A few Sundays ago, I made a statement in our Bible Fellowship Time -- "the safest place to be is in the middle of God's will. I'd rather be on the sea in the midst of a tempest than on the shore with Christ in the middle of the sea." One of my class members came and said they used to say that but believe the phrase should be -- "the BEST place to be is in the middle of God's will and that may not be the safest."
So, let me define my terms. "Safest" does not mean without pain or difficulty. Instead, safety, according to my definition, is one where God is totally in control. Difficult things may come our way while in God's will, but nothing that comes our way does not have His blessing for some larger purpose in our life. Here's a perfect example -- look at the disciples and the fates that they suffered. They were clearly in the middle of God's will and were serving Him, yet they went through tremendous pain and turmoil: several were crucified, some were stoned, some were beheaded or killed by the sword, and one died of "old age" but experienced tremendous persecution.
In John 18:14, Jesus says that His followers were "not of the world" and knew that they would be hated by the world because of their belief in Jesus. He goes on in verse 15 to say "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." Note that prayer -- Father, don't take them out of the world where they will suffer but protect them from being taken by the evil one. These disciples, and the ones of today (see verse 20), were specifically being thought of by Jesus. Wow! That's powerful!!
So, if God is leaving us here for a reason and that includes suffering, how can we live a life that is true to Him and not be taken by the evil one? Simply, its faith. In teaching a lesson on faith several months ago, I created this acronym for the word "faith": Forsaking All, I Take Him. That's it in a nutshell -- nothing else in the life matters more than fidelity to Jesus Christ.
How's your faith? Are you truly willing to give up everything for Him and rest in His protection or would you sacrifice trust in Him for some temporary safety? Have faith, my friends!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Blindness Becoming Boldness....
John 9 has a wonderful but pitiful story of Christ healing a blind man. This event should have elicited joy from everyone directly or indirectly touched by this miracle of Jesus; however, it turned into a story of spiritual deprivation. Fortunately, the one healed sets a tremendous example for us in boldly proclaiming the truth.
BLINDNESS (v1-3) -- the disciples and Jesus see a man that is identified as blind his entire life. The disciples ask who sinned to cause him to be born blind, and this question exemplifies an underlying assumption also found in the book of Job -- if something bad happens, it has to be because of sin. However, Jesus immediately corrects this by saying this man's blindness was for the glory of God. When difficulties come into your life, remember that it will ultimately bring glory to His name IF we respond correctly.
BLESSING (v4-7) -- Jesus heals this man to further testify that the power of God rested upon Him. Even deeper than that, though, is the fact that these miracles matched his claim of deity; yet so many, including the religious rulers, continued to deny that fact.
BEFUDDLED (v 8-13) -- as the neighbors and others saw that their colleague was no seeing, they really did not know how to act. Instead of celebrating with this man for an incredible event in his life, they doubted whether it was really him. When they asked how this happened and he told them, again, they still did not rejoice. They demanded to know where this person (Jesus) was. Stop and think about that -- this man was blind and did not see who healed him; so how could he even identify him much less tell them where He was? When the formerly blind man could not tell them, note what happens in verse 13 -- they took him before the Pharisees. These actions go to show that they missed the tree for the forest and sacrificed the jubilation for just a few details.
BITTERNESS (v14-17) -- the Pharisees were more concerned with finding whoever healed the formerly blind man because they wanted to confront the individual that dared to heal someone on the Sabbath. As stated above, they were missing the tree for the forest because they were more concerned about the time and method of healing instead of the genuine miracle. Because the blind was healed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees jumped to the conclusion that Jesus could not be "from God;" however, others disagreed. The root of bitterness here was selfishness because Jesus was getting a following meaning that these followers were leaving the rituals of the religious rulers.
BICKERING (v18-28) -- the Pharisees brought in the parents of this man and questioned them intently. The parents, obviously, were afraid; so instead of answering the Pharisees, they told them to ask their son. This formerly blind man had left the "court of the Pharisees;" so, they had to go get him again. They wanted him to give God the glory, which he was already doing, and call the One that healed him a sinner. The formerly blind man's answer is beautiful -- "Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." Again, he had to go through the process of what Jesus did to heal him; and this man was getting frustrated. So, he asked them if they wished to become a disciple of His (this statement entails that this man was among those disciples), and the Pharisees said they followed Moses because "God spoke to Moses." Oddly enough, Moses performed signs and wonders to show that God was with him; but when Jesus did the same, they rejected Him. So, would they have really followed Moses?
BOLDNESS (v30-34) -- the formerly blind man had been patient with this inquisition, but he has reached his limit. He boldly questions the fact that these religious rulers do not know where this man (Jesus) is from, but they clearly acknowledge that he has been healed. He is driving to the point of whether they would have followed Moses. His conclusion to them is simple: "If this Man were not from god, He could do nothing." The Pharisees were upset at his conclusion and could not refute it. They chose another route by personally attacking him: (1) you were born in sin (thus implying they were not), (2) you are not educated, and (3) they then kicked him from the Temple. This man who now received his sight was boldly questioning those that were spiritually blind, and they did not like that!! Truth, even when spoken gently, is not guaranteed to be received well.
BELIEF (v 35-38) -- think of this man's consternation right now -- I was blind, somebody that I could not recognize healed me, this guy has to have power from God, I tell the religious rulers that, and they get mad and kick me out of the Temple. Jesus, knowing that these events would happen, goes to find the formerly blind man. Jesus asked if he believed and the man asked to see Him. When Jesus revealed that it was He, note the 3 word response: "Lord, I believe." This man experienced a miracle in his life and that was enough to engender faith in his heart.
BLASTING (v 39-41) -- this chapter concludes by revealing His purpose: "that those who do not see may see and that hose who see may be made blind." Of course, He was speaking figuratively and the situation of this chapter explains it. This man could not see physically but was also spiritually blind, and both were rectified when he met the Savior. On the other hand, the Pharisees were physically fine but were spiritually blind (although they thought they could see). The Pharisees that were there heard this statement and stood up for themselves, but Jesus restates His opinion of them -- you must be blind to the Law to see your sins but you have chosen to see the Law and are missing the grace behind it. As Blackaby says: "The worst mistake that we can make is to overestimate our spiritual condition. False confidence in our walk with God is like thinking we are healthy when we are terminally ill, a dangerous misconception."
Get into and stay in God's Word. That is the only way to truly see!!!
BLINDNESS (v1-3) -- the disciples and Jesus see a man that is identified as blind his entire life. The disciples ask who sinned to cause him to be born blind, and this question exemplifies an underlying assumption also found in the book of Job -- if something bad happens, it has to be because of sin. However, Jesus immediately corrects this by saying this man's blindness was for the glory of God. When difficulties come into your life, remember that it will ultimately bring glory to His name IF we respond correctly.
BLESSING (v4-7) -- Jesus heals this man to further testify that the power of God rested upon Him. Even deeper than that, though, is the fact that these miracles matched his claim of deity; yet so many, including the religious rulers, continued to deny that fact.
BEFUDDLED (v 8-13) -- as the neighbors and others saw that their colleague was no seeing, they really did not know how to act. Instead of celebrating with this man for an incredible event in his life, they doubted whether it was really him. When they asked how this happened and he told them, again, they still did not rejoice. They demanded to know where this person (Jesus) was. Stop and think about that -- this man was blind and did not see who healed him; so how could he even identify him much less tell them where He was? When the formerly blind man could not tell them, note what happens in verse 13 -- they took him before the Pharisees. These actions go to show that they missed the tree for the forest and sacrificed the jubilation for just a few details.
BITTERNESS (v14-17) -- the Pharisees were more concerned with finding whoever healed the formerly blind man because they wanted to confront the individual that dared to heal someone on the Sabbath. As stated above, they were missing the tree for the forest because they were more concerned about the time and method of healing instead of the genuine miracle. Because the blind was healed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees jumped to the conclusion that Jesus could not be "from God;" however, others disagreed. The root of bitterness here was selfishness because Jesus was getting a following meaning that these followers were leaving the rituals of the religious rulers.
BICKERING (v18-28) -- the Pharisees brought in the parents of this man and questioned them intently. The parents, obviously, were afraid; so instead of answering the Pharisees, they told them to ask their son. This formerly blind man had left the "court of the Pharisees;" so, they had to go get him again. They wanted him to give God the glory, which he was already doing, and call the One that healed him a sinner. The formerly blind man's answer is beautiful -- "Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." Again, he had to go through the process of what Jesus did to heal him; and this man was getting frustrated. So, he asked them if they wished to become a disciple of His (this statement entails that this man was among those disciples), and the Pharisees said they followed Moses because "God spoke to Moses." Oddly enough, Moses performed signs and wonders to show that God was with him; but when Jesus did the same, they rejected Him. So, would they have really followed Moses?
BOLDNESS (v30-34) -- the formerly blind man had been patient with this inquisition, but he has reached his limit. He boldly questions the fact that these religious rulers do not know where this man (Jesus) is from, but they clearly acknowledge that he has been healed. He is driving to the point of whether they would have followed Moses. His conclusion to them is simple: "If this Man were not from god, He could do nothing." The Pharisees were upset at his conclusion and could not refute it. They chose another route by personally attacking him: (1) you were born in sin (thus implying they were not), (2) you are not educated, and (3) they then kicked him from the Temple. This man who now received his sight was boldly questioning those that were spiritually blind, and they did not like that!! Truth, even when spoken gently, is not guaranteed to be received well.
BELIEF (v 35-38) -- think of this man's consternation right now -- I was blind, somebody that I could not recognize healed me, this guy has to have power from God, I tell the religious rulers that, and they get mad and kick me out of the Temple. Jesus, knowing that these events would happen, goes to find the formerly blind man. Jesus asked if he believed and the man asked to see Him. When Jesus revealed that it was He, note the 3 word response: "Lord, I believe." This man experienced a miracle in his life and that was enough to engender faith in his heart.
BLASTING (v 39-41) -- this chapter concludes by revealing His purpose: "that those who do not see may see and that hose who see may be made blind." Of course, He was speaking figuratively and the situation of this chapter explains it. This man could not see physically but was also spiritually blind, and both were rectified when he met the Savior. On the other hand, the Pharisees were physically fine but were spiritually blind (although they thought they could see). The Pharisees that were there heard this statement and stood up for themselves, but Jesus restates His opinion of them -- you must be blind to the Law to see your sins but you have chosen to see the Law and are missing the grace behind it. As Blackaby says: "The worst mistake that we can make is to overestimate our spiritual condition. False confidence in our walk with God is like thinking we are healthy when we are terminally ill, a dangerous misconception."
Get into and stay in God's Word. That is the only way to truly see!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Work, Worry, and...is she sitting down??
For my devotions, I have taken a short break from intensively studying a single book in the Bible. Instead, I am reading several chapters a day from the New Testament with the goal of reading it through twice this calendar year. Today's reading took me through chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12 of Luke. It is amazing how you can read something, not for the first time, and a new principle leaps off the pages at you.
Luke 10:38-42 contains the story of Jesus in the home of Lazarus. We all know that Martha was running around serving and complained about Mary just sitting at Jesus feet. We also know that Christ said Mary has chosen the better thing. We could also describe several sermons that we have heard from this passage.
However, notice the way Jesus begins His statement to Martha: "you are worried and troubled about many things." How often have you run around and worried or were anxious and struggled with the difficulties of life? If you are honest, these worries arise more frequently than we would like to admit. Jesus recognized that Martha had these anxious times, but He goes on to say that Mary "has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." WOW!! Get that - one is anxious and running around, by choice, while one is sitting calm at the feet of Jesus, BY CHOICE!!!
I had never seen that principle before. We either choose to sit at Jesus' feet knowing that He can, and will, take care of us, or we jump up and run around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off. I can choose to try and solve my piece of this problem my way or I can choose the peace of Jesus leaving it all for Him to handle. There is a wonderful song on my wife's iPod, and it has the following line: "Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child." How true! Remember, though, your response to the difficulty is what makes the difference. If we turn to Him and sit at His feet, thereby totally giving Him the problem, then He will grant us peace.
You are probably thinking: "Wait, that's just too easy." No, it's not easy or simple. Currently, we are awaiting the birth of our second child AND my job is in jeopardy. Have I worried about it? Yes. Is worrying going to do anything about it? No. God is in control and will take care of us either way. If I had missed the principle in Luke 10, then I would have gotten the message in Luke 12:22-31. See, it was Providential that I read these 4 chapters in the same day because I needed this reminder! Luke 12:28 closes with a great statement by Jesus: "O, you of little faith." That's the issue -- having enough faith to give up the problem and just sitting down to watch Jesus work.
What problem are you struggling with today? Have you really been able to solve it? Give it to Him, sit down, wait, and watch Him work. The Lord has never let me down in the past, and He will not in the future. He will do the same for you, but remember, there is a caveat in Romans 8:28 -- "all things work together for God to them that love God." To exhibit faith in Him, you must first love Him.
Luke 10:38-42 contains the story of Jesus in the home of Lazarus. We all know that Martha was running around serving and complained about Mary just sitting at Jesus feet. We also know that Christ said Mary has chosen the better thing. We could also describe several sermons that we have heard from this passage.
However, notice the way Jesus begins His statement to Martha: "you are worried and troubled about many things." How often have you run around and worried or were anxious and struggled with the difficulties of life? If you are honest, these worries arise more frequently than we would like to admit. Jesus recognized that Martha had these anxious times, but He goes on to say that Mary "has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." WOW!! Get that - one is anxious and running around, by choice, while one is sitting calm at the feet of Jesus, BY CHOICE!!!
I had never seen that principle before. We either choose to sit at Jesus' feet knowing that He can, and will, take care of us, or we jump up and run around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off. I can choose to try and solve my piece of this problem my way or I can choose the peace of Jesus leaving it all for Him to handle. There is a wonderful song on my wife's iPod, and it has the following line: "Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child." How true! Remember, though, your response to the difficulty is what makes the difference. If we turn to Him and sit at His feet, thereby totally giving Him the problem, then He will grant us peace.
You are probably thinking: "Wait, that's just too easy." No, it's not easy or simple. Currently, we are awaiting the birth of our second child AND my job is in jeopardy. Have I worried about it? Yes. Is worrying going to do anything about it? No. God is in control and will take care of us either way. If I had missed the principle in Luke 10, then I would have gotten the message in Luke 12:22-31. See, it was Providential that I read these 4 chapters in the same day because I needed this reminder! Luke 12:28 closes with a great statement by Jesus: "O, you of little faith." That's the issue -- having enough faith to give up the problem and just sitting down to watch Jesus work.
What problem are you struggling with today? Have you really been able to solve it? Give it to Him, sit down, wait, and watch Him work. The Lord has never let me down in the past, and He will not in the future. He will do the same for you, but remember, there is a caveat in Romans 8:28 -- "all things work together for God to them that love God." To exhibit faith in Him, you must first love Him.
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