I was thinking this last week about this gift that we get every year - it’s that our calendar closes one year and begins a whole new year. In a way - it’s like wiping the slate clean and getting a new start.
I heard an old story many years ago about a happy little boy who went out into the field wearing a baseball cap. In one hand he carried a baseball, and in the other a baseball bat. His face bore a look of tremendous confidence.
Cocking his bat, he tossed the ball into the air, saying, "I’m the greatest batter in the world!" Then he swung and missed. "Strike one," he said.
He picked up the ball, examined it, and then threw it into the air again. As he swung, he repeated, "I’m the greatest batter in the world." Once again he missed. "Strike two," he said.
This time, he stopped to examine his bat to make sure there wasn’t a hole in it. Then he picked up the ball, adjusted his cap, and tossed the ball into the air for the 3rd time.
He repeated again, "I’m the greatest batter in the world," and swung with all his might and missed for the 3rd straight time. "Wow" he cried, "What a pitcher. I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!"
Today is the last week of 2016, and as we look back over the last 12 months, I’m not sure whether most of us would be considered pitchers or batters. One thing for sure, at times we have all struck out.
So I guess it’s good to be able to start over afresh.
What do you anticipate for this year? Are you full of enthusiasm, looking forward eagerly to what each day will bring? Or are you filled with a sense of dread, worried that this year will be worse than last year was for you?
Like the little boy with the bat, may I suggest that your attitude, your frame of mind, your reaction to its events will largely determine whether this year is a year of victory or a year of defeat.
The Apostle Paul was never one to let circumstances conquer him. Rather, with the help of God, he was determined to win the victor’s crown. Listen as his attitude, dedication, determination shine through in these words found in Philippians 3:12 14...
"I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
With Paul’s words fresh in our minds, here are some suggestions to help us be all that we can be this year.
1. RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF TIME
How do we value ONE YEAR? Ask a student who failed a grade.
How do we value ONE MONTH? Ask a Mother whose baby arrived prematurely.
How do we value ONE WEEK? Editors of weekly newspapers know.
How do we value ONE HOUR? Ask someone who lies terminally ill waiting for a loved one who is late.
How do we value ONE MINUTE? Ask someone who missed a plane, a train, a very important engagement that would never be rescheduled.
How do we value ONE SECOND? Ask an Olympic Medalist, or someone who just missed having an accident, or someone saying “goodbye” to a loved one they will never see again.
Of course we know that time is a human invention. I’m convinced that God doesn’t wear a wristwatch, or use a calendar. The Bible says, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." (2 Peter 3:8) God deals with eternity, and therefore time is not an important factor with Him.
But time is important to us because we live in a limited time frame. We begin with infancy, then go on to adolescence, adulthood, middle age, old age, and to everything that follows. We measure life in segments of time.
Now, what makes something valuable? Oftentimes it is scarcity. If there is a scarcity, then that product quickly escalates in value.
So, if something is rare, it is usually valuable. But if we have a lot of it, it loses its value. Now, the same is true with time.
Maybe that helps explain the generation gap. Young people feel that they have plenty of time, therefore time loses its value, and they aren’t too concerned about wasting or squandering it.
On the other hand, as we get up in years a bit, we begin to realize that our time is becoming rare and therefore more valuable.
So those of us over 60 tend to look at those under 20 and say, "Don’t squander time, because it’s valuable." They reply, "No, it’s not. We have lots of time. So we can waste it any way we want."
And the wider the age gap, the wider the generation gap because of the different values that we place on time.
The Bible often speaks of the brevity of life. It compares life to the weaver’s shuttle rapidly going back and forth to the shadows of summer that quickly disappear to grass which grows up, dies, and then is burned.
I ran across some interesting statistics a few years ago. Someone went to the trouble to research what people do with their time, and came up with these results:
If we live to be 75, most of us will have spent 3 solid years, 24 hours a day, acquiring an education grade school, high school and college.
We’ll have spent 7 years eating, 24 hours a day, some less, and some more, obviously. We’ll have spent 14 years, day and night, working. We’ll have spent 5 years riding in automobiles or airplanes.
We’ll have spent 5 years talking with each other again some more and some less. We’ll have spent 1 year sick or recovering from sickness. And get this, we’ll have spent 24 years of our life sleeping!
We’ll have spent 3 years reading books, magazines and newspapers. And 12 years amusing ourselves watching TV, going to the movies, fishing, etc.
That totals up to 75 years and that is what the researchers say, on the average, most of us will have done with our lives.
Hebrews 3:15 says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Because life is uncertain we must take advantage of the time that we have.
2. DON’T BE IN BONDAGE TO THE PAST
We are special beings in that God has given us the ability to remember. Your memory may be your friend or your enemy. When you remember, hopefully you’ll remember some very pleasant things about this past year, but chances are that you’ll also remember some negative things.
In fact, sometimes we dwell upon the negative and begin to feel sorry for ourselves. Maybe this past year was a time of transition in your life the kids grew up and married and left home and you’re now trying to deal with the empty nest syndrome.
Maybe your job came to an end and you’re having a tough time making ends meet. Maybe a loved one died and you’re trying to deal with the lingering grief and loneliness you feel.
Maybe it was a time when sin got a real hold in your life, and you now feel the burden and guilt of that sin.
You see, those things can cripple us and hold us in bondage to the past. That is why Paul said, "Forgetting what is behind…" Paul had a lot to forget. Paul had a very shaky past.
He persecuted the church. He used his authority to kill Christians. By his own admission he said, "I am the chief of sinners." (Timothy 1:15) He could have walked around all his life with this tremendous burden of guilt crippling him and he would never have become the great apostle we know and love today.
But Paul said, "Forgetting what is behind…" In other words, "God, I commit it to you. I seek your forgiveness for all the sins of the past, and I look forward to what lies ahead. And right now I’m going to live today the best I can."
3. WE NEED TO ESTABLISH A PRIORITY IN OUR LIVES
Paul says it this way, "This one thing I do." Now Paul obviously did more than one thing. He made tents. He preached sermons and established churches. He healed the sick. He wrote books. He did a lot of different things.
But he said, "The top priority in my life is to ‘press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ “
A while back an expert on the subject of time management was speaking to a group of business students.
After speaking to them for a while, he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He set a one-gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, inside the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”
“Really?” he said. Then he reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel into the jar and shook it, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them said.
“Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it filled all the spaces between the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour in the water until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then he looked back at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit something more into it!”
“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
What are the big rocks of your life? - They should include these: Each day drawing nearer to God, spending time with Him in prayer, and seeking His guidance for your life through reading His Word. Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all.
It was Jesus who said, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
We’ve just gone through another Christmas season in which the world was reminded again that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son." In His love, God offered us the most wonderful gift that we could ever receive.
There is a story of an old beggar woman who ran out of money. She couldn’t pay her rent. She couldn’t pay any of her bills. The landlord had threatened to throw her out if she didn’t soon pay her rent.
She had only a candle to keep her warm, and on Christmas Day she warmed her hands over the candle. There was a knocking at her door and she was afraid to answer for fear that it was the landlord coming to kick her out.
She blew out her candle and sat quietly in the dark and waited for the intruder to leave. Two weeks later she found out that the knocking on her door was the knock of a friend who had come to bring her enough money to pay her rent and pay her debts.
I wonder how many have from time to time heard the gentle knock of the Savior who wants so much to come in and free them from the burdens of their sin? But they have ignored His knocking.
As we prepare to leave 2016 - I would encourage you to stop and listen to the knocking on your heart by a Savior who loves you so much. With His help we can “"press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Goodbye 2016 and Hello 2017!
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about God’s sustaining grace in my life. I am amazed, overwhelmed by the fact that God has brought me through so much in my life - that I’m still standing to proclaim the faithfulness of God.
It is interesting - To be an Olympic athlete you need three things going for you. You need: speed, skill and most important of all, you have to have endurance. If you don’t make it to the end of the race, you’re not going to win a medal.
The Bible tells us that God always finishes what He starts. In the book of Philippians it says:
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
What does that mean?
It means if you have really given your life to Jesus Christ – if you’ve opened yourself up to God and said, "Christ, be number one in my life - be Lord of my life" – you are going to make all the way to heaven. There’s no doubt about it. Case closed! Done deal! Finished product! You are going to make it across the finish line. Because the race does not depend upon your performance – it depends upon God’s Sustaining Grace.
One question that is important, however, is: “How well do you finish the race?” You know as well as I do that some people finish a race in very poor shape – while others finish the race well.
In 1992, following five operations, British runner Derek Redman was hoping to win gold at the Barcelona Olympics. Everything seemed to be going well for the 400 meter race. He had recorded the fastest time in the quarter-final heat. He was pumped up – ready to go. As the gun sounded he got off to a clean start. But at 150 meters – his right hamstring muscle tore and he fell to the ground. When he saw the stretcher-bearers rushing towards him he jumped up and began hobbling toward the finish line. Despite his pain he continued to move forward. Soon another person joined him on the track. It was his father. Arm in arm – hand in hand – they moved toward the finish-line together. Just before the finish line – Derek’s dad let go of his son – so that Derek could finish the race on his own. The crowd of 65,000 stood to their feet cheering and clapping as Derek finished the race. Heartbreaking – yes! Encouraging – yes! Emotional - yes! We need to finish the race – and finish it well.
God who began a good work in you – wants you to finish the race. He wants you to endure. He wants you to be successful. He wants you to finish and finish well. God does not leave you to run the race alone but He gives you His Sustaining Grace.
What is God’s Sustaining Grace?
God’s Sustaining Grace is the power to keep you going even when you feel like giving up. Do you ever feel like throwing in the towel? Do you feel like quitting? Do you ever say, “I’ve had enough.” God’s Sustaining Grace is the power that helps you endure even when you don’t think you can.
Here is a secret that I have learned: Life is a marathon – it is not a sprint. There are valleys and there are mountains. There are bad times and there are good times and there are times when we could all use God’s Sustaining Grace to keep on – keeping on.
God’s Sustaining Grace is the power that God gives to keep you going. You may not realize this - but the moment you become a believer – the battle begins.
The Devil would enjoy nothing more than to see you stumble – to see you fail - to see you fall. When you become a believer you are no longer Satan’s property – you are no long on his side – but he wants to get you back. He does not want you to succeed. He is looking for every opportunity to pounce on you.
God sustains you when you are tempted.
God sustains you when you are tired.
God sustains you when you are troubled.
“Mankind is born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7 (HCSB)
In other words – troubles are common. You should expect troubles in your life. You should not be surprised when they come your way. You are going to have difficulties – you are going to have obstacles. You will have situations that are out of your control.
You will have situations that you just cannot handle. It is at times like these that we need God’s Sustaining Grace.
I have found that there are three kinds of trouble in this world. There is the kind that blows you away like a tornado. There is the kind that weighs you down like a sack of potatoes. Then there is the kind of trouble that pulls the rug out from under you.
But no matter what type of trouble you run into – God will give you His Sustaining Grace.
Most of us can handle problems if we have hope – if we can see an end in sight – if we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. If we can see that there is power to get through the problem – we can handle it. Hope is powerful. The Bible tells us:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
Folks this is a statement of hope. This is a promise that all believers can rely upon. No matter what comes my way - "I can do all things through Christ" because He "strengthens me". God gives His children sustaining grace to make it through all situations - through all circumstances - through all things. In the Old Testament it says:
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
How do I plug into God’s Sustaining Grace? You do three things:
1. ASK for God’s Sustaining Grace
How do you ask? You ask through prayer. Pray to God. Pray earnestly. Pray fervently. Pray passionately. Pray with integrity. Pray with emotion. Ask God for His Sustaining Grace. He loves to hear the prayers of His children. The Bible tells us:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)
God gives His children the best - ask for it.
2. STUDY God’s word
God’s word is to help guide us and direct us through good times and through bad. In Psalm one hundred nineteen we find:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalms 119:105 (NKJV)
When we need guidance it is always good to turn to God’s Word. Let the Bible comfort you. Let the Bible strengthen you. Let the Bible fill you. Let the Bible soothe you. Think on God’s word. Place scriptures in your mind – think about them – meditate on them. They can be a great help when you are dealing with the stressors of life.
3. RELY on God’s promises
Did you know that there are over 7000 promises in the Bible waiting to be claimed? Here is one of them:
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
God wants His children to be successful. He wants us to over-come this world. He wants us to rely on His strength and His promises. God gives us all kinds of promises in His word – but it does no good unless we rely upon them.
We must trust in the Lord – we must put our faith into action – we must rely upon the fact that His promises are true. Put your hope in the Lord. Keep your eyes focused on the hope of heaven.
Let me ask you a question: “Where do you need God’s Sustaining Grace today? Where are you discouraged and you feel like giving up? Are you being tempted? Are you tired? Are you troubled? Are you at the end on your rope?” Then let me tell you that God offers His Sustaining Grace to you.
A long time ago a man by the name of Paul felt that he was at the end of his rope. He had something going on in his life that he did not like and he begged the Lord three times to take it away from him. Do you know what the Lord said when He answered Paul? The Lord said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
Do you know what happened? Paul found that the Lord spoke the truth – God’s Sustaining Grace was all he needed. God’s grace - got him through.
How about you? Do you need God’s Sustaining Grace?
(Drawn from a sermon by Rick Warren)
“Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing...Acts 11:12 NKJV
As a child growing up I have always been challenged with the idea of taking risks in life - that there is no mountain too high or any obstacle too big. My parents instilled into my siblings and I to always follow God’s Spirit no matter where it would take us.
So, here I sit in a cafe in Costa Rica thinking, reflecting, feeling blessed that I have always followed my dreams and have left nothing on the table. I have laid it all out there and have followed God’s leading which has taken me around the world and has allowed me to pastor many wonderful people in my journey of life.
I like the saying that “the journey is the destination.” It is that feeling of being blessed and content no matter where I am or what I am doing.
I have to admit that there were times when I was waiting for my ship to come in or for my lucky break or for my next assignment. To be honest - this is a frustrating place to be. It is not the way God intended for any of us to live our lives.
I have taken many teams to many countries around the world, and often (this present team is an exception - they are awesome happy servants of Jesus) people start complaining about the food, or not being what they are used to, the beds being too hard, the pace too much, the weather too hot, etc.
I always try to encourage everyone who comes with me to enjoy the journey, to experience the blessings of being in another country, to make themselves available to hear God and allow Him to make some needed alignments in their life. I encourage them to ask God to help you see the world as He sees it and for God to increase your love for people.
In the classic novel: “Alice in Wonderland,” Alice comes to a fork in the road. One path leads one way, and the other path leads the other… and she asks the Cheshire Cat for advice:
“Would you tell me please,” she asks “which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
There are a lot of people who (just like Alice) don’t seem to know where they’re going. They just kind of drift thru life. For all intents and purposes it looks like they’re not going anywhere… and they are not really doing all that much with their lives.
But if you were to ask them, I think most would say they really want to do more with their lives. They’d like to believe that there’s more to living than just “getting by”. They’d like to believe they have a reason to live.
And, you know, that’s natural, because God has built that yearning into our hearts.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men…”
He has set the belief (in your heart and in mine) that there’s more to life than just “living”. It’s like He’s created this big hole inside of us… this feeling that we’re meant for more than just surviving in this life.
But many people aren’t quite sure what their purpose in life might be.
The problem for most people is they don’t know where they’re going and they’re not sure they ever will.
Dan Baker, a Medical psychologist and the author of “What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life For the Better”...
He interviewed 1000s of people in the US who were age 100 and better and he discovered:
“What these folks have in common is a general sense of optimism, an ability to deal well with loss” In great part because of their spiritual beliefs eased emotional burdens.
These were people that had learned that the LORD was their shepherd. That He would never leave them. Never forsake them.
But there is a catch: There is something that we must do in order to have this kind of assurance in our lives. There is something we
must be willing to commit to in order to have God as our shepherd.
We’ve got to let God BE the shepherd. We’ve got to be willing to let Him take over.
We’ve got to follow the Spirit without doubting. We need to walk by faith and just go.
That’s not easy for many people. In fact while there are plenty of people who say they would like to serve God – they only want to do so in an advisory capacity.
In other words… they don’t want God to be the shepherd. They don’t want God taking over the direction of their lives.
WHY? Because God might not get it right… He just might mess it up.
We walk with a lot of fear and as a result we never step out of our comfort zone.
One of my favorite stories is about a famous actor was once the guest of honor at a social gathering where he received many requests to recite favorite excerpts from various literary works.
An old preacher was amongst the audience and he asked the actor to recite the twenty-third Psalm. The actor agreed on the condition that the preacher would also recite it as well.
The actor stood and began to recite the famous Psalm and it was everything you could expect from a polished thespian. The phrases were elegant, his voice rose and fell to give each thought it’s proper emphasis. And when he finished, the crowd broke into a lengthy applause.
Then the old preacher rose. His voice was rough and broken from many years of preaching, and his diction was anything but polished. But when he finished there was not a dry eye in the room.
Later, when someone asked the actor what made the difference, he replied "I know the psalm… but he knows the Shepherd."
If you really know “The Shepherd” today you will not fear about where and when God puts the “go” into your life.
Lay it all out there today and just “go” - doubting nothing. You will be glad you did.
“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31 NKJV
I was in a meeting yesterday with those going with me to Costa Rica this week when someone mentioned where they are with the Lord right now. They simply said, “I am in a place where I need to listen to what God is saying to me.”
It was like a light bulb went off in my heart saying “That’s where you need to be also.”
Do you ever have times like that when God just opens your eyes to some thought or action that needs to be done in your life? I think all of can relate to this is one way or another.
Our scripture today describes an incident where a couple of people were walking home to the village of Emmaus. The Crucifixion was a few days ago. We don’t know if it was two men or a man and a son or perhaps a man and wife. We do know one was named Cleopas, a man’s name. It tells us they were discussing all that happened, when Jesus joins them. It adds that they were kept from recognizing Jesus.
Have you ever wondered why they were kept from recognizing him? Why would Jesus want to keep his identity from these believers? Perhaps we guess that it was to be a teaching experience. He wanted to teach the scriptures and not have them distracted by that amazing fact that he was alive.
I have a fear that Jesus or an angel or some other divine messenger will come to me and I will fail to recognize them. If I miss it, I hope that the identity was hidden from me and it is not just my lack of vision or closed minded nature that keeps me from noticing.
Jesus asked, what are you discussing? And they stop and look depressed and ask Jesus if he is just passing through and not heard all the news…
What news?
They tell him about Jesus of Nazareth, how great a prophet he was, and how the authorities had arranged his death. They also express that they had thought he was to be the one who redeemed Israel. Then they shared how the women found an empty tomb and others verified it.
Jesus calls them foolish because they don’t understand or expect the descriptions of the messiah to come true in their hearts. And then over the next few miles he explains from Moses through the prophets and how they relate to Jesus the Christ.
Jesus reminds them about the scripture related to the prophecies of the Messiah. If Jesus was recognized or revealed who he was he would have been explaining scriptures with his personal authority. He would have been speaking as the son of God, which would be pretty powerful.
However, he did not let them know who he was.
These two believers were probably not too different from any of us. They were in a time when God did not make sense. They probably wanted to scream questions at the top of their lungs. Why did this happen God? How could you do this to such a good Man? What are we going to do now?
I would say that these people were at one of the lowest points in their lives. Just days ago they were on a mountaintop and now they are in the darkest of valleys.
I thinks it is safe to think that most of us have had questions for God, that we wondered why me, or us? Wondered why this good person suffered so much or died so young.
I imagine there have been times when we gave up and headed the wrong way until something, or someone came alongside to redirect us.
We all are all traveling down life’s road. Depending on where we are sometimes our hopes and dreams are broken and prayers are unanswered. When it seems the worst Jesus comes along and joins us where we are. We walks beside us and encourages us and he never leaves us alone.
I don’t know about you, but I often don’t recognize him and his actions until I have reached the end of my trip.
Our travelers reach their destination and Jesus keeps heading down the road. They invite him to come and stay with them.
Jesus never presumes that he is invited into your life. He does not act as if he expects an invitation; he never hints or asks to be invited. He only enters your life if you freely invite him.
The travelers basically insist that Jesus join them. And he readily agrees. You never have to ask Jesus to enter your life twice for him to respond.
The light meal is quickly prepared and they sit down for dinner.
Vs. 30 says, " When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight."
All this time they had been with Jesus, looking at Him, but never seeing Him. Now suddenly, as they eat together, their eyes were opened and they actually saw Him for who He was.
After He left, it says that they asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
We sang a song yesterday in church with these lyrics -
“So set a fire down in my soul
That I can't contain and I can't control
I want more of You God, I want more of You God!
There's no place I'd rather be
There's no place I'd rather be
There's no place I'd rather be
Than here in your love, here in your love
I watched as the words resonated with those singing them. We sang the song well and we captured the moment and prayed that God would help us to want more of Him.
I’m sure that for some that their eyes were opened but to be honest - for many, it was just another song.
As I’m pondering about this passage this morning - I have a prayer resonating in my spirit - “I want to know you more.” “I want my eyes to be opened.” “I want to hear God and be one with Him.”
It’s interesting - our church staff met this last week to plan out 2017. Our theme is going to be “EYES WIDE OPEN.” This message has been resonating with me since then and I truly can say that my heart is wide open for whatever God wants to do in and through me.
How about you?
“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—” Mark 13:35 NKJV
A film crew was on location deep in the desert. One day an old Indian went up to the director and said, Tomorrow rain...... The next day it rained.
A week later, the Indian went up to the director and said, Tomorrow storm The next day there was a hailstorm.
This Indian is incredible,said the director.
He told his secretary to hire the Indian to predict the weather for the remainder of the shoot.
However, after several successful predictions, the old Indian did not show up for two weeks.
Finally the director sent for him. I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow, said the director, and I am depending on you. What will the weather be like?
The Indian shrugged his shoulders. Do not know, he said........My radio is broken
Appearances are deceiving.
When I was younger, I remember hearing a deluge of sermons about the last days and how Jesus is going to return soon. Those preaching and the people listening actually believed that the second coming of Christ would be within their lifetime.
I have to admit, so was I. I also had an anticipation of the imminent return of Christ.
It’s not that the message died - it just became “ho-hum” in that Christ did not come in their lifetime.
But if you look through history - it seems like every generation was looking to the return of Christ at some point or another - some generations were more extreme than others.
But here we are - 2016 and we are still waiting for the return of Christ.
I’ve heard many teachers who try to place a date of His return but they all have fallen short because the Bible says “no man knows the hour” (not even the Angels).
Nobody really knows when Christ will be returning - but we need to keep watch - always. We can never let our guard down.
So… How Do We Prepare For The Return Of Christ…
1. Don’t let him find you sleeping
Jesus said, you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
All four of these times have something in common - they are all times that we are sleeping or want to sleep.
Jesus is warning his disciples to be alert and self controlled when he tells them not to sleep (spiritually). Even though Christ has not returned yet - we must not lose our spiritual edge. We must keep watching for His return.
2. Do your assigned task
Jesus said, It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
Jesus said that “each one has his assigned task.” He draws a picture of a rich landowner with many different duties that need to be done. One might need to mow the lawn, another water the plants, another vacuum the rug, and on and on. Each duty is different. Yet each is important. That’s how God wants you to regard yourself - you have an “assigned task.”
What has God called you to do. Whatever it is - do it with all your heart.
I remember my dad often saying that he thought Christ was going to return during his lifetime. To be honest, I was a little disappointed when He didn't return at that time.
Yet, I still live my life as if Christ could return today. It could happen in my lifetime - I really believe that. We live in a very crazy world right now - wars, corruption, politics, etc.
Christ said that when we see these things to look up for “our redemption draweth nigh.”
It could be tonight, tomorrow or the next day. We don’t know. But whenever it is - I choose to remain waiting and ready!
How about you?
“But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”” Matthew 20:22 NKJV
This is a very fascinating story about a mother’s desire for her sons to sit on each side of Jesus in His future kingdom. It was just a mom looking out for her sons wanting them to be remembered in greatness.
But as this story unfolds we find that Jesus asks the brothers if they really are willing to drink from the bitter cup that He was drinking.
It’s a question we must all ask ourselves. Are we willing to drink from the cup Jesus drank from? What does that mean?
This cup was a bitter cup filled with much heartache and much sorrow. It was a cup that would, for the sake of the Father, eventually end in death.
Jesus was in such anguish while praying right before his betrayal and arrest, that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. He prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. yet not my will, but yours be done.”
He was praying in agony in sorrow knowing the hour that He was facing. The season of His very mission and purpose, and very creation had arrived and He was petrified. He was born and raised to teach, heal but most importantly to be delivered to butchers to be slain as a lamb.
I often wonder the reason of His fear. Was it because He knew of the brutal physical pain He would have to endure? The heartbreak of all those He loved betray Him? Was it because He did not want His mother witness His torture? Was it because He was afraid that He would give in and not see it through and make it all the way to the cross? Was it all the above?
I find myself just as many of us do facing a cup of sorrow that we beg God to pass from us. Whether it be heartbreak, betrayal, divorce, death of a loved one, a long brutal battle of an illness, depression, addiction or maybe even like Jesus, coming face to face with your mission.
Many times our purpose is directly tied to sorrow. We may have had to go through many seasons of sorrow in order to become humble enough to hear the voice of God, and listen for His instructions. We may be going through a molding and shaping, creating a masterpiece of an empathetic heart enabling us to look in the eyes of the broken and help them out of the darkness. Then maybe for some of us, our sole purpose may be as Jesus. The suffering of one brings deliverance to many.
Imagine having a child that was addicted to crack cocaine or involved in an abusive relationship for many years. You witness firsthand the decay, deterioration and slow downward spiral as you look at this soul that you love so much and no longer recognize. Something evil has a hold of them. You gave birth to this child, held them close in your arms and witnessed every stage of his/her life. Then evil comes and sweeps your loved one away and the harder that you reach, the deeper they go. Imagine.
Finally they are reaching for your hand and crying, “Please, help me. I need you! You grab them, and the two of you are united and the light within them that you once saw is becoming brighter with each passing day. This is how God feels about one single person who has come back to Him. This is why the gospel is so vital in a fallen world. It’s the celebration of a lost and wandering child, finally making it home.
The bitter cup has been passed to us. Christ drank His cup for us, now we much drink our cup for our lives and for our family.
We have to go in the trenches and tell the lost that there is a hand waiting there to pull them out. Many times, going in the trenches you will face sorrow, ugly things, vile things, horrible things.
People are swimming in the same vomit that you were delivered from. But in that sea of sorrow, if one single soul is saved, God will look you in the eyes and say, “Well done, my child. Well done.”
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7
May God strengthen you as you willingly drink from the cup of sorrow over those whom God has placed in your life to love and pray for.
Don’t ever give up!
“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:38-39, 44 NKJV
To me, this is one of the most fascinating passages in the Bible. First, because someone who had been dead for four days has come back to life, and second, because of what Jesus asked His disciples to do after Lazarus comes back to life: to have the ministry of unwrapping his grave cloths off his body.
Can you imagine being in this story. The awe and amazement you would have experienced? It gives me chills to even think about it.
"By this time he stinketh" (KJV). By the fourth day, the person was well and truly dead; decomposition had set in.
After Jesus prays, Jesus speaks a word of command to the dead man and this walking corpse comes walking out still bound in his grave cloths.
Imagine the scene, this smelly corpse wrapped in white linen, shuffles and stumbles out of the tomb, hobbled, blind -- his face wrapped with a cloth and his hands still tied to his sides by grave wraps. It almost sounds like a horror movie!
The crowd is stunned, afraid. No one makes a move to help him. So Jesus has to command them to come forward and assist him: "Unbind him and let him go!"
Finally, some people come forward tentatively to help him. One removes the cloth covering his face. Someone else begins to unwind the linen that has been wrapped around him. And as they do so, this resurrected man appears alive and well.
Where there was once inconsolable grief that gave way to fear, now joy and excitement overtakes the crowd. They begin to embrace Lazarus and laugh, leading him back into the town where he is reunited with the rest of his friends. It makes you want to give praise to God Almighty.
In a way, this is my job description in life. As a pastor, it is my responsibility to remove the grave cloths of people who come to me smelling like death. They hobble in and hear the message of Christ and come back to life. It is then that the real work begins - the job of coming alongside of Christ to help them get cleaned up and free of their grave cloths.
And, to be honest, this is the assignment that many of us have also - to come alongside those who were dying and or dead and be a loving hand to remove their
“Grave Cloths.”
I look back on the many people who helped take my stinky grave clothes off my own life - the Sunday School teachers, the youth leaders, the pastors and most of all my parents.
I am thankful for those who lovingly stayed with me and loved me through some very ugly and sinful moments and seasons in my life - for being willing to pull those grave clothes off my life and be instruments of setting me free.
I am a very blessed and thankful man who now embraces the assignment of God to help others become free also. I am blessed indeed!
What about you? Do you remember who God used to bring healing and freedom to your life? And, are you now helping others fo find the same freedom that you have found?
That’s something to think about today!
So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:19-20 NKJV
I talk to a lot of people who live their lives in fear for so many things. People are afraid of people, of the dark, of heights, of germs, of animals, of certain foods, etc. The list could go on and on.
This is not the spirit of Jesus because he has said over and over to us to not be afraid and to not worry about life.
Look at these verses that deal with fear in the Bible:
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26 NKJV
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Mt 14:27 NKJV
But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Mt 17:7 NKJV
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5:36 NKJV
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 NKJV
Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah , the Lord , is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ” Isaiah 12:2 NKJV
These and other scriptures remind us that Jesus with me, and He has all the power.
God is not just the God of the top; He is also the God of the bottom. He has not lost control and He is totally in charge.
Someone once said, "Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due." We worry and fret about so many things when God has given us the power and the authority to overcome fear and worry.
I've learned over the years God responds to courage that is demonstrated in the midst of fear. He comes alongside us and gives us the strength we need to make it through whatever is paralzying and holding us back.
God is your refuge from fear.
The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.
2 Samuel 22:3 NKJV
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
Christ will restore back to you everything you lost as a result of sin’s power in your life.
With God, there is no boundaries, just possibilities. He will loosen the lines of boundary in your life and open up a world of possibility so that you can walk freely without fear of today or tomorrow.
We are His kids and He's waiting and wanting to rescue and deliver us from fear. We live under the shadow of the Almighty.
Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies. Ps 60:12 NKJV
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, Ro 8:37-38 NKJV
You don't need to be afraid of tomorrow because God will take care of every need you might have right now and tomorrow.
Oh, fear the Lord , you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Ps 34:9-10 NKJV
God is Master in times of disaster. Your overwhelming need right now is in the palm of His hands. God's got this!
I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread. Psalm 37:25
I've been around for a lot of years. I've seen just about every thing there is to see. I've been in more difficult and ugly and tight situations than you can imagine.
Yet...
"I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread."
God has always brought me through and has calmed every fear. The world may rise and fall but God is still in charge.
Here is one of my favorite verses - I've memoriezed it and I've tried to live it truths in my day by day life.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
May God give you peace, love and sound mind today.
"Be not afraid..."
And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:47-52 NKJV
I recently watched the show "America's Got Talent" and was totally amazed by some of the acts that were on the program. In fact, like many American's I still can't figure how any of what they did or how they did it.
It is interesting - the scriptures tell us that "all who heard Him (Jesus) were atonished/ amazed at His understanding and answers.
If you were to study out the scriptures of where people were amazed or astonished about Jesus you would find that it is 41 times in New Testament.
In this passage - Jesus became separated from his parents as he stayed in the temple and sat with the Jewish leaders of whom were all "amazed" at his undertanding.
Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
As I write this I'm asking the question - "When is the last time I have been in awe and in amazement of who Jesus is. That feeling of being speechless and dumbstruck of who and what Jesus has done and what He is doing right now in my life.
Life tends to dull our senses and we get "used" to what once was awe inspiring and majestic.
I remember first moving to the state of Washington and living in the city of Bremerton - a city surrounded by three sides of water with the backdrop of the Olympic Mountains behind it.
When I first arrived and drove around the city - I couldn't keep my eyes off the beauty of the water and the mountains. It was absolutely gorgeous.
But after living there for a while - I got used to the scenery and my commute to work every day became monotonous and boring. I was no longer amazed by its grandeur and beauty.
In the life of Jesus - people were initially amazed and astounded by the miracles that Jesus did but after a while they were no longer moved by who He was or what He was doing.
He was just another man.
As they became familiar with Him - He just became another man and they didn't see His Him for who He truly was.
People today will acknowledge that there is a God and even say that they believe in Jesus but they no longer allow Him to change their lives and are no longer in wonder and amazement of who He is.
The outcomes that happened a long time ago and don’t impress us at all any more.
When we want to be amazed or astonished we can watch a movie, a TV show and even the news and see things that just a few years ago were not possible.
-People regularly go into outer space to work.
-We can have light when ever we want it with a flip of a switch.
-We can see people that are healed after horrible accidents and illnesses.
So how in the world can the story of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel- God with us ever get the attention of mankind again?
Folks, it has to start with US. If we are not astonished and amazed by what God did….
If we are not ecstatic over what was done my the actions of Jesus Christ for you and me….
Then No one else that hears the story will consider it to be anything more that JUST A STORY!
Real Amazement comes for the realization that not a one of us can qualify to enter into to the presence of God and nothing we do short of recognizing the actions of Jesus can even fix us.
But there is always the worry that it is some sort of magic trick. Some sort of catch.
That some how we have been fooled and we sit back and look for the flaws in the plan the loop holes in the awards program.
And when we do, we are giving up on faith. We are failing to trust God.
We start to unconsciously believe that our relationship with God allows us to make all the choices. Over time we get to focus what we will and won’t do based on our personal preferences.
When we think we are mature in our faith, when we think this is our church, when we decide your needs and desires are most important then we are no longer impressed with Jesus.
When we are not amazed at what he has already done and is doing in our lives then we start to live earthly …selfish lives.
We stop sharing the Good news.
We stop having visitors.
We stop going to any “special trouble: to glorify God.
In the Gospels the biggest things that amazes me are the numbers of people that Jesus touched, healed, and blessed.
What happened to the ones that were walking on their own two legs for the first time, or the ones that could see after years of darkness? The Bible indicates to us that they were "amazed."
What has happened to you?
Have you lost your amazement?
Have you lost the astonishment of being in the presence of God?
If you answer yes, then you need to remember that God did not change - you did.
My prayer to you today is that you come back to that place of amazement with God - that His wonder would fill your soul and that you would stand in awe of who God is and what he has done in your life.
For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37 NKJV
Have you ever felt overwhelmed and almost hopeless? Have you struggled to see your way through the forrest that is before you? Have you ever been up against something that was so much bigger than your ability to overcome it?
I know I have - many times.
Sometimes life is like a sea of darkness and difficulty. You are searching for answers only to find no hope for what lies ahead.
Then...
A little light shows up and leads you to the place where you are supposed to be.
Can you imagine what was going through the mind of Mary as the angel was revealing to her that she would be the mother of the son of God? Can you imagine the emotions she must have felt? How overwhelmed she must have been?
Life as she knew it was very oppressive and difficult and hard. People prayed for the Messiah to come and deliver them from the Roman regime.
Then...
An angel showed up and tells her that she would soon be pregnant with the God's son - the Messiah.
I can imagine the emotions she must have felt from excited to very very confused - even to the point of doubting.
Then...
The angel says, "Oh, by the way, just to show you that this is true - your relative Elizabeth (you know - the one that is really old), is also pregnant and will soon deliver a son, for nothing is impossible with God."
What a light in the midst of great darkness. What hope that must have brought. How thrilled she must have been!
What is your impossible thing today? What is it that overwhelms you and makes you feel like giving up? What darkness are you facing that needs an infusion of hope and light in your life?
The reality is this - "There is nothing impossible with God today." He's got it covered - whatever might be.
Isaiah 55:8-9 - “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord . “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. Ps 147:5 NKJV
The truth is this - "God's Got This." Trust Him to come and speak into your life and lead you through whatever it is that you may be facing.
