The Lamp of Your Body

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” (Luke 11:33-36, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
The idea behind this passage is a simple one.

The amount of light which gets into any room depends on the state of the window through which it has to pass. So, then, says Jesus, the light which gets into any man's heart and soul depends on the spiritual state of the eye through which it has to pass, for in a very real sense, the eye is the window of the soul. 

The amount of light (or darkness) in your soul is determined by how you “see” the world, how you view life and reality. “Good eyes” see life in a way that fills you with “light.” “Bad eyes” fill you with “darkness.”

For example: 

• The disciples see a storm and are filled with fear; Jesus sees the same storm and is filled with faith in God to calm the sea.
• A Pharisee sees a certain “woman of the night” as unclean and worthy of condemnation; Jesus sees the same woman as worthy of grace and redemption.
• The Pharisees see healing on the Sabbath as breaking the religious rules; Jesus sees it as an opportunity to make someone whole.
• Prior to meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus saw money as something to steal and hoard; after meeting Christ, he sees money as something to give away to bless others.
• The New Testament repeatedly teaches us to see trials and suffering as a welcome opportunity to develop our character and learn faith and perseverance. The world tells us to view trials and setbacks as opportunities for bitterness and resentment.
• Stephen looks at the men who are stoning him to death, who are literally killing him by pummeling him with rocks, and he sees men who need the grace and forgiveness of God (rather than the wrath and condemnation of God), so he prays for their forgiveness.

I could go on and one. How you “see” life (people, circumstances, setbacks) makes all the difference. These four verses in Luke 11 are more instructive and crucial to spiritual life than most realize. Ask the Lord right now to show you how much “light” or “darkness” you are letting into your soul? Is there a person or a situation that you need to gain God’s perspective on? Imagine what would it be like to walk through this day with God’s eyes… seeing people and trials as He sees them? 

At the risk of sounding “new agey,” I am realizing more and more that what I focus on determines what I experience. When I am encountering a difficult person or situation, if I focus on what I know to be true: that that person is the object of the full love of God, they possess limitless worth because they are made in God’s image and Jesus laid down His life for them. If I will focus on that, really believe that (which is 100% true), it changes everything about how I experience that person. 

Judgment and anger and resentment can actually give way to peace and love and grace. This is not a self-help technique for me, it is about trying to have eyes that let “light” into my soul, rather than darkness; trying to see things and people from God’s perspective. I have a very long way to go, but this is something we can actually do, by God’s grace. 


PRAYER:
Bless you, O Lord, for your endless goodness. Give us eyes that see your world and your children as you do. Fill us with your light today, through the grace of Christ. Amen.


WHO AM I?
My name is Greg Bland, and I’m gearing up for another baseball season beginning next month. This is a pic from the championship game last year. Here’s hoping my knees hold up for another year.

Teach Us to Pray

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

3        Give us each day our daily bread.

4        Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’” 

5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

 

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 

11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:1-13, NIV)

 

 

REFLECTIONS:

“How long do I have to go on praying about this?” I frustratingly asked my friend and mentor. Although I had been injured for a few years, I still felt a tremendous amount of emotional and physical pain due to my lack of physical healing. I had repeatedly prayed about it for quite some time, and there seemed to be no change.

 

“You can never tell,” he replied. “Perhaps every day for a month or two. Or it might be up to a year or two. Or it might be the remainder of your life. The timing isn't our business; that's up to God. Our task is to go on praying and to trust that God will do what he will do in his own time.”

 

That was really frustrating advice, but it turned out to be right. It was several months before anything happened, but when it did it was like a dam bursting. God began to heal the emotional wounds created from my injury (loss of dreams, loneliness, despair), while almost simultaneously restoring the strength and movement in my upper body.

 

I have no idea why God answers on the 1000th time prayer he seems to have ignored the previous 999 times. One might imagine that it would work more steadily and gradually. But no: from our point of view at least, prayer is like chopping at a tree. For 99 strokes of the axe, the main trunk seems to stand firm. Then, on the 100th stroke, suddenly it keels over.

 

Of course, we know that the previous strokes of the axe were weakening the trunk, even though we couldn't see it. And that's what prayer is like—not that God needs “weakening” but that, for all sorts of other reasons that we can't see, things have to take the time they have to take. And that leads us to the shape of the prayer Jesus gave his disciples. However, he prayer, the Lord's Prayer starts precisely with a note that says, “God’s way and God’s time is best.”

 

To say the Lord's Prayer demands that you pay primary attention to God himself. It is his name and his kingdom that we care about above all, not our particular problems. But, having said that, the three requests that follow—today’s bread, forgiveness, and safety from being tested to destruction—all place our concerns within that name and kingdom. That's the clue.

 

To pray the Lord's Prayer, then, requires an odd combination: complete humility and complete boldness. Once we get the first right, the second can follow cheerfully. Once God's name and kingdom are the framework of all we do and think, we are free to knock on his door as late at night as we want.

 

 

POINT OF PONDER:

A few years ago I began seeking to pray the Lord's Prayer at specific points throughout the day (early morning, midday, evening). When I first began this practice, I slowly, deliberately, meditatively prayed Jesus’ words. As time went on, I began to “personalize” the prayer by creatively altering the wording to fit what was going on inside of my heart and mind. Slowly but surely, the practice began to radically alter the way I saw the world. I began to notice God's presence and activity in the world around me, and I found that I began to think and live in a whole new manner. It became a much easier and more natural thing for me to deny myself or give myself away in loving service to others. Oftentimes, I didn't even have to try. It was just something that came out of me freely.

 

I have to admit that it's been a while since I've faithfully practice this habit with any real consistency. I grieve at the way my thinking and behavior has drifted away from God and more toward the cravings of my flesh. In this Lenten season, I've been crying out for grace while attempting to renew my practice of this habit. Within my heart there is an intense craving to experience the renewed mind and the transformed life that comes through connecting with God in prayer.

 

I encourage you to try to find some occasions to pray the Lord's Prayer very slowly, as if you were praying it for the first time. Think particularly about the words, “Hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Imagine what it will be like when God's kingdom is here on earth as it is in heaven. Does that help you to see Jesus’ prayer in a new way? 

 

 

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I experienced a total transformation of my understanding of the Lord's Prayer after reading (and re-reading) Dallas Willard's masterful exposition in The Divine Conspiracy. In a sub-section entitled “The Grandest Prayer of All” (pages 253-269) he walks through the Lord's Prayer, offering incredibly deep insights into the various parts of Jesus’ model prayer. 

 

Here's how he concludes this section of his book: 

[The Lord's Prayer] is the foundation of the praying life: its introduction and its continuing basis. It is an enduring framework for all praying. You only move beyond it provided you stay within it. It is the necessary bass in the great symphony of prayer. It is a powerful lens through which one constantly sees the world as God himself sees it.

 

The English working long familiar from the King James Version is a treasure now interwoven with Western consciousness. It may be of some use in practice, however, to reword the prayer to capture better the fullness of its meaning and its place in the gospel of the kingdom: 

Dear Father always near us,

may your name be treasured and loved,

may your rule be completed in us—

may your will be done here on earth

in just the way it is done in heaven.

Give us today the things we need today,

and forgive us our sins and impositions on you

as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us.

Please don't put us through trials,

but deliver us from everything bad.

Because you are the one in charge,

and you have all the power,

and the glory too is all yours—forever—

which is just the way we want it! 

“Just the way we want it” is not a bad paraphrase for “amen.” What is needed at the end of this great prayer is a ringing affirmation of the goodness of God and God's world. If your nerves can take it, you might (occasionally?) try “Whoopee!” I imagine God himself will not mind. 

As I've done before, I highly recommend you read anything written by Dallas Willard.

 

 

It Takes One to Know One

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 10 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:25-37, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
The Samaritans, according to the Jews, were a godless, vile group of half-breeds… and that was on a good day.  The Samaritans allowed criminal refugees to be part of them.  They took in all the misfits, the outcasts.  They were rebels.

But before you start feeling great about the Samaritans, they hated the Jews in return.  They undermined the rebuilding of the temple.  They spit at and cursed and refused hospitality (Luke 9) to Jews.

Theirs was a political, religious, ethnic, and social hatred.

And then there is Jesus.  Jesus didn’t see “Samaritan.”  He interacted with them (woman at the well, in John 4), healed them (leper, Luke 17), and, in this story, gave one center stage in teaching about mercy.  What did Jesus see?  He saw lost needing to be found.  He saw sick needing to be healed.  He saw the one in need of mercy providing mercy.


POINT OF ACTION:
Who is the most despicable person or group of people that you can think of?  Democrats?  Republicans?  Homosexuals?  The Self-Righteous?  Muslims?  Christians?  Alcoholics?  Abusers?  Slave owners?  Slave buyers?  Teens?  Parents?  Murderers?  Rapists?

What would you do if you saw a known, convicted rapist lying on the side of the road, nearly dead?

What would you do?

While I was in grad school, Dr. Dan Allender would often begin his lectures with this, “I am a thief.  I am a murderer.  I am an adulterer.  And so are you.”   Ouch.

So, what would you do if you saw a known, convicted pimp of a 14-year old girl lying on the side of the road, nearly dead?

What would you do?

Honestly.  What was your first thought, feeling, reaction?  

I’ll go first:  literally just writing that caused a surge in my blood stream… arising from deep-seated anger… hatred?  How I really wish I could white-wash this for you all.  How I wish I could pull out my little super-spiritual superhero self and say (truthfully), “God bless his heart!  Of course I’d stoop down and take care of his wounds and get him to a good doctor for help!”  But that was not my first thought, feeling, or desire.  I think the verbal expression of what I felt was, “Let him rot.”

Ouch.

Now, we can definitely get into all the intricacies of what does mercy really look like in any particular situation.  And we can definitely find Scripture that advocates justice for those who have oppressed and harmed the defenseless.  But let’s set that aside for right now.  Let’s just go heart-to-heart and leave the particulars for another day.  Let’s just look at the scenario provided, in its simplest form because maybe we don’t even have to go to that extreme.  Maybe there are those we blow right by every day because we are so focused on our duties, on our life, on our schedule that we can’t be bothered to slow down or stop to help someone.

Who is my neighbor?  Who is your neighbor?

The answer is simple:  Who in our path today requires mercy?  Who is in need of my attention?  Who is asking for help?


PRAYER:
Jesus, forgive me when I pass by those who are needing mercy—those who I’m angry at or have hatred towards—because they are “evil,” or those who I can’t be bothered to help because I have my own agenda to attend to.  Help me not to place myself above people.  Open my eyes to see the hurting hearts of others so that You can be glorified.  May my life mirror Yours as I stop glancing past people and let Your Spirit marinate my moments.  I love You, Jesus!!


WHO AM I?
I am Beth Peeples and when I was a kid, this was my favorite Bible story and I had the Arch book to prove it!  For as long as I can remember I haven’t quite “fit.”  I was never popular and don’t expect I ever will be.  I was never the athlete and still don’t like to move a whole lot.  My whole life I’d rather talk sports with the boys than go shopping with the girls.  Some people have described me as this:  “If I said the sky was blue, you’d (Beth) say it was purple!”  I have never seen the world like others seem to and I definitely hate bandwagon Christianity.  As a kid, I determined to befriend the friendless.  Not so I could wow them with my great personality and charisma (ha!) but because I just wanted them to know they mattered.  I just want people to know, even today, that I see them.  No one is invisible. 

Jesus? Isn't That the Guy Who Mows the Grass?

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 9 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:18-27, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
If you read all of today’s passage you will have the readers digest version of all four gospels.  I think the most important question Jesus ever asked is recorded for us to read today in the key verse above.  How would you answer the above question?  Who do you think Jesus is?  Growing up Southern Baptist a relationship with Jesus was considered the most important part of the Baptist religious experience.  I grew up believing that Jesus had to be one of the signers of our constitution and he always voted conservative.  I also liked the idea of Jesus being against social and moral ills.  The Jesus that I didn’t like to think about was the Jesus who threw a party for tax collectors and prostitutes.  I didn’t give much thought to the Jesus who brought mercy to people who truly deserved punishment or the Jesus who turned men’s zeal against imperial rule to a zeal for the absolute rule of the kingdom of heaven here on earth.  Jesus can’t be contained by my limited understanding or desire for self righteousness.  He is awesome!  When you start to live life by giving up your own motivations and seek to only move and act under God’s motivation Jesus will be revealed.  I have learned that Jesus isn’t worried about politics and he is much more concerned about the state of my neighbor’s heart than he is with their actions and deeds. Make sure the Jesus you are following is the same Jesus that grew up in Nazareth, asked the above question to his disciples, died for you, rose on the third day, and is now at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  It is easy to make Jesus out to be who you want him to be or who you think he is.  Really knowing Jesus’ identity only comes through the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is so amazing; you can spend your entire life time getting to know him better each day only to find out at the end that the relationship has just begun. 


PRAYER:
Father, you are so kind and patient.  Thank you for the gift of your Son’s love and the coming union of bride and groom where we will know Son and Father with intimacy beyond our wildest imaginings.  Please move our hearts to a place where we can receive more of who you are and who you call us to be.   


WHO AM I?
.My name is Paul Babb.  I like this anthropologists’ interpretation of what a common Semitic man living in first century Israel would have looked like.  Is this the face of Jesus?  No, but I think it’s closer than the European pretty boy pictures we have come to think represent Jesus.   I think that look is more befitting a Viking or one of the Allman Brothers.

“Just Believe”

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. (Luke 8:40-56, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
We in the modern Western world are used to comparatively sedate behavior and crowd control. Even large crowds generally move along quite smoothly and respectfully. But there was nothing sedate or controlled about people when Jesus was around. To picture this story in our minds, we have to imagine a seething, pushing crowd—like people spilling out of a football stadium or like shoppers rushing into a store on Black Friday. 

Everyone wants to get close to where they think the action is. Try to imagine yourself in the middle of that crowd, a bit nervous of being pushed off your feet, but determined to get close to Jesus if you can.

Then, suddenly, he spins around and asks a question.

“Who touched me?”

Well, you think, I wish it had been me, because I was trying to get close enough… but his followers are protesting, shaking their heads at him, shrugging their shoulders. “What d’you mean, who touched you? Everyone's touching you! What part of ‘this is a crowd’ don't you understand?”

“No,” says Jesus, “I want to know who touched me. I felt power go out from me.”

That is the point in the story—or rather, the first point in the story—where we ought to pause and pray. Even those of us who've been Christians for many years find it easy to lapse back into thinking of Jesus is basically just another great teacher, even as the one who died for us. But the thought that he had that kind of power, and was conscious of it going out from him… well, that's hard to imagine. But it's worth pondering, because it's still true and you never know when you are going to need it. Better to stay close to him all the time…

So the woman comes and confesses. She had been afraid because, with her ailment, she was “unclean,” and she must have known that by pushing through the crowd like that she'd made everyone she’d touched “unclean” as well. Particularly Jesus. 

But with Jesus it doesn't work like that. Here's the thing, the point at which our prayers should be focused. By ordinary means, we should make him unclean, pressing upon him with our messy and muddled lives. But when we come to him in faith, it works the other way. His power makes us clean again. That's near the very heart of the gospel.

Come in faith! That's the challenge all the way through this story. 

We go with Jesus to Jairus’ house. We hear the servants saying there's no point, the little girl was dead. We wait outside the door as Jesus goes in. And then it happens again. Power and glory. New life.


POINT OF PONDER:
“Don't be afraid,” Jesus had said. “Just believe.”

Is this the moment to stop in your tracks, to face your fears and give them to Jesus? Trust him, and his power can and will bring new life where it's needed.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I am craving Girl Scout cookies. Caramel Delights are my fav.

Everybody's Faith Will Be Tested

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:22-39, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Let us look at the sequence of events: 

1.    The disciples have been with Jesus for some time now and have seen Him performing miracles on a daily basis.  They know He is the Messiah.  Nothing is impossible for Jesus to overcome.  The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life.  

2.    Jesus tells them to cross over to the other side of the lake and it appears the disciples go without even asking why they should go.  The disciples took the first step of faith by doing what Jesus said without asking WHY?    

a.    Peter and most of the other disciples worked on the water for a living and probably could see that a great storm was brewing.  They could have asked Jesus to hold off until the storm blew by them.  They would be sailing into a storm from a place of safety. 

b.    Also, the other side of the lake was where the Gentiles lived.  Why should they risk their lives and get themselves dirty by associating themselves with these unclean people (Jews and Gentiles did not associate with each other)? 

3.    They are now in the middle of the lake, the violent storm is sweeping over them, they are taking in some water, the waves are 20 feet high (actual recorded wave height on the lake), it’s dark, they cannot see anything, and everything appears hopeless.  They think in their hearts they are going to die (all their faith is now gone).  So they wake up Jesus who is still sleeping on the boat and Jesus rebukes the wind and the raging waves. The storm immediately disappeared; all was calm.  Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Where's your faith?"  The disciples failed the test again; as we all do. 

Jesus was trying to build up the faith of His disciples just like a track coach builds up his long distance runners.  You cannot run a long distance race without building up your endurance over time.  You start by running one mile then increasing your mileage over time.  You have to keep it up and you can never stop.  It matters what you eat, drink, and how much sleep you get.  You have to be dedicated and be able to work through the pain.  It is never easy.  At times you will want to give up and quit.  Jesus knew what was ahead of the disciples and knew they needed great faith in order to carry out His great commission.  Jesus allowed the violent storm in order to test and build up the disciple’s endurance (faith).

 

Later on, we finally see Peter’s faith perfected.  In Acts 12:1-17, we see Peter sleeping as he is chained to two guards awaiting his brutal death scheduled for the next day.  At night, an angel of the Lord wakes Peter up from his sleep, his chains falls off him, the prison doors are opened for him, and somehow the prison guards do not stop him or see him leaving the jail cell.  Just like Jesus sleeping in the boat during the violent storm; Peter was now sleeping and resting in the mighty power of God even though everything looked hopeless from the world’s view.   

 

 

POINT OF PONDER:

• Like the disciples, Jesus will take us through many storms, trials, and tribulations in our lives in order to build up our endurance (faith) that He knows will be needed in our future.   
• The amount of faith we will need in our lives usually increases as we get older.  Just like a long distance runner, we build up our endurance and stamina (faith) for longer and harder trials within our lives.
• Instead of asking God why this is happening to me and telling God why everything looks hopeless and impossible; we start asking God how this will be used to bring Him the most glory.  It’s all about Him and it’s not about me.
• Yes, building up endurance is going to be painful, hard and difficult at times.  Sometimes we will want to quit and give up; however, we know God is there for us and will never give us more than we can handle.  We are unable to see the big picture.  
• We need to take immediate action when God directs us to do something; instead of waiting on God to first answer all of our many questions of why, when, how, where, who, etc.  We need to be submissive to God and walk by faith.  A lot easier said than done. 
• Sometimes the storms, trials and tribulations God allows in our lives are used in ways to bring Him glory.  I know a lot of people who are going through difficult situations with awesome faith.  People who do not know God yet as savior may become believers because they are watching these people going through their difficult situations with great faith.  This is what some people call a sermon in action.  I would rather see a sermon than hear a sermon anytime; as some of the older people of faith would tell me.
• We need to trust and rest in the power of the Lord when things look hopeless within our lives.  God will get the most glory when He comes to rescue you from a situation that appears impossible to man.

 

 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, perfect my endurance (faith) so I can carry out Your will on earth.  Help me to be more like Jesus; to be able to sleep in the middle of the storm and rest in Your perfect peace.  Forgive me for questioning Your ability to overcome things within my life and start asking how my trials will be used for Your glory. 

 

 

WHO AM I?

I am Max Peeples, a man in the process of building up his own endurance (faith) as it will be needed in the future.  Attached is a picture of my beautiful wife on the Sea of Galilee.  Thankfully there was not a violent storm while my wife was on the boat.  

 

 

He Turns Our Mourning into Dancing

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 7 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
How good are you at wailing? Me? I'm not so good at it. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I had a good cry.

However, in many countries of the world today, people attending funerals (especially the women) are expected to weep and wail and make as much noise as they can. I'm guessing you've seen video of such weeping and wailing on the evening news. A similar tradition was common in first century Palestine.

Most people in the West don't do that kind of mourning. But let's try to use our imaginations to place ourselves in the midst of the crowd that day at Nain. The dead man was the last, best hope of his mother. In the days before Social Security benefits, and before most women could earn a living all by themselves, a widow depended on her son to look after her. And now he's gone.

The whole village has turned out to grieve with her, to help her express, in that heart-rending fashion, the sorrow and fear that now seem to wrap themselves around her and cling to her like a cold, wet cloak.

As we are walking slowly along, to the burial-place outside the city, you become aware of a change in the mood over on the other side of the crowd. It's that prophet and his followers, the ones who've been going around saying that it's time for God to become King! Not sure we want folk like that around here, and this is hardly the moment for a political rally…

But what's he doing? He's coming up to the… to the dead man! What's he going to do now? He should know you can't touch dead bodies. It'll make him unclean. Surely he knows that!…

And then it happens. Jesus doesn't just touch the dead man. He speaks to him. Tells him in no uncertain terms to get up, like a parent telling a sulky child, it's time to wake up and get off to school. What does he think he's doing?

And then… Terror. Amazement. Fear. Tingles down the spine. The funeral wailing stops in its tracks and changes to the sort of celebration-noises people make at a wedding. He's alive! He's getting up! Jesus is smiling and laughing and handing him to his mother. She can't believe it. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry or faint. She just hugs her son and then hugs Jesus, and it's laughter and hugs all around while the procession disperses with more of a buzz than fifty beehives put together.

What's happening? God has come to rescue his people! God has raised up a prophet! It's all true! God is becoming King!

But then Jesus, making his way back through the crowd, stops beside you. You half to wanted this, but were half afraid of it too. What's he going to say?


POINT OF PONDER:
Pause, and think, and listen. He has a particular word for you today. You can turn away, if you like, and pretend he isn't talking to you. But you might be far better listening to what he says. Then think and pray about what it means for his life-giving kingdom to come into your village, your family, your life.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and this past weekend Kate and I traveled down to Houston, where I had the privilege of performing the wedding ceremony for one of my oldest friends. It was such a joy to see so many of my old friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in 20+ years.

A New Song

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 6 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: 

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

21      Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

22      Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man. 

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 

24      “But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

25      Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

26      Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,

for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. (Luke 6:17-27, NIV)

 

REFLECTIONS:
How old were you when you first learned some nursery rhymes?

Probably quite young. In fact, many children can say a few rhymes long before they understand what half the words mean. It's a great way for kids to start learning things, exercising their young brains with music and words and rhythm and rhyme. It's the mental equivalent of learning how to ride on a swing or how to do a little dance.

Now, suppose that you were in the crowd listening to Jesus tell you all kinds of things about God and his kingdom. There's so much to take in, so much to think through, so much to try to remember… But wait, he's teaching us something—something we can learn quite easily. It goes with a swing and a flow. 

“Blessings on the poor… Blessings on the hungry… Blessings on the weeping… Blessings when they hate you… Woe betide the rich… Woe betide the full… Woe betide the laughing… Woe betide the popular.” 

Now, repeat after me…  

And soon the whole crowd is joining in. 

 

But what does it all mean? Well, we're working on that. It's a bit like the words they say his mother sang when she knew he was on the way: the rich getting brought down with a bump and the poor getting a leg up (Luke 1:46-55). At long last, God turning the world right side up.

 

Promises, promises… But it does seem to be coming true, for some people at least. That old lady down the road, the fisherman's mother, looks twenty years younger since he prayed for her when she was ill the other day (4:38-39). And as for that poor young fellow with the withered arm—well, I don't care what day of the week it was, anyone who can cure someone like that gets my vote (6:6-11). And they say if you can get near enough to him in the crowd you can sense a kind of healing aura all around him (5:17b; 8:45-46). So if he's saying that the world is being sorted out—straightened out—maybe it's true!

 

But not everybody's going to like it. There are already mutterings and mumblings in the background. After all, that's what you'd expect, going around teaching people rhymes like that. Wonder how long he'll survive if he keeps this up—the occupying forces have eyes and ears everywhere, and that old fox Herod isn't going to be exactly jumping for joy, either.

 

In fact, maybe that's what the rhyme means. Maybe it's not just a general truth we have to learn. Maybe we need to think out who Jesus actually has in mind…

 

 

POINT OF PONDER:

Read again slowly the words in verses 20-23: 

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,

because great is your reward in heaven.

For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” 

In what ways are Jesus' words a challenge to your current way of life?

 

 

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to learn your new song. Open my eyes, my ears, my heart, my mind. Grant me wisdom and revelation, understanding and inspiration. I yearn to find out what your new song means in our world today. Again, I ask you to strengthen me to turn away from the Babylonian mindset of our culture. Protect me from my natural cravings. By the power of your Holy Spirit, transform my inner man, so that I might live in a new way—your way.

 

 

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and our kids I have sort of compelled us to get re-acquainted with nursery rhymes and children's stories. As with most children, our kids love for us to sing with them and to read to them. So we've acquired quite a collection of children's CD's and storybooks. Abby loves Susan Boynton's books, and Benjamin really enjoys Richard Scarry's books. But my favorites are the Dr. Seuss books. So, whether the kids like it or not, we read a lot of Dr. Seuss around our house. :)

 

Jesus in the Routine

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 5 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Peter had toiled all night and was exhausted.  His vocation as a fisherman was hard work.  He had just finished doing what he does, day in and day out, and on that particular day all his work had been fruitless.   No fish.  I may not be a fisherman, but I can relate to fruitless days and exhaustion.  Then Jesus asks him to cast his nets yet again, and when he does there are more fish than one can imagine, to the point that the boats started to sink.  Fruit.  It was the same Peter, the same boat, the same lake, and the same area.  The same work Peter did on a daily basis, so what was the difference?  Jesus.  Jesus had said to cast his nets.  It wasn’t just a matter of Peter going through the motions of his daily vocation as usual.  Jesus wanted to bless, build up, and teach Peter something through what he did routinely.  How often do we begin our day, as routine as it may be, with the anticipation that God has something to show us, and teach us?  May our ears turn toward Him in expectation.

Peter was simply listening.  Jesus said to do something and he chose to obey.  He didn’t even obey with a great deal of faith that anything would happen.  According to verses 9-10: “But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  For he was gripped with bewildering amazement [allied to terror], and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made.”  God didn’t choose Peter because he was some super spiritual person or even that knowledgeable.  He didn’t choose him because he was a man of great, unwavering faith.  Rewind and remember—this is simply pre-apostle Peter, a working class man, just like you and me going about his daily business.  Until Jesus came, to slowly reveal the Peter that Jesus saw him to be.  So we don’t have to be super spiritual, we don’t even have to have a lot of faith, we simply need to know that God desires to show us things, to walk with us, to reveal in us how He has always seen us and how He see’s those around us.  All we need to do is listen and obey.  Simply be listening and be willing to do what He says.  A parent loves when their child is listening… He will answer.  I guarantee our days and lives will yield much fruit in simply doing that.


PRAYER:
Lord, we thank You that You do not choose us or love us based on how good or bad we are from one day to the next, but that Your affections for us are unwavering.  We thank You that you desire to walk with us, to talk with us, to open our eyes.  I pray that we would fix our attentions and affections on You, inviting You into the everyday things we do in expectation that You have something to show us.  Help us to be better listeners, and thank You that we hear Your voice because You are faithful.


WHO AM I?
I am Nicole Robinson. I have to say, I’m not the best at listening to God on a daily basis, but that means there’s hope for all of us because He still gets through, and directs me despite myself.  Just recently I was getting ready for an appointment while listening to worship music when the Lord started nudging me about something which would bring about a change in what I was planning to do that day.  I could’ve said… Well, that’s just me being silly and just stay the course, but fortunately I didn’t and thought, well, if it’s the Lord, as I move in that direction He’ll confirm it.  Sure enough I just listened, stepped out, then listened and stepped out and before I knew it I was driving home in total awe of what God had just set up and done. All the things I thought I was supposed to do that day, seemed to dim in light of what I had just experienced.  There is no better day than one walked with God.