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“But I Can!”

Israel had become an impoverished land. Its people were at the mercy of Midianites who showed them no mercy. The Midianites invaded their land, camped in their fields, and destroyed their crops. The Israelites lived in fear with many resorting to hiding in the safety of mountain clefts and caves.

One day, hiding from the Midianites, Gideon is threshing wheat in the bottom of a winepress when the Angel of the Lord appears, greeting Gideon with this salutation:

“God is with you, O mighty warrior!” (Judges 6:11)

Gideon – a mighty warrior? Really? In the bottom of a winepress, hiding from the Midianites, Gideon feels like anything but a mighty warrior. So his reaction is genuine:

“Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the litter.” (Judges 6:15 MSG)

Gideon’s response can be summed up with two words: “I can’t.”

But God trumped Gideon’s “I can’t” with His “But I can!”

“I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” (Judges 6:16 NIV)

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Aside published on March 4, 2015 | | 3 Responses

Words that Remain

In the previous post, we looked at the tragedy of the Pharisees. They rejected the teachings of Jesus; they opposed his preaching – because there was no room in their lives for his words. There was no room for his words to transform their lives.

So it is not by happenstance that on the night before Jesus was crucified, as he gathered his disciples together, he once again stressed the importance embracing his words – taking them to heart.

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7 (AMP)   Your abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father. (John 15:8 Voice)

 Jesus didn’t want his disciples to just make room in their hearts for his words of instruction and wisdom, he wanted those words to remain and live in them. His words of teaching and preaching were not to fade or lie dormant in their hearts. He wanted his words to produce abundant spiritual growth and increased faithfulness. He wanted his words to bear the fruit of empowered, transformed lives that would bring glory to the Lord.

And what was true for these First Century disciples remains true for we who are his 21st Century disciples. When we hear our pastor preach a word that stirs our heart or as we read the Bible and a scripture jumps off the page with meaning, let us with great intention cultivate that word in our hearts. Let us allow that word to remain and live in our hearts transforming our lives – producing abundant spiritual growth and increased faithfulness. It is not enough to just “make room.” His words must remain and continually live in our hearts, producing changed lives that bring glory to God the Father.

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Aside published on February 16, 2015 | | 2 Responses

No Room

Although the Christmas season is past and the business of the New Year is in full swing, I find myself still pondering the amazing journey of the Wise Men. Of late I have wondered:

How many others saw that bright star in the heavens yet missed its importance?

How many enjoyed the splendor of the stars in the night sky but weren’t compelled by that one brilliant star to embark on a journey to worship a special king?

Perhaps they saw the star with their eyes, but their hearts and minds were full of other concerns – full of their own agendas, their own priorities, and they missed the king.

Thirty years later, there were men who heard this king teach, saw him perform miracles and declare words of wisdom and salvation. Yet, they never recognized him as king. They were never compelled to offer unto him precious gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. These men were Pharisees, the leading religious leaders of the day. No matter how often they heard Jesus teach or how many miracles they saw him perform, they did not believe he was God’s promised king. They had memorized the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah, proclaiming the details of this coming eternal king. But when he entered their lives, they rejected him.

How could they not believe? How could they not see what others did see? How could they not understand what so many others understood?

Jesus gives us the answer. In response to the Pharisees’ rejection, Jesus said,

“ . . . you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. (John 8:37)

They had no room.

They had no room in their hearts to receive the words that revealed who Jesus truly was. Their hearts were full of their own agendas, full of their own desire to keep the status quo, full of their intent to hold onto their religious power.

That was the tragedy of the Pharisees. They had no room in their hearts to receive the One who would have transformed their lives.

Oh Lord, let there always be abundant room in my heart for your word and for your presence. May I never become so busy or my life so cluttered with my own agenda and priorities, that there is no room for You to move fully and freely in my life.   Amen. 

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Aside published on February 2, 2015 | | 2 Responses

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

troubled_heartHis was in distress.                                                                     His heart was deeply troubled.                                                 The hours between Jesus and the Cross were quickly ticking away.  So he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  With a troubled heart, Jesus sought the will of the Father.  He prayed for there to be another way to save mankind.

But there wasn’t another way.  The Father’s answer to Jesus’ prayer wasn’t to spare him from the trouble but to give him the gift of peace to face that trouble.  Jesus rose from that place of prayer with a peace that stilled his troubled heart.

No sooner had Jesus finished praying, when a contingent of Roman soldiers and religious guards entered the Garden on a mission to arrest Jesus.  With torches and swords in hand, they were ready for a struggle.  They were prepared to pursue him.  But there was no struggle.  There was no pursuit.  Because when Jesus saw them enter the Garden, he didn’t hide or flee.  To their bewilderment,

“He stepped forward to meet them.  Who are you looking for?” he asked.

“Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.

“I AM he, Jesus said.”

Jesus stepped forward to meet them.  He had the strength to face His divine destiny of suffering, because his troubled heart had been calmed by the Father’s gift of divine peace. Continue Reading

Aside published on January 19, 2015 |

To Hear and Understand

Before he was apprehended in the Garden of Gethsemane,

before he was beaten and scourged,

before he carried his Cross through the streets of Jerusalem,

before he was laid in the tomb and resurrected on the third day,

Jesus had foretold His disciples what would happen.

They heard the words, but they didn’t understand.  They listened to what he said, but they didn’t embrace its meaning.

But there was one disciple among them, though not one of the Twelve, who understood the truth of Jesus’ words, and her name was Mary.  Mary, along with her sister, Martha, and her brother, Lazarus, were good friends and devoted followers of Jesus.  Mary would sit at the feet of Jesus and listen intently to his teaching, listening with an understanding that the Twelve Disciples failed to grasp.  When Jesus predicted his suffering, death, and his resurrection, she embraced this difficult truth which compelled her to take a bold step of faith.

Mary interrupted a meal held in Jesus’ honor.  She knew what she was about to do would seem foolish to others in that room, but she was determined to act with obedient faith.  So with great care she carried a jar of precious perfume, knelt before Jesus, and anointed his feet.  She didn’t just pour out a few drops of an inexpensive perfume.  No, she poured out a whole jar of nard – a costly perfume worth a year’s wages.  This perfume was of such great value that the disciples who looked on harshly, chided her action as being a foolish waste.

But not Jesus.

He commended her act of obedience – for understanding what the disciples failed to understand.  Jesus knew that Mary anointed his feet in preparation for his death and burial, because she believed in his resurrection.  Her seemingly act of foolishness in the eyes of the disciples was an act of obedient faith that touched the heart of Jesus.

Mary heard.

She understood.

And she responded with obedient faith.  She put her faith into action, even at the risk of being foolish in the eyes of others.

At the start of this New Year, I want to be like Mary.  Not just to hear God’s Word but to clearly understand its truth.  And then comes the hard part – to act with obedient faith, even when it isn’t easy, even when it may seem foolish to others.

Perhaps you would like to start this New Year like Mary as well?

Aside published on January 5, 2015 |

Wise Men

They saw his star, and it led them to Israel.

These scholars, “wise men from the East,” were on a mission to worship a special king, a Messianic king, whose birth was marked by a star in the heavens.  Yet when they arrived in the capital city of Jerusalem, how astonished they must have been to learn that no one knew of the birth of this special king.   He hadn’t been born in the palace.  His birth had not been celebrated with the ringing of bells or great proclamations of joy throughout Israel.

Instead of a palace in Jerusalem, these wise men finally found the king they had been searching for in the lowly, obscure village of Bethlehem.   His star led them not to a royal residence but to a simple home.*  How astonished Mary and Joseph must have been when they answered the door and standing before them were these regal men, strange in dress, imposing in manner and decorum.  And to amazement of Mary and Joseph, with great humility these men bowed down and worshiped their child, Jesus, presenting him with precious gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.

These wise men weren’t bothered by the simple surroundings.  They weren’t interested in worshiping one who appeared royal.  They wanted to worship the One who was divinely royal.  They pushed aside their preconceived notions as to who and what this king would be like and worshiped the king who was revealed to them by that guiding star.

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Aside published on December 22, 2014 | | 1 Response

Perfection

Tis the season when it is so easy to seek perfection.

The perfect tree,

perfect decorations,imagesALEM9BXW

perfect gifts

the perfect Christmas meal,

hosting a perfect Christmas celebration.

No glitches, no flaws, no missteps.

But the one whose birth we celebrate, the one perfect person who became a perfect sacrifice to perfect some very imperfect people, doesn’t seek this kind of perfection from us.

Now it is true Jesus gave this command:

“Be perfect like your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48)

And taken out of context, it seems like Jesus is requiring the impossible expectation to live a life without flaws, without error or mistakes. But in context this command takes on a different meaning. For you see, his command comes as a concluding statement about God’s perfect love for mankind – a generous and gracious love.

“For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.   If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:43-48)

Jesus set before us a challenge to develop this kind of “perfect” love – to perfect the way we love one another, to perfect the way we treat others.   In the Message translation, His command encourages us,

“(To) Live out your God-created identity. (To) Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matt. 5:48)

So this Christmas let’s alter our focus from trying to make things perfect and ask the One who is perfect to perfect His love in us – to help us demonstrate His “perfect” love by being patient when the Christmas meal goes awry, gracious when the gift we receive doesn’t measure up to our expectations, and forgiving when confronted with a thoughtless word or deed. Let us love not just when it is easy but even when it is hard. This season let us love generously and graciously as our heavenly Father loves us.

Aside published on December 8, 2014 | | 1 Response

Give Thanks

On a crisp, clear “up north” night we sat around a bonfire.  But quickly our gaze turned from flames of the fire to the brilliance of the star studded sky.  As our eyes looked upward, we were mesmerized by its majesty; we were filled with wonder at the omnipotence of our God who spoke these stars into being.

Although the number of stars we could see with our naked eyes were too numerous to count, they were but a minute number of stars that fill our galaxy.  Scientists tell us the Milky Way consists of 100-300 billion stars.  Even further confounding is the fact that our galaxy is but one of over 100 billion galaxies in our universe.  Our God is an incredible star-Maker, planet Creator!

And, it is this awesome and powerful God who calls out to us with an extraordinary invitation:

“Draw near to me and I will draw near to you!” James 4:8

How incredible it is that the loving desire of our omnipotent God is for us to have an intimate, personal relationship with Him – a relationship where we have the privilege to call on His name, knowing that He hears and answers us.

When we truly reflect on how blessed we are by God’s great love for us, I think we can relate to the words David wrote in Psalm 8:

milkyway“I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,

your handmade sky-jewelry,

Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,

Why do you bother with us?

Why take a second look our way?”  vs. 3-4

 

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Aside published on November 23, 2014 | | 2 Responses

His Touch

Leprosy.

It had ravaged his body, leaving behind deformed fingers, toes, ears, and nose.  He watched with despair as His appearance became unearthly.  But, the physical misery of leprosy was surpassed by the extreme social ostracism this disease incurred.  Because it was believed that leprosy was contagious through touch, he had become a social outcast.

 No longer permitted to embrace those he loved.

No longer welcome to join family celebrations.

No longer allowed to worship in the temple or enter the synagogue.

No longer able to earn a living, reduced to a life of a beggar.

His identity had been changed – from blessed to “unclean.”  He was not quarantined for 21 days, he was quarantined for life.  What years remained would mean living a rejected, lonely, desolate life.

No cure.

No mercy.

No hope.

But one day hopelessness was replaced with a glimmer of hope.  A man named Jesus was nearby and rumors had proven true; He was a healer.     Three of the four gospels document the healing of this leper, and in each account, whether it is in Matthew, Mark or Luke, the details are the same:

 The leper knelt before Jesus and begged to be healed, to be made “clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

Jesus then declared, “Be clean.” (Be healed.)”

And the leper was healed.

As I was reading yet again the concise account of the leper’s healing, I was struck by one these recurring details, one in particular:  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

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Aside published on November 11, 2014 | | 2 Responses

M’mm, M’mm, Good!

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Gen. 1:3)

He spoke.

His words went forth as a divine edit,

and there was light.

By the power of His word, over the next five days, our world and the life upon it were created.  And at the end of each day, God reflected on what He had created,

                “And God saw that it was good.” (Gen. 1)

Then at the end of the week,

“God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!” (Gen. 1:31 MSG)

The work He had accomplished by the power of His words was not just good, but very good.  And, therein lies the challenge for us:  to use our words to create what is good, indeed, what is very good.

Certainly our words do not have the omnipotent power to create light or to hang the sun, moon or stars in the sky, but we do have the power to use our words to speak life or death into the lives of others.

“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.” Prov. 18:21 MSG

My words have the power:

to criticize, to demean, to wound OR to encourage, to comfort, to show love.

The desire of my heart is that each day I will choose to use the power of my words to speak life into the lives of others.  At the end of each day, I want to be able to declare what God declared – that what was “created” by my words was good, that the way I chose to use my words was “so very good.”  

Perhaps the message of this photo can help inspire us to speak “life” – to speak words that taste good!

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Aside published on October 27, 2014 | | 1 Response