Weakness And Strength

“Our God does not need noble characters, as the ground-work of His masterpieces. He can raise up stones as children. He can turn thorns into fir trees, briars into myrtle trees. He can take fishermen from their nets, and publicans from their toll-booths, making them into evangelists, apostles, and martyrs. We are not much by nature -- wild, bad blood may be flowing in our veins; but God will be the more magnified, if from such stones He can raise up children unto Abraham. The miracle of His grace and power will bring more conspicuous glory to His holy Name, in proportion to the unpromising character of the materials on which He works” (F.B. Meyer, Abraham or The Obedience Of Faith).

As Meyer penned these words, perhaps the words which the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church so long ago were in the back of his mind. There was a time in his life when Paul felt particularly weak and useless. He doesn’t give us the specifics of the problem but he describes it as “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). He prayed three times, asking the Lord to take it from him. But each time, the Lord said “No.” The lesson for the apostle was that true strength is found in weakness. Why? Because when we are weak, God’s strength is most clearly seen.

Here is how Paul describes it: “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

Some of God’s mightiest works are accomplished through weak and flawed people. Feeling weak and useless? Great! You are in the perfect position to bring glory to God. He specializes in using imperfect people. Frankly, it’s all He has to work with.

God loves you!

Mike

Platforms

In the midst of all the discussion of party platforms in this election cycle, I thought it would be good to reflect on the platform which guided Jesus as He “campaigned” and which He encouraged His followers to adopt. We call it “The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12):

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

• Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

• Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

• Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Modern political platforms are noticeably different, aren’t they? The reason for that is because modern politicians in our country could never be elected by pushing these points. But that says more about us as a country than it does about Jesus’ platform. Modern politicians and platforms are designed to appeal to the party base and, hopefully, to attract other voters. They make grand promises that are often easily ignored once the winner takes office. Maybe I’m jaded, but that seems to be the way the system works (or doesn’t work, depending on your perspective).

The platform of Jesus provides a remarkable contrast. Instead of focusing on things that appeal to me, it challenges me to be who I should be. And if you and I are guided by Jesus’ principles, then many of the moral and social issues that fill today’s political platforms become yesterday’s news. I think I will vote for Jesus!

God loves you!

Mike

Relevant

“When I was in seminary and I took a preaching class, seems like they told you in the preaching class that the preacher was supposed to stand in the pulpit with the Bible in one hand and today’s newspaper in the other…The preacher stood with one foot in the biblical world and one foot in the modern world, and tried to bring those worlds together in the sermon…The trouble with life situation preaching or with much of our preaching — conservative or liberal — is that the traffic seemed to move one direction on that bridge. It was always the modern world putting the questions to the Bible; it was the modern world deciding what in the Bible was relevant or irrelevant, possible or impossible. So that most of our preaching is in the translation mode; we start with some modern category.

“But one thing we overlooked in reaching out to speak to the modern world — to translate this gospel into more contemporary categories — one thing we overlooked is that it was this brave new modern world that gave us Dachau, Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Nagasaki. The modern world gave us not only TV and the telephone but the Nazis. That is the world we are supposed to make the gospel credible to?” (William Willimon, preaching.com).

Relevancy. It’s a buzz word in religious discussions. “We have to make the gospel relevant.” Since when? The message of a crucified Savior has never been a popular one with most audiences. Paul told the Corinthian church: “But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Both groups were put off by the message but the apostles didn’t change their preaching. There are many today who scoff at the gospel message. So do we need to make it more palatable? It is the world that needs to change, not the message. “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

God loves you!

Mike

Abundance

“Say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, “Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’” (Numbers 11:18–20).

Everytime I read these verses, I smile. It always reminds me of an exasperated parent who has finally hit their limit with a whiny child. “If you want to whine, I’ll give you something to whine about!” I won’t confirm or deny if I ever heard those words as I was growing up. God’s children, the Israelites, were complaining about the struggles they were facing during the wilderness wanderings, a problem which they had brought upon themselves by the way. In this particular case, they were grumbling about the lack of meat to eat. To make matters worse, they had the arrogance to pine for the dining elegance provided by Pharaoh back in Egyptian slavery! What is implied here? That they should have stayed in Egypt! That God cannot provide as well as Pharaoh!

If you ever doubted the abundant provision of God, this story puts that concern to rest. Even in a negative situation, dealing with unappreciative rebels, God can still provide abundantly. When God gets done, the quail are piled up three feet deep within a day's journey all around the camp (Numbers 11:31). How about that, Israel? Is that enough meat for you?

It’s far better to experience the abundant provision of God when we are being faithful to Him.  He longs to bless us. He “...is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20). Give Him the opportunity!

God loves you!

Mike

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

It Takes Time

“A husband and wife take hours and days and years to know each other, and yet some would know God before the parking meter expires. Lifetime questions take a lifetime; questions of conscience require conscience; issues of morals and religion can be handled only after one has achieved some size, some dimensions of pathos, sympathy, concern and sensitivity” (Fred C. Craddock, Overhearing the Gospel, preaching.com).

We have become a culture that doesn’t like to wait. “Veruca Salt ain't got nothing on us. We are a society that revels in instant gratification. Our food is fast, our Internet is high speed, and our shipping is next day. If we don't have to wait for something, why should we? What would be the point?” (Jennifer Baumgartner, “I Want It…Now!”, psychologytoday.com). We have been conditioned to expect instant results. While that may not be problematic in many areas of life, it can be unrealistic in others. Take spirituality, for example.

As He prayed to His Father on behalf of His disciples, Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). It’s clear -- we must know God and His Son to have eternal life. But knowing God is not an instantaneous endeavor. It’s something in which we grow and mature. By faith, we come to know God initially, but that initial knowledge becomes more full and intimate as we learn and grow in our relationship with Him.

In the article referenced above, Baumgartner continued her thoughts: “Sometimes we want something instantly when it would be better for it to have happened more slowly...getting married, having children, leaving a job, having our dreams come true, even possessing our most coveted items. Sometimes better things do come to those who wait.” As Craddock says: “Lifetime questions take a lifetime.” Don’t be frustrated in your quest to know God. It won’t happen overnight and that is okay. True knowledge takes time. And each of us has all the time we need. Take time to know God.

God loves you!

Mike

 

Mom Quotes

I found a list titled: “THINGS THAT MOM WOULD NEVER SAY.”*  I’m guessing none of you ever heard any of these statements from your own mother:

1) “How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?”

2) “Yeah, I used to skip school a lot myself when I was your age!”

3) “Just leave all the lights on … it makes the house look more cheery.”

4) “Let me smell that shirt — Yeah, it’s good for another week.”

5) “Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I’ll be glad to feed and walk him every day.”

6) “Well, if Bobby’s mamma says it’s OK, that’s good enough for me.”

7) “The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It’s not like I’m running a prison around here.”

8) “I don’t have a tissue with me…. just blow your nose on your sleeve.”

9) “Well, I guess if everyone is jumping off the cliff, it’s fine with me, too!”

There is a statement from Mary, the mother of Jesus, that may be the wisest thing any mother ever said. In the gospel of John chapter 2, Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding. As the party progressed, the wine ran out. Mary has knowledge of the situation and approaches her Son for help with the problem. Jesus appears reluctant at first but Mary, who perhaps knew Him better than anyone else, senses that He won’t remain on the sidelines. She tells the servants: “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

That is the greatest “mom quote” ever! While I doubt Mary is making a deep theological point here, the point is still taken. It’s always best to do what Jesus says. It’s a very wise mother indeed who shares that instruction with her children. Listening to, loving, and obeying the Lord will never steer you wrong (John 5:24; 14:15,21,23,24; 15:14). 

God loves you!

Mike

*sermoncentral.com 

The Principle Of Multiplication

“There is an ancient Indian legend of a king who loved chess. He challenged visitors to a game, and was usually victorious. One day a traveling sage visited the kingdom and was challenged to a game. To entice him to play, the king offered to give the sage whatever reward he asked if he won. When the king was defeated, to honor his word he asked the sage what prize he would like. The sage asked for one grain of rice to be placed on the first square of the chessboard, and then that it be doubled on each following square.

“The request seemed modest, and the king ordered a bag of rice to be brought. One grain was placed on the first square, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth and so on. But it quickly became apparent the terms of the request were impossible to meet. By the twenty-first square more than one million grains of rice would be required. By the thirty-first square the total would go over one billion—with more than half of the chessboard still left to go. Small things have a big impact when they are added together.”*

When the body of Christ works together, they multiply their effectiveness as well. According to Paul, the church grows and becomes more effective when it is “...fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working  of each individual part…” (Ephesians 4:16). God takes our individual abilities as disciples and joins them together in such a way that the effect of our combined efforts is greater than the sum of our individual contributions.  Mathematically speaking, 1 + 1 becomes more than 2 when it comes to kingdom work. The word “together” appears in the NASB95 New Testament 120 times in 118 verses. Groups gathered together for evil as well as for good. When God’s people join together to do God’s will, they accomplish more than they could ever accomplish alone.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-growth-of-wisdom 

Sincerity

“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:9–11).

The apostle Paul had been given another opportunity to tell his story. Speaking with King Agrippa and Bernice, he recounts his past life as Saul of Tarsus, a “...Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion” (Acts 26:5). This religious background led him, like many other Jewish religious leaders, to take an antagonistic stance toward Jesus. Saul just took the opposition to a whole new level as the text beginning the article reveals. Saul felt compelled by God to oppose Jesus as well as those who chose to follow His teachings.  Read again his words: “So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He thought he was doing what was right. He was sincerely trying to please God.  But he was sincerely wrong.

It’s good to be sincere when that sincerity is properly motivated. Believers are  encouraged to be sincere and blameless (Philippians 1:10).  It’s good to have a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 1:5). We are to have sincere hearts (Hebrews 10:22), a sincere love for our brothers and sisters (1 Peter 1:22), and a sincere mind (2 Peter 3:2). But misguided sincerity can be a very dangerous thing. If I convince myself that God is calling me to abuse and mistreat others, it doesn’t matter how sincerely I feel that what I’m doing is right. I am still wrong.

God loves you!

Mike 

Tasty Faith

“Larry J. Henry reports that his family bought a microwave, and can now cook a hot dog in less than two minutes. “We want instant everything,” he says. “But as nice as ‘instant’ is, it is still hard to beat a good old-fashioned home-made stew that has simmered for hours on the stove. Some things just take time.” Christian maturity is like that. We would all like to have the kind of faith that moves mountains, and we want it right now! But for God to develop that kind of faith in us, He must let it simmer for awhile” (preaching.com).

It is the struggles of life that often provide the simmering heat for a strong, mature faith. And while the struggles may be unpleasant, they can also be viewed as a joy because of their faith-building properties. James says: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Peter must have had the same Teacher as James because he says the same thing: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Paul must have had the same Teacher as Peter: “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope…” (Romans 5:3-4).

The savory stew of an enduring faith is simmered over the flames of struggle. Without the heat, we are left with a watery mix of ingredients that never come together as they should. That doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it?  Lord, help me to have a tasty faith.

God loves you!

Mike

Regardless

“But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned” (Acts 24:27).

This is one of those verses that are easy to pass by quickly without pausing to consider the implications. Paul’s current problem began all the way back in Acts 21. It all started with false accusations about preaching against the Law and desecrating the temple of God. A riotous crowd begins to beat Paul and he is rescued by Roman forces. One thing leads to another and eventually he is transferred to appear before the Roman governor Felix in Caesarea. There are precious few time markers in the text, but the ones we do see lead me to guess that all of these events have perhaps taken a few weeks. Paul once again makes his defense and, once again, a decision is deferred. Paul remains under arrest. In fact, as the verse above states, the missionary to the Gentiles remained imprisoned for two more years.

I have to imagine that all this must have been very frustrating for the apostle. After all, didn’t God want him to share the gospel among the Gentiles?  Of course He did.  Didn’t God have the power to miraculously free him from custody? Of course He did.  He did it for Peter, remember?  Yes (Acts 12:6-8). Why doesn’t God step in? There are people that need to hear the gospel. There is preaching to be done.  Why God? Perhaps Paul was thinking none of these things. But I know I likely would have.

The fact is that the Sovereign God of the universe does things His own way and on His own time table and I need to be okay with that. I am called to be faithful whether things are working out the way I like or not. If something is taking longer than I think it should means that God has a reason even if I don’t understand it. Father, help me to trust You regardless.

God loves you!

Mike

Flying By Instruments

“Any person who takes flying lessons comes to the time when he or she must learn to fly the plane by the instruments only, rather than sight. Why is that so important? Some day that pilot may be in a storm and experience vertigo–the loss of the sense of equilibrium. When that happens, the senses can’t tell you anything about where you’re going–up or down, straight or to the side. At that point, the pilot must not trust his senses; he must rely on the instruments.”*

There are times in life when it’s easy to pilot the plane of life.  Skies are crystal clear and the sun is shining bright.  Sure, we still need God’s help, but we are doing pretty well, it seems, using our own senses and skills.  But there are other times when it’s difficult to see the way ahead.  The fog of confusion sets in.  Clouds of doubt envelop us, obscuring the sun, and we can’t get our bearings.  It’s in these times we must trust God’s guidance rather than lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).  We must lean on faith instead of sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

This makes me think of the woman with the bleeding problem (Mark 5:25-34).  She had tried all the things she could see and things had just got worse.  As a last resort, she began to fly by the instruments of faith.  Even though her bleeding made her unclean, she risked reaching out to touch just the garments of the One Who had healed others.  I can imagine her closing her eyes as she did it.  Did she dare hope?  Would it work for her? The words of Jesus say it all: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction” (Mark 5:34).

Flying by instruments in spiritual matters can be initially frightening.  But as you learn to trust the gauges, it gets easier.  God will never lead you astray.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.preaching.com/sermon-illustrations/variety-of-illustrations-featured/

 

Resurrection Power

“In the city of Hanover is a graveyard which has been closed for a number of years—the Garden Churchyard. Owing to its antiquated monuments and the fact of its being the resting place of a number of celebrated characters, it awakens the liveliest curiosity. A few paces east of the unassuming little church in the graveyard is a monument tottering from its foundation. It is built in the form of steps, and the massive stones are secured by heavy iron clasps. The monument was erected in the year 1782.

"Beside the usual family inscriptions, at the base of the monument are engraved these arrogant lines: “The sepulchre, purchased for all eternity, is not permitted to be opened.” Opposed to this determination of man, a beech seed, perhaps carried by the wind, found its way into a crevice of the foundation. In the course of years this little seed grew to be a strong, luxuriant tree, mocked the proud inscription of the monument, raised the massive stones from their foundation, and rent the strong iron clasp asunder. This open grave reminds the visitor of the mutability of earthly scenes, and the fallacy of man’s resolution to project plans to last for “all eternity.”*

The grave was intended by the Adversary of humanity to be our tomb for all eternity. Aided by sin and death, he held all the sons and daughters of Adam captive in the realm of the dead. But God had other plans. Not unlike the beech seed in the story above, God raised up a shoot from the stem of Jesse (Isa. 11:1,10; Rom. 15:12) Who would shatter Satan’s death grip into a million pieces. By the power of God, the tomb couldn’t hold the Messiah. That same power sets the believer in Him free from the law of sin and death as well (Rom. 8:2; 1 Cor. 15:55-57). Praise God for His resurrection power! The grave cannot imprison us!

God loves you!

Mike

*Dictionary of Anecdote, Incident, Illustrative Fact, Selected and Arranged for the Pulpit and the Platform, Walter Baxendale