Walking with Jesus: To the Synagogue to Teach
Luke 13:20-21: Jesus teaches the Parable of the Leaven
In these verses the Kingdom of God is described as yeast that penetrates the dough. It talks about how a small amount of leaven will affect a whole mass of dough. This parable wants us to realize the power and influence a "small" amount has.
So the question is, how can I apply this application to my life? I was reminded about the time a few months ago when I received a "starter dough" with a recipe from a friend. Each day I had a task to do to the dough. Some days the recipe instructed me to "knead" it. Other days I had to "feed" it. But each day for 10 days I had something I had to do with the dough so that the leaven would continue to grow and not die. At the end of the 10 days, I had 3 "starter bags" of dough to give away, one to keep to start the whole process over again and one that I could bake into yummy sweet bread.
So what does this story have to do with the verses for today. I believe this is what these verses are saying to me. That for the "leaven" to be active in my life each day I must do the following:
1. Each day I must keep my eyes fixed on Jesus;
2. Each day I must despise the things of this world;
3. Each day I must remain in God's word;
4. Each day I must look forward to Christ's return but continue His work while I wait;
5. Each day I must continually listen to and for the voice of the Holy Spirit;
6. Each day I must be willing to suffer for the cause;
7. Each day I must fight against evil;
8. Each day I must defend the gospel;
9. Each day I must put on the full armor of God;
10. Each day I must "give away" Christ's love to other so that it can grow in their lives. And someday I will be able to be in the presence of The Bread of Life. Until then, I will keep Walking toward the goal my Savior has for me.....
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Standing Firm
Walking wit Jesus: To the Mount of Olives
Mark 13:11 Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.... 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Verse 13 tells us to stand firm to the end. Perseverance in the faith and endurance in our loyalty to Christ is a scriptural definition of the kind of faith necessary for final salvation.
Standing firm takes perseverance when this world is beating you down. It is so easy when that is happening just to curl up and wish the world would go away. But that gets me in trouble because that is when I tend to eat for comfort, not exercise and to put another layer of bricks on the walls around me. It is truly a vicious cycle. Trying to change and to tear down these walls is such hard work but again my Heavenly Father is asking this of me and He didn't say it would be easy. He just keeps saying "Trust me my child, trust Me"....
A special friend shared this with me and I loved it. You know the song "Jesus loves me this I know"? Well she saw a sign that said..."Jesus knows me this I love". Is that not cool. Say it again "JESUS KNOWS ME THIS I LOVE".
I am praying that that saying will be my comfort today and what I put into my month will just be what I need to sustain me and no more as I keep taking these tiny tiny steps forward......
Mark 13:11 Jesus teaches about the Holy Spirit
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.... 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Verse 13 tells us to stand firm to the end. Perseverance in the faith and endurance in our loyalty to Christ is a scriptural definition of the kind of faith necessary for final salvation.
Standing firm takes perseverance when this world is beating you down. It is so easy when that is happening just to curl up and wish the world would go away. But that gets me in trouble because that is when I tend to eat for comfort, not exercise and to put another layer of bricks on the walls around me. It is truly a vicious cycle. Trying to change and to tear down these walls is such hard work but again my Heavenly Father is asking this of me and He didn't say it would be easy. He just keeps saying "Trust me my child, trust Me"....
A special friend shared this with me and I loved it. You know the song "Jesus loves me this I know"? Well she saw a sign that said..."Jesus knows me this I love". Is that not cool. Say it again "JESUS KNOWS ME THIS I LOVE".
I am praying that that saying will be my comfort today and what I put into my month will just be what I need to sustain me and no more as I keep taking these tiny tiny steps forward......
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Square Peg in a Round World
Walking with Jesus: To Capernaum
Mark 9: 49-50: The Value of Salt
49 "Everyone's going through a refining fire sooner or later, 50 but you'll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace."
Luke 14:34 says, "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its tastes, how can its saltiness be restored?"
In the notes of one of my Study Bibles this is what it says...As salt is valuable to give flavor and to preserve from corruption, believers and the church must be godly examples in the world and must resist the moral decay and corruption evident in society. (1) Churches that become lukewarm, quench the power of the Holy Spirit and cease to resist the prevailing spirit in the world will be "thrown out" by God (2) They consequently will be "tramped by men"; those who are lukewarm will be destroyed by the ways and values of an ungodly society....
Yesterday was not a good day for me. I felt "tramped by men". My heart was broken. I could have so easily "trampled" back but God answered the prayer of a desperate woman to show Christ love to them. If I would have done what I "felt" like doing, I would have quench the power of the Holy Spirit and my Christian example would have been much less than "lukewarm". Today is a new day. It is my chose on how to live it. Am I going to give in the worldly ways or am I going to continue to be a "square peg in a round world"?
Father, give me a tender heart today. Let me do loving things that surprise even myself. Let me stop daily to talk to people who need a good word. Let me mend what is broken and to touch what needs to be loved. Make me more aware of the tiny surprises that are scattered like secrets all around me. Let me notice such things as I have forgotten, and those persons of whom I have grown weary with. May I see them in a new way so that I have a new word for them. As I busily set out to do the large tasks, my I find more time for small celebrations. Jesus, give me the grace to live out each day as though it were a gift. Holy Spirit, surprise me often. Then let me show my great surprise as I keep walking.....
“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” Psalm 61:1-4 (NIV)
Mark 9: 49-50: The Value of Salt
49 "Everyone's going through a refining fire sooner or later, 50 but you'll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace."
Luke 14:34 says, "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its tastes, how can its saltiness be restored?"
In the notes of one of my Study Bibles this is what it says...As salt is valuable to give flavor and to preserve from corruption, believers and the church must be godly examples in the world and must resist the moral decay and corruption evident in society. (1) Churches that become lukewarm, quench the power of the Holy Spirit and cease to resist the prevailing spirit in the world will be "thrown out" by God (2) They consequently will be "tramped by men"; those who are lukewarm will be destroyed by the ways and values of an ungodly society....
Yesterday was not a good day for me. I felt "tramped by men". My heart was broken. I could have so easily "trampled" back but God answered the prayer of a desperate woman to show Christ love to them. If I would have done what I "felt" like doing, I would have quench the power of the Holy Spirit and my Christian example would have been much less than "lukewarm". Today is a new day. It is my chose on how to live it. Am I going to give in the worldly ways or am I going to continue to be a "square peg in a round world"?
Father, give me a tender heart today. Let me do loving things that surprise even myself. Let me stop daily to talk to people who need a good word. Let me mend what is broken and to touch what needs to be loved. Make me more aware of the tiny surprises that are scattered like secrets all around me. Let me notice such things as I have forgotten, and those persons of whom I have grown weary with. May I see them in a new way so that I have a new word for them. As I busily set out to do the large tasks, my I find more time for small celebrations. Jesus, give me the grace to live out each day as though it were a gift. Holy Spirit, surprise me often. Then let me show my great surprise as I keep walking.....
“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” Psalm 61:1-4 (NIV)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Walking with Jesus: Through the Villages in Gennesaret
Mark 7:1-8: The disciples eat with unwashed hands
1 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples weren't being careful with ritual washings before meals. 3 The Pharisees - Jews in general, in fact - would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, 4 with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they'd give jugs and pots and pans). 5 The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, "Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?" 6 Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull's-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. 7 They act like they are worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, 8Ditching God's command and taking up the latest fads."
This morning I have sat here and read and reread this scripture over and over and over again. I would type and then delete it and type some more only to delete it again. Although I know that God cares about every detail of my life even this stronghold of unhealthy, this morning I have to focus on so much more. I think the best thing for me to do today is just let the scripture speak to whoever reads this blog.
Lord, forgive us when we are so wraped up in man made rules and fail to see You. Forgive us when we use the latest fads and fluff to get Your message to the lost....
Mark 7:1-8: The disciples eat with unwashed hands
1 The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples weren't being careful with ritual washings before meals. 3 The Pharisees - Jews in general, in fact - would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, 4 with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they'd give jugs and pots and pans). 5 The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, "Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?" 6 Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull's-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. 7 They act like they are worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, 8Ditching God's command and taking up the latest fads."
This morning I have sat here and read and reread this scripture over and over and over again. I would type and then delete it and type some more only to delete it again. Although I know that God cares about every detail of my life even this stronghold of unhealthy, this morning I have to focus on so much more. I think the best thing for me to do today is just let the scripture speak to whoever reads this blog.
Lord, forgive us when we are so wraped up in man made rules and fail to see You. Forgive us when we use the latest fads and fluff to get Your message to the lost....
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Touching the Hem
Walking with Jesus: On the West Bank of the Sea of Galilee
Mark 5:25-34; Luke 842b-48: Jesus heals the woman with a hemorrhage
I love The Message version of Luke...
Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd. 43 In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. 44 She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus' robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. 45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When no one stepped forward, Peter said, "But Master, we've got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you." 46 Jesus insisted, "Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me." 47 When the woman realized that she couldn't remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story - why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed. 48 Jesus said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!"
Jesus was in a large crowd. There were many people "touching" Him but there is such a difference in just touching someone or touching someone with all the faith in the world. As a woman, I can't imagine what this woman went through those twelve years. Did all the people call her by her given name or when they spoke of her did they just call her the woman with a hemorrhage and everyone would know who they were talking about? She had tried everything, had spent all she had to find healing. I'm sure during these twelve years, she must have physically felt awful. I'm sure the town she lived in didn't want to have anything to do with her because they probably thought it was catching. Do you think she heard them "talking" about her? I wonder how did her family treat her.
This got me thinking about my own life. I too have "tried everything" to get healthy. Every program there is I probably have tried it. I know how cruel people can be because of my weight issue. I have heard them talk and laugh and call me names. I deal with that just about everyday at work from people who go to church! So I can relate big time with this woman who had the hemorrhage (oh how I wish I knew her name).
On the other hand, my family loves me but just wants me to be healthy. They have been nothing but supportive. Example of this support was a few weeks ago when I had to tell Kristen I couldn't run the race with her in May. You had to sign up before the first of December and I knew that this process of me getting healthy was taking longer than I had wanted it to. That was a sad day for me to have to tell her I wouldn't be running with her.
But sometime this summer I told her I would have my own mini marathon. Here is my new plan...from our house to our farm is about 13 miles. So my plan is to run from our house to the farm. Now here is where I get teary eyed. Kristen said, "Mom when you are ready to run it, I will run it with you". She couldn't have said anything more meaningful to me. As a mother, that is something I would ponder in my heart as long as I live. I'm going to believe, like me, this woman with the hemorrhage had someone special in her life that was helping her through this difficult time. And as I keep going through this process I will continue Touching His Hem as I keep Walking with My Jesus....
Mark 5:25-34; Luke 842b-48: Jesus heals the woman with a hemorrhage
I love The Message version of Luke...
Jesus went with him, making his way through the pushing, jostling crowd. 43 In the crowd that day there was a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with hemorrhages. She had spent every penny she had on doctors but not one had been able to help her. 44 She slipped in from behind and touched the edge of Jesus' robe. At that very moment her hemorrhaging stopped. 45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When no one stepped forward, Peter said, "But Master, we've got crowds of people on our hands. Dozens have touched you." 46 Jesus insisted, "Someone touched me. I felt power discharging from me." 47 When the woman realized that she couldn't remain hidden, she knelt trembling before him. In front of all the people, she blurted out her story - why she touched him and how at that same moment she was healed. 48 Jesus said, "Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!"
Jesus was in a large crowd. There were many people "touching" Him but there is such a difference in just touching someone or touching someone with all the faith in the world. As a woman, I can't imagine what this woman went through those twelve years. Did all the people call her by her given name or when they spoke of her did they just call her the woman with a hemorrhage and everyone would know who they were talking about? She had tried everything, had spent all she had to find healing. I'm sure during these twelve years, she must have physically felt awful. I'm sure the town she lived in didn't want to have anything to do with her because they probably thought it was catching. Do you think she heard them "talking" about her? I wonder how did her family treat her.
This got me thinking about my own life. I too have "tried everything" to get healthy. Every program there is I probably have tried it. I know how cruel people can be because of my weight issue. I have heard them talk and laugh and call me names. I deal with that just about everyday at work from people who go to church! So I can relate big time with this woman who had the hemorrhage (oh how I wish I knew her name).
On the other hand, my family loves me but just wants me to be healthy. They have been nothing but supportive. Example of this support was a few weeks ago when I had to tell Kristen I couldn't run the race with her in May. You had to sign up before the first of December and I knew that this process of me getting healthy was taking longer than I had wanted it to. That was a sad day for me to have to tell her I wouldn't be running with her.
But sometime this summer I told her I would have my own mini marathon. Here is my new plan...from our house to our farm is about 13 miles. So my plan is to run from our house to the farm. Now here is where I get teary eyed. Kristen said, "Mom when you are ready to run it, I will run it with you". She couldn't have said anything more meaningful to me. As a mother, that is something I would ponder in my heart as long as I live. I'm going to believe, like me, this woman with the hemorrhage had someone special in her life that was helping her through this difficult time. And as I keep going through this process I will continue Touching His Hem as I keep Walking with My Jesus....
Monday, December 8, 2008
"Trust Me"
Walking with Jesus: Arrives on the West Bank of the Sea of Galilee
Mark 5:21-24, 35-43 Jesus restores Jarius' daughter to life
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The Bible often speaks of the sick touching Jesus or of Jesus touching the sick. It was the contact and presence of Jesus that mattered. His touch has healing power because He sympathizes with our weaknesses and is the source of life and grace. Our responsibility in seeking healing is to draw near to Jesus and to live in His presence.
The daughter of the Jairus had died. Jesus' response was to encourage the father's faith, even in this seemingly hopeless situation. Throughout history, believers have placed their trust in God even when it seemed as if all was lost. In such times, God gave the necessary faith and delivered His people according to His will and purpose.
Am I, today, in the need of the healing touch of the Great Physician? Absolutely! Christ is counting on me to draw near to Him and to live my life in His presence and not of this world. Am I in a season of my life when things seem hopeless? Absolutely! Do I want to throw up my hands and give up? Absolutely! But Christ IS COUNTING on me. He is saying to my spirit today "Trust Me". If, like me, you are going through some hard "stuff" just remember to trust the only one who should be your Savior...Keeping walking with Jesus......
Mark 5:21-24, 35-43 Jesus restores Jarius' daughter to life
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The Bible often speaks of the sick touching Jesus or of Jesus touching the sick. It was the contact and presence of Jesus that mattered. His touch has healing power because He sympathizes with our weaknesses and is the source of life and grace. Our responsibility in seeking healing is to draw near to Jesus and to live in His presence.
The daughter of the Jairus had died. Jesus' response was to encourage the father's faith, even in this seemingly hopeless situation. Throughout history, believers have placed their trust in God even when it seemed as if all was lost. In such times, God gave the necessary faith and delivered His people according to His will and purpose.
Am I, today, in the need of the healing touch of the Great Physician? Absolutely! Christ is counting on me to draw near to Him and to live my life in His presence and not of this world. Am I in a season of my life when things seem hopeless? Absolutely! Do I want to throw up my hands and give up? Absolutely! But Christ IS COUNTING on me. He is saying to my spirit today "Trust Me". If, like me, you are going through some hard "stuff" just remember to trust the only one who should be your Savior...Keeping walking with Jesus......
Friday, December 5, 2008
Questions to Ask Myself
As I reflect on this past week I must ask myself, are the seeds I am sowing going to create a harvest of health and well being? This old body of mine is a marvelous and intricate machine that gives me signals such as hunger, fatigue or loneliness. Am I willing to listen and to pay attention to the signals that my body is giving me? Am I caring for my body and treating it as a temple of the Holy Spirit? Am I nourishing my body with nutritious foods that fuel and protect my vital organs and body systems? Am I feeding my spirit with God's word?
I know that if I sow the seeds of healthy habits, overtime miracles can happen. I know that weight loss could result in a decrease of blood pressure. I know that regular exercise can help alleviate depression. I know that healthier eating habits can result in better blood sugar control. I am sure that regular prayer time can bless me with a stronger and much more intimate relationship with my God and Creator. The list could go on and on.
All this reminds me of one of my favorite life chapters...Ps. 63,
1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.....
I know that if I sow the seeds of healthy habits, overtime miracles can happen. I know that weight loss could result in a decrease of blood pressure. I know that regular exercise can help alleviate depression. I know that healthier eating habits can result in better blood sugar control. I am sure that regular prayer time can bless me with a stronger and much more intimate relationship with my God and Creator. The list could go on and on.
All this reminds me of one of my favorite life chapters...Ps. 63,
1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.....
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Crying out to Jesus
Walking with Jesus: In the Country of the Gerasenes
Mark 5:18-20 "...and the man who had been possessed...begged him that he might be with him...and he went away and proclaimed...how much Jesus did for him, and everyone was amazed."
Meditation: Saying Yes to God (part 2)
...or what if our Pentecost prayer went more like one of these?
"Lord, set me on fire with the Word and with the passion for saving that You gave to the disciples; empower and impel me so remarkable that the trail of my way through Your world looks like a path scorched by Your justice."
or
"Lord, transform my life and send me out so mightily that satan will have no choice but to spend a lifetime of wilderness days trying to turn me back into myself again."
or
"Lord, soak me so wet with water of baptism that as I walk among the thirsty of the world, many are splashed by the drops of life-giving grace that fall from me as I pass."
But then again, one would not want to really pray prayers like that would they?. One would have to be a little crazy to utter such outrageous petitions. After all, how could we be sure God wouldn't just answer with a mighty YES, and then where would we be?
Regardless of the prayers I pray today, I know that the Lord still loves and forgives me just the way I am. But I want to be the best person I can be for my Savior. I want to be sold out to Jesus with every aspect of my life including the food I put into my mouth and the exercise that I do.
Am I going to be more hungry for him or am I going to keep finding my comfort in food? When am I going to be desperate enough? Luke 6:21 says, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied." In the Message Bible is says, "You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal. You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning." And in the Complete Jewish Bible it says, ""How blessed are you who are hungry! for you will be filled. "How blessed are you who are crying now! for you will laugh. Wow! That gives me such hope. I am desperately crying out to Jesus through this journey and I know in the end I will laugh!!! To God be the glory as I am taking small but forward steps with Him....
Mark 5:18-20 "...and the man who had been possessed...begged him that he might be with him...and he went away and proclaimed...how much Jesus did for him, and everyone was amazed."
Meditation: Saying Yes to God (part 2)
...or what if our Pentecost prayer went more like one of these?
"Lord, set me on fire with the Word and with the passion for saving that You gave to the disciples; empower and impel me so remarkable that the trail of my way through Your world looks like a path scorched by Your justice."
or
"Lord, transform my life and send me out so mightily that satan will have no choice but to spend a lifetime of wilderness days trying to turn me back into myself again."
or
"Lord, soak me so wet with water of baptism that as I walk among the thirsty of the world, many are splashed by the drops of life-giving grace that fall from me as I pass."
But then again, one would not want to really pray prayers like that would they?. One would have to be a little crazy to utter such outrageous petitions. After all, how could we be sure God wouldn't just answer with a mighty YES, and then where would we be?
Regardless of the prayers I pray today, I know that the Lord still loves and forgives me just the way I am. But I want to be the best person I can be for my Savior. I want to be sold out to Jesus with every aspect of my life including the food I put into my mouth and the exercise that I do.
Am I going to be more hungry for him or am I going to keep finding my comfort in food? When am I going to be desperate enough? Luke 6:21 says, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied." In the Message Bible is says, "You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal. You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning." And in the Complete Jewish Bible it says, ""How blessed are you who are hungry! for you will be filled. "How blessed are you who are crying now! for you will laugh. Wow! That gives me such hope. I am desperately crying out to Jesus through this journey and I know in the end I will laugh!!! To God be the glory as I am taking small but forward steps with Him....
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Saying Yes
Walking with Jesus: Crosses the Sea, into the Country of the Gerasenes
Mark 5:5: 1-13: Jesus heals the man possessed by demons
Meditation: Saying Yes to God(part 1)
The prayer that many hear in churches on Pentecost goes like this:
"God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as You sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, look upon Your Church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Kindle in us the fire of Your love, and strengthen our lives for service in Your kingdom...."
That's a very nice prayer. I mean, who can argue with "open our hearts" and "strengthen our lives"? The prayer asks very large things in very comfortable phrases. Certainly, this prayer lets us sound like we are saying yes to God--but without taking any unnecessary chances.
But what if our Pentecost prayer went more like one of these:
"Lord, grab me out of my safe life and compel me to heal and teach and reveal Your love so powerfully that I am scorned by the complacent, feared by the unjust and hated to death by the children of darkness."
or
"Lord, rip open the sky and mark me with a fire of conviction so eternally sure that the very walls of unbelief and hatred and prejudice crumble before me."
or
"Lord, storm me with the wind of the Spirit; seize me and soar with me up and away from the minor crises that fasten my sight on the ground; fire my eyes with a vision of what Your Spirit/Wind/Fire loose in my world could tear down, and heal, and make new."
I guess the question for today is "Do I want to continue to be safe? Do I want to be comfortable? Do I want my life to look like it has or do I want to go deeper? Do I want to soar higher?" Nine years ago I prayed that "whatever you want me to do God, I will do. Where ever you want me to go, I will go". Is it time to be bold again? Is it time to say Yes Lord? Is it time to pick up the pace and instead of just walking with Jesus, maybe it is time to jog....
Mark 5:5: 1-13: Jesus heals the man possessed by demons
Meditation: Saying Yes to God(part 1)
The prayer that many hear in churches on Pentecost goes like this:
"God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as You sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, look upon Your Church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Kindle in us the fire of Your love, and strengthen our lives for service in Your kingdom...."
That's a very nice prayer. I mean, who can argue with "open our hearts" and "strengthen our lives"? The prayer asks very large things in very comfortable phrases. Certainly, this prayer lets us sound like we are saying yes to God--but without taking any unnecessary chances.
But what if our Pentecost prayer went more like one of these:
"Lord, grab me out of my safe life and compel me to heal and teach and reveal Your love so powerfully that I am scorned by the complacent, feared by the unjust and hated to death by the children of darkness."
or
"Lord, rip open the sky and mark me with a fire of conviction so eternally sure that the very walls of unbelief and hatred and prejudice crumble before me."
or
"Lord, storm me with the wind of the Spirit; seize me and soar with me up and away from the minor crises that fasten my sight on the ground; fire my eyes with a vision of what Your Spirit/Wind/Fire loose in my world could tear down, and heal, and make new."
I guess the question for today is "Do I want to continue to be safe? Do I want to be comfortable? Do I want my life to look like it has or do I want to go deeper? Do I want to soar higher?" Nine years ago I prayed that "whatever you want me to do God, I will do. Where ever you want me to go, I will go". Is it time to be bold again? Is it time to say Yes Lord? Is it time to pick up the pace and instead of just walking with Jesus, maybe it is time to jog....
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Crying out to Jesus
Walking with Jesus: Crossing the Sea of Galilee
Mark 4:39-41: Jesus calms the disciples' anxieties
Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"
Meditation: Miracles
Is God in the tears of statues or in the tears of a starving child? Is God in the loud claims of healers or in the cries of a lonely widow afraid to go out of her home? Is God in the Jesus-like markings on the side of a building, or bomb and shell craters in a town that has seen war? And if God is not in those, is God not miraculously, marvelously and wonderfully present in the giving, the loving, the acting and the doing that offers food, comfort and protection to those who weep and wonder and live in fear?
It is easy to look for God in magic moments. It is also easy to forget the presence, power, and purpose of God that we see every day in the thousands of miracles affecting the world.
"Do you seek Jesus who was crucified?" asked the angel at the tomb. "He is not here, He has risen. Go and tell..."
Jesus is still not confined to our expectations, whims or wishes--for signs and wonders. Jesus is alive and at work in the world, in my life. How can I, today, tell others about him? Sometimes actions speak louder than words so what is my actions going to be today? With so many people struggling with being unhealthy, am I going to be an example today to others or am I going to just give up because it is so hard? Am I going to remember that today the same God who calmed the wind and the sea can help me with this stronghold in my life? I'm crying out to Jesus to help me just take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time and if need be one second at a time. I must keep moving forward no matter how hard it is or how long it will take. I must go through this mountain because for to many years now I have just went around and around it. Time to move forward and to keep Walking with Jesus.....
Mark 4:39-41: Jesus calms the disciples' anxieties
Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"
Meditation: Miracles
Is God in the tears of statues or in the tears of a starving child? Is God in the loud claims of healers or in the cries of a lonely widow afraid to go out of her home? Is God in the Jesus-like markings on the side of a building, or bomb and shell craters in a town that has seen war? And if God is not in those, is God not miraculously, marvelously and wonderfully present in the giving, the loving, the acting and the doing that offers food, comfort and protection to those who weep and wonder and live in fear?
It is easy to look for God in magic moments. It is also easy to forget the presence, power, and purpose of God that we see every day in the thousands of miracles affecting the world.
"Do you seek Jesus who was crucified?" asked the angel at the tomb. "He is not here, He has risen. Go and tell..."
Jesus is still not confined to our expectations, whims or wishes--for signs and wonders. Jesus is alive and at work in the world, in my life. How can I, today, tell others about him? Sometimes actions speak louder than words so what is my actions going to be today? With so many people struggling with being unhealthy, am I going to be an example today to others or am I going to just give up because it is so hard? Am I going to remember that today the same God who calmed the wind and the sea can help me with this stronghold in my life? I'm crying out to Jesus to help me just take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time and if need be one second at a time. I must keep moving forward no matter how hard it is or how long it will take. I must go through this mountain because for to many years now I have just went around and around it. Time to move forward and to keep Walking with Jesus.....
Monday, December 1, 2008
Taking a Nap
Walking with Jesus: Crossing the Sea of Galilee
Mark 4:35-38: Jesus takes a nap
Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"
The meditation: Miracles
There was this elderly man who cornered a preacher at a dinner after a funeral. He told the preacher that he had the latest information. That there where people who had been able to locate pieces of Noah's real ark on Mt. Ararat. The preacher mumbled something about interesting speculation and tried really hard to make his way to the grieving family. But the old man pressed on. He told the preacher that some people think that it's impossible that the ark would be there after all these years. But that this time they had found it. The old man went on to say that when they proved what they had found, that people would have to believe. Wouldn't they?
Signs, wonders and miracles still fascinate. A priest prays and his statures weep. Pictures of Mary seem to shed tears. An image of Jesus seems to take shape on a cheese sandwich, in a cloud, or an old building. And people come for miles to stand in wonder. Something in us seeks to prop a faltering faith with even homemade miracles.
Perhaps God is into nifty marvels. Maybe God reveals His presence in pieces of the ark and tearful statues. But perhaps the signs of the Spirit's presences are more mundane.
Am I like those people who travel miles to see these marvels? Or am I going to believe in My God who spoke the clouds into being, who spoke everything into existence? My God who has named each star in the sky? My God who knew me before I was even a tinkle in my parents eyes!!!
Okay now the nap part...My favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon is to curl up on the couch with my blanket and rest. After working hard all day, Jesus was weary, and He went to the stern of the boat and fell asleep. Most of us need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. To be sleep deprived can affect one's immune system. During this busy season of the year, just remember the reason for the season and also arrange a time in your busy life to allow time for sufficient rest.
Keep Walking with Jesus....
Mark 4:35-38: Jesus takes a nap
Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"
The meditation: Miracles
There was this elderly man who cornered a preacher at a dinner after a funeral. He told the preacher that he had the latest information. That there where people who had been able to locate pieces of Noah's real ark on Mt. Ararat. The preacher mumbled something about interesting speculation and tried really hard to make his way to the grieving family. But the old man pressed on. He told the preacher that some people think that it's impossible that the ark would be there after all these years. But that this time they had found it. The old man went on to say that when they proved what they had found, that people would have to believe. Wouldn't they?
Signs, wonders and miracles still fascinate. A priest prays and his statures weep. Pictures of Mary seem to shed tears. An image of Jesus seems to take shape on a cheese sandwich, in a cloud, or an old building. And people come for miles to stand in wonder. Something in us seeks to prop a faltering faith with even homemade miracles.
Perhaps God is into nifty marvels. Maybe God reveals His presence in pieces of the ark and tearful statues. But perhaps the signs of the Spirit's presences are more mundane.
Am I like those people who travel miles to see these marvels? Or am I going to believe in My God who spoke the clouds into being, who spoke everything into existence? My God who has named each star in the sky? My God who knew me before I was even a tinkle in my parents eyes!!!
Okay now the nap part...My favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon is to curl up on the couch with my blanket and rest. After working hard all day, Jesus was weary, and He went to the stern of the boat and fell asleep. Most of us need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. To be sleep deprived can affect one's immune system. During this busy season of the year, just remember the reason for the season and also arrange a time in your busy life to allow time for sufficient rest.
Keep Walking with Jesus....
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