Hard Choices and Stumbling Blocks

This morning I felt led to read from John 6:60-69 NIV:

[60] On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

[61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? [62] Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! [63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you---they are full of the Spirit and life. [64] Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. [65] He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

[66] From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

[67] “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

[68] Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. [69] We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

These are some very interesting verses, for we see many who once followed Jesus becoming offended and leaving. They were offended by His teaching about being the Bread of Life, and about being the Son who came down from Heaven, and how they need to eat His body and drink His blood. This was very confusing and challenging, and rather than press in to understand, the people became offended. The Greek word here is Skandalizo, which is where we get our word scandal. The word literally men's to cause someone to stumble or trip, to impede their path.

Looking at this from the people's perspective, Jesus had been healing people, casting out demons, multiplying food to feed multitudes and teaching with real authority. He was completely different than other teachers and He offered so much blessing, He was attracting people from all over. It is clear that many of the people were following Him for what they could experience and receive from Him. Everything was going well, and then He started teaching about being the Bread of Life. One can imagine if this happened in our world today, how quickly people would turn on Him if He said one thing that didn't make sense, or was challenging. We are attracted to what pleases us, but the moment that changes we are willing to leave everything and move on to something new.

I think this is often the case for many of our brothers and sisters in the Lord, those who have given their lives to the Lord at some point. They have a glorious experience initially, but then something challenges their thinking or belief or behaviour, and they quickly abandon this new faith for something different or less challenging. Maybe the excitement wears off and something new catches their eye. This is sad because they never really came to understand who the Lord really is, nor His call to them and His desire for relationship. When Jesus asked the 12 if they were going to leave, they answered that they knew who He was and would continue to follow Him, because His words brought eternal life. That is the transition that we all need to make, we need to understand who Jesus really is, and respond to Him accordingly. We need to answer the question that Jesus asked the 12 in Luke 9:20, "Who do you say I am?" Then we need to look at our lives an see if our actions align with our belief.

Relationships always give us the opportunity to look at our lives and see areas for change. The question is whether we are willing to change? This is often the root cause for divorce, selfishness and unwillingness to change one's ways to accommodate another. These opportunities for change are potential stumbling blocks, things that can cause us to trip up. The question is always whether change is worth it, are we willing to make the hard choice? Do we value the other person more than our own opinion or behavior? This is the same question we confront in our relationship with the Lord, is He more important to us than our ideas, opinions or behaviour?

The good news is that the Lord is patient, forgiving and always faithful. He is constantly drawing us toward Him, and will never abandon us, even if we abandon Him. We may outright deny Him, yet He will take us back, and continue to reach out to us until we do. The story of Peter's denial and then restoration in John's gospel are so encouraging in this regard (See John Chapters 18 & 21).

Ultimately, who else has the Words of Eternal life, loves us unconditionally and has given His life for us? So let us not stumble over things we do not understand, or challenge our thinking or lifestyle, but let us press in to know Christ as our Messiah, our Savior and Lord.

A Sin Exchange

The meditation this morning is from Luke 7:36-38 NIV:

[36] "When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. [37] A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. [38] As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them."

-and -

Luke 7:44-48 NIV
[44] Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. [47] Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven---as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

[48] Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

I was thinking this morning about the women's motivation and purpose in coming to Jesus. She s clearly on a mission from the start, for she showed with a jar of perfume. She had lived a sinful life, the consensus is that she prostituted herself, she brings her perfume, which was likely one of the tools of her trade, and pours it on Jesus' feet. She weeps at His feet, wetting his feet with her tears then dries His feet wth her hair, also likely one of the tools of her trade. We know of no other specific interaction between this woman and Jesus and yet she comes, drawn to Him, unafraid of the opinions of others.

I am reminded of stories I have read of revivals where the people of towns come running forward to the altar, confessing their sins in front of all their towns-folk, but under such a sweet Spirit of repentance, they are almost unaware, and certainly don't care what others think. I think there was probably a similar unction of the Holy Spirit upon this woman. She knew she had nothing to fear from the Lord, and that what was available was freedom from her sins, and forgiveness for all. She laid her sinful life at His feet and received His love and forgiveness in return. He wasn't repulsed by her sin, didn't reject her touch, but accepted her. He did a great work in her life that day, and she was certainly changed.

So often we are afraid to come to God in our sin, and yet we never see Jesus reject a truly repentant sinner. He extends forgiveness and mercy to all, and He draws these people out of their sinful lives into His Kingdom of Light. He sets them free from the chains that have bound them, and restores their dignity. Their lives are changed, they are saved and redeemed. Our natural inclination is to run away from God in our shame and sinfulness, but running to Him is the right decision and action. He is willing to exchange our sinfulness for salvation, our wretchedness with a new life, our chains for freedom.

Lord I pray that You will quicken our hearts for repentance, that we might be cleansed, healed, and set free. Thank You for Your mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

Of Exercise, Faith and Deeds

This morning I felt led to read from James again. This morning's verses and meditations are from James 2:14-18, 22-24, 26 NIV:

[14] "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [15] Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

[18] But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

[22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. [23] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. [24] You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

[26] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

These verses remind me of something that Randy Clark and Bill Johnson talk about when praying for healing, they ask people to activate their faith, by trying out the movement that they couldn't previously do, after they have been prayed for. They say that about half the people who they pray for don't feel anything, but when they try to move the part find they are healed and sometimes are healed only when they move the part.

In light of these scriptures, if I applied them to healing, that makes perfect sense. As James says in verse 26, "faith without deeds is dead.". The Greek word here translated deeds, is Ergon, related to the word which is the root of Ergonomics, study of movement. Ergon means work, deeds, employment , moving for a reason and purpose. In the case of prayer for healing the request to "move" the part f the body that was just prayed for makes perfect sense.

In other areas of our life, I think Lord wants to highlight this as well. We could rephrase these verses into simply - 'if we say we believe something, then our actions must support our statement, otherwise we don't really believe that something'. If I say I care about the homeless but do nothing to show that, then I am only saying I like the idea of caring about the homeless, but personally don't believe in it. James's statement is really an equation that works both ways - faith and deeds/works are mutually dependent on each other. Faith requires deeds to stay alive, deeds without faith becomes self-serving.

Recently the Lord is encouraging me to look at my life, and see what I really believe, by proof of my actions. He is not leading me down this path to make me feel bad, and to beat me for disobedience, but rather to help me grow my faith. There is much I believe intellectually, that is kept barely alive by the limited actions associated with that belief. He wants to see my faith grow, and is showing me the path forward. He is like a strength training coach, who is describing the process of building muscle and it requires movement, or work. If I want to grow the muscles in my arms, leg exercises won't help, I must exercise/move the parts that I want to grow.

So putting this into simple terms, if I want grow in faith for healing than I need to start praying for people who need healing. If I want to grow in my faith and knowledge of the Word, I need to study the Word, and seek out teachers who know the Word. If I want to grow in my faith in my ability to represent the Kingdom of God, then I need to be in conversations with people who aren't in the Kingdom, helping them to see the difference Jesus makes in my life. If I want to grow in my faith and knowledge of the ways of God, in knowing what He is like and what He will do, I need to study His words and actions (scripture) and listen to others who know Him better than I do. If I say I want to grow in my faith, than I need to allow the Lord to put me in places that require greater faith.

Finally, our actions should be with purpose driven by a desire to grow in our faith, not just because someone else is doing them. When we do works and deeds without a faith connection, we are often times doing them for recognition or some other self-serving reason. When I first got involved with a retreat ministry, I served really well, setting up and tearing down chairs, moving tables, packing, unpacking, all without complaining or anyone asking me to help. From the outside it looked like I was an exemplary humble servant, on the inside, I was doing it to convince people of my maturity, and was hiding from having to talk to anyone about anything important. I was motivated by fear, fear that they would see my actual immaturity and fear of man, those I didn't know. I wasn't doing the work, because of my desire to grow in faith in my ability to show mercy and compassion, or service to others.

If we want to grow in our faith in an area, that is excellent, because that desire ultimately was birthed in God's heart for us. We should ask Him how to grow in that particular area. If we go to a gym and want to start exercising, we should probably talk to someone to show us how to use the machines, how to maintain proper form, and even build a plan that will help us grow, without injuring ourselves. In the same way, God will help us grow and mature. He doesn't want us to flame out and fail, but rather wants to grow us and mature us with optimal results. If I go to the gym and try to lift 500lbs the first day I will likely fail, and may not come back to the gym. In the same way if I want to grow in faith for healing, and the first person I pray for has cancer and doesn't get healed, I may never pray for another person, and my faith, that little bit of faith that I had for healing will dry up.

Also, deeds by themselves won't make our faith grow. I had a friend who wanted to grow in his faith for healing, and one day while driving down the road, he threw his glasses out the window. His thought was that by wearing glasses he was showing he didn't have faith, and so was trying to exercise his faith, or create faith for healing by tossing his glasses. His heart was in the right place, but his approach might not have been what the Lord wanted, nor what He was telling him to do. He was trying to lift 500lbs, thus creating faith and didn't succeed. Ultimately he had to go back to wearing glasses, and his faith in healing was probably weakened. I know the Lord can heal eyes, I have personally seen Him restore sight to a blind man through prayers, so it wasn't that the Lord wasn't able to heal him. The Lord does want us all to grow in our faith for all this, and He will guide us and grow us. He also doesn't mind or discourage us from trying to lift the 500lbs, but He doesn't want us to stop believing because we can't.

His charge for us all is the same as the charge He gave the Apostles, "As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Matt. 10:7-8

So my encouragement this morning is to allow the Lord to guide me to the areas of faith that need to grow. I then need to allow Him to show me how, expecting Him to be better than the best athletic trainer, because He knows everything about me. I know He wants me to grow in my faith, and He will give me plenty of ways to exercise my faith through movement/exercise, works and deeds.

Amen Lord, let's do this!

A Culture of Honesty

I felt like I should read from James 5 this morning and I settled on these verses for my meditation - James 5:13-16 NIV:

[13] "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

I was just thinking about how these four verses define the simple, yet healthy culture of the church of James' day. There was a real power to prayer, experienced in their midst. They shared joy, sadness, troubles and helped each other. They had a healthy attitude towards each other, recognizing that they were all sinners, but that the Lord's forgiveness and healing was for them all. There is evident a healthy transparency, a simpleness to just being who they are and what they are experiencing. There is a trust in each other, and reliance on one another, not out of desperate need, but out of relationship. One gets the feeling that there is a culture of honesty - people are free to be honest, not putting on airs, not trying to act a certain way, not trying to appear religious, not trying to impress one another or their leaders - people just being honest with who they are and how they feel.

Oh Lord, that You would help the church today to live and operate with this type of culture. That the world would see a place of complete honesty, mercy, grace, life and healing, and that You the source of all of this would be glorified!

Drink for the Thirsty, Food for the Hungry

This morning I felt I should read from Psalm 107:1-9NIV:

[1] "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
[2] Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story---those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
[3] those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
[4] Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.
[5] They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
[6] Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
[7] He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
[8] Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
[9] for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

The whole of Psalm 107 is a wonderful song about the faithfulness of the Lord, regardless of the situation a person finds themselves in, whether wilderness, chains, sickness, near death, or on the sea in a sinking ship. The Lord is faithful to hear and act.

The first verses speak of someone in the wilderness who is hungry and thirsty. Although this speaks of a physical reality, I believe it can equally apply to our spiritual condition. I know there have been a few times in my life when I felt completely and utterly alone, lost, dry as a bone, and starving - spiritually. The Lord has been faithful to meet there and help me to find my way forward. It says that "He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle", indicating His desire to settle us, and the importance of others.

Finally, "He satisfies the thirst, and fills the hungry with good things" which is exactly want we need at that moment. This is a promise of provision and comfort, physically and more importantly, spiritually. I know that we can be full physically and absolutely starving spiritually, and I think that is unfortunately the case for many people in our land. We have a bounty available to us of fresh water and food, and yet we hunger and thirst for more of God. For many of us, we are not even aware of our need. John writes about this condition in the Book of Revelations - 3:17-18: "You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."

So let us cry out to the Lord, and seek Him. He is faithful to satisfy our thirst and still our hunger. He is what we need. Let us heed His invitation from Isaiah 55:1-2 NIV: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. [2] Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."

- And again in John 6:53-57 NIV: "Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. [56] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. [57] Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me."

He is the source for everything we need - drink and eat and be satisfied.

A Glorious Inheritance

The verses for my morning meditation are taken from Paul's letter to the Romans 5:1-11 NIV:

[1] "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; [4] perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[9] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! [10] For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! [11] Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

There is so much to think about in these verses. Conversations about sufferings, grace, faith, salvation, redemption, justification, and the like. Each topic could be a book.

The first theme that comes to mind, as I let these verses resonate within me, is the difference a mindset and heart connection towards the Lord can make as we experience our life. I was thinking about a normal response to suffering, and how it doesn't usually lead to hope, but often times anger and bitterness.

The Greek word, here translated suffering, can also more accurately be translated as pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits. The root of the word is a word which is used to describe the pressing of grapes. Paul speaks about glorying in these situations. I think a more common response in these situations is 'why me, Lord?'.

In a person, whose heart is fully connected to Christ, whose mind is set on Him and eternal life together with Him, trials and suffering can take on a completely different color. The heart connected to the Lord in intimate relationship, understands that the trials and struggles of life are opportunities to grow closer to the Lord, and see His love expressed and experienced. It doesn't mean the struggles will be easy, but that result will be good, and there will be a pouring forth of His love into their hearts. Not that these people become masochists, enjoying the suffering, but rather they allow the experience to drive them deeper into the Lord's embrace, and in that place experience great hope and love.

The second thought concerns verse 8, that the Lord died for me while I was still a sinner. This is true for us all, as God, with His eternal perspective, knows us all, understands all our sin, and yet chooses us as His sons and daughters. There is no earning of His love, no deeds we do that qualify us, no cleaning up our act to gain entrance, but rather His sovereign choice and accomplishment. He chooses and acts, and we receive, by way of faith and relationship. This never ceases to amaze me, this gift of God, this salvation that is freely given, this desire for relationship with me.

The equally amazing thing is that the gift of salvation doesn't end with the payment for our sins, but culminates in a life of blessing and intimacy. He doesn't just want to see us debt-free, but wants us to live as sons and daughters of the King! He calls us co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17), and as such we have the same glorious inheritance, except He doesn't have to die that we might receive this inheritance. Jesus already did die, and now He lives, and we can share this glorious inheritance with Him every day, here and eternally. As Paul writes in Romans 8:31-32: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all---how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

Amen and amen, we serve an awesome God. Let us embrace Him and go deeper in relationship, allowing our lives to be transformed and our hearts to be filled with His love.

Hades is For Real

The meditation this morning is from Luke 16:19-31 NIV:

[19] “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. [20] At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores [21] and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

[22] “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. [23] In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. [24] So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

[25] “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

[27] “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, [28] for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

[29] “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

[30] “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

[31] “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

The first thing I thought of this morning as I read these verses was that Hell/Hades is for real - a play on the title of the recently released movie, "Heaven is for Real". One could possibly try to ignore hell, just not believe in hell, or believe that no one is going to hell, it Jesus makes it quite clear in these verses that there is a place where torment exists after death. He describes Hades as a place of fire and a place of separation from God and that which is good and satisfies.

The Hades He is speaking about is commonly believed to be the holding place of the dead, prior to Jesus' death and resurrection. This is not the final Hell, or lake fire, as described in Revelation 20:13-15 NIV: "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. [14] Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. [15] Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." For a fuller treatment of this, see David Guzick's discussion at http://classic.studylight.org/com/guz/view.cgi?book=lu&chapter=16&verse=23#Lu16_24">

Regardless of how Hades is defined, Jesus is speaking about eternal destinies affected by our lives here on the earth. This is something we need to pay attention to, for we only get one life. I think the final verse is interesting, considering we just celebrated Jesus' resurrection. There are those who will not believe "even if someone rises from the dead."

It s important to note that those who wouldn't believe had heard the prophets and Moses proclaimed. The Lord, is not one to hand out random punishment, to unknowing individuals. We, thus, know more about the rich man as well. He had heard the Prophets and Moses teachings proclaimed, yet his life was unchanged, and he ignored the commandments and scriptures, choosing instead to live a life of selfishness, self-focus, and greed, for he wouldn't share anything with the poor man who he passed at his gate. That he knew Lazarus is clear, so we see that his choice to ignore his need was part of the issue. Jesus speaks of the lost and hungry and poor in Matt 25:41-46, and how one's ignoring their need will affect one's eternal destiny, as described in this parable.

So let us examine our lives. Let us notice and care for those around us in need. Let us set our hearts on something other than our own selfish desires, and let us consider our eternal destinies.

He Is Not Here, He Has Risen!

This morning I was looking at two sets of verses, recounting the happenings around Jesus crucifixion and Resurrection, as follows:

Matthew 27:51-54 NIV:

[51] "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split [52] and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. [53] They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. [54] When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

-and -

Matthew 28:1-10 NIV:

[1] "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. [2] There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. [3] His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. [4] The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

[5] The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. [6] He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. [7] Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

[8] So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. [9] Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. [10] Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

I was just reading back through these verses and the angel's statement to the women just grabbed me - "He is not here, He has Risen, just as He said!" That is such an awesome statement, my heart just resonates with that proclamation! That is the proclamation the church is making today! Our God is not dead! He is alive!

Amen and Hallelujah!

Freedom From Sin And Death

The verses for today are from Luke 23:20-23, 25-46 NIV:

[20] "Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. [21] But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

[22] For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

[23] But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. [25] He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

[26] As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. [27] A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

[28] Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. [29] For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ [30] Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ [31] For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

[32] Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. [33] When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals---one on his right, the other on his left.

[34] Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

[35] The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

[36] The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar [37] and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

[38] There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

[39] One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

[40] But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? [41] We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” [42] Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ”

[43] Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

[44] It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, [45] for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

[46] Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last."

There is not much to write, but much to think about, for Jesus suffered these things that our sins might be forgiven, and our relationships to the Father might be restored. He took our sins upon himself, paid the price with His body and blood. He died that we might live eternally.

I am reminded of verses from the Letter to the Hebrews 2:14-17 NIV:

[14] "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death---that is, the devil--- [15] and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. [16] For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. [17] For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

Lord, I am certainly not worthy, but I thank You for setting me free from sin and death by Your sacrifice.

Don't Be The Older Son

Yesterday I was meditating on the story of the prodigal son, (Luke 15:11-32) and saw something I never saw before concerning the older son. Here are the passages concerning him:

Luke 15:11-12, 25-32 NIV:

[11] "Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. [12] The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

[25] “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. [27] ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

[28] “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. [29] But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. [30] But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

[31] “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. [32] But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

As I was reading verse 12, I was struck by the last sentence - "He divided his property between them". I have read this story and heard this story maybe hundred's of times, yet never noticed the words "between them". In other words the Father gave the older son his share at the same time as He gave it to the younger son. I read the original Greek for clarity, but it isn't definitive to me, so I checked multiple different translations, done by people who understand the nuances of the Greek, and they all say the virtually the same thing.

What amazed me about this is I always believed the older brother's narrative to the Father, although it was clearly a mis-judgment of the Father's character by the older son, I still thought the basics of what he said were true. He had never received anything from the Father, mostly because he never asked. NOW, I read this and realize the Father had given him a huge amount of cash at the same time as the younger son, and my whole understanding of the story has changed. The older son, wasn't just misjudging the Father's character, thinking he worked for a taskmaster, instead it is about the older son's complete ungratefulness, and own character!

The older son had received the greatest gift his Father could give him, and in his eyes it was nothing! He was so ungrateful, so angry and so works oriented, that he refused relationship with the father, with his lost brother, and even turned up his nose at the feasting available to him. He refused to go in, and made the Father come out him. He accused the Father of being over generous, over merciful to the lost brother, and then accused Him of never giving him anything, which was a complete and utter lie!

One wonders if this was the result of the deception of bitterness? Was he so ungrateful that whatever he received was never enough? Was he so focused on his own self-worth, and convinced of his utter superiority that what the Father had given him was an insult? Was he just and angry, hateful individual who was contrary or confrontational about all things?

Personally, I think that this character represents many of us, who have lost our sense of the great gift we have been given in the forgiveness of our sins, and restoration of relationship with the Father. He represents those of us who live a life of dissatisfaction and disappointment based on certain things that haven't gone the way we think they should have, and we blame God. He represents those who expect the Father to answer their every prayer for self-indulgent things. He represents those who have a works mentality, who think they have to earn something that has already been given them. He represents the prideful who say, 'if God wants a relationship with me, He knows where I live and He can make Himself known to me'. He represents those of us who don't recognize that everything we have, even our very lives are a gift from the Father. He represents those of us who judge others, having lost all sense of our former or present day depravity, and the forgiveness we have been extended.

The really good news is that regardless of this all, the Father still goes out and meets him, pleading with him. The Father loves us all, regardless of our attitudes, our mis-information, our judgements against Him, or the deception we live under. The Father loves us all! He will do everything He can, in addition to everything he has already done, to win our hearts back to Him.

So my one encouragement today is to not be the older son! I have been given the greatest gift, have the most generous and loving Father, and His desire is for a loving and intimate relationship with me. I need to check my heart motives, my thoughts and expectations and make sure that none of the older son's attitudes live in me!

The Father's Crazy Love

This weeks meditations from the Ignatian Spiritual exercises focus on our sin and God's response to our sin. The first scripture for meditation is the story of he Prodigal Son found in Luke's Gospel 15:11-32. It is quite a long passage so I will just include the first half here:

Luke 15:11-24 NIV:

[11] "Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. [12] The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

[13] “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. [14] After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. [15] So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. [16] He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

[17] “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! [18] I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

[20] So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

[21] “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

[22] “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. [24] For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

I, like many people, love this story, and for me this is how I experience God, as a loving Father. The love of the Father is evident through the whole story, and most evident to me in verse 20. It says while the son was still a long way off, the Father saw him, and ran to him. In other words, the Father had been watching for the son to return, he had been waiting and watching, probably daily, waiting to re-establish their relationship.

It is important to note that there is no punishment. That is probably quite challenging for many of us who have been taught that the Father punishes us when we sin - for that is clearly not the Father's reaction here. In fact, the Father's reaction is quite the opposite, He calls for a celebration and restores the son to his former position, authority and relationship! That is definitely worth thinking about for a while. There is an opposing thought very present in the Body of Christ that teaches us that God punishes us when we sin or lack faith. This train of thought says that if something bad happens to us, or if we get sick, that it is due to the Father punishing us for either our lack of faith or our sin. This thinking, according to Jesus, is incorrect, and worse it is a judgement against the true character of the Father. The Father's heart is for reconciliation and relationship always!

Jesus is expressing the Father's heart, teaching the people what the Father is like with this story! There would be no clearer place for Jesus to teach about the Father's response, and He makes it VERY clear. His response is restoration of relationship, intimate affection, and rejoicing! Wouldn't it be grand if this was the way the church responded to repentant sinners! So often our response is to demand contrition, penance, and the re-earning of the right to walk in relationship and identity, but the Father immediately restores these, and requires nothing of the son.

My other thought is how the Father freely gave the son his inheritance, likely knowing full well what he was going to do with it. There were no strings attached, no form of legal binding that would only allow the son to use the inheritance certain ways, but rather a gifting of the whole amount. The son really wasn't entitled to the inheritance until the Father died, so the Father was a making a conscious choice to give the son an incredible gift, with no strings attached. I believe this is also an important point to think on, for this represents the Father's heart to all of us. He gives us incredible gifts and blessings, often knowing we will abuse or misuse them, but He still gives them. The Father knows our every thought, every day of our life from beginning to end, and He still chooses to pour forth His blessings on us all.

Common wisdom would say that if you have a wild son, the last thing you do is give him a pile of money, yet the Father did exactly that. The Father knows we are all sinners, yet chooses to bless us with good gifts nonetheless. We don't earn them, He gives them to us. If one of us did this same thing to one of our problem children, in spite of the knowledge the Father has about that child, we would think them crazy. I guess that is a good definition of the Father's love, it is 'crazy love' for us!

So, as a sinner, my humble expectation of the Father's reaction to my sin should be that He is waiting for me to return to Him. He loves me, and is watching and waiting for me. It is right to feel ashamed both of our sin and waste of the Father's good gifts, but we shouldn't be expecting punishment. It is right to ask for forgiveness, and the Father's answer is restoration of relationship!

Conviction or Offense?

This morning I was reading from 1 Samuel, and saw something interesting. Here are the verses - 1 Samuel 17:24, 26-28 NIV:

[24] "Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
[26] David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
[27] They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
[28] When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

I had recently read about the anointing of David by Samuel, and the first person that Samuel saw when he went to Jesse's home, was Eliab, and he was greatly impressed by this young man's appearance and apparent strength. Yet here we see what was in his heart. He like everyone else were filled with fear when they saw Goliath. He had no faith in God, didn't turn to God, didn't believe that God could rescue them. He saw things only as a man. When he was confronted by his lack of faith by the statement of David, rather than recognizing his sin and wrong belief in humility, he instead yelled at David, and called him conceited.

This is a great example of how some people react to the word of the Lord. Rather that accepting it and allowing their hearts to be moved, they rail against it and try to attack the one who brings the word of the Lord, and the conviction it brings. Eliab was confronted by his fear and lack of faith by his youngest brother and he didn't like it, and didn't recognize the hand of the Lord, or the word of the Lord. He only knew he felt bad inside and so struck at the messenger - David.

How often do people change the channel when they are listening to someone who has the word of the Lord, and the are struck to the heart by their words, but rather than embrace and listen, they change the channel so they aren't convicted in their hearts by the words. How often do people leave churches because the Preacher has unknowingly exposed their fears or lack of faith and rather than confront these, the people have moved on so they didn't have to listen and be convicted. How often will people, when challenged and experiencing conviction by someone's Word of the Lord, choose to be offended and try to attack the very person who brought the Word, looking for error in that person's life so they can disqualify them as a messenger.

Conviction by the Holy Spirit is not a fun experience, for He lays bare our sins and unbelief, but He does this to heal us. It is similar to a cancer surgeon who, when he does surgery, goes all the way to the root of the problem, and works to remove every last cancer cell so that he can heal the person and eradicate the cancer. The Holy Spirit, although thorough is also gentle, for He provides us the opportunity to deal with our stuff love and over again. In Eliab's case, he was given the chance to look into his own heart when Samuel didn't choose him to be king, primarily because of what God saw in his heart. Eliab could have heard that and decided to root out anything that wasn't Godly, but apparently he didn't go there.

In my experience, the Lord will address an area of my life, and if my response is to be offended rather than convicted, He will just bring it up again until I am ready to deal with it. He does this because He loves me and wants to see me grow into the man He knows I am, and He knows this issue will affect me and cause me trouble or stunted growth, or limit my fruitfulness.

So let us not run from those words, or experiences that reveal our weakness, fears and unbelief, but rather let us turn to God, recognize His promises are true, and that He loves us, and allow His Word to change us. Let us recognize our sin, embrace conviction and choose to live by faith in the Lord, the lover of our souls.

Palm Sunday - The Coming King

My Palm Sunday Meditation.

I was just thinking about the significance of Palm Sunday. I was thinking about the procession into the city of Jerusalem, thinking about why it was important, and I suddenly had an idea pop into my head that I have never had before, namely the parallelism of Jesus' life events leading up to the crucifixion, and the coronation of an earthly king.

There is a procession where the soon-to-be King enters the city, either as a victor in battle, or as the prince who will inherit the crown = Palm Sunday

There is feasting prior to the coronation = Last Supper

There is often the night before the coronation when the king to be, prepares himself = the Garden of Gethsemane

There is the public gathering prior to the coronation = Good Friday crowds

There is the crowning = the crown of thorns placed on Jesus head following the scourging

There is the public display of the newly crowned king = the crucifixion

The king begins his reign by sitting on the throne = Jesus is now seated on the right hand of the Father in Heaven

So as we enter into this Holy Week, let us be reminded that we are celebrating the crowning of our King, not as it happened with the crown of thorns, and scourging and crucifixion, but as they occurred in Heaven - for although there was an earthly representation, which was twisted by the sinfulness of men, Jesus was crowned King, and entered into His eternal reign! We have a King who loves us and laid down His life for us, and who will reign forever and ever!

As we celebrate this Palm Sunday, let us celebrate the coming King!

What Do You Want?

Today's meditation is from John 1:35-41 NIV:

[35] "The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. [36] When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

[37] When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

[38] Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

[39] “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

[40] Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. [41] The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ)."

I have a couple of quick observations. First, there were people who followed John the Baptist and were his disciples. In other words, there was a spiritual stirring in the land, God was moving and drawing people's hearts even before Jesus revealed Himself. One would maybe conjecture that this was due tot the fact that Jesus was living their and just by His physical presence, He was increasing the presence of God for the whole surrounding country. I think this increased stirring is due to the Father preparing to move, preparing to visit with His presence, this time in the person of Jesus.

When we look throughout the history of the church, specifically at revivals, we see that God stirs the hearts of a few in the place, often times years before He visits with His manifest presence. I am not sure how long John's ministry lasted, but the combination of his role as the fore-runner, and the Father stirring the hearts of the people prepared the way for Jesus to come, and one could say probably accelerated the effects of Jesus' early ministry. So, key point, the moving on a group of people, by the Holy Spirit, stirring up their hearts, expecting Him to move is often an indication of the Father's heart to visit that place with His manifest presence.

Secondly, the question of Jesus, in verse 38, is so important for each of us as we relate to Him. He does want to know 'what do we want', what we are expecting as we come to Him. I think that often the answer is simply, 'not much, just a quick blessing'. His invitation was to relationship, inviting the men to spend the day with Him. So my question today is 'what do I want when I come to Jesus?'.

Am I wanting a good Sunday service where I hear about Him, maybe see Him work through the Holy Spirit, maybe hear a stirring sermon? Am I wanting Him to bless me or answer my prayers? Am I desiring someone to tell me what I should or shouldn't do? Am I wanting someone I can tell all my troubles too, but not wanting any real conversation in return? Am I wanting a friend? Am I wanting to be His disciple? Am I wanting to have deep, life changing relationship? Am I wanting to see His name glorified over all the earth? All of these are good, and the Lord will willingly accept us in any way we come, but His desire is always toward the deeper path, the deeper relationship.

What we experience when we come to Jesus is in large part up to us. Our depth of relationship wth Him is our choice. Much is determined by how we answer the question 'what do you want?' He won't force us to go deeper, but He will always invite us deeper. The disciples of John could have said, "We just want your blessing" and that would have possibly been the end of it. Instead they went and visited Jesus, saw where He lived, spent the day with Him and at the end of the day, were convinced He was the Messiah!

Amen Lord, stir my heart that I might desire that deeper place, that I might see You for who You truly are!

Come, Follow Me

Today's meditation is based out of Luke 5, specifically the calling of Peter.

Luke 5:1-11 NIV:
[1] "One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. [2] He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. [3] He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

[4] When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

[5] Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” [6] When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. [7] So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

[8] When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” [9] For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, [10] and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” [11] So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."

Honestly, I have always been both amazed at this story and a little afraid of this story. Amazed at Peter, Andrew, James and John's willingness to leave everything and follow Jesus, afraid because I wondered if the Lord would call me to do the same. I have actually spent a good bit of time digging into the background and followup to this scene, maybe to understand it better, more likely to convince myself there isn't anything to fear.

From reading John's Gospel's, and just focusing on Peter, we see earlier interactions between Peter and Jesus (John 1:35-43) and these by an eye witness - John. Also reading John, we see that Peter apparently still had a boat, after Jesus died (John 21:1-14), so apparently leaving everything didn't mean selling the boat. Also we find that Peter, although clearly traveling with Jesus still had time for his family (Mark 1:29-34), and in 1st Corinthians we see it mentioned that Peter's wife traveled with Him (1 Cor 9:5).

However, none of this removes the amazing nature of the call, the response, or the life of dedication and following Jesus, as lived out by Peter and the other Apostles. Prior to the story of Peter's calling, Jesus had moved to Capernaum, and was obviously active in preaching and speaking, for already people were gathering around Him by chapter 5. Peter would have surely heard His teaching, and as demonstrated by John, already had personal interaction with Him. I like to think that Peter was favorably inclined toward Jesus, but had not made any solid decision about following Him. It was the experience of the divine nature hidden in Jesus, but evidenced through the catching of a record number of fish, that ultimately sealed the deal for Peter. It is one thing to be aware of the Lord, it is another thing when He intervenes in our life in such a way that only He could do.

Peter's immediate response to recognizing who Jesus really was, falling on his knees, demonstrates the overwhelming experience of God invading one's life. It wasn't just his life that got invaded, but his employment as well. I've heard a couple of good teachings about how Peter, the master fisherman would have scoffed at the idea setting out into deeper water to fish, as he knew where the fish were in the Sea of Galilee, and the location Peter was now fishing wasn't one of them. Jesus demonstrated His ability to provide for His followers, and the effect of fishing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. What Peter saw and experienced, convinced him to follow Jesus, no matter the cost. He was still overwhelmed and convinced of his own sinfulness, but absolutely convinced about Jesus.

I guess in summary, we all fear things, and we fear change and we fear that God might call us to do something we don't want to do, or aren't prepared to do. As I at Peter's response and experience, I believe the Lord will work with us, help us to recognize who He truly is, and convince us of our need to follow Him. Most of us won't get the call to leave everything, but will more likely be called to follow Him right where we are in our day to day lives. I know for me, following Him is the best thing I have ever done and I become more convinced every day of my need to follow Him. I might have left a few things behind when I decided to follow Him, but I don't miss them or need them in my life. He has more than made up for any loss, for knowing Him is the great treasure of my life.

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks!

I felt like I should read from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians this morning. The following verses are full of material for me to think upon:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 NIV:

[16] "Rejoice always,
[17] pray continually,
[18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
[19] Do not quench the Spirit.
[20] Do not treat prophecies with contempt [21] but test them all; hold on to what is good,
[22] reject every kind of evil.
[23] May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

So often I would just read these verses all together like they were a few sentences, but as I was reading them this morning, I was struck by the idea that each was its own complete thought worthy of reflection.

Staring on the list, the question is how do I rejoice always? How can I set my heart with the right attitude and my mind to see things in such a way that my response is to rejoice? Can I develop this through practice, through guarding my mind, or through the old 'fake it till you make it' method?

I think much has to do with our perspective, our mindset and our identity in Christ. Graham Cooke calls the Holy Spirit the happiest person He has ever met, which I think reflects the very nature of God! He is Happy! He is excited about His creation and joyful. I am reminded of a verse from Isaiah 62:5 NIV: "As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.". This is not a picture of a stern and angry God, but one full of love and affection. If I choose to look at my life from God's perspective, seeing His hand, watching Him draw me to Himself, seeing His provision, understanding His faithfulness, then I can start to rejoice always, for I will see how everything is leading me towards Him. I will see how He is using me to draw others to Him. I will see and understand His incredible love for me. I will become more and more like Him - rejoicing in all things!

How do I pray continually? I have read some interesting books and heard stories of how some people have succeeded in this throughout their lives, and I have tried a few different things myself. I believe this encouragement is addressing our heart and mindset as well as our relationship with the Lord. Prayer is really conversation with God, and the encouragement, as demonstrated by Jesus, is to live my life in constant communication with the Father. This doesn't mean that I am talking non-stop, but rather that I am listening and aware of His presence.

When I spend time with my sweetheart, we don't need to talk every minute to communicate, we know each other well enough to know what the other is thinking just by looking at each other. Our times together involve talking, listening, resting, and just being in one another's presence - it can be the same with the Lord. It is about awareness and inclination. I am aware of the Lord, and I incline myself towards Him. I have certainly not mastered this by any means, but I believe it is attainable. I know the Mother Theresa prayed the rosary non-stop, and although that might seem like just repetitive prayer, the reality is that it caused her heart to be constantly inclined towards the Lord, and helped her direct her heart to Him.

The last reflection for me today is based on the encouragement to give thanks in all circumstances. This flows out of the first encouragement, and is definitely related. Thankfulness is to me one of the most attractive characteristics in another person. The understanding that life is a gift, and meant to be treasured helps to develop a heart of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, while it seems to be self-focused is actually the opposite. When I return thanks I am turning my heart towards the person who has given me a gift and seeing their sacrifice, their heart towards me and expressing the same back towards them. Thanksgiving allows us to set our eyes off ourselves. Also it has been my experience that tire thanksgiving opens the door for further gifts!

Lord, I pray that You will help me to have a heart filled with gratitude, rejoicing, thanksgiving, and You! I want to live my life in constant awareness of You, Your blessings and mercies!

The God Of The Impossible

The verse this morning is from Jeremiah 29:11-14 NIV:

[11] "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [12] Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. [14] I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

This such a hopeful set of scripture, more so because it was written to the Jewish people when they were in captivity in Babylon. In other words, the Lord was drawing the eyes of their hearts back to Him, giving them hope for their future when there didn't appear to be any hope, and inviting them to re-establish their relationship with Him. He promised to return them to their land, to their homes and reestablish them as a nation, all things that seemed impossible at that time.

I love that God is the God of the impossible. He is the God of the underdog, those that appear forgotten, or defeated. He is the God of the widow and orphans, those without a family. I am reminded of some verses from Psalm 68:5-6: "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. [6] God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing;..." I am also reminded of Paul's experience in prison in Acts 16. They were singing while in prison and suddenly they were all set free by an earthquake. That night they converted the jailer and his whole family - it seems to me they probably came out of that jail singing. He truly is the God of the impossible.

So let us place our trust in the Lord, for He is faithful, and able. Regardless of our situation He is with us, and brings us hope and assurance of His love. As we seek Him, we will find Him. The invitation to relationship is always there, we just need to turn to Him.

I was also just thinking how the Lord positioned some of the people that were carried into exile, and gave them great power and authority in the land of their captors. (See the Book of Daniel 1-3, for more info.). What struck me about thus is that the Lord placed them in the place that probably felt the farthest from Him, and allowed them to be taught all the beliefs of the Babylonians. I imagine that from the outside, it looked like they had abandoned their people, their God and all their beliefs. God had a plan to use them as the ultimate insiders, to influence that government towards God. I wonder how Manny times we would look at people in that position and think they were turn-coats or traitors. But the Lord didn't see them that way. It is clear that the Lord was more than capable of preserving them, and their belief in Him, and ultimately using them to bring Glory to himself and release for the people.

Yes, He is the God of the lonely, the dejected, the prisoner, the fatherless, the husband less, the rejected, the weak, the lost, the hopeless, and those in impossible situations. He is also the God of those who are strong, those who are in authority, those who are healthy, those who are well employed, and those whose lives seem whole. He does not discriminate, He loves us all! His help is always available, even as He us always available, welcoming us all into His family as sons and daughters.

Answering The Call

The verses for today come from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. He is my second favorite prophet next to Isaiah. These set of verses speak about his call and selection by the Lord.

Jeremiah 1:4-10 NIV:

[4] "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, [5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ”

[6] “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

[7] But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. [8] Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

[9] Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. [10] See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

There is much to reflect on in these verses, but the obvious theme is being selected and called by the Lord. I have been thinking on this theme the last few weeks and I think it is so important for us to all understand that the Lord says the same thing about each of us. We have each been chosen before we were born, chosen for specific purposes. For some the call is to significant service to nations like Jeremiah, for others it is to smaller spheres of influence, but all are called. We do not know the overall significance of our lives, but when we look to the Lord, He will direct us and guide us and help us to fulfill our purpose.

Pastor Rick Warren penned a very popular book a few years ago called "The Purpose Driven Life" which had a significant impact on the Body, at least here in America. The idea that we have purpose and should think about that and be intentional in how we live our life was an enlightening message for so many, and it is true for us all. I like the Ignatian perspective that at the very core we all have the same purpose - to praise, love and serve God. Everything we do, all day, every day should draw significance from our core purpose. We should think about our lives and actions and be intentional in directing both to reflect our common purpose. I would probably add a fourth common purpose - that we love and serve others.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, [37]'Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 NIV. When Jesus said that "all the Law and all the prophets hang on these two" He was indicating that these are the foundational purposes for us all. If we are doing these two things in our lives, we will accomplish that which were made to do.

I think much of my problem in being intentional is just simply the failure to think. More often than not, I just am going with the flow of the moment, and not viewing the situation from a transcendent perspective, meaning that I am not seeing how the situation relates to the bigger picture, or my core purpose. I just roll along, forgetting to think and act as someone who is pursuing God, or trying to be His representative to those around me. I am generally kind and helpful, smiling and good, but without the higher understanding of my purpose and calling, that is all I will ever be, and my life will have little impact. God's call and selection of me is meant to impact the world.

Now I don't want to get all religious, and start planning a hundred different ways to have an impact in my sphere of influence, because without the Lord's direction and guidance, I will just be working in vain. All of this is supposed to flow out of relationship to Him. It is in the place of relationship, and the development of love and affection, knowledge and understanding of Him that I am called to step out into the world as His representative, His son through adoption. My way forward should be like a loving son asking his Dad what he can do to help? Sometimes it will be big things, sometimes small, but my goal should be to ask. I like what Bill Johnson says, that we should all expect to be world changers, and if we aren't thinking this way we haven't fully understood our identity as His children (rough paraphrase).

My impact on the world might be one significant individual who then impacts others, who then has a world changing ministry. I might be like Edward Kimball, whose down-line of ministry includes Dwight Moody and Billy Graham. His primary mission was to teach Sunday school and to pray for members of his class. Not a significant ministry, but in the Lord's eyes, he fulfilled his purpose and affected change in the world,

So let us be encouraged, we have the opportunity to fulfill our purpose, and He will see that we understand our purpose and will provide the opportunities to grow and love and serve Him and our neighbors. Let us answer the call.

What Do You Want?

Today's meditation comes from Marks Gospel, and has been a part of my life's meditation for many years - the healing of Bartimaeus.

Mark 10:46-52 NIV:

[46] "Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. [47] When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
[48] Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

[49] Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” [50] Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

[51] “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

[52] “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."

This has been one of my favorite stories for many years, and one I come back to over and over. There is so much that I like, from Bartimaeus's perseverance, to Jesus hearing and stopping. The main point of this all though is the question Jesus asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" I was always struck by this verse, for one would think that the answer to that question is obvious, he was blind!

I love that the Lord asked anyway, and that is a good lesson for us. The Lord will not assume anything, but is waiting for us to ask. This is not some controlling trick, where He only will give us what we ask for, and only if we ask in a certain way, but rather is based out of His love for us and respect for our free will. God, even though He knows our every thought, will not break our free will. Because of this, we are in control of our lives and eternal destiny, it is our choice. Even in the daily interactions God will always honor our free will, loving us but waiting for our choice, waiting for us to choose His way. He will do everything He can to make the way clear, to show us which choice to make, but it is always our choice.

This does not mean that if we stop praying we will starve, or anything like that, for the Lord has established work and employment as a means of provision. Just like He has provided each of us with families and friends that we might be loved and cared for daily, but rather this relates to the interactions we have with God.

Jesus taught us to pray - told us to ask for daily bread, for forgiveness, for protection, for God's Kingdom to be established here, to praise God in all things. These should be part of our conversations with God, daily if possible. Our asking God, opens the door for Him to move in our lives. If we need to experience God's touch, love, mercy, forgiveness, healing, miracle or compassion, we need to ask. He is the ultimate respecter of us, of our will and personhood. Bartimaeus could have asked for anything, wealth, riches, new clothes, all of which would have given him a better life, but he asked to be healed of his blindness, which opened the door for Jesus to move and heal him.

So let us be encouraged to ask, to cry out to the Lord. Let us continue to cry out to the Lord, and not be swayed by those who say He can't be bothered with such mundane stuff as our needs. Let us pursue God's interaction, and when He asks what He can do for us, let us have an answer that is beautiful and courageous. When Bartimaeus chose to ask for healing, he was laying down his whole identity and crying out for a new life. Let us not be afraid of change and transformation, but ask the Lord to move in power and completeness.

Come Lord Jesus. You have what I need, help me to ask.

Steadfast Trust

The verses I am focused on today are from Philippians 4:11-13 NIV:

[11] "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

These verses are such an insight into Paul's place of trust in the Lord, and his relationship with God. He recognized that circumstances were not a reflection on his relationship with God. So often we think that either our blessing in a situation or our problems we encounter are indicators of God's pleasure or displeasure with us. That type of thinking is relatively immature and typical of someone who doesn't fully understand the person with who they are in relationship, as in a child to parent relationship. Imagine if Paul had thought that only bad things happen to bad people, or to people God was displeased with, what would he have thought when he was beaten or flogged, or shipwrecked?

Paul recognized that God's love for him was constant whether he was experiencing awesome results, or if he was being escorted in chains. The secret he mentions can be no other thing than his intimate relationship with the Lord, which was unaffected, and ever growing more deep. He understood his value in the Lord's eyes and was unaffected by the changing circumstances around him. Instead he rested in the Lord and let the Lord show Himself strong in desperate situations, and reveled in His love and provision when situations were good.

Let us throw off this immature view of God and pray for the steadfastness of heart and mind that Paul experienced and expressed here. Lord, help us to grow and mature into people who really walk in deep relationship with You. Let us be steadfast in our trust of the Lord.

We Are Chosen

Today the meditation is the same as yesterday (Exodus 3:1-15), although the focus I had yesterday was not the perspective they had directed, one of partnering with God.  I was more focused on the call of Moses and his own disqualification of himself from God's call because of how he thought of himself.

When I think of the Lord choosing to partner with us, to partner with me, I am amazed.  I am amazed that He would entrust such important work to such faulty beings, myself the chief.  There is something wonderful, and at the same time fearful, about His willingness to Love us and trust us with His Kingdom.  There is something that defies human logic with this arrangement.

When I think of the twelve apostles, I am in wonder of the men He chose, nothing personal...  Looking closely at those men, and comparing them to who I would want on my team, I don't think I would have agreed with a single selection (maybe one or two).  I would want to choose men of strong character, who knew the Word, who had the personal charisma and drive to lead hundreds, if not thousands.  I would want to find men whose lives were exemplary in their pursuit of God, who showed evidence of deep faith.  The Lord chose a group of men, none apparently remarkable at the time of their choosing, fishermen, tax collector, etc. The difference is that God saw their hearts, and knew their deep character.  We so often judge by external appearances, or accomplishments, but God looks at the heart (Jet. 17:10).  He understands who we really are, under all the stuff we think and do.

This gives me hope about myself, as God sees in me something that made Him choose me!  He understands me, better than I understand myself, and has chosen me for a specific purpose.  He has decided to entrust part of His plan into my care, because He knows I will succeed.  Wow, I wish I had the same confidence in myself that God has in me!  Also, God isn't dismayed by my set-backs or failures, but is able to use everything to fashion and shape me into the man he knows I am.

One of my favorite authors, Graham Cooke, talks about how God sees us from the future, and looks at us from that perspective.  God knows who we will become and the depth of relationship we will have with Him, and treats us that way now!  So if He knows we are going to be a King, He sees us and treats us that way now.  The story of the anointing of David comes to mind (1 Sam 16).  Samuel went to Jesse's house to anoint one of his sons as King, and was ready to anoint the eldest when he saw him, but God stopped him and said, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7).  God ultimately chose David who was a mere youth at the time, but God saw who he would become.  Although David didn't exactly live an exemplary life, God never doubted His choice, nor David's ability to fulfill his purpose.

Thinking on this makes me want to do my very best for the Lord, because He has seen who I am and knows what I can accomplish. Its like the football player who plays seemingly beyond his abilities because His coach has trusted him and put him in the game.  The coach put him in because he saw the potential the player had, even though no one else could see it.  That is how I think we should all look at ourselves, God chose us and has put us into His plan because of what He sees in us.  I must learn to trust the Lord's choice and believe in myself, that I have in me what the Lord sees.

Lord, I pray that You would open our eyes and help us to see ourselves as You see us!  That we might believe in ourselves, and that we might be able to believe in our brothers and sisters and call them forth, even as we encourage ourselves.

The Calling of the Lord

The meditation today is from Exodus 3:1-15 NIV:

[1] "Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. [3] So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight---why the bush does not burn up.” [4] When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

[5] “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” [6] Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

[7] The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey---the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [9] And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. [10] So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

[11] But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

[12] And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. ”

[13] Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

[14] God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

[15] God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers---the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob---has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation."

A couple of quick thoughts: First, Moses wrote Exodus and its interesting how he writes about His earliest interactions with the Lord.  As I read through the rest of Exodus, I see a growing relationship and familiarity with how the Lord works and speaks.  I think that is encouraging, as it shows the reality of relationship.  Whenever we are in relationship, we see growth over time and through interaction.

Secondly, Moses was comfortable asking God for clarification and questions.  I think we sometimes psych ourselves out in relating to God, or hearing. Word from the Lord, and don't think we can ask for clarification or understanding.  I think the Lord likes that, for He clearly wants us to be successful, and that is hard to be if we don't understand His plan and purpose.  I know that I have definitely learned to ask questions, to seek clarification  and understanding, knowing the Lord will treat me patiently and with love.

I always thought the story of Moses was interesting, as he was raised in the Pharaoh's household, and was similar to a prince of Egypt, yet when the Lord decided to send him back to Egypt to speak to Pharaoh he didn't feel qualified, or able to speak.  I think he was uniquely positioned to address pharaoh, but it seems like Moses almost forgot who he was, what his upbringing was and his own abilities.  I think this is not uncommon, especially when we have spent time away from a calling, or been in the wilderness.  We almost forget who we are in Christ, and shift into some kind of survival mode.  It is so important to hold onto our identity in Christ, for it keeps us engaged and on track.  We often want to disqualify ourselves, but God sees us differently and will always take us back, and draw us into who we are in Him, and what He purposed for us.  He is patient, and merciful, in spite of our failures, wanderings and mistakes.

Finally, I love the way the Lord draws us, with Moses it was a bush that didn't burn.  For each of us, it might be different as we are all unique, but the Lord draws each of us, patiently drawing us, showing up in our lives over and over, and never relenting.

What an awesome God we have!

Be A Shining Light

This morning for my meditation I spent some time looking at my life and my pursuit of God, and my efforts to bring fulfillment of my foundational purposes to praise, love and serve God. It was both encouraging and challenging, as I do well in some areas, but have many areas where I can improve and grow!

As I was walking through this all and meditating on my life, the following scripture popped into my head - Ephesians 3:16-21 NIV:

[16] "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, [18] may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, [19] and to know this love that surpasses knowledge---that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

[20] "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Amen Lord, that is what I need, Your power strengthening my inner man, rooting and establishing me in Your love, and Your power working through me. I want my life to be lit by Your love and power, so that I shine for Your Glory! "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 NIV.

Praise, Love And Serve

In the spiritual exercises, I am asked to meditate on the following personal constitution - "I am created to praise, love and serve God."

This seems like such a simple statement, but it carries an incredible depth of truth and opportunity for growth. In breaking this down, it starts with the primary truth that I was created. The author says it this way - "I was created by God out of love, in this particular time and place, with particular talents and temperaments, strengths and limitations." (The Ignatian Adventure, O'Brien). I am reminded of the following verses from Acts 17:26 - Amplified Bible (AMP):[26] "And He made from one [common origin, one source, one blood] all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined [their] allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation (their settlements, lands, and abodes),..." It helps me to know that I am not a random chance, a happy mistake that somehow caused my existence, but rather anticipated, planned and purposed for this exact time, at this exact place, with the abilities and talents I have - all for a purpose.

Secondly, that purpose includes praising God. To praise Him, I must know him. How else can I rightfully assign praise for all the incredible things I see and experience. If I think this world is all the result of chance and evolution, I lose my delight and sense of order that comes from the idea that there is a loving God who created all this to reflect His nature and delight us. Knowing God helps me to make sense of my existence, and the more I know Him the better sense I have of His purpose for me.

Praise comes naturally to us when we are confronted by majesty, by awesomeness, by beauty, and when we compare our limitations to that which is limitless. God's desire is that as we draw near to Him, we gain this same sense of perspective concerning Him - His majesty, awesomeness, beauty, and eternalness. Our natural reaction to Him should be praise and if we don't experience this, than we don't rightly know Him.

Thirdly, God's great motivation is Love. In fact John writes that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8). One of the ways God defines Himself is as love. He loved the idea of me, so He created me out of love for me. He loved me so much that He died for me. He loves me so much that He comes and dwells with me. He loves me so much that He surrounded me with His creation, friends and family. He loves me so much that He created a particular purpose for me, not so that I can slave away as some little cog in a giant wheel, but rather that I might find fulfillment and satisfaction in doing that which I was uniquely positioned, and equipped to do. His hope is that when I recognize all this love that He has poured out upon me, that I will love Him in return, for more than anything love is about relationship. He wants to have relationship with me, and He desires my love.

Finally, as it relates to today's meditation, I am invited to serve God. This is the third item for a reason, as we are called into relationship, and understanding of who God is, before we would be invited to service. In other words, service should come out relationship, out of knowledge of God. So many people bypass the first two invitations, and settle on third, and never fully grasp who God is, or His love for them. Their service towards God becomes that which is repugnant to God, as He does not desire servants but rather friends and sons and daughters.

As we get to know God and enter into relationship with Him, He invites us to join Him in loving others, and drawing them to Him, and caring for His creation. Our service, is really co-laboring with Him. As we understand His will and purpose, it is our great delight to see them fulfilled, because we love Him. We will never reach an end in our discovery of who He is, or love Him completely, so there is always newness and freshness available to us in our relationship with Him.

Amen Lord, I want to Praise, Love and serve You more.