The Same, Today

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7 NIV)

Probably the most difficult teaching I ever have to share is God's definition of leadership.  In our world today, leadership and success is usually defined by numbers: number of people gathered or number of dollars earned.  Leadership in God's Church is also about numbers, but not the numbers we watch in the world.  Number of people gathered only tell us the size of a crowd.  Crowds can gather for riots as well.  Number of dollars tell us how much money is exchanging hands.  Jesus didn't have any money, so more money can't equal greater success.

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.  (Hebrews 13:9a NIV)

Success as a follower has to do with our consistency in following the commands Jesus gave to his disciples.  Success as a leader has to do with the number of people you have helped do the same.  Leadership, then, is not about power, position, or politics.  It's not about gathering crowds or raising large amounts of money.  It's about walking with God and helping others do the same.  Success, then, is shown in the number of people walking together with God.

I remember talking to a mentor/friend many years ago about the Christian walk.  I was excited about how much I was learning in Seminary.  I was getting answers to many of my questions and I was starting to see the picture God has for our lives.  He smiled and said, "It's really not all that difficult, is it?"  He was right.  The picture God has for us really isn't all that complex.  The enemy makes it seem that way.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NIV)

I'm glad that God, and His picture, stays the same.  It gives us time to figure it out.  Not only that, it gives us time to start enjoying it and sharing it with others.    It makes the "yoke" or "burden" of learning and sharing rather light.  I find comfort in the fact that God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

Remarkable Things Today

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." (Luke 5:26 NIV)

Jesus performed many miracles throughout his three-year ministry.  They got people's attention.  Crowds would seek him out because of all the things he could do.  One group of people believed in his abilities so much that they brought a paralyzed friend to Jesus with hopes that he may be healed.  The crowd was so large that they couldn't get their friend to him, so they helped their friend "drop in."  They lowered him through the roof of the building where Jesus was preaching.  He was lowered in the midst of the crowd right down in front of Jesus.

What did he do?  Jesus healed the man.  He healing he offered at first, though, was not physical.  He healed the man's spiritual problems - the sin that separated him from God.  Then, to prove he had the power to forgive sin, Jesus healed the man physically.  The crowd was amazed.  They called it "remarkable," the things they had seen.  They gave praise to God.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 NIV)

All too often we want to see "remarkable things" from God as well.  We wish that we could see the kinds of miracles today that Jesus performed back then.  We want to be amazed...they we will give praise to God.

The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. (Psalms 74:16-17 NIV)

Maybe we should be amazed more than we are.  I watched part of a sunrise this morning.  I was amazed.  The sun is hurling through space at a rate of about 486,000 miles an hour.  Not to be lost, the earth rotates around this moving target at a rate of 67,000 miles an hour.  But neither of these events produced the "sunrise" today.  No, the earth also spins around like a top at the brisk rate of about 1,000 miles an hour - completing one spin in 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09053 seconds: the sidereal period.  

That produced this morning's sunrise - but not the temperatures associated with this season of winter.  Winter is produced by the fact that the earth is "tilted" at an angle of approximately 23.4 degrees.  The angle stays the same throughout the year while the earth circles the sun.  So, during part of the year the sun is closer to the "top" of the earth and during another part of the year the sun is closer to the "bottom" of the earth.  The angle of rotation produces "seasons" of warm and cold for the earth.

All of these things were necessary for me to enjoy one sunrise during the winter season in Northwest Indiana.  How much will it take for me to be amazed at "remarkable things?"  Seems like that sunrise was pretty remarkable.  I'm going to go praise God now...

Paradise Today

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:42-43 NASB)

As Jesus was hanging on the cross dying, he had criminals hanging on crosses on either side of him.  One was angry at Jesus and yelled at him.  The other was repentant of his sins and wanted to be forgiven for his wrongdoing.  Jesus forgave the second, promising that he would be in paradise with Christ that day.

Each day God gives me in this life, I have a choice.  Do I want to be with Him or not.  It really is that simple...and the choice is mine.  After Jesus rose from the dead, gave all his followers a mission - to go and make disciples of all nations.  Then he promised to be with us as we fulfilled that mission.  He would send His Spirit to help.

Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed us. He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 HCSB)

His Spirit is a down payment?  What does that mean?  Let's try another translation.

[He] gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. (2 Corinthians 1:22 NASB)

This translation calls it a "pledge."  God is making us some kind of promise with pledge or down payment.  What is the promise?

...guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV)

When we choose to join God, we become citizens of heaven.  We receive His Spirit as a down payment...a pledge...guaranteeing what is to come.  We get a little taste of paradise right here on earth until we can enjoy it all in heaven.  In the meantime, we get to bring a little piece of His Kingdom here on earth just as it is in heaven.  We get to live, and bring to others, a piece of paradise today.

Why Today?

Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (James 4:13-17 NLT)

I'm not sure the reason, but I've been having the same kind of discussion over and over again lately.  It usually takes place on a Sunday morning when someone attended church services who hasn't attended in a little while.  Maybe they've missed a couple weeks - maybe a couple months or years.

The conversations all seem to have the same components in them.  First, they find me to "touch base" after being gone a little while.  Then they tell me what an impact God made on them that day.  (I'm always glad to hear His Spirit was working in people during service.)  It's at this point that they seem to come to a self-realization.  "Every time I come here I wonder why I waited so long...why I don't come every week."  Clearly they are feeling some kind of conviction about their attendance - that God want's to meet with them more in this way.

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Hebrews 3:12-13 NLT)

This week I also had conversations giving me gentle reminders that I had not been blogging the last week or so.  During our "Builders" time on Sunday afternoon, we asked one another an accountability questions about reading Scripture:  "How often were you in The Word this week?  Is that the amount God want's you in Scripture?  What, if anything, are you going to change in this area?"

Being transparent, I had to admit that God was convicting me in this area.  I've been keeping up with my Bible reading plan, but not by reading every day.  I was letting several days "back up" and then reading all those days at once (like I did today).  I keep up with the reading, but I'm not in Scripture each day.  Now, I know that God doesn't command that we be in His Word each day, just like I know He doesn't command attendance at church services each week.  But, just like my friends, I find myself convicted anyway.

I think the reason for my conviction is that God teaches so many times about the importance of "today."  We're reminded that today will bring it's own troubles, challenges, and opportunities to minister to people.  Today will be different from any other "today" we have experienced or will experience.  Today was given to me as a gift, and I should live that gift today.  

God wants to walk with me today.

So, I've read His Word today.  I'm talking with Him (still) today.  I'm writing down what He has convicted me to say today.  Now, I will go about my day today for as long as He gives me today.  When "today" stops for me here, we will be able to look back and see what a difference "today" made.

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. (Hebrews 3:14 NLT)

Lights Out?

Yes, we did have a Superbowl Party for the students last evening during and our house was comfortably filled.  No one really had a "dog in the fight" on this one, so interest in the game seemed to surround more of the games we had attached to the scores at each quarter and whether or not someone said the word "football" during the first quarter.  Watching Beyonce wasn't exactly a positive half time show for a church youth group, although the nerd in me gives her credit for the CGI graphics employed in the show.

Then it happened.  The lights went out.  The biggest television event of the year which entices people to spend over a billion dollars surrounding the event...and someone forgets to pay the power bill?  No, the outage was a safety trip - one that I'm glad our power companies have built into the grid.  But it did cause a "delay of game" for about 30 minutes while students stocked back up on snacks.


"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

It got me thinking.  If an event of this magnitude, with 4-million-dollar commercials, pyrotechnics & CGI enhanced half-shows, and a contest between the two best football teams in nation can be stopped by light (or a lack of light).  What can be stopped by the light of God?

Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the magnitude of God's plan.  With over 7 Billion people on the planet, there is much work to be done to "go and make disciples of all nations."  It's even more overwhelming when you look at the things the world entices to watch, believe, and follow.  

How will His mission be accomplished in the midst of all this?  Light.  

Light stopped the Super Bowl.  

Light will change the world.  

Let His Light shine through you today.

This little light of mine -

I'm going to let it shine.

This little light f mine - 

I'm going to let it shine.

This little light of mine -

I'm going to let it shine -

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Cold

So...the temperatures dropped again.  We went from temps in the 50's to a temp of 15 today.  Rain turned into ice, then snow.  The wind was blowing enough to dry out many of the puddles before they became frozen sheets of ice.  Nonetheless, it's still gotten cold outside - cold, wind, light snow, and ice.

It seems like I encounter people on a regular basis who are struggling with the "cold" in life.  Not low temperatures, but low spirits.  They battle against negative thoughts, feelings, or events in their lives that try to bring them down and knock them away from a walk together with God.

Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone's coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound. (Proverbs 25:20 NLT)

God wants me to love my neighbor as myself.  Expressing this love is more than simply "being positive" or "upbeat" around people.  It includes listening to and caring about where they are coming from.  When I talk all the time, I run the risk of running over someone who may be hurting.  When I take the time to listen, I have a much better opportunity to be a blessing to them. 

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. (Proverbs 25:21 NLT)

I want to be a person who notices when someone is fighting against the "cold."  I want to recognize when someone needs a coat, food, drink, or healing for their wounds.  I want to see people through the eyes of my Savior.  I want to help them to experience the love of God.

Weather Change

I've been talking about the weather quite a bit lately in my blogs.  That's because there's been quite a bit to talk about.  Cold and snow turned into rain storms that freeze when they hit the ground.  So much rain came that it created flooding.  Now, the temperature is predicted to drop 40 degrees within a 24 hour period - turning the rain into snow again.  I had a friend say to me yesterday, "I don't like this weather."  My response?  "Wait a minute, it will change."

Watching the weather has always been a part of my life.  My dad and I used to like looking out the window, standing in the middle of a field, or looking off the bow of a ship to talk about (and predict) the weather patterns.  I still remember the age-old sailor's saying that he (and, apparently, my grandpa) used to quote.  "Red sky at night is a sailor's delight.  Red sky in the morning - sailor take warning."


One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that He show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His authority. He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. " Then Jesus left them and went away. (Matthew 16:1-4 NLT)

Walking with God is a lot like learning to read and follow the weather patterns.  It's about reading the "signs" that God gives us.  I was just talking with a friend this week about what "signs" each faith system or religion offers to say it is true.  When you investigate most of them, though, you may find yourself as disappointed as my friend is about the weather.

God has given us many signs of His presence and communication to us through the ages.  He sent great miracles that were so far outside of the natural order that non-believing scientists today are still trying to come up with "explanations" how such things could have happened "naturally."  He sent prophets with those great miracles to explain what He wanted to say to us - giving us His message through their mouth and writings.  He sent His Son to perform miracles, teach us, then give the ultimate sacrifice of love so that we may live.  How do we know that this is true?  He gave us a sign.

When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, he wasn't just doing another miracle.  He wasn't capping off all the other miracles with a "grand finale."  He was fulfilling the sign that would confirm for us who he was and what he was doing.  He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and God Incarnate (in the flesh).  He was sent to die (taking the punishment for our sin) then offer true life to all who want to come.  When we do, he reconciles us to God and gives us His Spirit as a "down payment" in this life - so we may live life abundantly.

Can you read the signs?

Rain, Floods, and Rocks

"Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT)

I've been keeping and eye on the weather forecast for my area today.  It's the end of January and the high temperature is going to be around 60.  This is significant for us today, because the weather also calls for lots and lots of water.  Since the temps are going to be so high, the water is not coming down as snow or ice.  We will have rain - thunderstorms to be more exact.  Flood warnings abound for our area.

As I walked out to the car this morning and into various buildings throughout the morning, I found myself looking at the ground around me.  I could see places where puddles were forming.  I could see where gutters were clogged.  I could see where pavement was loose and washing away.  I could also see the places that were strong and wouldn't succumb to the flowing water.

"Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.'  (Matthew 7:21-23 NLT)

It hit me today that I see the same kinds of patterns in people that I know.  Some find themselves trying to hold on to things rather than letting them "flow through" their lives.  Puddles form.  I see ones who let "junk" clog up their lives so nothing else can flow through.  I see some who are so uncertain, broken up, and loose that the smallest storm is able to wash them out.  Then I see still others whose lives are built on a solid foundation - the foundation offered by God - and they stand strong no matter what storms come their way.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, for He taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.  (Matthew 7:28-29 NLT)

Rain is a blessing.  We need water to drink and to cleanse.  It can also be dangerous - pounding away at and eroding the foundation of our lives.  It really is best to build our lives planning on rain.

Clean

"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before." As He was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "God bless Your mother—the womb from which You came, and the breasts that nursed You!" Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." (Luke 11:24-28 NLT)

I'm watching right now as people are cleaning out various areas of the church building.  It's always good to do "spring cleaning" (even when it's not spring) and get back to the original room.  It's a lot like the "factory reset" I talked about yesterday.

Once the room is cleaned out, though, (or the computer is reset), the next step is every bit as important as the first.  What are you going to put back in the room?  What programs are you going to put back on the computer?  Are you going to keep some of the same things or are you going to put new things in their place? Will you have the same amount of stuff or will there be less (or will their be more)?

Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. (Luke 11:39-42 NLT)

A "clean room" is great, but it won't be long before it becomes cluttered again if we continue doing things the way we have always done them.  The real benefit in a deep clean (or factory reset) is the ability to choose what goes back in there.  The same is true in our lives.  Cleaning our schedules, starting over with budgets, and reevaluating our jobs is a good thing as long as we put the pieces in place that God desires for our lives.  Otherwise, we will be no better off than we were before.

Factory Reset

One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked Him, "Why don't Your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?" Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Matthew 9:14-15 NLT)

Today I decided to make a significant step forward with my "smart" phone.  You see, the phone had been acting up quite a bit lately.  Text messages aren't always coming through.  It would go into a "loop" where it looked like it was going to turn off but then it wouldn't.  To make things worse, it would do this constantly, overheating and wearing out the battery.

I would try to "reboot" the system.  (Smart phones, after all, are just computers, right?)  I know that's the first thing technicians would tell me to do.  When that didn't work, I started going through and removing excess data.  When that didn't work, I started removing "apps" that I suspected may be causing the problem.  Not of that helped my situation.

"Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. (Matthew 9:16 NLT)

So, I decided to do a "factory reset."  A factory reset is provided on many computing devices now because our computers (and computer phones) can get to the point that they are bogged down by all the fun stuff we tried to install since we got them.  Even if we uninstall a program, there's still junk left behind that slows down the system.  A factory reset erases EVERYTHING on the machine, then puts things back to the way it was when you first took it out of the box.  The computer is restored back to "factory settings."  You can start fresh.

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved." (Matthew 9:17 NLT)

Now my phone appears to be working fine.  I went back to factory settings and I've only installed a couple apps - ones I know are important for me to use on a regular basis.  The rest of the stuff is all gone.  Now, hopefully, I can use my phone in the way God intends me to use it.

Sometimes it's a good thing to do a "factory reset" on my life, too.  Life can get busy and bloated with schedules and activities that have been added in over the years, but that I've never really succeeded in removing from my life.  A new year gives me a great time to do a factory reset and erase all that stuff.  Then I put things in my schedule that I know God wants me to do and my walk together with God improves.  Factory resets can be good.

Scripture Day

I'm traveling today to get my daughter from school for a long weekend. So help me out here.

What is your favorite Scripture?
What Scripture did you read today or this week?
Share it with me or, if you like, by comment on this blog post, on Facebook, or on Twitter. Let others benefit from your walk.

Looking forward to your thoughts.
Pete

The Disciple Jesus Loved

When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, "Dear woman, here is your son." And He said to this disciple, "Here is your mother." And from then on this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27 NLT)

"Mom always did love you more than she loved me."  That was a running joke among me and my siblings.  Sometimes it came off as a joke.  Sometimes you could detect a twinge of jealousy in our voices.  We were battling a very real "bad box" in our minds.  At times we won the battle better than others.

Perhaps that's why "the disciple Jesus loved" always sounded a little arrogant or self-absorbed to me.  What kind of disciple would actually claim that Jesus loved him more than all the others.  Yet that was what he seemed to be saying...wasn't it?  Or was it?

Jesus is hanging on the cross.  He's about to die.  He's leaving this life.  He sees his mom.  Jesus is the oldest sibling in his family.  He feels a sense of responsibility for mom since dad is gone.  He needs to know that she will be cared for.  Even if he thinks of his resurrection, he knows that his time on earth will still be limited before going home to the Father in heaven.  Mom needs someone to look after her - to take care of her.  Jesus turns to John.  He's been teaching John.  He's been walking with John.  He can trust John.  He entrusts his mom...to John.

I've met many leaders and teachers in the church who will claim to have a close personal relationship with Jesus.  I've met many who are ready to take on the world with Paul-like fervor.  I've met people who are ready to admit their weaknesses and yet are ready to take on the responsibility of leadership like Peter did.  I've never met someone desiring a ministry like John.  "from then on this disciple took her into his home."

Sometimes I think we forget what it means to be a follower of Christ.  Sometimes we get it all twisted around and think it's about the job we want, the relationships we want, the life we want...but it's not.  Following Jesus means we walk with Him, we listen to Him, and we do what He asks us to do.  John understood this.  He was honored by the request.  He took care of Mary.  He knew that this ministry wasn't something that would build his ego or his bank account.  He knew it would be something everyone would envy and wish Jesus had asked them to do.  He also knew that it was important to Jesus - important enough that He needed someone He could count on, someone He could trust, someone He loved.

Being One

"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me. "I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. (John 17:20-23 NLT)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of men and women who greatly desire to reach the people of Chicagoland with the good news of God's love.  These people are planting churches all over the region because they know that when we plant new churches, we reach new people.

It's always a good thing to get together with this team of evangelists.  Sometimes it's easier than others.  There's always encouragement and building up.  There is often times of "iron sharpens iron."  All in all, it's time well spent every other month.

This round, I found the team speaking about sharing and collaboration across the churches.  We discussed sharing resources like sermons & illustrations, physical resources like tables & chairs, and even being willing to recruit people to go help with projects.  It was a joy to listen to.

I keep thinking about the smile that must be on His face as that happens.  He wanted us to be in unity with one another.  He wanted us to work together as His Body.  He prayed for us to be one.  He said that through our oneness, the world would believe.  Unit is the one means of evangelism prayed for by Jesus.  Well done, team.  Well done.

How about you?  Are you one with Him and His Body, the church?

Pruned or Cut Off?

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8 NIV)

What is your first reaction when you face trials or difficulties in this life?  Is it, "Sweet!  I wonder how God's going to use this to help me grow up!"  Probably not.  It's not something we thinking about when troubles come our way.  It's not something preachers talk about much because it doesn't "preach well."  But this is one of the most basic Christian experiences that every Christ-follower will experience.  Trouble prepares us for growth.

When I was younger, I would watch my grandma use her "green thumb" to care for plants, bushes, and trees.  She would carefully, meticulously go around from plant to plant and check the soil for water.  She would remove dead leaves and, in some cases, use her snips to cut off the ends of branches that needed a little pruning.  To this day I don't completely understand her process or the logic behind which branch got pruned and which was left to grow on its own.  I did, however, see the results: growth.  All the foliage under her care seemed to blossom under her watchful eye.  She knew what she was doing.

When I face trials of many kinds, I find myself wanting to ask questions like, "Why?" and "Is God mad at me?"  I've learned over time, though, that when I remain in Jesus the hurt is at the level of a pruning.  When I walk away from God completely, it hurts like I've been cut off.  When He "prunes" me, there's always recognizable growth afterward.  I don't completely understand why he chooses to "prune" some "branches" in my life while allowing others to grow untouched.  But I have learned to trust the results.  My life blossoms under His watchful care.  He knows what He's doing.

Not Trust. Love.

He had loved His disciples during His ministry on earth, and now He loved them to the very end. (John 13:1 NLT)


Loving people can be difficult, especially when you're not "feeling the love" back.  As I was reading during my personal devotional time, I found this statement above rather striking.  I paused to think about it a bit.  He loved them to the very end.  The "disciples during His ministry on earth" were numerous.  You could start with the twelve, chosen after an all night prayer-fest with the Father.  You could consider the 72, whom he sent out two by two performing miracles and preaching the kingdom of God.  You even could consider the thousands and thousands in the crowds who came to listen to him, then believed in him.  Jesus had a bunch of disciples at various levels.  He loved them to the very end.


I started to struggle over this concept because my daily readings had me in an earlier chapter of John a few days ago.  It said something that seemed to contradict this statement here, so I looked it up.



Meanwhile, he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing. And they believed in his name. But Jesus did not fully trust them. He knew what people are like. He didn't need others to tell him what people are like. He already knew what was in the human heart. (John 2:23-25 NIrV)

He didn't "fully trust them."  The NIV renders states that he "would not entrust himself to them."  He didn't trust them, yet he loved them.  Not only that, he loved them to the very end.

I began thinking about how he kept these two concepts together in his ministry.  Peter was praised one moment, then told "get behind me Satan" in the very next conversation.  Jesus knew Peter was going to deny Him three times that night.  Jesus probably knew that Thomas was going to doubt.  Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot was going to betray him that same evening.  Jesus asked eleven of his twelve to pray with him in the garden of Gethsemane and asked three of them to come "a little further" to pray with him.  They fell asleep. 

Jesus knew what he could rely on and what he couldn't rely on in the people around him.  That didn't change  his mission.  That didn't change his ministry.  That didn't change his love.  He loved them...to the very end.

Same Story - Different Characters

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light." After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." 

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she replied, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." 

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."  (John 11:1-44 NIV)

I can't begin to count the number times I've either heard this story read or that I've actually read it myself.  Today, though, I found myself seeing the events of those days differently.  The people in the story seem to be changing right before my very eyes.  Look at what I'm seeing...

Thomas -  Poor Thomas gets the "doubting Thomas" label from us all because of the time he required proof that Jesus had actually risen from the dead.  Here, however, I see him differently than a doubter.  Everyone was afraid to go to Judea because they knew Jesus was a "wanted" man.  When Jesus finally decided to go to Judea to help Lazarus, No one wanted  Jesus to go, for fear of his life.  No one wanted to go with him, for fear of their lives...except Thomas.  "If he is going to die, then we should die with him," was Thomas' sentiment.  What a man of faith.  What a man of action.  Suddenly his later doubts don't portray a wimp to me, but a strong man who simply wants proof that he's fighting for the right cause.  Then, watch out.  He won't back down.

Martha - Martha also gets a bad reputation because she was "too busy" to stop and listen to Jesus because of house cleaning and dinner preparation.  As I was reading this account today I kept thinking to myself, "Well, she must have heard something.  Look at her faith!"  Look at her faith, indeed.  She was the only one who expressed the belief that Jesus could raise someone from the dead.  He had not performed this miracle yet.  Lazarus was the first.  Sure, he had healed people who were sick before, but he never brought someone back from four days in the grave.  Martha's faith challenged me.

Mary - Mary is the one portrayed in another story as sitting at Jesus' feet, hanging on his every word.  I'm now seeing how she loved with great emotion as well.  After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, she showed her love and gratitude by pouring expensive perfume on his feet and drying it with her hair.  Earlier, when Lazarus died, she was grieving so greatly that she didn't recognize the arrival of Jesus until Martha pulled her aside to tell her.  Mary's emotions were so strong that Jesus' ministry to her was different than his ministry to Martha.  Martha expressed her faith in words and with questions.  Jesus answered her questions.  Mary expressed her faith with tears.  In ministering to Mary, Jesus wept. 

Their faith in Jesus was expressed quite differently - yet all three of them believed in Him.  I want to enjoy watching people who believe in Jesus express their faith differently.  That's what the Body of Christ should be.

Nicodemus, Jesus, & Icebergs

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." 

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." "How can someone be born when they are old?" 

Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" 

Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 

"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  (John 3:1-21 NIV)

I like Nicodemus. If I were living in the days of Jesus, I would have wanted to be a Pharisee like Nicodemus. He wasn't belligerent or mean-spirited. He didn't drive Jesus away or shut down the conversation. He didn't try to stone him to death. He just asked questions...and listened.

Jesus had quite a bit to share about this concept of being "born again." Hey gave everyone a simple statement and let them respond. When Nicodemus asked for more information, Jesus revealed more. Finally, when he asked another question, Jesus gave us the most information about being born again...and shared the famous quote we all love from John 3:16. I wonder if Jesus would have ever shared that quote ha Nicodemus been a different kind of Pharisee.

As I was learning how to be a teacher, I was shown many times through the process that teaching should be like sharing an iceberg. There's much information there beneath the surface, but you share with people the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg is there to answer questions as they show interest and ask.

I learned the flip-side of that same coin at the same time. A good teacher, like Nicodemus, should always be a good learner as well. We should listen to what the speaker is saying and even ask questions, not to pick at them or prove them wrong, but to learn more from their iceberg. You never know what you might find out at the third level deep. ;)

A Dynamic Walk

Recently, a friend of mine was struggling with her church experience.  She shared in her own blog that "...church is so *safe*, dull, unmoving, passive, lifeless, (here's a good one) impotent, uninspiring, dispassionate, and sadly... task oriented."  It was difficult for me to read her post back when she wrote it - not just because I'm her pastor, but because that's not my experience and as a friend I want her to experience more.

To me, walking together with God is anything but boring.  This walk has caused me to go back to school, change careers, start a church where none existed before, reach out to thousands of people I've never met before, and brought hundreds of them to God for the first time all while raising my children, enjoying a covenant commitment with the love of my life, and growing more and more into the man I know I'm designed to be.  I've worked hard to understand Him better through His Word, struggled in prayer, fought demons, taught, sang, laughed, cried, and won quite a few battles along the way.  (I've also lost quite a few...and learned from each one.)

I guess what I'm saying is that walking together with God is always changing, often challenging, and...well...dynamic.  It is filled with ebbs and flows.  It never seems to stop.  It's as exciting as long as I am willing to follow Him.

Jesus' ministry was quite dynamic.  As you read his story, you find that his life was always God-driven.  He did what the Father called him to do.  This confused his followers more often than not, and it was anything but boring.

Think about it.  As a teenager Jesus was found in his "Father's house" by his distraught parents, then went home in obedience.  As an adult he chose baptism, traveled the countryside, performed miracles that attracted crowds, taught those crowds, selected people for his leadership training, confronted Pharisaical hypocrisy, taught His Father's words, then went to the cross to bear the sins of the world.  Quite a walk.

I desire to be Christ-like in my walk.  I look to understand the Father's will for my life as well.  I work to follow it, no matter where it takes me.  That keeps me off-balance from day to day, but the walk dynamic.  All the while I have the peace that comes from knowing God is in the driver's seat and I'm just along for the ride.  I hope you will enjoy such a dynamic, enjoyable walk, too.

A Simple Message

Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.  (Acts 8:35 NIV)

I've studied Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science at a somewhat advanced level.  I've participated in the economics of capitalism at various levels of several organizations. I've communicated with people in crowds of thousands and one on one.  I've spoken in person, in letters, on telephones, through fax, on email, on electronic social media...just about every method of communication available in my lifetime.

Do we over-think the mission we've been given?

I've seen lots of cool web sites for churches with links to videos, pod-casts, and social media communications.  I've heard many preachers and teachers over the years.  I've read many books about God.  I've read the pages of Scripture from start to finish.  Nothing speaks to me as deeply and effectively as the simple message Phillip shared on a carriage ride.  We don't know the details of his message, but it had to be about as simple as this...

God loves you and wants to walk with you.  Do you want to walk with Him?

The man asked to be baptized.

It really is a simple message.

Have you shared it lately?