journey onWord with us

It happened twice this weekend. My wife, without trying, caused me to feel less than spiritual as I look toward Christmas Day and the birth of Christ.  She absolutely loves to view nativity sets, and I … actually don’t think much about them, even when I see a beautiful one.  Friday night we were driving through a small community close to our home and there was (you guessed it) a nativity scene right in the middle of town.  Genel was excited and wanted to send the mayor a note for his courage in allowing the real meaning of Christmas to be portrayed.  Quite frankly, unless she had mentioned it, distracted Mike would have driven right by it without noticing. And then Saturday she decided to discuss with me the desire she had to purchase a particular (not cheap) nativity set.  In her own persuasive way, she proclaimed that we could buy it on sale after Christmas, and that we would have it the rest of our lives.  At that moment (shamefully), all I really focused on was the cost.

Now before you think of me in a negative light, Christ is everything to me. But it’s easy for me to move through the Christmas season acknowledging, but not really focusing on, the Baby in a manager.  I have taught the prophecy of Christ’s birth, preached the passages related to the virgin birth, and am more than thankful that God chose to send His Son to be our Savior.  I can speak eloquently about how the Baby born in a manager one day would die on a cross and be resurrected.  But honestly, I can very easily be distracted from looking at that Baby and reflecting on the consequences of His birth.

And then on Christmas Day, I sometimes tend to feel a bit uneasy that I haven’t prepared emotionally and spiritually for the wonderful day.  My wife’s subtle reminders this weekend have caused me to take stock in how I am preparing to worship my Savior this Christmas. I don’t want to just look at nativity scenes, but to look at my Savior, born in Bethlehem … in a manager.  God became flesh!  At this moment, are you distracted, or preparing for Christmas by really looking at and reflecting on the Savior? I tend to believe that most Christ-followers struggle with the same distractions I do.  Make a choice with me to really look at the focal point of all nativity sets this Christmas … Christ the Lord!

But there is something more. I also believe that many Christ-followers struggle with distractions all year long, and would willingly say that focusing on Christ is more of a wish than a reality. In a profound passage of Scripture from Hebrews 12:2(a) we find these words …

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Looking unto Jesus is an attitude of faith.  To really live a life of looking to Him takes intention.

When you and I fix (look) our eyes on something, we are placing emphasis on it. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, is the best wait to live. Direction in life, skill for living, wisdom for decisions and great joy can all be found by living a life that looks at Christ first and foremost.  You and I can live moment by moment, day by day and year by year fixing our eyes on Him. The question is … will we?

I can’t re-create all the missed nativity scenes I may have ignored, and you can’t go back and have a re-do on all the missed opportunities to live your life looking unto Jesus.  But all the moments, days and years we have left are in front of us.  I’ll make you a promise.  I will zero in on the real focus of the nativity scenes I come upon this Christmas, if you’ll consider looking unto Jesus with intention moment by moment, and day by day as we move into another year.  And we’ll both be glad we did!

It is my firm belief that most Christ-followers really don’t know Christ. Now before you think the words I just stated are heresy, think about them for a moment. I didn’t say that Christ-followers were not followers of Christ or not real believers, but that they didn’t really know Christ. At least not in the way He wants us to!

It’s likely that most of the people reading this article have made a decision for Christ in salvation, and your eternity is secure in heaven. But have you really taken the time to get to know Him, to really experience the wonderful privileges that are available in Christ? My thoughts on this topic really began to take root a couple of months ago when we at Journey onWord were preparing our Bible reading plan for 2014. One of the men shared that for much of his journey as a Christian, he didn’t really know Christ. His words got me thinking.

It’s my assumption that you can recite a great deal of facts about the Savior. You’ve probably read through the gospels and internalized a lot of information on His life. You have heard the Sermon on the Mount taught, you probably love reading about the feeding of the 5,000 and you have wept looking at His pain in Gethsemane. I could go on with how much information most believers know.

Knowing Jesus, however, it less about possessing facts and reciting Scripture and far more about truly experiencing Jesus. All who know Him as Savior have a grand opportunity to live with His attitude, look at life from His perspective and enjoy the peace that He gives.  Frankly, I just don’t see that happening with most Christ-followers.  How about you?

To be honest, I had a hard time framing this article in my mind. During my personal reading time, I found so many verses that caused me to think about Jesus and reflect on really knowing Him passionately.  Romans 13:14(a) reminded me of this:

Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The picture of clothing ourselves with the presence of Jesus goes far beyond intellectual facts, Bible stories and just drifting through life as someone who calls Christ our Savior without really seeking Him. If you are like me, you want to experience in a very real way the joy of clothing yourself in the presence of Jesus.

For a moment, think about how Jesus would handle the stress and pace of your life. Would He be frantic, frustrated and often overwhelmed? Think about how He would handle abuse, and anger toward Him. Would He forgive or choose to live with anger and bitterness?  When there’s a chance to lie or shade the truth, what would Jesus do?  I think we all could recite what He would do in these situations, because we’ve read the stories. And we’d probably be quick with the answer.  But have we ever sat long enough with the story to see what’s beyond the quick answer.  Or have we genuinely applied what we “know” and genuinely followed His example when He’s led similar people or circumstances into our everyday?  I firmly believe that you and I can live with the attitude and actions that characterized His earthly walk.  But if we don’t really spend time getting to know Him, looking at His responses and committing ourselves to His purposes, we won’t act much different from those who really don’t know Jesus as Savior.

Our passion at Journey onWord for 2014 is to spend the entire year reading and studying all the words of Jesus in Scripture. As we immerse ourselves in His words, attitudes, and actions … we will change!  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to end 2014 with the words Christ is my Savior and my best friend. Over the next few weeks we will share how you can journey with us through “the words of Jesus”.

I want to share something I read just today in Beth Moore’s book, Jesus the One and Only.

He is Jesus. The One and Only. Transcendent over all else. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to long for Him. To long for Him is to finally reach soul hands into the One true thing we never get enough of. Jesus. Take all you want. Take all you need. Till your soul is fed. And spirit freed. Till dust is dust. And Face you see. Jesus Christ. He’s all you need.

Amen.  And with expectancy, we look forward to journeying with you in 2014 through “the words of Jesus.”

If we were to speak with complete honesty and full disclosure, there is no doubt that all of us would admit there are some individuals who are a thorn in our side, or a pain in the neck. It’s that person that always seems to get your goat. You find yourself going out of your way to avoid them. The issue even gets thornier when that special person is a member of your family. You repeatedly tell yourself, “I am not going to let him/her get to me”, but they always seem to push the right buttons. But as much as we struggle with people who are thorns in our side, I believe the bigger battle is with the thorn in our flesh.

It’s easy to name those who irritate us, and it is very easy for us to identify the thorns in our flesh. We may not speak often of our thorns, but I believe we all have issues that are an irritant to us. There is almost universal identification among Christ followers with Paul and his admission of his thorn. Although his problem is not spelled out (many believe it to be an eye ailment), we understand why Paul would pray for it to be removed. There are times when we would do anything for our particular thorn to be taken away. But we must conclude that God knows best, and then glory in our own weakness as Paul did.

II Corinthians 12:7-9
To keep from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

God chose to let Paul live with his thorn when he could have removed it. Satan used it to torment him. In the Father’s design for Paul, He knew a thorn was needed. I can’t speak for you, but He knows what I need, and evidently a thorn(s) can be part of His oversight. Satan wants to torment us, but God’s grace is as sufficient for us today, as it was so long ago in the life of Paul. No matter what thorn you seem to continually battle, there is grace for the moment, and the power of Christ is available.

Although I am not sure who will be reading this, sound logic tells me you struggle with a thorn in your flesh. You may even be a bit weary on the journey. Do not lose heart, my friend, grace is available … boundless grace. Paul embraced his weaknesses, and he’s been used for centuries to encourage those with thorns. In conclusion to my challenge, please read carefully the passage above from The Message …

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 it’s 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 …

Great perspective! Will you embrace it?

Every week tends to have a series of ebbs and flows. We can all look back and clearly see the blessings and trials that made up each day. If not careful, however, the trials that seem to linger will weigh us down. Sure, we are thankful for the blessings, but they seem to fade into the distance while our trials grow clearer by the moment. Just tonight, I talked to a friend that was going through a very difficult week. He was in physical distress because his eyes were inflamed, and he was in emotional distress because of being deeply hurt in business. It helped me to focus on the truth that trials come to all, we all need perspective, and we all need each other.

Reading the phrase, “so that we despaired even of life” would get anyone’s attention. Obviously a situation so dire that would cause a person to mouth such words is worth examining. Paul, in describing the hardships he endured in the province of Asia wrote these words to the church at Corinth. He also used the words, “…under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure…” (2 Cor. 1:8b) to describe a bleak situation. Most of us probably haven’t experienced the depth of Paul’s difficulties, but we all have had our own “under great pressure” moments. And quite frankly, there have been times where we all wondered, “Can I get through this?”

Paul’s perspective on his hardships has great meaning, and is wrought with wisdom. “…But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Cor. 1:9)  Isn’t constant dependence on God how we should be living anyway? The friend I talked with tonight knows that he needs to rely on God to get beyond his current struggles. Truthfully, that is how we should all live every day.  Only in truly relying on our Lord will there be sufficient energy to endure well. And don’t forget, He has the power to raise the dead! A full reading of the first chapter of II Corinthians relays a confidence that can be ours. Paul had no doubt that God who had delivered them from deadly peril would continue to do so. How is your confidence about your trials and your tomorrows?

There is more to our trial story. Namely, that we need each other. I doubt anyone would debate that point, but how do we need each other? Look at what Paul told the Corinthians. “…On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers…” (2 Cor. 1:10b, 11a). Paul wanted them to know that their prayers would play a part in deliverance. I don’t know about you, but the words in bold have escaped my attention when reading this passage, maybe a hundred times. Paul made it crystal clear that he needed their help, in the form of their prayers. As you see others walking through trials, they need your help … your prayer help. Paul looked for the supernatural provision of God to come through prayer. So should we!

We may not feel like our prayer time will have that much effect on another’s situation. But we need to leave the results to God, and simply pray. Others need us … in prayer. Just as my friend needs me to pray for him, someone needs your prayer time. And we all need to learn the lesson Paul conveys – to rely (truly rely) on God.

Trials will beset all of us; God can be trusted, and prayer really does work!

I wonder what the next three and a half weeks will hold for each of us?  Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have passed. Today is Cyber Monday. But every day between now and Christmas can give you and I an opportunity to reflect on the Promised Birth, and also find ways to gift others. Intentionally looking for the chance to bless and gift others is noble but rare.  During this season, I trust that all of our Journey articles will help motivate you to gift others in response to the magnificent Gift given to mankind over two thousand years ago.  With those words as a backdrop, I want to share with you a story that I read just this morning.

My wife and I are on a forty day reading journey together. We are using the book, Draw the Circle, by Mark Batterson.  The following true story culminates on Christmas Day 1908, but the results are eternal.  God is no less interested in leading you and me than he was John and Jessie Perkins.  But are we listening?

In 1908, two new missionaries, John and Jessie Perkins boarded a steamship circling the coast of Liberia. They knew God had led them to Africa, but didn’t know where. So they did something a bit radical for most of us.  They bought tickets and trusted that God would let them know where to get off!  When the ship rounded Garraway Point, they sensed the Holy Spirit’s leading to get off the ship.

They had no idea that a young man named Jasper Toe lived in this region. He was God-fearing, and practiced religious rituals, but had never heard the name of Jesus. One night he looked to heaven and prayed, “If there is a God in heaven, help me find You.” That very night he sensed God speaking to him. “Go to Garraway beach. You will see a box on the water with smoke coming out of it. And from that box on the water will come some people in a small box. These people in this small box will tell you how to find Me.”  Hmm!

Jasper went seven days by foot to Garraway beach. He arrived on Christmas Day. He saw the box (a steamship) floating on the water with smoke coming out of it. That is when John and Jessie sensed God telling them to get off the boat. When they approached the captain of the ship, he wasn’t obliged to let them off. He informed them that it was cannibal territory, and that people who went there didn’t come back.

John was adamant, “God wants us to get off the boat.”  In a canoe with all of their belongings, this brave couple headed to shore in a small box.  Guess who was on shore to meet them… Jasper! He took them to his village and they eventually learned the language of Jasper’s people. They started a church and Jasper Toe was the first convert.  His life was changed and those who knew him shared that he was one of the Godliest men they had ever known. And his legacy – hundreds of churches that he helped establish in the country of Liberia.

John and Jessie Perkins could have found lots of excuses not to give the gift of themselves. But they listened to our God — who speaks.  They didn’t know where He would say, “Get off!”  But they trusted that God would tell them. Think about Jasper Toe’s Christmas Day in 1908.  The Perkins gave their gift (themselves) and Jasper received the Gift!

While the world races toward Christmas 2013, will you listen for the gift that God may want you to share with someone?  It may be a gift from your treasures, or maybe it will be the gift of your time — but most of all, it will be the gift of you. Be willing to give it.  Let your gift reflect the Gift!

Simply amazing! Something less than one-third the size a dime turned my world upside down.  Last Monday I was in a relaxed mood going through the airport on my way to Florida … but everything changed in a moment.  I was next in line to send my luggage through the scanner when it happened.  As I reached into my travel case to remove the 3 ounce items, my finger made direct and forceful contact with a brand new razor blade. I didn’t just nick the skin; I sliced a small portion completely off (sorry for the details). Pain and blood both erupted simultaneously, and I had yet to go through security.  You can imagine trying to pick up your supplies, put your shoes on,  and fix your belt all while painfully bleeding all over the place (I am a drama queen). A TSA agent got me to the bathroom and the cleanup began. One man gave me a whole pack of band-aids, and I made it to Florida with four band-aids gripping a little spot on my finger. How could something so small create such chaos for me?! My reading this morning reminded me that something small can create chaos for any of us.

Has a small thing called the tongue ever turned your world upside down? It may have been a heated comment or just a selfish one, but from the moment the words were spoken, you were looking for band aids. And the unintended consequence of misspoken words is that they seem to linger and are not easily forgotten. If you have ever been on the receiving side of painful words, you realize that the quick fix of a band-aid is often not enough. I am convinced that everyone reading this article has felt the pain of damaging words, and probably also inflicted the same. Over the next five weeks, all of us will experience the joys and stress that come with preparing and enjoying Christmas. There may even be some family issues during the season that could easily cause words to be spoken that are painful.

The reading that caused me to compare my momentary pain to the damage that can be wrought by a small thing called the tongue was from James 3:5-10: 

In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.  And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! (NLT)

Without knowing most of the people who will read these words, I feel impressed to come along side of you with a challenge. You and I both know what our tongues are capable of! There is no question that we also agree with the insight from the verses above. The key is, are we willing to be prepared emotionally and spiritually to live with a tongue full of grace during the next few weeks? You and I will both be tempted to speak our mind, which usually means creating a wound for someone else. Who wants to be putting band aids-on the wounds of painful words this Christmas season?

It took a few days this week before I removed the band-aids. Only minor pain still remains from my chaotic few minutes. But I will never open a travel case without remembering that moment. And my hope for you and for me is that no band-aids will be needed because of our words this year. One of my favorite verses in Scripture is Psalm 19:14:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (NLT)

Will you commit with me right now to let the words from your tongue be pleasing to Him during this stressful, but wonderful season? NO BAND-AIDS NECESSARY!