guess it was another type of election, one I will be forever thankful to have received.

Do Not Fret

I am reading Ps 37 this morning and it brings me peace.

(NIV)Psalm 37:1-13
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; [2] for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. [3] Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. [4] Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: [6] He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. [7] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. [8] Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret---it leads only to evil. [9] For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. [10] A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. [11] But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. [12] The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; [13] but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

Two words - 'Eternal Perspective' are helpful this morning. Whatever our thoughts or feelings about the election, the reality is that God is still God. In His perspective, this is all part of the plan that leads to the unveiling of the Church as His Bride, and His glorious return. Many people have lived in difficult times, with unrighteous rulers, and God continues to bless them and provide them in the midst of those situations.

For us Christians, our job is to love, to be representatives of the Kingdom, and to let the light that is in us shine out in this ever darkening world. As Peter said: "Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." 1 Peter 2:17

Prophetic Destiny

This morning I opened up my bible to Ezra 8, which I haven't read in a very long time, but quite appropriate. It is the return to Jerusalem to re-establish the temple and worship. This is about the preparation and provision of the Lord.

(NIV)Ezra 8:21-23, 28-32, 36
There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. [22] I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him. ” [23] So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

[28] I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. [29] Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” [30] Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem. [31] On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. [32] So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

[36] They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

I think this is an awesome scripture, because this is actually the fulfillment of a prophecy that Isaiah gave years earlier. The beginning of the Book of Ezra names Cyrus as the King who begins the process of the restoration of the temple and Jerusalem.

(NIV)Ezra 1:1, 7-8
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
[7] Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. [8] Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

The original prophecy is given in Isaiah 45. At the very least this was 150 years before it actually happened!!! Yet God named the king by name and said exactly what he was going to do. If you ever wonder if God really has a plan for Your life, here is a great example of His fore-knowledge and purposes being announced ahead of time.

(NIV)Isaiah 45:1, 3-5, 13
“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

[3] I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. [4] For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. [5] I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,

[13] I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”

So putting this in our context, this would be the equivalent of someone in 1862 naming the next the President of the United States in 2012, and speaking about how he would impact the church in his day! God doesn't always announce His plans in such a public way, but He could. What is true about God in 700BC, is true about Him today. In Psalm 139 God speaks about knowing us from our mother's womb, knowing all our days before we were ever born. What's true about King Cyrus is true about you and me.

In Summary, God does have a plan for us, He has spoken about our prophetic destiny, He does know our name, and He will see His purposes fulfilled.

Of Shepherds and Fellow Sheep

This morning I opened my bible to Ezk 34, a whole chapter on shepherds. The following verse definitely hits home:

(NIV)Ezekiel 34:2-6
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? [3] You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. [4] You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. [5] So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. [6] My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

I think the most critical verse is verse 5: "So they were scattered because there was no shepherd..." although there were 'shepherds' in the Lord's eyes there weren't ANY! What a terrible indictment. I think that the main job description for a pastor is right here. Strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays, search for the lost, lead them with gentleness and mercy, lead them to safety and good food, protect them from the wild animals and give them a place to rest and settle.

Interestingly there is also a word for the sheep in verses 17-23.

(NIV)Ezekiel 34:17-22
“ ‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. [18] Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? [19] Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
[20] “ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. [21] Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, [22] I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.

How many of the sheep are not aware of others, only after what they can get, and not worried about others. The church is not meant to be a survival of the fittest environment, but rather a place where all are welcomed and all are cared for and nurtured equally. Obviously sick and wounded might require more attention and interaction initially, but all must be nurtured and fed and given a place to rest.

I think we need to learn to have a body mentality, rather than an individualistic mentality, especially here in the US. We are so often concerned primarily with ourselves, we may not even notice how our actions are affecting others (see verse 18-19 above). Let us open our eyes and look around and help each other. Let us speak words of life and give life giving water to drink - (NIV)John 4:14 ..."but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Amen Lord, help us to become healthy and strong, and concerned for all those around us.