journey onWord with us

It’s happened to all of us. You listened to the words of a friend, business partner or even a family member, much to your chagrin. You should have known better or checked things out more thoroughly, but you didn’t. Along the journey, wide-eyed belief becomes healthy skepticism. We want to give others the benefit of the doubt, but after being hurt or disappointed enough times, just give us the facts. That reminds me of the Bereans. I have always been impressed with them. You may be asking, who are the Bereans?

Berea is a city in southwest Macedonia that the apostle Paul visited on his second missionary journey. It was one of many cities that Paul visited. The key to my fondness of the Bereans comes from one verse in the Book of Acts.

Acts 17:11
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Obviously, the fact that they were noble was impressive, but what really stands out to me is how they viewed the message presented by Paul. They accepted it with eagerness, but didn’t just rely on his word. It is interesting to think of them fact checking the apostle. I would equate it to any one of us checking to see if a message by Billy Graham was true. Although it is humbling to think of fact checking someone so godly, we would be wise in doing it. The Bereans were definitely wise to make sure what they heard Paul proclaim matched with Scripture.

Most people have some spiritual heritage. Your church background determined some of your early perceptions about faith, salvation, and baptism as well as a myriad of other Biblical topics. So much of what you grew to believe came from those presenting Biblical truth to you. We tend to just believe what our spiritual authorities present. My point is not to cast doubt on what we have been taught, but to present a case that all believers should appropriately examine what we are hearing and ensure it lines up with Scripture. Why do you believe what you believe? It is certainly not a negative that the Bereans fact checked the apostle. And it is not a negative to examine the Scriptures to make sure that what you hear from pulpits, or read in articles is true.

If you and I are to have a Biblical Worldview, a strong understanding of Bible doctrine, and a deep sense of how God works in our lives, it is paramount that we be students of God’s Word. Any spiritual leader I know is thrilled when someone examines the Scriptures to validate what they have presented. All of us will one day stand accountable for our lives. God has chosen to give us absolute truth through His Word. We must always seek it, and it is imperative that we always view teaching through the lens of His Word.

Paul was giving the Bereans truth. But they still examined the Scriptures daily to make sure what he said was God’s truth. Wide-eyed belief was easy when we were all younger. But our accepting nature so often transitions into healthy skepticism as more years pass. Our natural tendency is to fact check any information given to us. From a spiritual perspective, how can we lose by examining the Scriptures to validate the words we are taught? And truth be told, the teachers you can trust will have great joy in having their message validated. Don’t be afraid to live like a Berean!

January was a cloudy month for Genel and I, both literally and figuratively. Our state had very few days of sun, and lots of snow. It seemed that wherever we turned there was pain and stress. And to top it off, on January 31^st at my favorite Chinese restaurant, I received a fortune cookie with no fortune inside (ha)! Cloudy days and months are part of the human condition, but they should never dim the brightness of the Son in our lives. My personal experience is that when clouds hover, the Son’s reflection can be easily overshadowed. You probably have experienced some of the same feelings. But we must accept that when the Father allows the clouds, He wants us to reflect the Son.

A review of history will show that mankind has always had cloudy seasons. In our Scripture reading this week, I witnessed great examples of how to live under the clouds. Peter and John were used of the Lord, but faced persecution. Peter was not a man to back down, and in Acts 4:12 gave words that left no doubt about real salvation. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” The clouds (persecution) that Peter and John faced could have caused them to be timid about Christ. In his proclamation, Peter reflected the Son as the only way to heaven. Religion may debate it, but the Bible is clear.

In the very next chapter in Acts, the apostles were called in and flogged. They were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.  But hear how they responded … “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41)  I would classify getting flogged as a cloudy day, but the apostles continued to reflect the good news of the Son. Further reading in Acts took me to Stephen who was stoned for a life that radiated the Son’s love.

Persecution has never really been a part of my life. You may tell the same story. But we have certainly seen cloudy days and months. I am convinced that those cloudy times are invaluable moments and opportunities for reflecting the Son. There are a world of people around us that need the light of the world, Jesus. What better time to reflect the Son’s love, grace and mercy than during times when we are overshadowed by pain and stress. People need the Lord, and they need to see Him reflected in our lives.

If you are a Christ follower, there are people around you who need to see His reflection. Don’t let clouds dim the truth of His love. The examples that we found in Acts should give us all courage to be appropriately bold about our faith. When we clearly radiate His love, the Light of the world is seen. Let’s trust that February will be less cloudy and filled with the warmth of the Son.

Prayer is a fundamental part of the Christian life, and is a prominent word in the Christian vocabulary. Everybody prays, and at some point even quotes the Lord’s Prayer. But to most, prayer is underused, misunderstood and often only important when our lives hit crisis mode. In fact, a friend and I had a discussion about “why pray if He already knows everything?” just last week. Then, there are those times when we pray intently, really believing God is going to answer with an affirmative to our well thought-out important request. But He doesn’t!

These less than powerful experiences with prayer may have left you feeling that, “it’s not worth it”. But God has designed for all Christ followers to pray, and His purpose is more than just our petitions.

Just this week in praying with my daughter, I wanted God to give us the answer we wanted. I even enlisted friends to pray. She had traveled across the country for a great opportunity, and then got very sick. She was not even able to attend the function. It would be easy to question the Lord about not coming through for us. But He did come through in His way. God’s purposes are good, and sometimes He uses affliction for our good. You have probably had similar experiences.

It’s imperative for us to have a strong sense of God’s control in our lives, because when prayer requests aren’t answered our way, the “why even pray?” thoughts can emerge.

In my reading last week from the book of John, prayer was a prominent theme. One of the confident prayer promises was found in John 14:13-14.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Is Jesus giving us carte blanche in our prayer lives? No, but He is giving His credibility in going to the Father. Praying in His Name means that we are praying as Jesus would pray, and praying for what would be in line with the Father’s will. There will be times when He answers as we are hoping, and we consider those God moments. God moments also come when He answers differently than our personal desires. The key to effective prayer is in His Name.

God’s design for our prayer life is not that we just petition. Our prayer life should be much deeper than that. Larry Crabb in his book, The PAPA Prayer gives what I feel to be the missing link in our struggle with prayer. He says. “The chief purpose of prayer is to get to know God, to deepen our relationship with Him, to nourish the life of God He’s already placed within us, and to do it all to satisfy His desire for relationship with us.” Relationships take time, and Christ followers struggle with giving God what He deserves. It’s no wonder that prayer is underused and misunderstood.

So where is your prayer life? Today you can begin to pray as Jesus would, in His Name. You can also determine that prayer can be a special relationship between you and the Father. Give Him the time He deserves! Remember, His purposes are good, He wants to bless you and He wants you to pray. He knows how to answer, and He knows best.

As I sat across the table today and looked at my friend’s meal, it looked delicious. He had a nice juicy hamburger with fries, while I had a salad and soup. Although Weight Watchers would approve my lunch, I would have preferred the high fat, low nutrition choice of my friend. For one day however, I made the right choice. We are all confronted with choices daily. On a particular day in the life of Christ, He had an interesting discussion with the disciples about food and nourishment.

The backdrop for this exchange is the very familiar story of Christ and the woman at the well. On His way through Samaria, Jesus met a woman whose life was less than appropriate. His love and care for her resulted in saving faith. Other Samaritans entrusted their lives to Christ after hearing her witness. Extra, extra! Read all about it in John chapter four.

In the midst of that larger story, we find Christ having a brief, but powerful discussion with his disciples. A powerful discussion about some about some not-so-ordinary sustenance.  Sandwiched between the woman leaving to go tell her friends about meeting the Messiah, and their return, we find the bigger-than-bread exchange between Jesus and his disciples.  As they returned from town, the disciples urge Jesus to eat.  Listen carefully to His response …

John 4:32-34
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then the disciples said to each other, “could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

The disciples were concerned with food. But real nourishment for Christ came from doing the will of His Father. In this case, it was leading a Samaritan woman to saving faith. Just like you and I have to choose between hamburgers and salads, we also have to choose between the will of God (real nourishment) and our own desires. Phillip Brooks said it well: “Seek your life’s nourishment in your life’s work.” If you are in Christ, there is no doubt that the Father has plans for you. Doing His will can provide far greater satisfaction than a delicious meal.

Before my lunch choice today, I was given a picture of someone who I believe lived out the principles of doing the will of His Father. I was listening to a CD from John Maxwell when I heard a story of the great John Wooden. He had a life-list that was taken from a card his dad gave him when he was twelve. He read it daily throughout his life and tried to apply the principles. On the card were these statements:

Making the most of one’s self. Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build shelter against a rainy day. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

John Wooden died last year having lived life to the fullest. I believe his faith in Christ helped him live a life of real nourishment.

Our legacy will never be that of John Wooden, but will it be said of us that we valued the Father’s will more than anything else? Will caring for others, growing in His Word and giving of ourselves to His cause be our legacy? Christ patterned for us a life that nourishes the soul. John Wooden’s story provides evidence that we can follow the pattern. You and I may always battle between hamburgers and salads, in feeding our bodies.  But Father, help us choose your will over ours, and find real nourishment for our lives!

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” is a famous line from the movie Love Story that was a blockbuster hit late in 1970. Everybody has heard the line, but I am sure almost nobody believes it. Children are taught early in life to mouth the words, “I’m sorry”. Married couples know that unless they are willing to admit wrongs with, “I’m sorry,” deep wounds will emerge. In fact, all good relationships should be laced with words that admit wrong, and correspondingly words that convey forgiveness. But I am sure you would agree with me that it is sometimes hard to say, “I’m sorry,” and even harder to truly forgive.

Years ago I remember counseling someone who was emotionally depleted. In our discussion it became clear that forgiveness needed to be given. The problem was the pain was deep. The offender had passed away, but my friend still needed freedom. In ways too numerous to count, we have all been offended. We have also been the offender. Think about your life, even today. Are there people around you or from your past that even speaking their name causes internal conflict? There is a part in all of us that wants people to pay for what they have done. But the response of Christ-followers should be patterned after the One who forgave us.

Luke 17:3-5 (MSG)
“Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.”
The apostles came up and said to the Master, “Give us more faith.”

If you and I are honest, the easy road to take when someone hurts us is to hold a grudge and let others know about the offense. A better response is to privately confront the issue and if our offender says, “I’m sorry”, forgive him. The above passage solidifies the appropriate response with the words, “Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.” It is my personal feeling that I should create a habit of forgiving even before it is requested. There are times when someone who hurts us will not admit the wrong, or maybe doesn’t even know they hurt us. Freedom comes to a heart that forgives.

It is interesting that the apostles stated to Christ, “Give us more faith.” Their comment conveys to me that forgivers need to trust our Lord with the consequences. Knowing we can trust Him with the results by faith makes forgiveness more reasonable. No matter how painful, you and I can be secure in God’s design that forgiveness is always the right choice.

Sometimes we offend others, and sometimes others offend us. In both scenarios, we know what to do. Admittedly, the right choice won’t always be easy. But if our vertical relationship with the Father is controlling our horizontal relationship with others, “I’m sorry,” and, “you’re forgiven,” will be a core part of our vocabulary. And don’t forget:

Love really means always being willing to say you’re sorry!

a quick note of encouragement:
If you are current in your reading along with us through the New Testament, Praise God! and keep going.  If you started, but aren’t current, Praise God! and I invite you to start again today!  And if you haven’t yet begun to read along with us, Praise God! you are here in this space with us, and I invite you to begin reading today.  This is another opportunity to praise God in all things, and at all times, and to just say “hey”, or welcome you anew as we journey onWord together!

Everyone experiences hard places. They vary in degree, but no one is exempt. When our journey takes the unexpected turn to a place of difficulty, our minds respond with immediate questions. I am confident in God’s sovereignty; thankful for His grace and sure of His love for me, but my logical self often cries out “why?!“. I want life to make sense. After all, I try to do things right, help others and honor Him. You may have some of the same struggles that I face in trying to figure out God’s design for the hard places. Part of my mental fatigue is that my logical self thinks it knows best, when in reality God knows what is best. Growth for me (you) comes when I begin to let my thinking become purposefully yielded to His knowing.

Three times in the last three weeks I have read about an event that qualifies as a hard place for Christ. In a similar circumstance, my first response could easily revert to those dreaded why questions. Think about it, God the Spirit led God the Son into the desert to be tempted by the devil. On the surface, it made no sense.

Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Mark 1:12-13
At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.

Luke 4:1
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.

From my viewpoint, this would have been difficult beyond description. Christ stayed in the desert for forty days, fasted, was with wild animals, and to top it off He was tempted by Satan. But God had a purpose for sending Christ into the desert. At least one of the great benefits from this hard place was the model every true Christ follower has been given to thwart the attacks of Satan. Christ used God’s Word against Satan, and so can we. God’s design for Christ always had a purpose, and so it is with us.

You may have already hit a hard place this year. Did your logical self start with the questions? Mine has! To be honest, our humanity pretty much guarantees the why questions. God understands this, but I think the bigger question is this … Does God (who knows what is best) have the right to re-direct our journeys to the desert? Of Course He does! It is my opinion that His good purpose for all Christ followers will involve hard places. That does not make them any easier to navigate or endure, but when our thinking is purposefully yielded to His knowing, we will have greater perspective and more peace.

Sometimes the hard places are born out of our own failures. At other times, the Father leads us into a hard place to stretch and grow our faith. Regardless of why we are in the desert, our Father will give grace and guidance, and will always be sufficient. When we hurt, He cares. His purpose is always good–even when our hard place doesn’t make sense in the midst of it. Accept that you will sometimes be overwhelmed with emotions that ask “why?!” In those times, call out to Him and purposefully yield your thinking to His knowing.

So you have arrived at the time and place to announce the single greatest event the world has ever seen.  And you have just been told that it is your job to decide the who, how, and where it will be done.  Take a deep breath, and think.  It must be BIG.  Whomever, however and wherever it gets done, it needs to be BIG.  The announcement simply must match the epic nature of the event itself.

If someone was to make an epic announcement in our modern context, they would be smart to choose a 60-second spot during the Super Bowl to do it.  What air time is more valued than during the broadcast of the Super Bowl?  In Luke 2, we find ourselves confronted with God’s choice in making that epic announcement.  And while the “who” and “how” were quite spectacular, the “to whom” and “where” were anything but.

God summons his angels to earth to appear and proclaim the birth of his Son in full splendor.  I can’t even imagine the sight of that amazing announcement.  But I can imagine being someone to whom the angels came.  Because as BIG as angels are as messengers of the good news, shepherds are about as not BIG as you could get as it’s recipients.  I can relate to the insignificance that the shepherds amounted to in ancient times.  As members of society, they were outcasts, existing out in the margins, far away from the important social or political centers.  The angels seem like an obvious choice, but wouldn’t it have made much more sense to involve a crowd in Jerusalem, or even halftime of an event in the Roman coliseum?  Not for God, that is not His way.

A study of scripture will confirm a consistent pattern when it comes to the ways of God.  The same God who chose shepherds, chose a baby as the form his Son would take in coming to earth.  Not a fully grown Samson times ten, but a simple, vulnerable infant.  In choosing an entrance into the city of Jerusalem as the Messiah, our Lord did not ride in on a royal or commanding horse, but a lowly, young donkey.  And in bringing salvation to all people, He did not author a military takeover or epic battle, but rather a lonely, brutal road to death on a cross.

This pattern of the ways of God is not limited to the story of Jesus’ birth, life and death.  We see it in Joseph’s pit, Daniel’s den, the three friend’s furnace, and the choice of a young shepherd boy to confront a giant.  We see it in the declaration that we must have faith like a child, and that the meek will inherit the earth.  We see it in the choice of a chief persecutor to be the messenger of the gospel to the wider world.  Time after time, occasion after occasion, God turns the apparent truth of things on its head to reveal His truth, and accomplish His purpose.

Sometimes we become so familiar with something that we miss the awe and the significance, the complexity and the mystery of it.  I thank God for the Spirit’s prompting to pause a while at the event of His announcement to the shepherds.  In it, I was reminded of the consistency of the unexpected when God is involved.  And was challenged to never close myself off, and always open my eyes and heart when He brings the unexpected my way.

You’ve been there. Life has been hectic, but you sense a bit of relief. You have plans to get away for a day, or maybe longer just to unwind and refuel your emotional tank. And then it happens. An interruption delays your plans, or people who you feel obligated to help, need you now. You feel guilty about the emotions that erupt in your spirit. But what’s your choice; help those you love fix the immediate problem. or ignore it all and just go on your personal retreat? I know what you would do! In my reading through the books of Matthew and Mark during the last two weeks (keep reading with me), I have already read about the feeding of the five thousand twice. This incredible miracle has grabbed the attention of young and old, but to the disciples it was one of those interruptions.

From my study, it seems that the events leading up to the miraculous feeding were intense. John the Baptist had died, and the apostles were giving Christ a report of what they had been doing. So many people were going and coming that they could not even eat, so Christ had a solution. “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”(Mark 6:31b). Can you relate? They went by boat to a solitary place. Upon landing, they are confronted with a large crowd. If I was traveling with Christ, my reaction probably would have been, “this is not my idea of rest”. However the response of Christ is very instructive, and not just because the five thousand were fed.

Can you agree with me that Christ would have known there would be a large crowd surrounding them when the boat landed? After all, He is God. It is also interesting to look at the response that He had to the crowd. Putting the Matthew and Mark accounts together, we learn that He had compassion on them and began teaching and healing. I am convinced that Christ and His disciples needed the break, but He chose a greater good. I really want to have the mind of Christ (and I am sure you do too), but compassion may not have been my first reaction upon encountering the crowd. I wonder how the disciples felt. We do know that late in the day they wanted to send the crowd away.

Was Jesus teaching a lesson on looking at the needs of others, even when we don’t feel like it? Again, it is obvious to me that He knew the crowds would be confronting them. Did Christ care that His disciples needed rest? Of course! Was He modeling an attitude that all Christ followers should seek to exhibit? I think so! Can we accept that when Christ interrupts our plans for rest, He knows best? Absolutely!

It is easy to enjoy the miraculous feeding. But the heart of Christ was on more than just feeding the people. They had spiritual needs, and He had compassion. There will be times for all of us when our emotions cry out for a break. But if our Lord chooses to interrupt our plans, He does so for a purpose. Could it be that someone in your world needs your love and compassion more than you need your well-intentioned emotional rest? If so, trust your Father’s design, and don’t worry … rest will come.

You could call me a cell phone failure, and have every reason to do so. Cell phones have become such a valued object in all of our lives. As proof, just last year, my eighty-seven year old mother-in-law joined the fraternity of users.  But oh the value I’ve lost or cost myself in this age of cell phones.

As someone who depends on his phone for both work and pleasure, I must admit that cell phones have been a source of great irritation to me. In the last ten years, I have dropped (and lost) a phone on Park Ave. in New York City (My daughter was deeply amused that I thought I could go back and retrieve it)! Then I left my phone at an airport in Chattanooga at 4:30 in the morning. I have dropped a cell phone in water (it died), called people countless times on my Blackberry without knowing it, and had my phone decide that it wouldn’t work on numerous trips to Florida. So color me a failure. Just this morning, I read about another failure. You may have heard of him … His name is Peter.

Usually when reading Matthew chapter twenty-six, the garden of Gethsemane takes center stage, and with good reason. Peter’s life also happens to be scattered amongst the verses, and not in a flattering way. His weakness abounds and resounds. Talk about failure! Take a glimpse at how bad this chapter was for him.

Matthew 26
…Peter declared that he would never disown Christ.

…Peter and two other disciples were sleeping during the critical time for Christ in Gethsemane.

…When Christ was arrested, Peter reacted with a sword and cut off the ear of Malchus.

…He and the other disciples deserted Christ.

…Before the rooster crowed the morning after his bold declaration, Peter had denied Christ three times.

Thank goodness Peter’s story did not end in chapter twenty-six. He was restored, and used of Christ to dramatically impact the world. Peter preached and 3,000 were saved at Pentecost. God used Peter to open the door of the gospel to the Gentiles. He wrote two epistles in the New Testament. Church history records that he was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to be crucified as His Savior was. On the one hand, we see his incredible failure. But then we are blessed to see how God can forgive, restore and use someone fully devoted to Him.

You may not be as brash as Peter, or as cell phone challenged as me, but I am sure you struggle with failure. Repeatedly, you are reminded of your weaknesses. And you may even have some “twenty-six” type chapters in your life. Whether our failures are public or private, they can cause us to lose effectiveness for the Savior. But I am here to tell you that God can handle your weakness and failures, and can use them for His good and your growth. Peter could have just pulled back, or run away after denying Christ. But for the cause of Christ, and because of God’s incredible grace and love, Peter ended his story well. And no matter how deep and numerous our failures are, our story can end well too.

Tomorrow, next month, and next year, I’ll have some cell phone frustrations. Failure will be part of the story we all write. But it should never be the end of the story. Peter’s life moved beyond chapter twenty-six. Whatever holds you back from effectiveness for Christ can be overcome. Determine that your next chapter will be filled with growing deeper in love with the Father, and with others. Confess, submit and then live in the freedom of God’s forgiveness, grace and love!

By the way, I wonder what Peter would have done with a cell phone?!

When is the next holiday?! It may just be me, but the first week of the New Year is already moving at a fast pace. Between eating properly, working out, attending meetings, phone calls and a myriad of other events, I can already feel myself needing a holiday to recuperate. You may be feeling the same way. As I have been reading the book of Matthew this week, I’ve wondered about the pace that Christ must have kept. From my perception, the demands on Christ far exceeded what any of us will encounter this year. Yet His pace reflected what was important, and His days were directed toward others.

A quick read through Matthew (a book that bridges us from the Old Testament to the New) shows the demands on Christ. He was healing the sick, feeding the five thousand, teaching, calming a storm, debating the Sabbath, telling parables, feeding the four thousand, walking on the water, etc…. And I think I’m busy and need to recuperate! Sure He was God, but He walked among mankind and gave us undeniable examples of how to live in our world. When the disciples wanted to send the five thousand away, Jesus made sure they were fed. In scene after scene throughout Matthew we find the needs of people being a priority to Jesus. It is too easy for me (and maybe you) to focus on my needs rather than to reflect the love of Christ to others.

Some key thoughts have grabbed my attention this week in looking at Christ. His life was a battle just like ours. He was attacked by Satan, and gained victory through quoting God’s Word. So can I! He showed compassion to others, even when it may have been taxing physically. So can I! He spent time with the Father and prayed. So can I! Now, I would like to be able to heal, walk on water, calm the storm and multiply the loaves and fishes, but that’s not for us. However, just to model how He defeated Satan, cared for others and effectively communicated with the Father are undeniable examples of how we can live with distinction this year. The question is: how highly do we value these attributes?

In the familiar passage in Matthew on “taking up our cross and following Christ”, the following words of Christ give us an undeniable perspective.

Matthew 10:38-39 (MSG)
If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

When my first concern is myself (and it often is), others lose and I certainly don’t communicate well with the Father. But when I (and you) forget about ourselves and look to Him, things change. Christ was all about others … and the world was changed. When you and I live outward, the Lord will use us for change. Forgetting about ourselves and looking to Him is admittedly not easy, but the results will be undeniable. As the demands of this year heat up, remember that others need you, and Christ will guide you. And I really don’t need another holiday yet!