Stronger Together

“I have always been amazed by redwood trees. These massive structures often grow over 300 feet tall, and many have trunks that span 20 or more feet in diameter. It’s a little hard to wrap my brain around something this substantial. When I think about these trees, I assume they must have a root system that reaches the center of the Earth! A storm or a tornado could easily blow over an entire redwood forest if it lacked a strong root system. But redwood trees have unique roots that are actually just six to twelve feet deep. Their roots are shallow but wide. So how do they stay standing during a tumultuous storm? They are able to withstand significant wind because they intertwine their roots with the other redwood trees that are nearby. Their roots are all connected, and they are literally holding each other up. They ultimately intertwine their roots so they can share nutrients and physically support each other. Just a few feet below the ground is a massive, interconnected support system. These roots act as hands that have linked together to hold each other up during difficult times…Who you are connected to matters. Redwoods don’t survive alone, and humans…can’t either. We need each other. We need community.”* 

The spiritual application of this illustration for Christians is likely already obvious for most readers. We are also stronger when our spiritual roots are intertwined. The principle is exemplified in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”

We are stronger together. Are you encouraging community?

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.mollygrisham.com/blog/redwoods-roots

Lucky

“Did you hear about the classified ad that read something like this: “Lost – One dog. Brown hair with several mange spots. Right leg broken due to auto accident. Rear left hip hurt. Right eye missing. Left ear bitten off in dog fight. Answers to name ‘Lucky.'” Lucky? Of course! That was a lucky dog. He was lucky because, with all those things wrong with him, somebody still wanted him and was willing to pay to get him back. Isn’t that the story of the gospel? With all of our sin and rebellion, God still loved us enough to pay the ultimate price to win us back to Himself” (preaching.com).

Spiritually speaking, we are the “Lucky” of our own story. According to the apostle Paul, God didn’t love us and Christ didn’t die for us because we were so desirable. No, we were a mess. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:6–9). Did you catch the descriptors in that passage? God’s classified ad would read: “Lost -- One human. Answers to any of the following names: Helpless. Ungodly. Sinner. Deserving of My wrath.”

Thankfully, unlike the dog of the opening story, we don’t stay the same ugly mutt after being found. No, we are transformed by the amazing love of God. The helpless one is no longer helpless. Ungodliness is replaced by holiness. A sinner becomes a saint. No longer is there any fear of being a target of God’s wrath. And there is no “luck” to it. It’s all due to the incredible, undeserved, and matchless love of God in Christ. And that, my friend, is something to bark about!

God loves you!

Mike

Appropriate Repentance

“So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:19–20).

Part of the visionary message Saul of Tarsus received on the road to Damascus included instructions on what he was to preach to the Gentiles. He was “...to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God…” (Acts 26:18). Simply put, unbelievers needed to repent. Repentance is the word that encompasses the process of turning. It involves a change of direction and allegiances. One cannot continue to live in darkness and expect to enjoy the benefits of the light. One cannot continue to be aligned with Satan and expect to be part of God’s kingdom. A turning must take place.

But turning is more than just a mental exercise. Yes, a change must take place in our thinking. But repentance must also be reflected in our actions. As the Risen Lord said, those who repented should also be “...performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (v.20). Where the NASB has the word “appropriate,” other versions say “befitting”, “in keeping with”, “worthy of”, “consistent with”, or “demonstrate.” The idea here is that true repentance or turning will be seen in how our actions have changed. John, the forerunner of Jesus put it this way: “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). He then goes on to illustrate the concept. Those who have abundant clothing and food will share with others. Tax gatherers will not collect more than they should. Soldiers won’t abuse others or be greedy (Luke 3:10-14).

The Bible says faith without works is dead (James 2:17,26). The same could be said about repentance. A repentance without works is just as lifeless. May my life reflect the turning that I have done in my heart.

God loves you!

Mike

Spiritual Optometry

“And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me’”(Acts 26:15–18).

There are several points of interest in the text above. We could discuss how persecuting the followers of the Messiah is the same as persecuting Jesus Himself. We could talk about how the personal appearance of Jesus qualified Paul as an apostolic witness of the Risen Lord.  For the purposes of this article, I want to drill down on an important part of the mission that Jesus gave to Paul -- that of opening the eyes of those to whom he would teach.

The focus here is on spiritual blindness. It’s possible that the apostle may have miraculously healed someone of physical blindness although the Bible doesn’t record anything about it.  Paul certainly performed physical miracles.  But Jesus is talking here about a blindness that runs deeper than the loss of physical sight. It’s about a blindness that keeps people from seeing their need to be reconciled to God. Spiritual blindness is a tool of the devil (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). He uses it to try to keep people from seeing “...the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ….” Paul would be sharing Jesus’ mission to help open blinded eyes (John 9:39).

Spiritual blindness is treatable. It takes a healthy dose of the gospel. “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18).

God loves you!

Mike

 

Kicking Against The Goads

“While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. “And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads’” (Acts 26:12–14).

Paul is in the midst of recounting his conversion story to King Agrippa. He has just shared his previous pattern of virulent hostility toward the Jesus movement (vv. 9-11). Verse 12 begins this way: “While so engaged…” In other words, on the day of his encounter with the Risen Lord, it was “just another day at the office” as we say. Things were going along just like normal but, by the time the day was over, things would be anything but normal. His life would be changed forever. “Come to Jesus” moments can be like that.

One gets the sense from the text that the Damascus road event was just the latest and, perhaps, most direct effort by God to get Paul’s attention. A goad was a pointed stick used to prod a stubborn ox to do the farmer’s bidding. A wise ox soon learns to yield to the goad while a stubborn ox kicks against it, inflicting more pain in the process. In some way, the Lord had been prodding the stubborn young Pharisee to yield to Him. Maybe it was some pangs of conscience as he mistreated others. Perhaps some questioning of his motives and actions in quieter moments.  Who knows? The text doesn’t say. But however God was prodding, Paul kept kicking. Until now.

This text prompts me to consider my own life. Is God prodding me in ways that I am resisting? Is there something in my life He wants me to address or change? If so, I should yield instead of resist.

God loves you!

Mike

 

The Persistent Love Of God

Haddon Robinson writes: “Francis Thompson wrote a gripping poem that he called “The Hound of Heaven.” It reflected the torture of his life during the years he was running from God. At one time he had intended to be a priest but was deemed unqualified. Then he turned to his father’s medical profession but failed again. Angry and bitter, Thompson gave up on God. From 1885 to 1888 he lived the life of a derelict on the streets of London, suffering the agony of an opium habit. Finally some friends snatched him from the pit of death and brought him to the God he had dreaded. Thompson was gloriously converted. His poem is his testimony. As the hound pursues the hare, ever drawing nearer in the chase, so God pursues the fleeing soul” (Our Daily Bread, Dec. 15, 1998).

God is the perfect example of persistent love, even in the face of rejection. Notice the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 5:6-8: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Thankfully, God didn’t wait until we were loveable to send a Redeemer. He did it while we were helpless, ungodly sinners. He runs hard after us.

Robinson continues: “No matter how far you’ve run from God, the “Hound of Heaven” is still chasing you. Just when you think you’ve eluded Him, you’ll discover that He’s still there. David, who wrote Psalm 139, knew he could not flee from God’s presence. We sense His presence everywhere. It may be through the patience of a spouse, or the warm embrace of a friend when we expected to be shunned. But God is there. It’s tiring to run from God. Perhaps you sense that He’s pursuing you. If you do, it’s time to stop running.”

God loves you!

Mike

Forgiven And Forgotten

“Think you’re the only one that’s made mistakes? Hardly. Imagine if you had been the president of a Michigan bank who advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the new motor company, assuring him, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty.” Or there was Gary Cooper’s comment about Clark Gable accepting the role of Rhett Butler which he had turned down: “‘Gone With the Wind’ is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling flat on his face and not Gary Cooper.” Or the Boston sportswriter who summed up young Ted Williams by saying, “I don’t believe this kid will ever hit half a singer midget’s weight in a bathing suit.” Whatever that meant, he was most certainly wrong! We all make mistakes, including the experts. The key is not to live in the mistakes of the past, but to move forward, learning from those mistakes” (preaching.com).

The apostle Paul certainly had every reason to feel trapped by the mistakes of his past. How it must have pained him to recall his earlier history of violent opposition to the followers of Jesus! (Acts 26:9-11). When he wrote to the church in Corinth, he said: “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9).

How do you deal with that kind of regret? Only by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul learned that he had to let go of his past mistakes as well as  his past accomplishments to be able to move on. “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14). Forgiven and forgotten. Our mistakes no longer define us! Praise God!

God loves you!

Mike