Lent 2020 Day 35 “Before and After Grace”

Daily Scriptures: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20143;%202%20Kings%204:18-37;%20Ephesians%202:1-10

Ephesians 2:1-10 

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Before and After Grace

Scanning through social media I came across a picture labeled before and after. The picture showed the contrast between the persons size before and after their decision to embrace a more healthy lifestyle. As you can imagine the contrast was startling. The person had lost almost 60 pounds. Quite an achievement. The question that could be asked is what was the turning point? What made them stick to the plan and eat and exercise even when sleep and slumber would have been easier. That same contrast can be observed in the life of a person who walks with Jesus. In the believers’ life there should be a before and after picture that shows the contrast between before and after grace.

The writer of Ephesians either Paul or his protege directs our attention to life before grace. Before grace, the writer say we were dead people walking in our transgressions and sins. In other words, we were caught up in an unproductive deathstyle. We were not alone. Living to satisfy our natural desires like misery loves company. When we walked that path we grew a crowd. Before grace, we were destined for wrath and destruction. We were self-consumed and selfish. We clung to a life of me first and fulfill every thirst. And then came grace. Grace, the writer says was initiated by the love of GOD and transforms us from a “deathstyle” to a lifestyle. We were once dead in sin and we became alive in Christ. Grace comes on the scene and is given to us before we started walking with GOD. Grace was the invitation to come alive. Grace sees the best in the midst of the mess in us. Grace is given not earned because if we thought we could earn it we might also think we could deserve it. There was nothing the reader could do to validate the opportunity to come alive and thrive. Grace was given without merit so that we could not boast but so that we could believe and be better for ourselves and others.

Nearing the end of the Lenten season the question is what will our before and after picture look like? Will there be any evidence of the residence of GOD in our life? Will we be more loving or patient or playful? Will our light shine brighter and our load be lighter? I encourage you today to walk with GOD and make sure we leave this experience with GOD refreshed, renewed, and restored.

Points to Ponder: Reflect on life just 35 days ago. When we began the Lenten season there was no shelter in place, no quarantine in America, no stimulus package, and no schools shut down. Now we are in another world it appears. How will you be better when the Covid19 runs its course? Will you be more loving, caring, or compassionate? What will be your before and after?

Lent 2019 Day 6 “Trippin'”

Deuternonomy 8:¹⁷ You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” ¹⁸ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth”

Hebrews 2:¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Trippin’

 

Many people who have struggled through a storm and finally reached the sunshine, forget the struggle and grow complacent in their comfort. In fact, some people exude an attitude of arrogance and self-gratification. They say things like, “Look at me”! Don’t I look good? Look around you, everything you see, I did this. I worked hard for all I have.” Their persona on the other side of the storm is so different than their prayers when things were tough. In the storm, they prayed “LORD help me”, and the moment the sun came out they went on their way without much gratitude. It’s easy to see this in others, yet Lent is a time to own that the someone we often identify as forgetting where they came from is. When we look at others who have forgotten the struggle we say they are “trippin'”. The challenge is not just to identify others as they start trippin but to also acknowledge we are tempted to start trippin our selves.

In the text from Deuteronomy 8 the writer warns the Israelite community, ¹¹ Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

Apparently, GOD knows we have a tendency to trip when we move so fast on our own that we miss the obstacles on the road. We miss the obstacle of pride and the obstacle of forgetfulness. Manyof us want to forget the trials and test we have had to experience to get here. Whereas this may be a temptation, we must resist it. Somebody in our circle needs to know not just who we are but how we got here. Somebody needs to know the story of how GOD met us at our worst and gave us GODS best. Our tests are the trampoline of our testimony. As challenging as it is to face our struggles and temptations we have help. The writer in Hebrews 2 says, “Because he (Jesus) himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Jesus knows what we are growing through and where we are going too. Keep the faith and remember the provider on the stony road we have trod.

Points to Ponder: In what ways have you been trippin’? What intentional practice do you have to remain grounded? Think today on answered prayers and praise GOD on purpose.

 

 

Lent 2018 Day 39 “I Want to See”

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Jeremiah 33:10-16  (NIV)

¹⁰ “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more ¹¹ the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,  for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord. ¹² “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. ¹³ In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord. ¹⁴ “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

¹⁵ “‘In those days and at that time  I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it^[a] will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

Mark 10:32-34, 46-52 (NIV)

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

³² They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,³⁴ who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” ⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

I Want to See

Have you ever felt like you were missing out on something? Have you ever found yourself asking for things that others seemed to acquire naturally? Have you ever just generally felt lost, not knowing which way to turn, and always bumping into stuff? I can imagine this feeling is similar to being blind. Blindness, in this case, is not physical, but also emotional, spiritual, and psychological. Being blind means often missing out on things that are within your reach but you can’t see them. It means having to rely on others to take the time to give you what you would ordinarily get for yourself. Many people go through life blind. Missing out on seeing the power and presence of GOD being manifested all around them. They struggle to see the value even in their own selves. Many times they beg for what they already have internally but just can’t access. Eckhart Tolle tells a story of a man who sits by the roadside on a box and begs for change. When asked what was in the box the man didn’t know because he had never looked in the box. When he does open the box it is filled with gold. Many people like this man have not looked in our inner box and thus beg for what we already have. I want to see. I want to see the best in me and around me. I want to see.

Our text in Mark 10 tells of Bartimaeus a blind man who is begging by the side of the road. While sitting he hears that it is Jesus who is walking by on the road. I’m sure he had heard of people talking about Jesus and the things Jesus was capable of, so he figures this is his chance. He starts crying out for mercy. He doesn’t see Jesus but he knows Jesus is nearby. Now here is where he must show some stamina because as he cries out, people around him start rebuking him and essentially trying to shut him down. Instead of recoiling and shrinking and starting a pity party he doesn’t stop and catches Jesus attention. Jesus calls for him. What a blessing. First, he is calling Jesus and now Jesus is calling him. He jumps up and comes to Jesus. Jesus asks him what he wants and Bartimaeus answers “I want to see”. Today I put myself in Bartimaeus’ place and say I want to see. I want to be aware of all that is going on around me. I want to understand the mysteries of GOD. I want to see. What about you? Are you ready to see? Here is the launch pad idea found in Jesus’ response, “Go your faith has healed you”. Whew, I felt that. Your faith has healed you. Not my faith has healed you, but your faith has healed you. Jesus lets hi know, that the power of his healing was within in. In that same way there resides in us more ability than we may know.

As we prepare to leave the season of Lent let us be mindful of the connections with the DIVINE we have established. Let us trust that GOD is hearing us and with GOD on our side, we can do all things. Seek first the kingdom and all things will be added to you. You can see, You will see. You must see. LIVEBIG.

Points to Ponder: What abilities have been lying dormant within you? In what ways have you experienced blindness? What is your vision for the life GOD has granted you? How will you be better after this season of Lent?

Palm Sunday 2018 “You Are Needed”

 

Matthew 21:1-17 (NIV)

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” ⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a] ⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c] “Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!” ¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” ¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”  ¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’^[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’^[f]” ¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of  David,” they were indignant. ¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’[g]?” ¹⁷ And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Its Palm Sunday. Have you ever recognized the gap between where you are and where you want to be? Have you examined yourself honestly and recognized your blemishes and flaws. In short have you ever in the presence of GOD felt, awkward, unworthy, even ugly? After forty days of reflecting and drawing closer to GOD, repenting of my past wrongs, I now see how much further I have to go. Whenever we draw closer to the light, we are able to see more details. We have a tendency to only see the gaps but miss the glimpses of grace and glory. What I am driving at is even though we may not yet be all we can be, after forty days of discipline we are better than we would have been. The triumphal entry of Jesus on a donkey is an example of how GOD can use the ordinary to fulfill an extraordinary purpose.

In our text we have the Master preparing to enter Jerusalem for what would be the last time. He prepares by asking two disciples to run ahead and get a donkey and a colt to ride on. There is no indication that Jesus was anticipating the crowds gathering yet they did. As Jesus rides in on the donkey, a beast of burden, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in THE LAST WEEK, indicate there was another procession on the other side of town. The sense is Pilate was also arriving around the same time. The contrast between these two arrivals is stark. Pilate would have arrived with military guards on Stallions with pomp and circumstance and the show of power and authority was intentional, for all to see. On the other side of town, arriving through an olive grove on what would have been a side street, Jesus arrives, with a crowd that seems to gather and they start a commotion, shouting Hosanna. Now Hosanna literally means save us. As we say Hosanna today we will be saying save us. The question is, save us from what? From the oppression of external pressures? From sexism, racism, ageism, or any other ism? Or save us from what we have learned about ourselves over the last 40 days. How we can be cranky or prone to acting out on our worst desires? What are we asking to be saved from and saved to?

As Jesus arrives a few things come to my mind. First, he chooses a donkey. Donkeys are low to the ground, they are generally, beasts of burden, and rarely have you ever heard that’s a fine looking donkey you have there. They may resemble horses but they aren’t admired of adored like horses. I believe Jesus chooses to enter like this and even say the LORD has need of the donkey to remind us, no matter how scared we may be, no matter how ignored we may be, no matter what our past may be, The LORD still has need of us. GOD can use us no matter what we look like. GOD can use us despite the gaps in our life or the gaps in our teeth. The LORD has need of you.

Today and as we continue into this Holy Week, be encouraged. GOD can use you to do a mighty work for the kingdom. The challenge is for us not to simply get caught up in crowd celebrations because as we follow the story throughout the week, crowds can be fickle. One moment they cheer and the next they jeer. One moment they can say Hosanna and the next they say hang him up and kill him. Beyond the crowd check the core of your heart. Save us from us and from others. Live In Victory Everyday, Believing In GOD. LIVEBIG.

PRAYER: LORD you have revealed yourself in so many ways. Unfortunately, our vision has been obscured and we have not noticed you. Open our eyes that we may see your royalty on a donkey. Guide our footsteps on the pathways that our praises are sincere and we resist the pull of the crowd.  Grant us courage and compassion. AMEN

Point To Ponder: How many times have we missed the presence of GOD in our midst because he didn’t meet our expectations? How will you look in the unfamiliar places for the faces of Yeshua in our midst?

Lent 2018 Day 38 “Nevertheless”

Jeremiah 33:1-9 (NIV)

Promise of Restoration

33 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: ² “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ ⁴ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siegeramps and the sword ⁵ in the fight with the Babylonians^[a]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

⁶ “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. ⁷ I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity^[b] and will rebuild them as they were before. ⁸ I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

Philippians 2:12-18 New International Version (NIV)

Do Everything Without Grumbling

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Nevertheless

Outdoor life can be unpredictable. One experience the outdoors produces occurs when you start turning over rocks. Rocks can be obstacles and at other times they are stepping stones. They can also be hiding places for creepy crawlies. When we start moving rock we reveal the unseen hidden things in our midst. They were there all along, but we easily overlooked them because they were covered. Moving rocks can expose snakes. In similar ways that moving rocks can reveal snakes so too can moving the illusions we may be living with. We often look out the window and we can see all that is right and wrong with the world. The window is about others. The mirror, on the other hand, is about us. When we look close enough into the mirror we see our blemishes. We see the things we wish could be hidden but honest reflection exposes inconvenient truths. The truths have consequences we may be dealing with, and until the source is addressed we may feel powerless, fragile, and broken. Nevertheless…

In our text from Jeremiah the Prophet is addressing the exiled Israelite community. The prophet himself is writing from confinement. In other words he is not free to come and go as he pleases. He is on lockdown. From this state the prophecy goes forth, in verse 3 “‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ We may be exiled from our land but not from our LORD. GOD is saying I am available to share with my people in pain things that they have long wondered about. If the text stopped here it would be encouraging. But it doesn’t stop there. In verse 5 after describing the fate of the city, broken down and filled with rubble, the prophet says, “I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.” The mirror will reveal levels of wickedness and inconsistencies we thought were hidden. Like turning over the rocks, the mirror lets the snakes come out. Most of us don’t like the snakes. The snakes are our bad habits. The snakes are the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves. The snakes are the jealousies we harbor. The snakes are the sins we have covered up and now they are out. Thankfully, the prophecy continues with the most exciting word I have heard. The word is, Nevertheless. Even though we have been wicked, even though we have been treacherous, even though we have been unloving, even though we have been bathing in mud and are covered head to toe in our mess, Nevertheless, I will bring healing and health to the land. That is a shouting cue for me. When we get exposed for who we are, it is good to know that GOD is a healer. GOD will look past our faults and meet our needs. GOD will fix us even when our illness is self-inflicted. Nevertheless.

As our season of Lent may have revealed the snakes in our lives, when we cry out to GOD for help, GOD will hear us. The CREATOR is able to make all things new. If we are hurting, there is a healing. Not only will there be healing there will also be health. Healing is situational, health is long term. From our brokenness, there will come a blessedness that sustains us and makes us better. Let us call for hope with the confidence of knowing our past has not disqualified us from the promises of GOD. Live In Victory Every Day BIG. LIVEBIG.

Points to Ponder: Think about the rocks in your life. What are they hiding? What does it mean to you to call on GOD? The Israelites were in their situation due to their own disobedience and the bad behavior of others. How do you acknowledge your role in your demise without becoming hopeless and totally consigning yourself to the consequences? Who do you need to forgive to free yourself from mental bondage?

Lent 2018 Day 37 “Valuing Others”

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. ² Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. ²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. ²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. ²² The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; ²³ the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. ²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. ²⁵ Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! ²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.[a] ²⁷ The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up[b] to the horns of the altar. ²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;  you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 (NIV)

The Passover

16 Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. ² Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name. ³ Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. ⁴ Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning. ⁵ You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you ⁶ except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary^[a] of your departure from Egypt. ⁷ Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. ⁸ For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work.

Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Valuing Others

“I got to take care of me, if I don’t nobody else will.” I’m looking out for number one”. “What’s in it for me”. We have all heard or spoken these sentiments. We live in an age, especially in the Western world where our self-interests are constantly placed above everything else. Our society seems to say, I only have time for you, if you have something to offer me. We build relationships and join organizations for the companionship or the contacts we can use to propel us into the life we want to live. Many people are dissatisfied with how their life is turning out and are in a perpetual pursuit of finding someone to satisfy our longings. As long as they feed us what we need emotionally we are right by their side. But the moment the relationship gets rocky we are ready to bail out. As natural an instinct, this may be, we are called to a higher standard. Our big brother Jesus leads by example in showing us how to interact.

Our text in Philippians 2, has Paul writing to the church at Phillipi. This letter to the church has a common theme of unity and humility. This is highlighted here in chapter 2 when Paul writes, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”  As believers who are united in Christ, we have the opportunity to draw strength from our relationship. Recognizing our connection to Christ can and should influence how we engage others in this world. Jesus is our example of how to be healthy in a community. Paul writes, In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: We are challenged to think like Jesus. Looking at how Jesus thought we see that Jesus knew he had it all but was willing to give it all away to help others. We are the recipients of the life that Christ lived. We who had nothing now have it all, because of grace. Knowing we have it all, knowing we lack nothing, knowing that no matter what is going on in our life, we are more than conquerors through Christ who saves us, knowing these things, we are called not to hoard it but to holler it. The Psalmist in Psalm 118 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. ² Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” We are tasked to say something. This saying is not solely in our talk but also in our walk. How we live and love is a reflection of our response. Paul says that Jesus does all that he does in a way that should elicit praise from the people. Every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall confess that Jesus is LORD. Jesus is the ruler of all that is, was, and will be. Jesus is all we will ever need. When we value others we are witnesses that can encourage both ourselves and others. Valuing others blesses the giver and receiver. Psychologist show in many studies the mental health benefits of lifting others. If you want to feel better, help somebody.

This Lent as we encouraged by our unity with Christ and comforted by his love, let us also lift as we climb. Let us share what we have been freely given. By doing this it doesn’t run out for there is no scarcity in the CREATOR. By sharing we make a difference. Lift as you climb and all around you will be able to Live In Victory Every Day Believing In GOD. LIVEBIG.

Points to Ponder: What encourages you most about your relationship with GOD? What challenges have you encountered when you neglect others? What bridges can be built between you and those least like you? Are you willing to Value others above yourself?

Lent 2018 Day 36 “Be Strong and Work”

Haggai 2:1-9, 20-23(NIV)

2 ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: ² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? ⁴ But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ ⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁹ ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LordAlmighty. ‘And in this place, I will grant peace,’ declares the LordAlmighty.”

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ²¹ “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. ²³ “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

John 12:34-50  (NIV)

³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” ³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. ³⁷ Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[a] 39, For this reason, they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”[b] ⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. ⁴² Yet at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in him.But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved human praise more than praise from God. ⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵ The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. ⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

Be Strong and Work

Have you ever let your closet get out of hand? Day after day you throw your clothes on what use to be a chair. Every morning you look and say, I need to straighten this up. Every night you add more to it. Finally, when it becomes unbearable and you can’t find your favorite outfit you decide to do something about it. The challenge, however, is You have let it go so long, you become overwhelmed looking at the mess. You become almost paralyzed thinking about how long it will take to get the job done, so, you…? Let is go another day. And let us not talk about the garage. Many of us neglect things in our lives, overlooking details and allowing things to pile up. We do it with our bodies, we do it with our living environments, we even do it in our relationships. If we let it go too long we will find it hard to generate the energy to get it done. If this is you, then let me say, running from it will not save you, see it through. Now is the time, this is the day to be strong and work.

In our text from the prophet Haggai, we find a word from the LORD being proclaimed to encourage the remnant of recently returned from exile Israelites. The first admonition is to think about the “House in its former glory”. Can you remember a time in your life when you were filled with hope and your dreams were fresh? Can you remember how it felt to get out of bed with pep in your step because you were expecting greatness? Even if you have never experienced this, believe me, it is possible. But once it happens, if we are not careful to cultivate our spiritual disciplines that carried us into the present, we will get overwhelmed by the junk that creeps up on us and in us. Junk of stinking thinking and bad habits. Junk of cutting corners and we will truly need to hear this word from the prophet. Haggai encourages the people and us to, “Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” Thinking about cleaning never washed a car or a dish. Thinking about getting your life right never produced anything but more thought. GOD is saying to us, Be strong and work. We gain encouragement because we know we will not be alone in our pursuit. The LORD Almighty will be with us. Alone we will be swamped,  but when we put in the effort we will find the strength to get it done.

This Lent season is drawing to an end, but our disciplines should not. The next level in our life is available to us if we are strong and work. Work is the key. This will take an exertion of energy, but it is worth it. A clean closet, a clean garage, a clean heart. LIVEBIG

Points to Ponder: What junk is there in your life that has piled up? Are you tired of being tired? A world of darkness surrounds us, what does it take to keep shining? Paint a mental picture of life as you desire it to be. Now get to work.

Lent 2018 Day 35 “Who You Gonna Call?

Isaiah 44:1-8 (NIV)

44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. ² This is what the Lord says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun,[a] whom I have chosen. ³ For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. ⁴ They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. ⁵ Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel. ⁶ “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. ⁷ Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let them foretell what will come. ⁸ Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

Acts 2:14-24 (NIV)

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵ These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! ¹⁶ No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[a] ²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,^[b] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴ But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

When floating on the sea of trouble with trials falling like rain from the sky what do you do? When trodding through life’s murky waters and troubles form the tears in your eye, how do you hold on? When the worst is bound to happen in spite of all that you may do, who you gonna call. A few years ago a popular television game show offered lifelines to get answers. When life presents you with unexpected challenges, we all need to have someone who we can call on. Thinking along these lines it is helpful to have an idea about who is in your circle and who would be most helpful. Different situations require different resources. Who is the most dependable, versatile, knowledgeable, capable person you know?

The Prophet Isaiah, speaking to the Israelites recently returning from forced exile addresses their frustrations and fears. The prophet says, “² This is what the Lord says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun,[a] whom I have chosen. ³ For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Reading this we begin to understand that GOD always has a plan even when we do not see it. The plans of GOD are intended to bless us and stretch us. The Israelites were stressed out. Returning home and finding home in disrepair. Not seeing the resources to fix things and facing incredible odds. They feel like they are a desert with little or no life stirring. They are scared, wondering if things will ever be “normal” again. They may even be wondering if there ever was a “normal”. Here the Prophet is inspired to say, GOD who has watched you from the womb will help you. Help is on the way and if help is on the way, then hope is already here. This hope will inspire us to persevere. Not only will this generation be blessed but future generations will be blessed through them. In other words, they will leave a legacy. This is a word for us also. Don’t be scared GOD’s got you. GOD will pour out GODS spirit on us and we will regain our confidence. We will regain our footing. We will regain our hope. When the Spirit is poured out it will overflow. One person, one family cannot contain all that GOD is looking to pour out on us. The scene is Acts is just after the Spirit has been poured out on the day of Pentecost. It is so powerful the people look drunk. They are speaking in tongues and spiritual pandemonium has broken out. From that day till now nothing has been the same. 

This Lent when tempted and tried, call on GOD. Do not hesitate or wait, when you know you can’t GOD still can. Be open to the Spirit, whether you are young or old because GOD is looking to pour out his Spirit on ALL flesh. LIVEBIG

Points to Ponder: Who would you call in your greatest time of need? What is the legacy you intend to leave future generations? Make a commitment to leave this earth better than you found it.

 

Lent 2018 Day 34 “Dependable”

Isaiah 43:8-13 (NIV)

⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
⁹ All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” ¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. ¹¹ I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. ¹³ Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

 

2 Corinthians 3:4-11 (NIV)

⁴ Such confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰ For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Dependable

An apple a day will keep the doctor away…unless it was sprayed with a harmful pesticide. Eggs are good for you, eggs have too much cholesterol, eggs are protein, only eat the egg whites, it’s so confusing. Drink milk and get strong bones, but not if you are lactose intolerant. Times they are a changing, and the things we once depended on as stable and secure are now brought into question almost daily. Many people live each day in a state of confusion, not knowing who or what to trust. Reflecting on milk, I can remember when there were only 3 choices, whole, 2% and skim. Now just go to the grocery store and you can spend 20 minutes going through which one to buy. Almond, coconut, soy, soy vanilla, soy light, soy unsweetened and the list goes on. People, places and things are changing faster now than they ever have with our modern technology. In times like these, we need an anchor. What can stabilize us? Who can we trust? Is it fake news or fake people in the news?

The prophet Isaiah shares a depiction of GOD that we can hold on to. Now when I say hold on too I acknowledge this will always be a faith journey, not a fact journey. Still, the just shall live by faith and these passages are designed to increase our faith. The text states in verses 10-11″You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. ¹¹ I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me, there is no savior. Clearly stated we are witnesses for the DIVINE ISNESS. The GOD who was, is, and will be. When we reflect on GOD we can see through the lens of faith a guardian and guide through this life as we know it. The writer of 2 Corinthians lets us know how we gain our confidence in GOD. Verses 3-4 says,  “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” When reading this my fears of not trusting enough or believing enough are calmed. I admit there are things I don’t understand and other things that just don’t make sense to me. But here I am encouraged by the words, We are not competent in ourselves. It is by grace we have been saved and our competence comes from GOD. We are reminded that whatever faith we do have comes from GOD and in our weakness, GOD is strong. With this, my prayer becomes, “I Believe, Help my unbelief”.

This Lent we are challenged to trust and believe in a GOD we often have to close our eyes to see. Through our prayer and meditation may our faith grow stronger and may we know as we are known by the CREATOR, DESIGNER, ARCHITECT of all that was, is, and forever will be.

Points to Ponder: Reflect on some of your faith challenges. What troubles you the most? In what ways does it comfort you to know your competence comes from GOD? Inwhat ways can you be more dependable? As a result of increased faith, what do you intend to accomplish for GOD?

Lent 2018 Day 33 “Inside Out”

Jeremiah 31:31-34
31:31 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 31:32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt–a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 31:34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Psalm 51:1-12
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 51:4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 51:5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 51:6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 51:11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Psalm 119:9-16
119:9 How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 119:10 With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. 119:11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. 119:12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes. 119:13 With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth. 119:14 I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. 119:15 I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. 119:16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Hebrews 5:5-10
5:5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 5:6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” 5:7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 5:8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 5:9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 5:10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
John 12:20-33
12:20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 12:21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
12:24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 12:25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. 12:27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say–‘ Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.
12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 12:29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 12:30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 12:33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Inside Out

It’s about to go down. I don’t know when, I don’t know where, but it’s about to go down. There comes a time in our lives when we get fed up. We reach the tipping point. The tipping point is the moment we realize we can no longer be the same. A moment when we become weary of fighting what hasn’t happened the way we intended it to happen and embrace what is. We are where we are. We have done what we have done. We face it so we can erase it. We cannot erase the past but we can erase its hold on our life. It’s about to go down. It’s time to rumble. Time to do the hard work of being honest with ourselves. It’s time to be accountable. No faults just facts. We will trust that we can get there from here wherever “there” happens to be. It’s about to go down and this time it won’t be measured by what anyone can see on the outside. This battle will be fought from the inside out. Until we free our mind our behind cannot follow. It’s about to go down and this time we will win the battle from the inside out.

The Psalmist asks the question in Psalm 119:9 How can young people keep their way pure?” We know that faithfulness is not always easy. After standing and falling time and time again we may tend to wonder if it is even possible to stay pure. There are a myriad of temptations, distractions come easy and discipleship is under siege. The Psalmist gives us a method of victory. Both in Psalm 119 where we recognize the need to rely on the word of GOD by going all in. We are encouraged to seek GOD’S word and will with our whole heart. We cannot get whole results with half a heart. Then we realize we can not do it alone. The writer says,, in Psalm 119:10 “With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.” SOmetimes like the disciples, our spirit is willing but our flesh gets weak. This weakness often leads to disappointment and yielding to temptations. An undivided heart is required to walk and live upright. Still, that is not all.

Along with keeping the Word of GOD at the center of our lives, if we fall we need to honestly come clean with more than lip service. A simple oops may be too caviler coming from our head but missing our heart. Reading Psalm 51 we get a glimpse in how David the Psalmist is willing to strip himself of all pretense and come clean. He asks for a clean heart. He asks to washed thoroughly from his sin. Sin can make us feel dirty. Disappointing GOD should not be resolved with “I’m only human”. Our faith should be wholehearted. It is a battle to change from comfort zones to a comforter in the midst of chaos. The battle is real and we have a GOD who understands. Jesus is the seed that dies to produce abundant life. If we die to the sins in our life we will live in fruitfulness. It’s about to go down.

This Lent let us be diligent, determined, and dedicated to living in victory every day. The “inner me”, may be our biggest enemy. For this reason, the battle is fought from the inside out. It’s about to go down, and we know we will win. We are born to Live in Victory Every Day, Believing In GOD. LIVEBIG

Points to Ponder: What pain have you caused GOD? Reflect on how you get up after you have fallen. Take a moment ow and confess your sins. Now get up with the confidence of knowing you re forgiven. What is your responsibility now?