A life of dependance . . .

We all depend on someone or something for life. Some will say they don’t depend on anyone, well that simply says, “I depend on myself.” So the reality is everyone depends on something for their existence. It may be work, that job you hate going to every Monday, or it may be a spouse, or a relative of some sort. It could be the Government, a retirement investment or an inheritance. Some who are very ill depend on machines or medicine for life, without them they die. So whether we like to think in these terms or not we are all dependent upon something or someone for life.

Being dependent upon riches or popularity or even other people, yourself included leads to disappoint, despair, even tragedy. Oh there might be momentary pleasure, riches, even glimpses of happiness. However, we can name person after person of influence who has struggled with fame, fortune, popularity and riches. A quick google search will show us these facts to be true. And whether we like to admit it or not we are dependent by nature. So, lets talk about for a second, the idea of being dependent. For if we are by nature dependent then we should find the true source of our dependence.

i offer up to you this passage from Jeremiah 17:5-8;

Wisdom from the Lord

⁵This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
    who rely on human strength
    and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
⁶They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
    with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salty land.

⁷“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
⁸They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit.

John D. Rockefeller, (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) said, “If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.” Now this coming from a man who arguably was the richest man in modern history. Yet, although rich as could be his dependence was not on his wealth, as this quote here will show, “This Sunday School has been of help to me, greater perhaps than any other force in my Christian life, and I can ask no better things for you than that you, and all that shall come after you in this great band of workers for Christ, shall receive the same measure of blessedness which I have been permitted to have.”

You might argue that it was easy for him to have his dependence on Jesus because he was so wealthy. Well, to that i say what about Horatio G. Spafford. Here is a man who lost everything, with the exception of his wife, “saved alone” from a shipwreck. He went on to pen one of, if not the greatest hymn of all time, “It is well with my soul”. Read his full story here. Today, where do you find your dependence, i submit to you that if your answer is anything but Christ alone, you need to stop what you are doing and reevaluate life and put your hope, trust, confidence . . . dependence on the only one who can and will see you through, Jesus the Messiah.

You are loved,

Aim for the Target!

“You have made the Lord tired with your words. You say, ‘how have we made Him tired?’ When you say: ‘Anyone doing evil is good in the Lord’s eyes,’ or ‘ He delights in those doing evil,’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?‘” These words are found in Malachi 2:17 . . . Later in 3:6 it says; “I am the Lord, and I do not change; . . .” The last book found in the Old Testament is profoundly challenging. It is my currently book of study, meaning i am reading it, rereading it, and re-rereading it. It also means i am sitting in it, meditating on it, and praying through it.

i am by nature a quiet person, but i am also intentionally quiet for reasons also; mainly, to not tire the Lord with my words. This isn’t specifically talking about talking too much but rather not speaking truth when i do open my mouth. We have fallen in love with our culture, much like the Jewish Nation fell in love with theirs and others around them. It became such a challenge for the Priest that they too began to “water down” the Scriptures. They took the standard of God and reduced it to the desire of man. Malachi was called upon to set the record straight. “The Lord does not change, get out of your sinful ways and return to the Lord.“

i often go back and forth over struggles of the culture, the Word of God, grace, mercy, Old covenant, NEW covenant, and how does it all fit and where does it all lead? This warning however at the end of the O.T. is repeated at the end of the N.T. in Revelation written by John in the second and third chapters we read; “…I have a few things against you…” “So change your hearts and lives. If you don’t, I am coming to you soon, I will move your lamp stand from its place if you don’t change your hearts and lives.”

Clearly there is a call to repentance, to right living, to holiness. We by our fallen nature are not in our right minds and therefor need the presence of God to make it! To run the race to the end. In Micah we are told what the Lord requires of us, “To act justly, love Mercy, and to walk humbly with God.” In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 we read, “Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies.”

In a letter Paul writes to the Philippians he says, “. . . become imitators of me and watch those who live this way, you can us us as models. As I have told you many times and now say with deep sadness, many people live as enemies of the cross. Their lives end with destruction . . .” If we put all of this together we see that over and over again humanity in its fallen state, continues to veer off course; That rings true for me and you. Paul gives us hope, in his same letter to the Philippians he writes, “It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, so that I may grab hold of it because Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose. Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t thing I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. So all of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, and if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to him or her. Only let’s live in a way that is consistent with whatever level we have reached.”

We may not always hit the target, but that doesn’t mean we don’t aim for it! As Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” If we don’t aim our lives in the right direction and course correct when needed we will miss the target and that my friends is a frightening thought.

You are Loved,

Stuck in the mud.

Today, i drove out with a friend to get hay for our horses. We have one, Shrek and they have two, the names escape me. We drove about an hour to a town called Red Lodge in Montana. We had in tow our horse trailer for Shrek to carry the hay. Our Chevy Avalanche is only two-wheel drive with traction control. Having moved from California it’s all we really needed and we picked this up used so it wasn’t a priority over cost. We previously got it stuck in the mud when we were getting the trailer ready for our move. Thanks to some kitty litter we were able to get it unstuck, that was not the case this time.

i was a bit fearful arriving in Red Lodge at the farm where we got the hay. Watched carefully where i was going and every turn was measured for whether or not i would make it through. It was an unfamiliar place and i was much more on my guard. We loaded up the hay and pulled out and all was well. My friend and i had a great conversation and the trip home was quick. Arriving back at the stable we went to park the trailer near the barn for easy unloading of the hay. i was totally comfortable. i swung the trailer around to back in and proceeded to make my way towards the barn, when…you guessed it, i got stuck in the mud. The more i tried to free myself the more stuck i became. My friend came up and asked, “is this four-wheel drive?” We already know the answer to that question.

No amount of struggle would free me because the weight of the trailer was too great. Often we are the same way with the things that weigh us down in life. Struggles and sin weigh us down and many are stuck in the mud. It happens mostly when we are comfortable. We aren’t on the lookout because we feel like we have a handle on life. It’s then the Devil gets his claws in us and drags us down with weights we don’t need to even carry. You know how i got the truck unstuck? i dropped the trailer. Yep, that’s it, i dropped the trailer. Then with a little maneuvering, i was free and on my way. Dumping the weight of struggle and sin is the same, if we dump it, with a little maneuvering we can be on our way.

With a lesson learned and a path made we can avoid those struggles. If we stay alert to the temptations around us if we look out for one another. If we don’t assume everyone has four-wheel drive, we will be better able to address the needs of our friends before they get stuck in the mud. Having that faith community around us and placing our faith in them we will be ready for the obstacles of life.

1 Peter 5:6-11 says it all:

⁶So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

⁸Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers^[b] all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

¹⁰In his kindness, God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹All power to him forever! Amen.

You are loved,

Within the Veil

“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.” Matthew 27:51 KJV

Such a simple passage that is full of great meaning. The veil of the temple was a giant curtain. This curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the place where man dwelt, basically the rest of the temple. The temple was where the sacrifice was made for the atonement of sin. The Holy of Holies, beyond the veil, was only entered once a year for that purpose by the High Priest. Who first had to be consecrated before he was allowed to enter with the atoning sacrifice for the people.

Here in Matthew 27, we read that upon Jesus breathing His last, “It is finished,” the final atonement of sin offered by our High Priest, Jesus, was offered. The atoning work is done, the need of the veil that separated a Holy God from sinful man was no longer needed, and therefore torn in two. The thing that separated man from God, sin, was dealt a deathly blow. Allowing us to enter the Holy of Holies, God’s presence, on our own. We now dine within the veil. No longer does God dwell in a temple of meeting but rather in our hearts. We are the temple, individually and collectively as the church. Not a church as a place but as a people, a people of God.

We can now bring, on our own, our needs, our hopes, our fears, our sin, our repentance, our faith, our lack of faith, our weakness, and our strength, right into God’s presence. i can carry you there and you can carry me there alone or together, individually or corporately. You see the veil is torn in two! It is gone, it is finished. Jesus was the final atoning sacrifice for the sin of man. When we believe that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When we acknowledge Him as our Savior, we enter into the Holy of Holies. That is a very cool thing. To know that we have the opportunity to enter into the presence of Almighty God and He desires us to do so, is really awesome.

Yet, many Christians miss it, they miss the opportunity to sit in the presence of God and dine with Him. All is not lost, however, for to us, a promise is made, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:20-22

You are Loved,

The Cross

The cross was a Roman form of torture and death. Jesus found innocent by both Herod and Pilate was still sent to death by crucifixion with the shouts of the people. An innocent man put to death because the “Religous” feared Him. “I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty.” ~Pilate Said. Still, with the shouts of the crowd, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate allowed it. Little did they know that His death was for the sin of the world and what looked like defeat was actually the victory the world needed.

When Jesus cried out His last few words, “It is finished,” He breathed His last. Soon the guards would recognize Jesus had died, the few faithful that remained asked for His body. Placing Him in a tomb, they went home to observe the Sabbath and to mourn. The darkest day of their lives, filled with shocked silence, quiet weeping, peppered with mournful cries and shouts of agony. Everything they thought, hoped for, dreamed about was pulled down from a crucifix dead, wrapped, and laid in a tomb.

They didn’t have the benefit of this side of Sunday, the third day. They didn’t have the benefit of seeing the completion of the promise. They didn’t have the benefit we do. Perhaps that is part of the reason our response to Sunday pails in comparison to theirs. So maybe, just maybe, if we sit in darkness as they sat in darkness, with mournful hearts, we too can rise on Sunday, hear of the Resurrection and run to the empty tomb in search for Jesus!

Matthew 27:45-61 NLT

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. ⁴⁶At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[a] lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”^[b]

⁴⁷Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. ⁴⁸One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. ⁴⁹But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”^[c]

⁵⁰Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. ⁵¹At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, ⁵²and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. ⁵³They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴The Roman officer^[d] and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. ⁵⁶Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, ⁵⁸went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. ⁵⁹Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. ⁶⁰He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.⁶¹Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

You are Loved,

The Garden

Close your eyes for a moment and try to imagine this: You have lived a good life. You have done right, to include some pretty miraculous stuff. In fact, the only folks who don’t like you are religious people. You have a few really close friends, twelve you suppose. You have lived with them for 3 1/2 years. Traveled near and far with them. You have been in some pretty crazy situations too, rough seas, mobs, and seen incredible miracles. You just enjoyed the Passover feast with them, washed their feet in a symbolic gesture and had what you imagined was a very intimate moment with your best friends.

One of whom was soon to betray you. Set you up with the only people who didn’t like you, the religious. Now you go and do what you have done for as long as you can remember, you and your friends go and pray. You go to one of your favorite spots, the Mount of Olives. There you ask your friends to pray as you walk a little further to be alone and begin to pray. Now the weight of reality hits you. You realize that the thing you have been talking about and the event you have been describing is about to come to pass. The burden is great, and your heart becomes heavy. You get up to check on your friends and find them asleep. You are alone, and you are being tormented by what you know is now rapidly approaching.

You still have free will. You still have choices. You still have an opportunity to avoid every bit of the immediate future you dread. The fate of the world rests on your decision. This is the burden that weighs you down. It has come close to breaking you. Your friends, all but one really, have fled, but even he isn’t by your side, alone you will face the darkness. What choice will you make? Will you take on the injustice, the betrayal, the punishment, death? Or, will you flee, seek another way, attempt escape? This is the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Don’t feel bad for struggling, Jesus too struggled. i view the garden as a significant moment in time. A moment in time where Jesus fell under great temptation. The choice to walk the road of torment or seek for His own another way. He displayed hours before His humility, His heart, His love. Now in the garden, we see His humanity, His brokenness, and His resolve. His choice was for our future. His punishment was for our sin. His suffering was for our hope. His death was for our life. Read through the account written in Luke 22:39-54. (Below is the NLT). Read it all. Read it slowly. Read it twice or three times. Sit in it. Meditate on it. Pray through it. Let your heart go in the moments of its words. At the end, i want you to switch roles, become Peter, read it again, imagine following at a distance…live this passage in your mind, heart, and soul…

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. ⁴⁰There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

⁴¹He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” ⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. ⁴⁴He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.^[^a^]

⁴⁵At last, he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. ⁴⁶“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested

⁴⁷But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. ⁴⁸But Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!” ⁵⁰And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.

⁵¹But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

⁵²Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. “Am I some dangerous revolutionary,” he asked, “that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? ⁵³Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.”

Pray through this passage, and i will meet you next week at the cross.

You are Loved,

The Upper Room

i imagine a candlelit room, dusty, a faint musty odor. It’s spring, the days are getting longer, but the weather hits its unpredictable period, hot one day, cold and rainy the next, leaving behind sents of fresh rain, blossoming trees, and that musty odor of in-between. Here in this room the Disciples along with Jesus, gather. A meal prepared for them to observe the traditional Passover Seder. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them one last time on the meanings behind the elements of the Passover.

He begins with the washing of the disciple’s feet. Taking the lowest servant position available and doing what Peter observed as beneath Jesus to even consider doing. Jesus emptied Himself of any rank and humbled Himself before His disciples as an example to them and “US” that we are to serve others over serving ourselves. Here we read it in the NLT from John 13:

⁴So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, ⁵and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

⁶When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

⁸“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

⁹Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

Unless Jesus washes us, we will not belong to Him. The Upper Room is so full of symbolism, all of it lost on the disciples at the time. Only in retrospect were they able to grasp all that Jesus was doing in that room for them. Following this act of humility, they sat to eat the Passover Seder.

First the bread, unleavened. Why? It’s symbolic, leaven represents sin. If the bread represents the body of Christ, it too must be without sin, in this case, leaven. Traditionally the baker of the bread would puncture it to prevent any rise at all as it baked. A flatbread baked over open flame surely would show marks as well. Carrying with it, even more, symbolism of Jesus’ pierced and bruised body, His brokenness. Now, as Jesus stood before them with the bread He broke, He said, “this is My Body which is broken for you…” the significance of this is overwhelming. Did you know that in a traditional Passover Seder, the “Afikoman” is broken wrapped in cloth and hidden in the home? The children then search for it, and the one who finds it gets a prize. Then the “Afikoman” is eaten as a sort of dessert to the Seder Meal. This reminds me of Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (NASB)

There are traditionally four cups poured and drank during the Seder. Each represents a part of the story of the Exodus. The third cup is the cup of blessing, traditionally this is the cup referred to during our modern observance of the “Lords Supper.” Some would say it is the fourth cup which was known as the “cup of Elijah the Prophet” a foreshadowing of the coming Massiah. Either cups observance fits as both are fulfillments of the Kingdom. Jesus was pointing now to the finished work of the cross that they soon would experience. In the reading, i will share from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 22 (NLT) it talks about two cups the second and the third or fourth. The second cup was the cup of suffering, and it was traditionally poured out representing the plagues upon Egypt.

The Last Supper

⁷Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. ⁸Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

⁹“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

¹⁰He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, ¹¹say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ ¹²He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” ¹³They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

¹⁴When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. ¹⁵Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. ¹⁶For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

¹⁷Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

¹⁹He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

If you have not partaken in a Passover Seder, i highly recommend that you do. It will profoundly change the way you see Passover, the upper room, the garden and the cross.

You are Loved,

In our weakness, standing in Your strength, Thy Kingdom Come

Weakness, who would admit to it? We are taught from the beginning, strength wins. Survival of the fittest. There is quote after quote about the need to be strong and independent. Even in the Church, we have quotes such as, “God helps those that help themselves.” None of them truly helpful, and rarely actually Biblical. Oh sure, some are really great. They are motivators for us to press on in difficult times. They encourage us at times even give us a new perspective on life and ourselves. i recently read a men’s devotional in which it talked about our need to be physically fit, strong even. Although it made some very valid points, i think it was leaning too hard on our strength and how God wants to use our strength.

In reality, God wants to use our weaknesses. In order for that to happen, we must embrace our weakness, understand it and live in a place that allows God to use our weaknesses to His glory. We need to realize that we are made perfect in weakness. We need to humble ourselves even in areas of strength and rely on God’s strength. Will He use our strengths? Absolutely! But when we become dependent on our own ability, we will soon lose perspective and reliance on God and His strength. In Everything, we need to seek the Lord, His will, His strength, His leading and in the end His glory not our own.

This is not a popular message by any stretch of the imagination. Many will disagree. However, i would just point back to the fact that God uses our strengths, yes He does…i contend, however, that He uses our weakness more, in fact, He desires to use our weakness more than our strength. That is a very comforting thought if you think about it honestly. It is the Apostle Paul who wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NLT)

^{9 “}Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

Let’s look at this passage in the Message in a fuller context looking at verses 7-10:

^{7-10 “}Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first, I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.“

Here in 1 Corinthians 1:27 Paul says, “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.” (NLT) Yes, He has given us gifts, and talents, but often the gift and the talent for particular missions are found in the weakest of men (and women). God’s Kingdom is built on His strength, His Kingdom has come. Jesus said, “¹²Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” (John 14:12 NASB) and, “Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you.” (John 14:16 CEV)

Let me point to this, in conclusion, the final verse of Psalm 27 (NASB read the whole chapter by clicking the link)…Be strong yes, as you wait on the Lord.

“Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.”

Embrace your weakness.

You are loved,

In our offering, and in our service, Thy Kingdom Come

With the passing of the Reverend Billy Graham today i think it fitting that we have reached this point in our “Thy Kingdom Come” series. No doubt he (Rev. Graham) heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” when he walked into glory. His humility throughout his life is something to be emulated, not to mention his desire to offer of himself and serve. There are two quotes i want to share here from the Rev. Billy Graham that i have read today in various places. The first, “The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless.” WOW, i find myself both in agreement and challenged at these words. And that’s only the first quote! Here is the second, “Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent.” Here i am comforted and inspired.

When the church uses the word “offering” folks immediately jump to tithes or money. Although that is definitely a part, it is not the whole. You see offering is giving and one can and should give from the heart. Whether that is tithe or special gifts or time, effort, and resources of a non-monetary form. When we make an offering of time to the church, the body of Christ, we are essentially giving in multiple areas. One might ask, “Isn’t that service?” Yes, and no, is the answer. Yes in that we are serving the church when we offer our time and talents. However, service is much deeper. By this, i mean that we are to serve everyone, not just the members of the body of Christ.

i want us to look at Matthew 25:31-40 here we will see exactly what i am talking about straight from Jesus’ mouth (from the Message).

^31-33“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him, and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

^34-36“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry, and you fed me,
I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless, and you gave me a room,
I was shivering, and you gave me clothes,
I was sick, and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison, and you came to me.’

^37-40“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'”

i really like how the Message spells this out, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me — you did it to me.” WOW! When we make self-sacrificing service, through sincere faith, we do so unto the Lord. This has challenged me over the years to evaluate why i do, why i give, why i serve, why i live essentially. What is my motive, what is my expectation, what is my heart? The answer, reveals whether or not i am serving others or myself…whether my actions are selfless or selfish. This passage continues…41-46

^41-43“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry, and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless, and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering, and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

⁴⁴“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

⁴⁵“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

⁴⁶“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Each of us holds a piece of the puzzle. Putting the puzzle together can be challenging. We will make mistakes. We will find our intentions were selfish, our motives, wrong. But do not lose heart, do not grow weary in doing good as it says in Galatians 6:9. We have unique and specific giftings, talents, and resources, each of us must examine ourselves and make an offering of our lives in service; financially and physically. Let me remind us of Rev. Graham’s words, “Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent.” We may not always get it right, but we must still be ready, willing and able. As we learn to live in our Lords Kingdom here and now.

In our offering, and in our service, THY KINGDOM COME!

You are loved,

In our WORDS, and in our SILENCE, Thy Kingdom Come

Ecclesiastes 3:7 says: “…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” There are a lot of passages that speak about not speaking, of holding one’s tongue, simply put, not talking. Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” 62:5 – “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” and finally, although there are plenty more, Proverbs 29:11 – “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.“

We have all seen that one person who just yells, they yell at pretty much everything, complain about everything and everyone. It is easy to sit and wonder how such a person can ever be happy. Now i don’t mean those occasional conversations where two good friends vent a little. There is something about letting off a little steam once in awhile, but to constantly air one’s disdain for everything is quite another thing. Nobody likes complainers, grumps, and people full of visceral. There is a season, a time, a moment if you will when you may be required to speak up. It may be passionate, full of animation and octaves above your normal speaking voice, just be sure it is warranted and out of character.

If you sit in a meeting with me you will rarely hear me speak. i take two bits of advice very seriously, first, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” (-Unkown) Proverbs 17:28 speaks to this idea; “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.” The second piece of advice, “speak softly, and carry a big stick.” (President Theodore Roosevelt) ok, maybe not the “big stick” part but certainly the speaking softly, Proverbs 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Here is my point, we are challenged throughout Scripture to “watch our tongues” and “speak wisely” and “thoughtfully”. To measure our words, to speak only what builds up and not what tears down. To wait until the very last second possible to vent, and then wait, a second more. It is not easy but in our words, we should only build up the Church, not bring criticism and in our silence, we should reveal the heart of Christ not the will of man. So, i say to us, “In our words, and in our silence, Thy Kingdom Come.”

You are loved,

The Way of the Rabbi

a lifestyle not a religion

Tag: Faith