In John 21:15ff, Jesus warns Peter about the kind of death he will suffer for God's glory. Peter sees John and asks, "What about him?" To which Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain until I come again, what is that to you?"
In other words, how is taking his eyes off Jesus and focusing on John going to benefit Peter? Remember the last time Peter took his eyes off Jesus? You'd think he'd never forget that "sinking" feeling as the waves began to overtake him (see Matt 14:28-31).
Going back to Peter's "What about him?" concern: What about him? What if God chooses to allow a friend to live in a bigger house, drive a fancier car, have a better job or live a healthier life? What is that to you?
What if Jesus chooses to bless you in another way, by sending you down a different path or allowing you a greater struggle? What is that to you? How does that fact speak to you? If your eyes are on Jesus, following along the path to which he called you. How could comparing self with another benefit you or him?
If we believe that He leads us and that he has purpose in the things he causes or allows, how could we want to sidestep that path and travel on someone else's?
It is when we "seek his kingdom and his righteousness" (Matt 6:33) that we receive all the rest and all the best, not when we follow the path someone else is taking.
What about him? Jus' Askn.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Except These Chains
There was a very famous encounter between the apostle Paul and Govenor Porcius Festus where the governor retorts, "Do you think, in such a short time, you can convince me to become a Christian?" To which, Paul replied, “Short time or long---I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:29).
Paul wanted everyone to have the life he had been given - not the struggles and hardships his apostleshio caused him but the victorious life he had in Christ, which allowed him to face the chains of prison and even a date with the executioner.
Paul knew suffering - he had been flogged, imprisoned, stoned, etc. (2 Cor 11:23f). And those things, he wouldn't wish on anyone. But he also knew the Savior, a relationship that he wanted everyone to experience - a relationship that would give them the victory over everything life might throw at them.
Paul didn't want to share his chains, he knew that everyone had chains of their own. But he did want to share his Christ - the Christ that would free them from their chains.
What about you? Do you have a relationship with Jesus you can't wait to share with others, or may I introduce you to the One who loves you enough to die for you - the One who came "that you may heave life and have it to the full" (John 10:10)?
Jus' Askn.
Paul wanted everyone to have the life he had been given - not the struggles and hardships his apostleshio caused him but the victorious life he had in Christ, which allowed him to face the chains of prison and even a date with the executioner.
Paul knew suffering - he had been flogged, imprisoned, stoned, etc. (2 Cor 11:23f). And those things, he wouldn't wish on anyone. But he also knew the Savior, a relationship that he wanted everyone to experience - a relationship that would give them the victory over everything life might throw at them.
Paul didn't want to share his chains, he knew that everyone had chains of their own. But he did want to share his Christ - the Christ that would free them from their chains.
What about you? Do you have a relationship with Jesus you can't wait to share with others, or may I introduce you to the One who loves you enough to die for you - the One who came "that you may heave life and have it to the full" (John 10:10)?
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Getting Ready for God
"And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people" (Ex 19:10-11).
It was a big deal. The people were going to be in the presence of God himself. They needed to prepare themselves to come before the Creator of heaven and earth. The dulling effect of daily life left them in need of retooling their minds and hearts in order to be ready to meet with God.
Do you suppose that we need a time of preparation of reflection of retooling ourselves so that we can come before Him. Do you think a time of reflection on self and a time set aside for devotion to God might be in order to overcome the dulling effect of the daily grind in which we live?
Does is not make sense that a daily quiet time in which you set aside the normal pull of the world and focus on your relationship with God would be extremely helpful if not vital to your walk with Him? Even though we live under grace instead of law, is not God still God and man still man?
We don't have to earn the right to come into His presence, Christ already qualified us on the cross. We don't have to cleanse ourselves from sin to come into His holy presence, that too was accomplished at the cross. But do we not need to tune our hearts and set our minds on His presence?
Jus' Askn.
It was a big deal. The people were going to be in the presence of God himself. They needed to prepare themselves to come before the Creator of heaven and earth. The dulling effect of daily life left them in need of retooling their minds and hearts in order to be ready to meet with God.
Do you suppose that we need a time of preparation of reflection of retooling ourselves so that we can come before Him. Do you think a time of reflection on self and a time set aside for devotion to God might be in order to overcome the dulling effect of the daily grind in which we live?
Does is not make sense that a daily quiet time in which you set aside the normal pull of the world and focus on your relationship with God would be extremely helpful if not vital to your walk with Him? Even though we live under grace instead of law, is not God still God and man still man?
We don't have to earn the right to come into His presence, Christ already qualified us on the cross. We don't have to cleanse ourselves from sin to come into His holy presence, that too was accomplished at the cross. But do we not need to tune our hearts and set our minds on His presence?
Jus' Askn.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Standing In The Gap
In the days of the prophet Ezekiel, Jerusalem came under the Lord's judgment due to her overwhelming sinfulness. God, who desired reconciliation over judgment, "looked for someone among them who would...stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one" (Ezekiel 22:30).
There were no intercessors, no one willing to stand between God and man and petition on sinful man's behalf. Intercessors, those willing to come regularly and often before God in behalf of those bound over to sin, are still hard to find.
Some don't want to stand in the gap because, like Jonah, they believe the sinful deserve punishment. Others are fearful that God will not answer their prayer, causing their faith to be challenged. Others still are just not that concerned one way or the other.
Whatever our reason for not standing in the gap, for not finding the time and expending the energy to pray for the lost and even the evil ones around us, it runs counter to A God who desires that we "love one another" (1 John 4:11) and who "is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9).
Not everyone can be a missionary in a foreign land, preach a rousing sermon from the pulpit or go to the streets encountering the lost face to face, but everyone can stand in the gap daily lifting up the names of others in prayer. While you may not have the skill or ability to deal directly with sinners, you do have access to the throne room of God - you can daily stand in the gap.
Jus' Sayn.
There were no intercessors, no one willing to stand between God and man and petition on sinful man's behalf. Intercessors, those willing to come regularly and often before God in behalf of those bound over to sin, are still hard to find.
Some don't want to stand in the gap because, like Jonah, they believe the sinful deserve punishment. Others are fearful that God will not answer their prayer, causing their faith to be challenged. Others still are just not that concerned one way or the other.
Whatever our reason for not standing in the gap, for not finding the time and expending the energy to pray for the lost and even the evil ones around us, it runs counter to A God who desires that we "love one another" (1 John 4:11) and who "is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9).
Not everyone can be a missionary in a foreign land, preach a rousing sermon from the pulpit or go to the streets encountering the lost face to face, but everyone can stand in the gap daily lifting up the names of others in prayer. While you may not have the skill or ability to deal directly with sinners, you do have access to the throne room of God - you can daily stand in the gap.
Jus' Sayn.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Joyful Suffering
As a sequel to yesterday's blog on suffering among Christians, I just finished writing a blog, which promptly disappeared and now I am having to write it over from memory. I am trying to remain joyful. I think I just felt the corner of one side of my mouth turn up in a weak smile.
Nonetheless, I wanted to introduce James encouragement to "count it all all joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds....so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (Js 1:2-4). He affirms that suffering can be life giving.
In nature, the cone of the Jack Pine remains closed until the awesome heat of a forrest fire, which destroys the adult trees, opens it and allows the charred cone to seed the burnt forrest floor. The trial of fire produces new life in the Jack Pine.
Imagine a gym whose only equipment were comfy couches, and it's trainers served your favorite desserts. Or a college that had no reading assignments, no papers to write and no finals. We expect our gyms and colleges to test us and try us and apply enough pressure to produce new muscle, new knowledge, new life.
Whatever trial we may go through in life, in Christ we have the victory. In Him we overcome and develop spiritual muscle and one day receive our eternal reward in Heaven. Trials are not fun but can produce reason for joy, if we remain faithful. Jus' Sayn.
Nonetheless, I wanted to introduce James encouragement to "count it all all joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds....so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (Js 1:2-4). He affirms that suffering can be life giving.
In nature, the cone of the Jack Pine remains closed until the awesome heat of a forrest fire, which destroys the adult trees, opens it and allows the charred cone to seed the burnt forrest floor. The trial of fire produces new life in the Jack Pine.
Imagine a gym whose only equipment were comfy couches, and it's trainers served your favorite desserts. Or a college that had no reading assignments, no papers to write and no finals. We expect our gyms and colleges to test us and try us and apply enough pressure to produce new muscle, new knowledge, new life.
Whatever trial we may go through in life, in Christ we have the victory. In Him we overcome and develop spiritual muscle and one day receive our eternal reward in Heaven. Trials are not fun but can produce reason for joy, if we remain faithful. Jus' Sayn.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Suffering as Sons
Did you know that God's children suffer? I don't mean just in the usual sense of having a bad day or losing a job or even suffering a financial reversal. I'm talking about the fact that in the last century, there have been more Christian martyrs than in all previous centuries.
Christians are being arrested and left to die in dungeon-like conditions. They are being taken from their families and executed. Their houses and their houses of worship are being burned. They are being persecuted, they are suffering and they are faithful children of God.
And we wonder why God would allow us to suffer loss of any kind, as if it were strange that a child of God would ever suffer. Do we not realize that we live in a fallen world, that our very existence is lived out behind enemy lines in a global war with the Evil One and his followers?
Heaven will be a place where no sorrow, no pain, no loss, no death will be known, but this is not heaven; this is planet earth. And while we have the victory guaranteed, we are still at war, where battles must be fought and loss will be encountered in til that final victory.
This was true, even of the Son of God, Jesus himself "Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered" (Heb 5:8). Jesus suffered, even to the point of death on a cross. Is it too much to think that we might be called to suffer or sacrifice for the same reason that our Lord and millions of God's children have before us?
Jesus' suffering resulted in our salvation, the suffering of saints before us has resulted in our freedom in Christ, what good might your suffering cause - if you keep the faith in the midst of the pain and loss you are going through at any given time? Jus' Askn.
Christians are being arrested and left to die in dungeon-like conditions. They are being taken from their families and executed. Their houses and their houses of worship are being burned. They are being persecuted, they are suffering and they are faithful children of God.
And we wonder why God would allow us to suffer loss of any kind, as if it were strange that a child of God would ever suffer. Do we not realize that we live in a fallen world, that our very existence is lived out behind enemy lines in a global war with the Evil One and his followers?
Heaven will be a place where no sorrow, no pain, no loss, no death will be known, but this is not heaven; this is planet earth. And while we have the victory guaranteed, we are still at war, where battles must be fought and loss will be encountered in til that final victory.
This was true, even of the Son of God, Jesus himself "Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered" (Heb 5:8). Jesus suffered, even to the point of death on a cross. Is it too much to think that we might be called to suffer or sacrifice for the same reason that our Lord and millions of God's children have before us?
Jesus' suffering resulted in our salvation, the suffering of saints before us has resulted in our freedom in Christ, what good might your suffering cause - if you keep the faith in the midst of the pain and loss you are going through at any given time? Jus' Askn.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Too Soon
I received the first call as I was heading in to start my 12 hour on-call rotation. A young man who thought he had a chest cold a few days ago was put on life support as he battled a life-threatening case of double pneumonia.
While with his sister and mother, another family was gathering in a consulting room, where I would be asked to go and help them deal with the sudden loss of their husband, son and brother - each member esperiencing a different level of loss, but loss all the same.
As I walked back into my on-call sleeping quarters, my phone beckoned me again. This time to a family, whose loved one was brought in for an appendectomy that turned out to be stage four colo-rectal cancer.
I got back to my little room, laid my head on the pillow and wearily fell off to sleep. In what seemed like moments, I woke up and looked at my watch, whose face had a blurry 4:30 am on it, and then my phone alerted me to another call for chaplain services.
This fourth and final call, as of this writing, was for a family of a man who had recently had a triple bypass and seemed to be doing well until he had a massive heart attack and died.
Four families, two deaths and two uncertain futures. The common thread was that it was all too soon and too sudden. They thought there was plenty of time, two families hope there will be some time left and the other two knows there is none.
This is not just their reality, it is the truth for all of us. Life on this earth is wrapping up much sooner than you think or will likely be prepared for - it will end too soon for you or the ones you love. As James put it, "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Js 4:14).
So, I'm wondering, are you ready? Jus' Askn.
While with his sister and mother, another family was gathering in a consulting room, where I would be asked to go and help them deal with the sudden loss of their husband, son and brother - each member esperiencing a different level of loss, but loss all the same.
As I walked back into my on-call sleeping quarters, my phone beckoned me again. This time to a family, whose loved one was brought in for an appendectomy that turned out to be stage four colo-rectal cancer.
I got back to my little room, laid my head on the pillow and wearily fell off to sleep. In what seemed like moments, I woke up and looked at my watch, whose face had a blurry 4:30 am on it, and then my phone alerted me to another call for chaplain services.
This fourth and final call, as of this writing, was for a family of a man who had recently had a triple bypass and seemed to be doing well until he had a massive heart attack and died.
Four families, two deaths and two uncertain futures. The common thread was that it was all too soon and too sudden. They thought there was plenty of time, two families hope there will be some time left and the other two knows there is none.
This is not just their reality, it is the truth for all of us. Life on this earth is wrapping up much sooner than you think or will likely be prepared for - it will end too soon for you or the ones you love. As James put it, "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Js 4:14).
So, I'm wondering, are you ready? Jus' Askn.
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