Monday, October 31, 2016

THE CUP OF SORROW


“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!

Friday, October 28, 2016

DEAD MEN WALKING


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!

Monday, October 17, 2016

HOW TO LIVE IN CONFIDENCE IN A WORLD FILLED WITH FEAR


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..."

Monday, October 10, 2016

HAVE YOU LOST YOUR AWE OF GOD?


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.

Monday, October 3, 2016

GOD'S GOT THIS!


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.