How many days I've wandered.
Confused in my own thoughts. Trying to reason, trying to understand. If you've ever suffered times of hopelessness, uncertain of which way to turn, I totally get it. You think back on days when life seemed easier. The times when your routine was simple and ordered. Maybe you've made a choice that has turned your world upside down. You can't take it back. You can't get a do-over. But it's so hard to move forward when you're beating yourself up, wishing you could just re-wind. You are totally normal. Everyone feels this way at times. It's how disciples must have felt after they had been following Jesus for three years. They grew more and more dependent on His leading, believing t all that Kingdom talk meant He was going to overthrow the Roman rule. They must have believed freedom was near. Then He was crucified. He was dead. He was gone. All their hopes and dreams died with Jesus. And they had no history book to make sense of it like we do. So on that third day when He reappeared to Mary and the two on the road to Emmaus, the stories were just too much to believe. But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. Luke 24:11 How much like our life today. Confusing, filled with nonsense, difficult to find our way. Thankfully, we have hope knowing that Jesus left us the gift of His Spirit... the breath of life. How beautiful that He appeared to the disciples and He spoke a word of peace over them, then breathed on them. But this was not just earthly oxygen and carbon dioxide exchanged. This was a holy breath, like that given at the creation of the first human. Dust gathered together from earth, breathed into, life given... eternal life. And we too can receive such. The Holy Spirit, full of peace to take away the hopelessness. The Holy Spirit, living within us daily to light the way in darkness. The Holy Spirit, comforting us, even in the lonely times. Breathe in, Christian... RECEIVE the breath of Christ. The Holy Spirit is yours for the taking. He can help make sense of the confusion. He can lead you even after a mistake. He will love you no matter where you are, no matter what. Breathe in, Christian... RECEIVE Our Breath of Peace!
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How infinite are the promises of God. The sun and moon which He set into place at the Genesis of time, will one day be of no further use to Him. Such minor lights could never shine as brilliant as He, eliminating our reliance on the routine of such orbs. How promising is our infinite God. To consider that our days of sorrow will be over once we see Him face to face. The clarity with which our perspective will shift, away from the temporal, it's blurry edges ever shifting like shadows. But standing still in the warmth of His glory and grace surely will snap all edges into place, framing the focus of all creation on the one necessary and Everlasting Light. 38 While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 Change. It's the only part of life that stays constant. There are times in our lives that we thrill for change... to get a new car, to watch our child take their first steps, to realize success after much practice and hard work. And then there are times when we shrink from change as it only brings grief... to lose a job, to watch a loved one suffer, to realize tragedy regardless of preparation. Change. We stand still sometimes, holding on to nothing but change. Wondering where to go and how to handle what dangles by a thread. We are not the first, nor will we be the last, to feel this change. Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?" Luke 24:1-5 NKJV This to be sure, was a change they hadn't expected. He had come into their lives, so vibrant, so wise, so truthful. They had laughed and cried with Him... leading, loving, and living while they listened to everything He had to say. He was different. They had forgotten how very much He had changed their lives up until that day... that very dark and stormy day that changed everything. The whole world stood still as they clung to that rocky place beneath those three crosses. Heads still spinning from blurry days that passed too quickly, they wondered how it all happened. How was their friend, their teacher, their leader and companion, Jesus... now this bloody mess of a man hanging upon a cross... a criminal gasping for air? Change. We stand still sometimes, holding on to nothing but change. So these faithful women went, early in the morning with spices they prepared. For even in times of change that's what you do... you return to what you know. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this. These women did not know what to do next... this change had them standing still in an empty place. Have you been there? I certainly have. An unplanned event or circumstance of life will come along and knock me off my feet and suddenly I'm standing alone inside myself in an empty place... certain that no one else really knows quite how I feel. I mean, they say nice things, they give me hugs and are supportive and kind... but they don't really KNOW, not really. To be honest... I can't even tell you quite how I feel. I'm unsettled and changed. But to be certain, the advice these women received was not quite the same as that from our friends... as kind and wise as they may be, this was a different word. ...behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. For these were messengers And these angels, to be sure, were given word from God as to the whereabouts of Jesus, saying... Why do you seek the living among the dead? Clearly this to remind these women of what Jesus foretold... "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Luke 24:6-7 Now this to be certain was a help to set these women in the direction of the risen Savior. But I don't want us to miss an important message for our mess... for our moments when we are standing in the middle of our unsettled change. Why do you seek the living among the dead? These are actually wise words for us, having less to do with tombs and dead bodies... And much to do wiith our mindset and moving past those stand still moments when we hold onto nothing but change. For what is it we are seeking? We are looking to get to the bottom of a matter... to investigate, and to understand. Do you really believe it will always be possible to get to the true and final facts... the bottom of the matter of why the change happened in your life? Because truthfully, even if you did, how would it change the current situation? Maybe, just maybe, it would give you insight as to how to behave differently next time. But it most likely would not change your situation. Could it be, that we want to know why, more for our own pride and satisfaction than for how it would change our situation? Knowing the "why" behind the change in our life, is honestly unnecessary most of the time. Because it will lead us back into an empty grave... a place for the dead where we will just stand about and talk about our problem. But those angels with a message from God said... Why do you seek the living among the dead? Meaning, why do we stand about in the place of our dead, empty past, when we could be moving on into our future? Think about it... Do we want life or death? We cannot fully grasp life while we hold onto pieces that came before the change. They are dead and should be buried. Other than memories, and maybe lessons learned, it will not do us any good to stand about in an old tomb of regret. I say, live life like the Mary's... follow the advice of the angels and step out of the tomb to seek life among the living. Let the past go and move onto better things. Let this word, change, no longer be a limitation but rather have new meaning. For life lived outside the tomb is actually OPPORTUNITY! If we will trust God so show us the next thing, rather than holding onto the last thing, we just may find our PURPOSE. And how amazing it will be as we became more fulfilled with each change... with each opportunity. Word of God train me today... To trust You in the middle of this change. To step into a new opportunity, even one that stretches me and causes me to grow. Today's post is written from both sorrow and joy. For it was the details of death in which prideful men took pleasure, finally having their way... Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. Mark 15:25-26 NKJV And our Savior hung there exposed for all to see... And those who passed by blasphemed Him... "Save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Mark 15:29-32 So now... if He would come down, they would believe? I bet not. These men could not be pleased. But Jesus didn't come to please the hearts of men. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 But to be obedient; as a vessel of forgiveness, doing the will of His Father. Even for these, He drank the cup of suffering. Even for me, He bled and died. Even for you, He was beaten and spit upon. Even for the ones indifferent, He cried out His last breath... “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And this to be certain, was the sound of... Amazing Grace. If you do not see the video below, click here. Amazing Grace how sweet the sound... what a fascinating verse. Have you wondered what the sound of grace might be? For I have but a suggestion. This verse, written just so, in two of the four gospels... And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Matthew 27:46 Famous for being the last words of Jesus, in human form, it has been considered this, to be His expression as He wrestled with the powers of darkness over the sins of man and the separation from God the Father for the first time in eternity. If we trace His cry "with a loud voice," back to the original text, we find that the word voice is more accuratly defined as a sound... this the SOUND of Amazing Grace. Strong's Greek 5456 phóné: a voice, sound the sound of uttered words; those who begin to cry out, or call to anyone, shouting... For who of us, even if able, to live a perfect life, would give of ours, to suffer so immeasurably, and then give it over to these powers of darkness and become separated from God... this is ultimate death. This, the reason for Jesus to cry out. This the sound of Amazing Grace. Word of God train me today... To spend a moment of silent praise today, thanking You Lord, for the Amazing Grace which You cried out for me. To not get caught up in one moment of complaint today over the tedium or this world's troubles, but to remain joyful as an expression of thanks for Your sacrifice on my behalf. Prayer... what is it exactly? This illusive communication with God that sometimes seems as though we reach toward the sky and wonder, does He really hear us? So here I bring to you encouragement from One who has been on the other side. Jesus, who heard these prayers... being spoken, stuttered, whispered, cried, shouted, doubted, and pleaded forth by us, gave instruction to pray. Not only that, He, Himself was a man of prayer. So He must have known, even being the God-man, the essential purpose and life-altering need for it. Even until His last days. He was a man known for His compassion and kindness, yet, always able to be interrupted. And still He never neglected His routine and return to familiar places to pray. He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Luke 22:39-40 NKJV This, one of the last instructions He would give them before His death on the cross. Did He ask them to pray for Him? Certainly He could have used it. No. The only thing He asked for Himself was that they stay alert and awake for Him. But the prayer... He said was for them. So what exactly is prayer? The Greek definition means to interact with the Lord, exchanging human wishes and ideas for His desires toward us as divine persuasion. And during the prayer, He imparts to us more faith. So what specifically did Jesus tell His disciples to pray for at that time? The instruction He gave was to pray for themselves... that you may not enter into temptation. Now we all have our ideas about temptation. But what Jesus was referring to in this case, was any distraction internally or externally which would divert them from their divine purpose; Anything which would entice them to sin, causing a lapse in faith or holiness. While Jesus, Himself, was praying not to walk away from taking on the cross... bearing up under the burden of the sin of the world. And though He knew His disciples would not be able to stop this from coming forth, He needed them to see how prayer girded us for such a divine purpose and calling. Jesus was leading by experience. He wanted His disciples to watch His and pray. He wanted His disciples to watch and learn. For He knew that after His death and resurrection, they too would be placed under persecution and would need to understand how to handle the pressure. Pray that you may not enter into temptation. And this, not simply a prayer for disciples in the first century. But clearly one for all of us as we walk day to day, seeking to live a full and satisfying life in Christ. Jesus set the example in the Garden by surrounding Himself with those who would love and support Him in difficult times. We should too. Jesus set the example in the Garden by praying to God when He felt weak and in need of courage to face the struggles of an uphill battle. We should too. Jesus encouraged His friends to pray because life is not always easy and will be filled with turmoil. And He couldn't be there with them physically, but would be with them in Spirit... nudging them, like a friend, don't forget... Pray that you may not enter into temptation. We should too. Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully, worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise, sensible, intelligent people, Making the very most of the time, buying up each opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 AMPC Word of God train me today... To pray that I will not enter temptation, walking into a traps set before me. To look carefully how I walk, to live purposefully, and receive Your wisdom, freely given to buy opportunities for my future. |
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January 2019
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