favor 2.0

2 Corinthians 12:9

(God said to Paul...)

"My gracious favor is all you need.

"My power works best in your weakness."

So now I  (Paul) am glad to boast about my weaknesses,

     so that the power of Christ may work through me.


vs 10c For when I am weak, then I am strong.



Y'all have no idea how much I needed to read this this morning...

There's so much I'm facing, so much I'm trying to decipher, that I don't know how I'll navigate it.

And in that worrying & fretting, I get up & read this.

All I need is His favor.

When I'm weak, & know I'm weak, & acknowledge I'm weak, that's when I get out of the way & God is able to work, unencumbered by me trying to run the show, control things, & be so cotton-pickin' successful.

When I accept my weakness, my inability to make things happen, it makes me step aside & depend completely on Him.

And it's in that paradigm God is able to bring it all together, because I'm not in the way.


Maybe these verses spoke to you. Let me know if they did.

favor

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.

Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it w/ sentries will do no good.



How many of us decide to be or do something & then tell God we need Him to bless it?

Well, maybe you haven't, but I have - far too many times.

Why don't we do the simpler thing - just say, God what would YOU like me to be or do?

We both know why...

   ...because that give God ALL the control & us none of it.

And we GOTTA have control.


The longer I live, the more I realize that it's all about favor - God's favor.

Unless God favors what we try to be or try to do, we're just spinning our wheels.


How do I know that?

How do you think?


Life's been a lot simpler, especially these last almost 14 years, since I've been doing that.


Now, has my life been safe, easy, or made sense all the time?

Well, no.

Would I go back to being & doing things like I used to?

Well, no.


But so much of the weight of responsibility is no longer on my shoulders.

All I have to do is be obedient.

(did I just say "all I have to do" HA! Like that's easy!!!)

All I have to do is be obedient.

Everything else is on God's shoulders - results, timing, opportunity, funding, wisdom, etc.,etc., etc.

Why?

Because this is HIS gig, not mine.

I'm just being or doing what He says to be or do, no matter what it looks like.

It can get pretty strange...

     remember that in Isaiah 20, God told Isaiah to strip naked, which he did - and Isaiah walked around naked FOR 3 YEARS!

(Gosh! I hope that's not on the list of things God gonna tell me to do! ;-)


Anyway, you get my drift.

We miss so much of the adventure God dreamed for us a gajillion years ago if we try to figure out what we should be & do.

Life gets much simpler when we just ask, "what would You have me be or do".

interpret

Psalm 126:5 Those who plant in tears will harvest shouts of joy.

6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,

        but they sing as they return with the harvest.


What does these two verses mean in YOUR life?

secure

Some mornings I read a lot of really good stuff in the bible.

This morning I read in Isaiah 4, Psalm 125, John 8, & @ Corinthians 9.

Like I said, there was a lot of good stuff in there.

But sometimes, amidst all the stuff, very little stands out.

What I mean by "stand out" is God seems to whisper something to me about it, or just kinda presses in so I'll pay attention to it.

Here's what stood out this morning...



Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Psalm 125:1


After I read this, I wondered this...

If we REALLY believed this, how then would we live our lives?


Tell me what you think...

thirsty

John 7:37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds,

"Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!

38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!

       For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"

39 (When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit,

         who would be given to everyone believing in him.

         But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)



We are all thirsty.

Iow, we all long for "something"

We all try to quench that thirst. All we have to do is look around us at people, let alone look within our own selves, to see the seemingly infinite ways we try to quench that thirst.

That thirst, that longing, I believe, is a longing we all have for intimate contact with God.

We may quantify it in many different ways, we may call it by a plethora of names, but that's what it all boils down to.


As we close out this year & move into another, let's open our hearts & lives to God, who will end the longings & thirsts we all have, & find a home w/ Him.

strings

Every once in a while, it seems that the various places I read in the Bible on a given morning seem to string together verses that have a thought.

What is God saying to you if your string these together?



Isaiah 3:22 Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail a breath. How can they be of help to anyone?


Psalm 123:2 We look to the Lord our God for His mercy;

     just as servants keep their eyes on their master,

     as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.


John 6:35 Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life.

     No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again.

     Those who believe in Me will never thirst.

vs 44a people can't come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws them to me...


2 Corinthians 7:1 Because we have these promises,dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything than can defile our body or spirit.

that night

Luke 2:8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.


9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,

     and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.

They were terrified,


     10 but the angel reassured them.

            "Don't be afraid!" he said.

            "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

12 And you will recognize him by this sign:

        You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."



  13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in highest heaven,

          and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."



  15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other,

           "Let's go to Bethlehem!

            Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."



  16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.

And there was the baby, lying in the manger.

17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

18 All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished,

        19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.



20 The shepherds went back to their flocks,

        glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.

It was just as the angel had told them.

my help

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgcVM5Gb1w4


Psalm 121

1 I look up to the mountains —

  does my help come from there?


2 My help comes from the LORD,

  who made heaven and earth!


3 He will not let you stumble;

  the one who watches over you will not slumber.


4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel

  never slumbers or sleeps.


5 The LORD himself watches over you!

  The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.


6 The sun will not harm you by day,

  nor the moon at night.


7 The LORD keeps you from all harm

  and watches over your life.


8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,

  both now and forever.

pressed on every side

I don't know who needs these words of encouragement from Paul in his second letter to the church in Corinth.

But here they are - these are for you...



2 Corinthians 4

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts,

     but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.

This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.


  8 We are pressed on every side by troubles,

        but we are not crushed.

We are perplexed,

        but not driven to despair.

9 We are hunted down,

        but never abandoned by God.

We get knocked down,

        but we are not destroyed.


10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus

     so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.



16 That is why we never give up.

Though our bodies are dying,

     our spirits are being renewed every day.

17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long.

Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now;

        rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.

For the things we see now will soon be gone,

     but the things we cannot see will last forever.

standing out

These are some verses that stood out in the different places I read today.

Some of them I dated during some interesting times in my life.

Others are verses that simply stood out for me when I read in these places before.

I feel like some of you reading this now need to read some of these verses, to give you hope,or encouragement, & to use as a lifeline in what feels like an impossible place.



Psalm 119:116 Lord, sustain me as You promised, that I may live!

Do not let my hope be crushed.


vs 133 Guide my steps by Your word,

     so I will not be overcome by any evil.



John 2:23 Because of the miraculous signs He did in Jerusalem at the Passover's celebration, many people were convinced the He was the Messiah.

24 But Jesus didn't trust them,

       because He knew what people were really thinking.

25 No one needed to tell Him about human nature.



2 Corinthians 3:5 It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves.

     Our only power & success come from God.


vs 17 Now the Lord is Spirit,

     & wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom.

2 things

John 1

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.

  The Word was with God,

  and the Word was God.


2 He existed in the beginning with God.


3 God created everything through him,

  and nothing was created except through him.


4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,

  and his life brought light to everyone.


5 The light shines in the darkness,

  and the darkness can never extinguish it.


  10 He came into the very world he created,

        but the world didn't recognize him.


11 He came to his own people,

        and even they rejected him.



12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.



Well, I guess that kinda kicks in the head the worldly concept that all paths (iow, all religions) lead to the same God


********

2 Corinthians 2

15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.

But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.


16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom.

But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. 


It kinda tickles me as I watch especially middle class white Christians try to be popular, influential, alpha leaders, champions of right, & think they are the yardstick by which everyone's just dying to be measured.

Like it or not, we are NEVER gonna win any popularity contests.

We stink to those who aren't Christ followers.

We are everything that is odious.

It has always been that way - it always will be.

As uncomfortable as it may be in these days many think of as yes-we-christians-are-kool-&-hip, to the rest of the world outside of a connection to God through Jesus, we have been & always will be a STARK reminder that they are terribly out of sync with the eternal.

The world would never come out & say it like that - I don't think they would quantify it that way.

They would say we are intolerant, or judgemental, or non-inclusive, or whatever is the current buzz word that succinctly expresses that we're just NOT who they are, therefore WE are the ones out of sync, NOT them.

We must never forget in our prissy little existences that as far as the world is concerned, WE STINK!!!



So, what do we do?

We love people well & point them to Jesus.

What else can we do, really?

go

Matthew 29:19-20

Therefore,

     go

     and make disciples

        of all the nations,

 baptizing them in the name of the Father

     and the Son

     and the Holy Spirit.


Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.

And be sure of this:

     I am with you always,

        even to the end of the age.”



It seems that for the last 5 years the operative word in my life has especially been "go".

This is Jesus talking to His disciples right before He went back to heaven.

The most important word here is "go"

As His disciples int he present world & time, He says the same thing to us...

"Go."

Most of us haven't.

We spend our time trying to attain "the American Dream"

   and / or trying to become "successful".

When will we ever learn that "go" means go.

Let's not shy away from this basic command of Jesus.

He said "go".

So we need to go.

All we have to do is follow - He'll lead us where.

2014

Don't know what's ahead for 2014. But when God seems to give more than one verse for a year, it usually means it's gonna be a doozie!



Hebrews 10

35 So don’t throw away this confident trust in the Lord,


         no matter what happens.

Remember the great reward it brings you!

36 Patient endurance is what you need now,

      (dan note: patient endurance? seems like I've been patiently enduring for quite a few years now!)


      so that you will continue to do God’s will.

Then you will receive all that He has promised.

       (dan note: all? all of whatever is it? hmmmmmm...)




Hebrews 12

12 So take a new grip with your tired hands

     & stand firm on your shakey legs. 

     (dan note: at my age, I identify A LOT w/ the tired hands & shakey legs part)


Then those who follow you, 

     (dan note: those who follow you... who are they & why are they following me?)



     through they are weak & lame,


     will not stumble & fall

     but will become strong.



Ephesians 3

20 Now all glory to God,

        who is able,

            thru His mighty power at work w/n us,

        to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask

            or think.

(dan note: infinitely more? than would mean a whole lot more? hmmmmmmm...)

know the truth

Psalm 119:29 Keep me from lying to myself;

  give me the privilege of knowing Your instructions.


30 I have chosen to be faithful;

  I have determined to live by your regulations.


31 I cling to Your laws.

  LORD, don't let me be put to shame!


32 I will pursue Your commands,

  for you expand my understanding.



"keep me from lying to myself"

how many of us lie to ourselves all the time?

how many of us  make ourselves think we're "all that, & a bag of chips" or we're "nothing anyone would ever want"?

how many of us whisper back to ourselves the bad stuff people say to us?

Stuff like...

     you'll never amount to anything.

     you're so stupid.

     you're nothing but a screw up.

     you're ugly.

     you're fat.

     you're an idiot.

     who's gonna ever love & want you?

     ____________________________ (you fill in the blank)



The only person who gets to define who we are is God.

And He doesn't lie.

And He takes GREAT delight in each & every one of us - no exceptions

Let's not lie to ourselves - let's listen to the truth as it comes from Him.

when did we see You?

What does this have to say when juxtaposed w/ the current attitudes about the poor?



Matthew 25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.

32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.



  34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, '

Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

35 For I was hungry, and you fed me.

I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.


36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing.

I was sick, and you cared for me.

I was in prison, and you visited me.'



  37 "Then these righteous ones will reply,

'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?

Or thirsty and give you something to drink?

38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality?

Or naked and give you clothing?

39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'



  40 "And the King will say,

'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'



  41 "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say,

'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.

42 For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me.

I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink.

43 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.

I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing.

I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'



  44 "Then they will reply,

'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'



  45 "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'



  46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."

song 2014

Feel like this might be the song I need to sing through 2014. Don't know why it may be.

It's from Elevation Worship, the worship arts ministry of Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC


Here's a link to the vid - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IxhoUzsasI



Grace So Glorious - Stephen Furtick, Israel Houghton, Chris Brown

Vs 1
Beneath the cross of Jesus Christ
No shadow remains for shame to hide
Redemption shone for all to see
Perfection bore our penalty
With a grace so glorious

Vs 2
Immortal day the veil was torn
When mercy donned a crown of thorns
As law gave way to liberty
And freedom for humanity
With a grace so glorious

Pre-chorus:
Oh the glory of the Savior's love
Surrounding our surrender
To know forever
We are welcomed home

Chorus
Crowned in glory to glory
Worthy is the Lord of all
The glory forever
Holy is the Lord (2x)

Vs 3
Triumphant praises without end
All hailing the King of righteousness
And every eye beholds the One
Our hearts were undeserving of
With a grace so glorious

Vs 4
O wondrous day when I will see
The face of Him who ransomed me
I'll fall in worship at His feet
And rise to reign eternally
In a grace so glorious

gifts

Here's a list of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit.

I know some are very uncomfortable thinking about them - I used to be that way, too

Letting the Holy Spirit express Himself through us with these gifts doesn't make us weird.

The working of the Holy Spirit is orderly, if nothing else.

Just read the list, and then ask the Holy Spirit if any of His gifts are earmarked for you.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained...




I Corinthians 12

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us.

I don't want you to misunderstand this.

2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.

3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus,

        and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.



  4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.



  7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice;

to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another,

and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.


10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles,

and another the ability to prophesy.

He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.

Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,

while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.



11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts.

He alone decides which gift each person should have.

4 words

Matthew 22

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.

35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:


36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"


  37 Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'


38 This is the first and greatest commandment.


39 A second is equally important:

'Love your neighbor as yourself.'


40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."



How many of us have heard great theologians, preachers, thinkers, or anyone who thinks they know everything there is to know about anything wax eloquently about "the essence of the gospel."?

How many of us have read countless books about how to live a life as a follower of Jesus?

Maybe we're overthinking this whole thing?

Here in this short passage - 6 verses - Jesus sums it all up.

And we can sum up what He said, too.

So here's the deal, here's what Jesus basically said...



Love God.

Love people.



Yep, 4 words...



Love God. Love people.


So, let's be about what  Jesus said - loving God, loving people - and perhaps the rest of our lives will fall more into place.

tempted

1 Corinthians 10

13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.

And God is faithful.

     He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.

     When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.



uh oh...

So much for "the devil made me do it"?


So, iow, we don't have any excuses, do we?

If this is true, & God "shows us a way out", we sin as we do because we choose to?

The sin & the devil don't "overwhelm" us?

We choose to do something sinful, be something sinful, or just sin outright?

That if we just turn a little bit toward God in a sinful situation, we'll see the way out of it?


Think about that today...

flexible

How then should we live if, like Paul, we are all things to all people?



1 Corinthians 9

19 Even though I am a free man with no master,

        I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.

20 When I was with the Jews,

        I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ.

When I was with those who follow the Jewish law,

     I too lived under that law.

Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.



21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,

        I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ.

But I do not ignore the law of God;

     I obey the law of Christ.



  22 When I am with those who are weak,

          I share their weakness,

          for I want to bring the weak to Christ.


Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.



23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.



  24 Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?

          So run to win!

25 All athletes are disciplined in their training.

        They do it to win a prize that will fade away,

        but we do it for an eternal prize.

26 So I run with purpose in every step.

I am not just shadowboxing.

27 I discipline my body like an athlete,

        training it to do what it should.

Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

noted

Psalm 112

7 (Those who are righteous) do not fear bad news;

        they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.

8 They are confident & fearless

        & can face their foes triumphantly.

9 They give generously to those in need.

        Their good deeds will never be forgotten.

        They will have influence & honor.



I dated these verses in my Bible on 12.4.2012 as a day when they particularly spoke to me, that God had somehow impressed these verses onto my thinking at the time.

It is interesting to note that in view of all that has happened in the last year.

lone wolves

Are verses 7 & 8 saying something about the lone wolf workaholic, who spends all their time working, with no time for themselves or others?

And what does verses 9 - 12 say about us lone wolves who "do it my way" all by ourselves?

I know the CORRECT answers to these questions.

But what are the REAL answers?



Ecclesiastes 4
7 I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun.


8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can.

But then he asks himself,

     "Who am I working for?

      Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?"

It is all so meaningless and depressing.



  9 Two people are better off than one,

        for they can help each other succeed.

10 If one person falls,

       the other can reach out and help.

But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm.

        But how can one be warm alone?

12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated,

        but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.


Three are even better,

        for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

a time

We only hear the first few lines in this passage. We seldom take into consideration the whole passage.

Read the whole thing & think about it's implications.

It is fairly well accepted that Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes.


Ecclesiastes 3:

1 For everything there is a season,

  a time for every activity under heaven.


2 A time to be born

        and a time to die.


  A time to plant

        and a time to harvest.


3 A time to kill

        and a time to heal.


  A time to tear down

        and a time to build up.


4 A time to cry

        and a time to laugh.


  A time to grieve

        and a time to dance.



5 A time to scatter stones

        and a time to gather stones.


  A time to embrace

        and a time to turn away.



6 A time to search

       and a time to quit searching.


  A time to keep

        and a time to throw away.



7 A time to tear

        and a time to mend.


  A time to be quiet

        and a time to speak.



8 A time to love

        and a time to hate.


  A time for war

        and a time for peace.



And here's a couple of verses that bear consideration...


Ecclesiastes 3: 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time.

He has planted eternity in the human heart,

     but even so,

  people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.



vs 14 And I know that whatever God does is final.

Nothing can be added to it or taken from it.

let go

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples,

"If any of you wants to be my follower,

     you must turn from your selfish ambition,

     take up your cross,

     and follow me.


25 If you try to hang on to your life,

        you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake,

        you will save it.



26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

        Is anything worth more than your soul?



So, how does that all work?

We just let go of our lives - iow, we let go of what we want.

And we say yes to the " -ever's "...

    whatever...
    wherever...
    whenever...
    whoever...
    however.


Simple?

Yes.

Easy?

No.

Worth it?

Yes.

Why?

Because if we say yes to the " -ever's ", that frees God to implement fully in us the life He dreamed up for us a gajillion years ago.

And who, in the long run, should we let guide our life - the God of the universes, or very finite us?

Yeah...

oh my

1 Corinthians 4

10 Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools,

      but you claim to be so wise in Christ!

We are weak,

     but you are so powerful!

You are honored,

     but we are ridiculed.


11 Even now we go hungry and thirsty,

        and we don't have enough clothes to keep warm.

We are often beaten

     and have no home.


12 We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living.

We bless those who curse us.

We are patient with those who abuse us.

13 We appeal gently when evil things are said about us.

Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash—right up to the present moment.



Paul was having a rough go of it.

I couldn't help but think our prissy our "faith walk" here in America is compared to his, or now anywhere else in the world.

I wonder how many of us would be Christ followers if following Him brought that kind of life for us & our families?

looking at the right thing

Matthew 14
22 Immediately after (the feeding of the 5000),

     Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake,

     while he sent the people home.


23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.



24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen,

        and they were fighting heavy waves.

25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.


26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.

        In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!"



  27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!"



  28 Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water."



  29 "Yes, come," Jesus said.



  So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves,

        he was terrified

        and began to sink.

"Save me, Lord!" he shouted.



31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.

        "You have so little faith," Jesus said.

        "Why did you doubt me?"



32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.



33 Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.




We're all like Peter - we're willing to jump out of the boat - iow, do something daring.

But all too soon,

    we start seeing the impossible nature of our situation,

    or the difficulties it brings,

    or all the reasons that this ain't gonna work,

    or how failure is so plausible,

    or we just get scared & don't think God's gonna come through for us.


That's me right now about something I think God may be whispering to me about.

Maybe you too?


Well, we've started moving toward whatever it is God wants us to be &/or do.

Maybe we could encourage each other to keep trusting Jesus to come through for us as we be &/or do what looks pretty scary or impossible?

believing

Psalm 106:24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe His promise to care for them.


This refers to when Moses led the children of Israel to Canaan, the Promised Land.

Be the people wouldn't go in because they thought the task of taking the land too much.

They thought the Canaanites were too big, their cities too awesome, & the whole enterprise seemed all too overwhelming.

Iow, they didn't trust God to take care of them & make it all happen.

So, God made them wander in the wilderness of Sinai for 40 yrs until all of them were dead.



Before we judge them too harshly, think about this...

How many times do we not become something, or we not do something, because we see it as too overwhelming.

Iow, we don't trust God to take care of us as we head into it.

I feel like I'm in a similar spot as the Hebrews.

It feels like God may be leading in a certain direction about something.

But the thought of it is WAY too overwhelming.

So, I stand at the threshold...

prepares

  1 Corinthians 1

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters,

        few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.

27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.

And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

28 God chose things despised by the world,

        things counted as nothing at all,

     and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.



  30 God has united you with Christ Jesus.

For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself.

Christ made us right with God;

     he made us pure and holy,

     and he freed us from sin.

31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say,

        "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD."



There's a saying that goes something like, "God sometimes doesn't call the prepared, but He always prepares the called."

There's been more than one time in my life that I thought what God was calling & leading my into (or sometimes dragging kicking & screaming into!) when I knew I was completely unprepared for.

But, to everyone's surprise - especially mine! - somehow He was actually able to work in me & through me.

I know what it's like to feel like "what the world considers foolish" because many times it felt a little foolish to be & do what He was leading me to be & do.

So what am I saying today?

Well, as I look ahead, I wonder how the path(s) He has me on will all work out. He's gonna have to provide the power, wisdom, wealth, & favor to be & do whatever it is He wants me to be & do as the years pass.

I've seen Him come through for others.

I've experienced Him coming through for me.

One things for sure - whatever I face ahead will be made possible only by HIS power, wisdom, wealth, & favor.


If that is true for me, that's true for you.

I don't know what kind of situation you're in right now.

But whatever your situation, remember this didn't come as a surprise to God.

The angel, Gabriel, didn't wake God up the other day & say,"Uhm, excuse me, God, but while you were asleep, ___________ (fill in your name) just ___________ (fill in what happened)."


Iow, God's got our backs - in the final analysis, He's all we got as backup.

Whatever happens, what ever comes up,

     the only One we can totally depend on is Him to give us the power to be & do what He wants us to be & do,

     plus the wisdom for it,

     the means for it,

     & the favor for it it all come out like He planned.



How do I know?

I'm livin' it right now.

come

Matthew 11:28 And Jesus said,

Come to Me,

     all of you who are weary

     & carry heavy burdens.

   & I will give you rest.



Sometimes it's miraculous how what I read in the Bible each morning is exactly the thing I need to hear from God.


Maybe this is for you today, too?

give it up

Matthew 10

39 If you cling to your life,

        you will lose it;

  but if you give it up for me,

        you will find it.


********
What I'm gonna share is something I started to learn in 2008 & 2009, when God gave me this verse as one of a few to hold on to during those years.

But ever since then I've also lived daily with the truth of what I learned during those 2 years - of how it's just as true today as it was back then.

********


I used to think of this verse as one that majored on giving up everything, & sacrificing...

     iow, basically letting go of everything to the point of having nothing.


And it is true - if we hold tight to the things WE think are necessary to our lives, our tight grip will probably strangle the life out of them.


And when we quit clinging to our lives, we're basically start saying yes to the " 'ever's "

     whatever...

     whenever...

     wherever...

     whoever...

     however.


"Whatever" God wants, we're up for it.

"Whenever" He wants to act, change, redirect, favor, lead, we're ready.

"Wherever" means wherever God wants us located - here, there, across town, somewhere else in the state, some other state, overseas, in a boring place, in a glamorous place, in a dangerous place, - anywhere He decides to lead us.

"Whoever" is a tough one - God usually doesn't send us to people who are easy to love - who is, after all? It may be someone we intentionally go to, it may be someone who passes through our lives, it may be the very last person we want to connect with, it may be fam or friends, it could be anyone anywhere anytime.

"However" is trusting God to favor us in the "making it happen" department. We do our part, but in the end, He's the guy who pulls the rabbit out of the hat, He's the one who pulls it off - never early, but always on time.



But until 2008,I always saw this verse in regards to what I had to GIVE UP.

Starting in 2008, & ever since, God's been showing me what I GET.



I get the life He dreamed for me a gajillion years ago when He thought me up.



And in the final analysis, which life do I want - the life I can think up for myself, designed using my hopes & dreams, built upon my concepts of what real living is?

Or do I want the life that the God of the universes,

     Who is infinitely smarter than me,

     Who sees the BIG picture,

     Who knows me better than I know myself,

     Who designed me in intricate & marvelous ways that I know nothing about,

     Who loves me completely,

          unconditionally,

          full out,

          wide open,

          nothing held back?



If I keep a choke hold on my life & demand what I want, the life I really want ain't gonna show up.


But if I let go of my life, let go of my hopes & dreams, wishes, desires, direction, & let the God of the universes take control, I'll find He's free to implement the life HE dreamed for me - a life that fits me juxtaposed to how He created me, a life more abundant, free, crazy, exciting, risky, & wild than I could ever imagine.



(Sorry, I got to typing this morning & couldn't shut up ;-)

scum

Matthew 9

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth.

      "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him.

      So Matthew got up and followed him.



  10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests,

         along with many tax collectors and other notorious sinners.

11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,

        "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"



  12 When Jesus heard this, he said,

          "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do."


13 Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture:

        'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'


For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous,

     but those who know they are sinners."



I'm curious about something...

Back in the day, the Roman world - well, the world in general - was a pretty nasty, sinful place.

(And this world isn't as sinful & nasty a place as back then - or worse?!

Taking that into consideration, what kind of person would these people in this passage have to been to be considered "notorious" in their sinfulness?

They must have been some kind of uber-sinners!!!



Anyway, we all understand what Jesus is saying here...

He knew he needed to hang with the people who were "notorious" sinners - He knew they were FAR MORE receptive to His unconditional love.

He also knew that those guys who questioned Him on hanging w/ sinners had hearts of stone because they thought of themselves as uber-holy - so holy that they regularly singed people with their halos!



How many of us are like Jesus - we hang with people who live pretty sinful lives, lives that have no connection with God?

And how many of us are more interested in surrounding ourselves with Christians so we don't "get poisoned by the world" when all we really care about is making sure our prissy & precious Christian friends don't think there must be something wrong w/ us since we hang w/ "those kind of people"?



Where would any of us be today if the people who impacted our lives to follow Jesus had been afraid of what their friends thought & didn't reach out to us?