Nowhere in our culture is weakness valued or esteemed. Power, strength, self-reliance, these are the qualities we admire. These are the qualities we wish for ourselves, these are the qualities on the altar of self.
These qualities allow us to be bold in speaking of ourselves. I built this, or I have this, I control my world. In our strength we need no one or nothing. Relying on our strength and wisdom allows us to forge onward, to be the captains of our own destinies. Strengths allow us to be about self. In strength, we can lose sight of the Almighty.
Jesus said, "My grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." In weakness we can see strength. In the slums of Nairobi, daily bread is a miracle. In strife and constant fear, with nowhere to turn, peace can be found. It is when we decide that our strengths have become our greatest weaknesses, that we can turn aside from them. Strengths cause us to lose our sight, we become spiritually blind.
When we choose weakness we can seek God.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Endings and Beginnings
Amazing what happens when your in the right place at the right time. Amazing because we can't plan on being in the right place at the specific right time. It just happens. Serendipity is a word some use to describe this phenomena. Some call it destiny, others would say coincidence sums up these chance alignments.
Endings
Hours before her 90 year life span drew to completion, I was there.
Weddings
The ceremony that will unite them for life took twenty minutes, I was there.
Baptisms
35 people obediently publicly proclaiming faith in Christ, I was there.
Each one of these events was an ending and a beginning. Life drew to a close eternity dawned. Two became one in the eyes of the Lord. People died to self and were born anew.
Blessed
God will put us in the right place at the right time for His purposes. We are fortunate to be His.
Endings
Hours before her 90 year life span drew to completion, I was there.
Weddings
The ceremony that will unite them for life took twenty minutes, I was there.
Baptisms
35 people obediently publicly proclaiming faith in Christ, I was there.
Each one of these events was an ending and a beginning. Life drew to a close eternity dawned. Two became one in the eyes of the Lord. People died to self and were born anew.
Blessed
God will put us in the right place at the right time for His purposes. We are fortunate to be His.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Who's Power?
Judges 6:14
The LORD turned to him and said; "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"
Psalm 44:6-7
I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory, but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
Often I have thought to myself, has God really called me to do His work? Who am I that the Lord would call on me or use me for His purposes? I inventory all my strengths, then doubt creeps in. The other side of the ledger is filled beyond capacity with all of my weaknesses, short comings, and failures. The entries on the weak side of the ledger always seen to out number the strength side, and I become afraid. Afraid that I will fall short of what I have been called to do. Afraid that I do not posses all the gifts and skills that will be required of me. The truth is I don't. Relying on myself will never allow me to fulfill God's calling on my life because I do not have what it takes, only God does.
God uses our strengths. While I sit and focus on my weaknesses and failings, God says my strength is your strength. Go with the strength you have, I am sending you. There is a weakness or flaw in me that whispers I need to be self-reliant. I need to be able to go it alone. But God says, I am sending you, and I am sufficient.
The psalmist writes, "I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring victory. But you God, you give us victory." Kings and warriors felt inadequate in all their strength and might. Yet for them, as it is for me it is God alone who says I am sending you and if I send you, rely on Me.
We are all sent. The last command Jesus gave us was to Go! With this command he goes with us. Weaknesses and fear disappear into the awesomeness of His power. God as we are sent as we go in obedience, humble us so that rely on you and your strength alone.
The LORD turned to him and said; "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"
Psalm 44:6-7
I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory, but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
Often I have thought to myself, has God really called me to do His work? Who am I that the Lord would call on me or use me for His purposes? I inventory all my strengths, then doubt creeps in. The other side of the ledger is filled beyond capacity with all of my weaknesses, short comings, and failures. The entries on the weak side of the ledger always seen to out number the strength side, and I become afraid. Afraid that I will fall short of what I have been called to do. Afraid that I do not posses all the gifts and skills that will be required of me. The truth is I don't. Relying on myself will never allow me to fulfill God's calling on my life because I do not have what it takes, only God does.
God uses our strengths. While I sit and focus on my weaknesses and failings, God says my strength is your strength. Go with the strength you have, I am sending you. There is a weakness or flaw in me that whispers I need to be self-reliant. I need to be able to go it alone. But God says, I am sending you, and I am sufficient.
The psalmist writes, "I do not trust in my bow, and my sword does not bring victory. But you God, you give us victory." Kings and warriors felt inadequate in all their strength and might. Yet for them, as it is for me it is God alone who says I am sending you and if I send you, rely on Me.
We are all sent. The last command Jesus gave us was to Go! With this command he goes with us. Weaknesses and fear disappear into the awesomeness of His power. God as we are sent as we go in obedience, humble us so that rely on you and your strength alone.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Take Courage
As the book of Acts continues to unfold, Paul and the testimony he shares continues to place him repeatedly in harm's way. Time after time Paul is beaten, stoned, pursued, plotted against and in great peril. Amazingly he never waivers. He forges on without ever taking his eye off his mission. Paul accomplishes this by continually leaning into and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. He writes time and time again about praying without ceasing, giving joy in all circumstances. That intense focus and joy can only come from reliance on something greater than himself.
Tucked away in Acts 23:11, the Lord appears to Paul and says "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." To the cynic, the words might have sounded more along these lines. Your persecution is going to go indefinitely... To Paul, it's validation the God is not yet through with him and from that, he draws strength and the will to go on. Paul never waivers.
The Lord may never appear to us the way he appeared to Paul. We have something Paul didn't, we have the full counsel of God found in the bible. God appears to us in ways he never appeared to Paul. We have God's entire plan at our disposal. Just as the Lord told Paul to take courage, he tells us the same through scriptures.
In the same way that God confirmed upon Paul he had more to accomplish, we too have that confirmation. God is never done with us, His plans for us go even beyond this life. Each opportunity God gives us, every time we yield to the leading and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are being prepared for future service to God. He created us, we are His to use, if we allow Him to use us.
God used Paul's trials, tribulations, and suffering to prepare Paul to bring God even greater glory. To this day God uses the same methods to prepare us for greater service to Him. As the Lord said to Paul, "Take courage!"
Tucked away in Acts 23:11, the Lord appears to Paul and says "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." To the cynic, the words might have sounded more along these lines. Your persecution is going to go indefinitely... To Paul, it's validation the God is not yet through with him and from that, he draws strength and the will to go on. Paul never waivers.
The Lord may never appear to us the way he appeared to Paul. We have something Paul didn't, we have the full counsel of God found in the bible. God appears to us in ways he never appeared to Paul. We have God's entire plan at our disposal. Just as the Lord told Paul to take courage, he tells us the same through scriptures.
In the same way that God confirmed upon Paul he had more to accomplish, we too have that confirmation. God is never done with us, His plans for us go even beyond this life. Each opportunity God gives us, every time we yield to the leading and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are being prepared for future service to God. He created us, we are His to use, if we allow Him to use us.
God used Paul's trials, tribulations, and suffering to prepare Paul to bring God even greater glory. To this day God uses the same methods to prepare us for greater service to Him. As the Lord said to Paul, "Take courage!"
Friday, February 4, 2011
Steady Hands
Exodus has a passage I think about often lately. The Amalekites come and attack the Israelites. Moses sends Joshua and some men to go fight the enemy. He tells Joshua he will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands. So Joshua goes to fight as he was ordered. Moses along with Aaron and Hur go to the top of the hill. When Moses holds his hands up the Israelites prevail, when his arms get tired and he lowers them, the tide of battle turns. Now Aaron and Hur realize Moses is getting tired. They go and get a stone for him to sit on. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up. One on one side, one on the other side-so that his hands remained steady until sunset. So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army with the sword.
Several observations can be made. First, even under the power and direction of God, we will be attacked. Second the leader isn't the one in the hand to hand combat, but they are the one to come up with the plan of action. Thirdly, the people fighting the battle and the leader all have to make contributions. Fourth, even leaders need help. Aaron and Hur supported Moses so that Israel could win the battle.
I think of this passage and wonder who's arms am I holding up? Who needs me to support them and help sustain them so they are able to accomplish the grand vision God has for them. Notice Joshua's success is made possible because Moses is supported. Without Aaron and Hur, the battle is lost. Who's Aaron am I?
I want my life to have an impact on others, I want to change peoples eternities. Aaron and Hur don't receive the glory from winning the fight on the battle field. They aren't heralded as the brilliant strategist and leader of Israel. Yet through supporting Moses, they change eternities, in the unsung annals of history, they are history makers. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we fight, other times we support. If today I am Moses, let me lead. If I am Joshua, let me fight. If I am Aaron, let me steady another's hands.
Several observations can be made. First, even under the power and direction of God, we will be attacked. Second the leader isn't the one in the hand to hand combat, but they are the one to come up with the plan of action. Thirdly, the people fighting the battle and the leader all have to make contributions. Fourth, even leaders need help. Aaron and Hur supported Moses so that Israel could win the battle.
I think of this passage and wonder who's arms am I holding up? Who needs me to support them and help sustain them so they are able to accomplish the grand vision God has for them. Notice Joshua's success is made possible because Moses is supported. Without Aaron and Hur, the battle is lost. Who's Aaron am I?
I want my life to have an impact on others, I want to change peoples eternities. Aaron and Hur don't receive the glory from winning the fight on the battle field. They aren't heralded as the brilliant strategist and leader of Israel. Yet through supporting Moses, they change eternities, in the unsung annals of history, they are history makers. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we fight, other times we support. If today I am Moses, let me lead. If I am Joshua, let me fight. If I am Aaron, let me steady another's hands.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Two Reactions
Luke tells the story of Zaccheus,a small man, who climbs a tree to see Jesus. Jesus calls him down from the tree and says "tonight I will eat at your house."
Luke 19:7
All of the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner'."
Zaccheus is a hated man, he is a Jew by birth, but is now in league with the occupying Romans. He is a hated tax collector and a traitor, a collaborator with the enemy, not a real popular guy.
Our individual world's are filled with immoral, untouchable, and unworthy people. At least the way we see them. We decide in our minds what is good and pleasing to God. We also decide who is good and pleasing to God. We decide who God can and cannot use. We read in the following verses, after that encounter with Jesus, Zaccheus changes. He immediately gives half of all he has to the poor, he's willing to pay back anyone he cheated four times the amount. I'm not sure about how much money Zaccheus started with, I know he ends up with a lot less.
After an encounter with Jesus, Zaccheus walked away a changed man, he reacted to the truth.
Later in the same chapter we read of Jesus going into the temple where he witnesses the "rulers" of the temple, the ones who are supposed to get it, the churched people, cheating and stealing from those coming to worship God. The very people that should be setting the example are just like Zaccheus, they not only steal money they also steal hope.
In theory, these are the people closest to God, they of all people should know how to act. They do react to Jesus, quite differently from the previous example of Zaccheus. They plot to kill Jesus.
God decides who he will use. He uses immoral and untouchable people to change the world. Meanwhile the pious go through life unchanged and unrepentant.
Jesus came to be the guest of sinners, that means all of us. May we change as Zaccheus did.
Luke 19:7
All of the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner'."
Zaccheus is a hated man, he is a Jew by birth, but is now in league with the occupying Romans. He is a hated tax collector and a traitor, a collaborator with the enemy, not a real popular guy.
Our individual world's are filled with immoral, untouchable, and unworthy people. At least the way we see them. We decide in our minds what is good and pleasing to God. We also decide who is good and pleasing to God. We decide who God can and cannot use. We read in the following verses, after that encounter with Jesus, Zaccheus changes. He immediately gives half of all he has to the poor, he's willing to pay back anyone he cheated four times the amount. I'm not sure about how much money Zaccheus started with, I know he ends up with a lot less.
After an encounter with Jesus, Zaccheus walked away a changed man, he reacted to the truth.
Later in the same chapter we read of Jesus going into the temple where he witnesses the "rulers" of the temple, the ones who are supposed to get it, the churched people, cheating and stealing from those coming to worship God. The very people that should be setting the example are just like Zaccheus, they not only steal money they also steal hope.
In theory, these are the people closest to God, they of all people should know how to act. They do react to Jesus, quite differently from the previous example of Zaccheus. They plot to kill Jesus.
God decides who he will use. He uses immoral and untouchable people to change the world. Meanwhile the pious go through life unchanged and unrepentant.
Jesus came to be the guest of sinners, that means all of us. May we change as Zaccheus did.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Cost
There is a cost in following Jesus. There is a cost when Jesus goes from being an abstract concept or a symbol represented by a cross, to the ruler of our hearts. The price of putting Jesus on the walls or our homes or the bumpers of our cars is far different the the cost of submission to Jesus.
Submission cost everything. Our time, talents, money, other resources, make up the price we pay to submit to Christ. Everything we have is required of us to be a disciple. The security and comfort we may have, or think we may have in our wealth, also needs to surrendered. We avail all of these things to the work and the yielding of the Holy Spirit. We release our resources, and in doing so we are free from the chains we have placed on ourselves.
Submitting and surrendering everything allows us to witness miracles first hand. A warm blanket, a hot meal, clean water, a roof for some who don't have their own. Our resources become something far greater than we could every imagined.
Becoming a disciple has a cost. Everything, time, money, talent, are all paid to follow Christ. Our resources, in the hands of the architect of the universe, build His kingdom.
Submission cost everything. Our time, talents, money, other resources, make up the price we pay to submit to Christ. Everything we have is required of us to be a disciple. The security and comfort we may have, or think we may have in our wealth, also needs to surrendered. We avail all of these things to the work and the yielding of the Holy Spirit. We release our resources, and in doing so we are free from the chains we have placed on ourselves.
Submitting and surrendering everything allows us to witness miracles first hand. A warm blanket, a hot meal, clean water, a roof for some who don't have their own. Our resources become something far greater than we could every imagined.
Becoming a disciple has a cost. Everything, time, money, talent, are all paid to follow Christ. Our resources, in the hands of the architect of the universe, build His kingdom.
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