Ken Winter: Recent Episodes
Ken Winter
We read in Judges that the next generation of Israelites “… did evil in the LORD’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD. They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.”
My hope is that the stories have become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
If you missed the first three episodes of the series, i invite you to go back and listen to them.
And, as always, i pray this post and my books challenge and encourage you in your walk with the Master.
This is the second of this year’s weekly Advent episodes. Those of you who have followed the podcast for more than a year know that it is my annual practice to post a weekly episode for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories have become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
Joseph was an unlikely choice to be the earthly father of Jesus. There was nothing about him on the surface that would have prompted any of us to consider him worthy. And yet, no other man in history has been charged with the tremendous responsibility he was given.
The Wilderness Tabernacle was completed exactly as the Lord specified and was erected on the first anniversary of Israel’s departure from Egypt. That day, the Lord’s glorious presence descended upon it, covering and filling it with His awesome glory. His presence, previously seen in the guiding pillar of cloud, now took residence within His dwelling place among the people.
In many ways, our world today mirrors the one to which the apostle Paul set out. We have become so post-Christian that society now resembles a pre-Christian culture. In that sense, we are not unlike the ancient city of Athens.
As Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, teaching His disciples, He told them He would one day return and that they must be on the alert for His arrival.
Jesus often used simple stories (parables) to communicate profound truths. Such is the case with the three parables recorded in Matthew chapter 13. The parables of the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast.
On their fifth full day in the Promised Land on the west side of the Jordan, the first Israelite walked out from camp to gather the daily portion of manna and discovered it wasn’t there!
God instructed Moses to collect the staff of each leader from the twelve ancestral tribes, along with Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi. These thirteen staffs were placed overnight in the tabernacle. God promised that the staff of the man He had chosen would sprout buds, signifying His selection.
From the day the Israelites left Egypt, the Lord gave His people a constant reminder of His presence. He sent a pillar of cloud to guide them by day and a pillar of fire by night, so they could travel without losing sight of His leading.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God sent an angel to Cornelius, who immediately obeyed the command to send for Peter. Though others may have been closer to Caesarea, Peter was God’s man for this assignment. Remember, Peter “held” the “keys to the Kingdom.” His obedience set in motion events that would open the door of faith to all Gentiles. What may have seemed like a small act had a ripple effect that continues today.
It’s important to remember that the focus of John’s Gospel is to help us see, discover and know Jesus as the Son of the Living God. John wanted us to behold Jesus in the fullness of His glory as God incarnate. Jesus’ desire for His apostles—and for us—is that we would see the glory of the Father and come to know the Father through Him. Before He spoke these words of comfort, Jesus had told the disciples that He was going to His Father’s house to make a way for them—and us—to join Him. He seized that moment to remind them that if they truly knew Him, they knew the Father as well.
Pontius Pilate, the governing prefect of the region, ordered the killing of some Galileans as they were offering sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. Eighteen people had recently died when a tower in Siloam collapsed. These two tragedies led the crowd to ask Jesus what these victims had done to deserve such a fate. Let’s explore His response.
Militarily the Canaanites held a great advantage over the Israelites. From a human perspective, the situation looked bleak. Even for a man of courage and faith like Joshua, the situation seemed dire. That’s why the LORD said to him, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel….”
On the eve of what could have been the greatest day of their lives, and their history as a nation—the day they were to enter God’s Promised Land—the Israelites chose to reject Him and refused to enter.
As the Israelites approached the Promised Land, the Lord instructed Moses to assemble a group of twelve men to spy out the land—each a leader from one of the twelve ancestral tribes. These men were highly respected and trusted by their peers.
Moses called his brother, Aaron, and his brother-in-law, Hur, to join him on the top of a hill that overlooked the field of battle at Rephidim, where the descendants of Abraham—Israelite and Amalekite—would battle one another.
Imagine the surprise of the Jerusalem church when Saul, the persecutor, showed up in the city professing to be a follower of Christ. They were filled with fear and disbelief. There was no way anyone was going to accept him into their fellowship … until a believer named Barnabas took action.
The preparations for Passover were so important to Jesus that He sent His two most trusted disciples: Peter and John. Both men would have known what preparations were required under the Law. However, they wisely asked Jesus what details they should follow. We, too, would do well to ask Jesus about the details.
i believe the omission of his name is purposeful. As a part of the nameless crowd, he could be any one of us, free from any of the preconceived notions that might come with knowing his background.
On one particular day, as Jesus and His disciples were walking through a grainfield, the religious leaders accused Jesus and His disciples of an act of “Sabbath defiance.” The Pharisees accused them of “wantonly disregarding the rules” of Sabbath by plucking off the heads of grain, rubbing them between their hands, and eating the grain.
Thus we see the clash—one that continues today—the religious traditions of men versus an authentic relationship with a Holy God.
Tomorrow, the U.S.A. will celebrate its 248th birthday—born out of the foundational belief that all men are created equal and are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among those being life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Though we’re still in our infancy—or at least our adolescence—as compared to many of our sister nations around the globe, we are the longest continuous running democracy in the world—complete with our challenges and imperfections.
As a part of that pursuit we engage in the task every four years of electing a new president—a process that has become more tumultuous and contentious with the passing of time—as evidenced by the events of this past week.
This is not a political blog, so i will not delve into the issues, the platforms, or even the ages of the presumptive nominees for the current election. However, i will speak to the foundational process that i believe should drive the candidates and each one of us who is charged with the responsibility of casting a vote to determine who the next president of our nation should be.
And that foundational process is not only true as it relates to our role in our system of governance; it is true in every aspect of our lives, no matter our nation of citizenship, party of political preference, or generational worldview.
Two Israelite men, Eldad and Medad, were part of a group of seventy elders that God had directed Moses to assemble.(1) We don’t know from which tribe these men originated. There is no further information about them other than this one reference in Scripture. For some unknown reason these two men, who were probably brothers, had not gone to the Tabernacle with the rest of the elders; they were still in the camp. However, when the Holy Spirit came upon the elders, He came upon all of the elders, including these two who weren’t in the tabernacle. Oh, and isn’t it interesting that theirs are the only names we know out of that group of seventy? Perhaps the Lord has a lesson for us to learn from these two men.
The Israelites found themselves in the Sin Desert between Elim behind and Mount Sinai ahead. God was teaching His children who He was. He was teaching them His character. He was giving them truth to live by; truth on which they could stand firm.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew and Mark both write that this was Jesus’s response when the expert in religious law asked Him which was the most important commandment in the law of Moses. Luke writes that the expert in religious law told Jesus that they were the most important commandments in response to Jesus’s question, and He affirmed him. If the Spirit of God impressed all three Gospel writers to include this dialogue, it is well worth our paying attention.
When Simon witnessed the miracles performed by Philip, he did not demonstrate faith in the Word of God; rather, he placed his faith in the miracles themselves. His belief was like that of many people who witnessed the miracles of Jesus but refused to acknowledge His Word. Simon’s “belief and baptism” were not the result of true repentance; they were part of his attempt to manipulate and deceive in order to gain favor and power.
It was Tuesday. Jesus had made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Sunday and had cleared out the temple on Monday. The leading priests, teachers and elders were all still stinging from His rebukes the day before. So, it’s no wonder their first question—or should i say their first accusation—was a challenge to His authority.
Our actions are often an accurate reflection of our thoughts about Jesus and the nature of our relationship with Him. But an even more telling indicator is our inaction or our failure to act. Such was the case one night in the home of Simon the Pharisee, who had invited Jesus to dine with him.
The hour had come. It was very late. Jesus had led the disciples to a garden called Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives so He could pray … and they could pray with Him. Well, He had led almost all His disciples. Earlier that night, Judas had abruptly gone out from the upper room while Jesus was still speaking … apparently sent on an errand by the Master. There had been no sign of him since then.
The disciples were unaware that a teenage boy had secretly followed them to the garden and was hiding in the bushes.
Has that still, small voice (the Holy Spirit within you) directed you to do something now that is contrary to what your conventional wisdom is telling you to do?
The people that left Sinai were much different from those who had arrived a year earlier. They arrived as a ragtag multitude bound together by the promises of God; they left as an ordered people, united in the presence of God.
The day God provided a ram to be sacrificed in the place of his son Isaac, Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh, meaning “The Lord will provide.”(1) That day was to be a reminder to all generations that the Lord will provide. He will be faithful to provide just what is needed at the exact time it is needed. He is seldom early; but He is never late! He seldom provides in the manner we anticipate; but He always provides in a way that is sufficient. That was true for Abraham and Isaac, it was true for Moses and the Israelites, and it is true for us today.
The early church chose the following to serve: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).
We live in a day filled with upheaval, confusion, and uncertainty. It therefore comes as no surprise that the rates of depression, anxiety, and fearfulness about the future continue to reach new highs among adults in the U. S. according to a Gallup poll published in May 2023. But as followers of Christ, we can take heart that the perilous times in which we find ourselves are also indicative of the days to come that Jesus described two thousand years ago. We can embrace the hope we have through the promises and assurance He gave to His disciples—and through them, to us.
The timeframe of this particular journey recorded in Luke 9 was well over a year before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. He still had much yet to do, messages yet to preach, and miracles yet to perform. But in this verse, Luke is reminding us that Jesus never lost sight of why the Father had sent Him.
As we prepare for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, i want us to look at the events leading up to those days through the eyes of the second of two of Jesus’s disciples. But in so doing, i want us to see how the sin they both harbored in their hearts kept them from seeing the truth of God in those events.
Too often, the sin we harbor in our hearts keeps us from seeing God’s truth. Instead of confessing our sin, we justify it, and thus we fall headlong down the slippery slope. This week let’s see if we can learn from the second of the two men who despite his personal walk with Jesus became blinded to truth. And let’s see if we can learn from him.
Though elements of the story you are about to read are fictionalized, the ultimate truth it reveals is very real!
This week and next, as we prepare for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, i want us to look at the events leading up to those days through the eyes of two of Jesus’s disciples. But in so doing, i want us to see how the sin they both harbored in their hearts kept them from seeing the truth of God in those events.
Too often, the sin we harbor in our hearts keeps us from seeing God’s truth. Instead of confessing our sin, we justify it, and thus we fall headlong down the slippery slope. Let’s see if we can learn from two men who despite their personal walk with Jesus became blinded to truth. And let’s see if we can learn from them.
Though elements of the story you are about to read are fictionalized, the ultimate truth it reveals is very real!
i have acted in that same manner. i’ve encountered Jericho-sized situations where i knew if God “didn’t come through” i was sunk. i’ve turned to Him and seen Him work the miraculous. Then on the heels of that great victory, i encountered something so seemingly minor – so seemingly insignificant – i didn’t think there was even any need to pray about it. Then – SMACK! There was that unexpected defeat that knocked the wind out of my sails.
We live in a culture that believes life centers around us. It is about “my” dreams, “my” ambitions, and “my” goals. Our fulfillment most often comes from our needs being met, our dreams being achieved, and our achievements being recognized. We’re striving for the “trophy,” even though it has taken on different forms and shapes as we’ve gotten older. It’s the lie that our culture feeds – that “it’s all about me.”
What about us? Do we thirst for the water that will temporarily satisfy our immediate need or do we thirst for a deep drink of Living Water that will always satisfy and can only come through an intimate relationship with our Living Lord? The choice that day at Rephidim was much like the choice on the day many years later, when the Samaritan woman encountered Jesus at the well. She chose Living Water – an intimate relationship with the Son of God – and left her bucket at the well – never to thirst again.
God was at work in a new way! Many of those who were alive during those days had been born during the latter part of the four hundred years of silence between the last prophet of the Old Testament – Malachi – and the arrival of John the Baptist. During those years the people had not heard a fresh word from God. Then God Himself showed up on the scene in the form of Jesus and the religious leaders rejected Him and crucified Him. When they should have been hungry to hear afresh from God, they had become quite content with their traditions and their own religious practices. They had settled into a very comfortable rut and were dedicated to maintaining their status quo. They thought their problems were over when they crucified Jesus. They thought they would be returning to “the good old days” of tradition and no longer having their leadership challenged.
It was the end of the third day of the week of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Two nights hence, He would be betrayed and arrested. He had taken His disciples to the Mount of Olives that evening to spend the night. It was a place to which Jesus often retreated when He was in Jerusalem. It was a place where He could have long conversations with His Father in prayer. And it was a place that evening at which He chose to have a long conversation with four of His disciples – Peter, James, John, and Andrew.
Another important distinction we must understand before we look at the events that unfolded in the wilderness is that Jesus was not tempted as the Son of God; He did not use His divine power to overcome the temptation. If He had, there would be nothing for us to learn. Remember, He came to teach us how to live, to enable us to live, and to empower us to live. You and I will never have divine power; we’re not God! We have access to divine power, but we do not ourselves possess it. Therefore, if Jesus had responded to Satan as the Son of God, He would not have taught us how to respond to temptation. Rather, He responded – and was proven – as the Son of Man using the same spiritual resources that are available to us in our journey today – the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the Word of God.
The Israelites had planted crops and were augmenting their meals of manna with fresh produce from the land. They had begun to put down modest roots. As a matter of fact, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had petitioned Moses to make their permanent dwelling place on this side of the Jordan, and God had permitted them to do so.
So, when Joshua sent out word that they were leaving in three days, it was very short notice for a move of that magnitude.
God called the Levites to be in charge of the Tabernacle, and all of its furnishings and equipment. He called them to stand guard and protect it. When the Israelites were camped in the wilderness, God’s Spirit dwelt in the Tabernacle in their midst, but the area immediately surrounding His dwelling place was the home of the Levites. Whenever the pillar of cloud moved from the Tabernacle to lead the people, the Levites took down the Tabernacle and carried it. Whenever the cloud stopped, the Levites would set up the Tabernacle and prepare it for the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.
i don’t know about you, but if i’m getting ready to head out into the wilderness, i want one of those shepherd’s staffs like Moses had when he was leading the Israelites. From the very first day at the burning bush, God had demonstrated His power through that staff. He had turned it into a snake. He had turned the water of the Nile River into blood with it. God had Moses outstretch it to part the waters of the Red Sea, and He had him strike a rock with it to bring forth water. Then God used it to ensure a victory in the battle with the Amalekites. Sign me up for one of those staffs!
This week, we’re looking at some of the early days of the church. The idea of a being a “body” of believers was brand new. No one had done it before, and everyone was following the Spirit of God as closely as they could.
Some of the greatest teachings from Jesus were in response to questions that were intended to trap Him. This particular day was no exception. The Sanhedrin had already put forth the Herodians and the Sadducees, both of whom had failed miserably in trapping Jesus. So they sent out a lawyer – an expert in religious law.
As 2024 approaches and begins, many of us are taking time to revisit our priorities for the new year. It is often a time when we make new resolutions and new – or renewed – commitments. It can also be a time when we decide to take action on those things we’ve been putting off.
For the past several weeks, we have all been celebrating the advent of the Baby in the manger. But today, let’s fast forward about twenty-nine years. At some point during the intervening years, Joseph died. Jesus assumed the role of the oldest son and carried forward the family carpentry trade, while caring for His mother and his younger half-siblings. However, the time had now come according to His Heavenly Father’s timetable for Him to step out from obscurity . . . and Jesus would not delay.
This week i am posting the last of my four stories for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!
To that end, this week we will hear from Ashriel, the great-grandson of Simeon.
As you will recall, i am posting a weekly story for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!
To that end, this week we will hear from Yanzu, a young servant who accompanied the magi.
i am posting a weekly story for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
Each of the four stories is an adolescent’s eyewitness account of the circumstances surrounding the advent of Jesus. The last three eyewitnesses are fictional and represent the many who would have been present at the advent of Jesus, but are not named in Scripture. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find that the truth they reveal is very REAL!
Those of you who have subscribed to this podcast for more than a year know that it is my annual practice to post a weekly story for the season of Advent about the incarnational birth of Jesus. My hope is that the stories become a part of your Advent tradition as you remember and celebrate the Good News of the advent of our Lord and Savior.
Thursday, November 23rd, is Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. Our Canadian friends celebrated Thanksgiving on October 9th, and our friends in the U.K. celebrated Harvest Festival on October 1st. Regardless of the date on the calendar, we all typically celebrate the day with good food, good fun, and a special time with family and friends. Hopefully in the midst of all the festivities, we make time to be thankful.
One day in the wilderness, the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of beaten silver.”(1) The trumpets were to be used for summoning and signaling, as an alarm and a reminder, as an announcement of celebratory gladness and reverent rejoicing. But most of all, the trumpets were to serve as a reminder to the Lord of His covenant with His people. It is interesting to me that these trumpets were forged and formed in the wilderness. They were not brought from Egypt. They would have purpose in the wilderness and they would have a continuing purpose in the Promised Land.
How quickly we too forget—that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who turned the bitter waters sweet, is the same God who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He is the same God who has promised to make our way straight and sure. He has ordered our steps before us and made a way in the wilderness. We can walk in His assurance that nothing can enter into our way that He has not permitted. And if He has permitted it, He has done so with the assurance that He will use it for His glory and for our good. There is nothing too minor and there is nothing too big.
The religious events on the Day of Pentecost were disturbed in the quarter of Jerusalem closest to the Temple by the sounds emanating from an upper room. A crowd made up of Jews from many nations assembled to investigate the cause of the disturbance. As they stood there looking up, they heard their own languages being spoken by a group they quickly recognized to be uneducated Galileans.
Jesus and His disciples were headed from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane. His betrayal and arrest were now only a few short hours away. More than likely, they were walking through a vineyard in the Kidron Valley. It would have been a full moon, so they would have been able to clearly see all that was around them. Never being one to waste an opportunity, Jesus used the vineyard to teach them – and us – a foundational truth.
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.(1) The Pharisees and their scribes continually criticized Jesus because He was associating with “such sinful people” — even eating with them! The religious leaders were functioning under the false belief that there is a hierarchy of sin – dividing “acceptable” sins from those that proper Jewish society would have deemed to be “unacceptable”. They would have identified “notorious sinners” as people who led conspicuously immoral lives and/or engaged in highly questionable occupations.
Be ever mindful that our God is always at work preparing us for what He is preparing for us. And His preparation is perfect, because He knows what we will need and He knows what we will encounter. He knows the plans He has for us – “plans for good and not for disaster, to give a future and a hope.”(1) He has been at work all around us every day of our lives leading up to this very moment. He has been at work long before we ever knew it – and even before we knew Him! Every circumstance, every situation and every experience we have ever encountered has been authored or permitted by the Sovereign God to prepare us for this moment and for those ahead. Every unexpected twist and turn have been designed to prepare us for those unexpected twists and turns that we will encounter in the journey ahead.
If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE. * * *The psalmist David records in the 37th Psalm: The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.(1) That was true of His chosen people, the Israelites, and it is true of us today. His plans and the way He orders our steps are not haphazard. He has a purpose and a plan, even when we have no idea what it is. And the details surrounding our every assignment are very exact though we may not recognize them. We see that truth revealed throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.One of those places is in the Book of Numbers, as we see the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness. Did you ever stop and think about all of the logistics involved in moving a group of people, numbering between one and two million, from Egypt to the Promised Land? i am mindful of all of the planning that went into a trip for my wife, two children and me, when our children were younger. i am also mindful of the occasional disagreement that arose over who sat where, who slept where, who got to go first, etc. Now imagine doing that with upwards to two million people! God was leading His people on a journey through the wilderness and He would leave no detail unresolved.
The psalmist David records in the 37th Psalm: The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. That was true of His chosen people, the Israelites, and it is true of us today. His plans and the way He orders our steps are not haphazard. He has a purpose and a plan, even when we have no idea what it is. And the details surrounding our every assignment are very exact though we may not recognize them. We see that truth revealed throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
The wilderness is that place – or more accurately those places – in our lives, where we are outside of our comfort zone. The wilderness is a place that is unfamiliar and, most often, uncomfortable. It is rarely, if ever, our final destination; rather, it is that place through which we must pass in order to get to the other side.
Sometimes we venture out into the wilderness willingly, because we know that the pathway to our desired destination leads through it. It could be the circumstances surrounding a move from one place to another, or the unknowns of moving from one position to another. Though we entered into the wilderness expectantly, and more than likely excitedly, we still encounter the unexpected twists and turns of the wilderness along the way. But more often, we enter into a wilderness involuntarily – either through the onslaught of a severe health issue, the loss of someone near and dear, the unexpected loss of a job, or the like. We didn’t volunteer for this journey, and we don’t like it one bit!
What do we do when those around us are telling us to do one thing, but our conscience says quite another? Or what do we do when the culture surrounding us advocates one thing, when what we know to be true is quite different?
Most of us are familiar with the Hans Christian Andersen folktale entitled The Emperor’s New Clothes (first published in April 1937). As you will recall the emperor becomes convinced that a new suit of clothing of unparalleled beauty and quality has been crafted for him to wear that can only be seen and appreciated by those who are truly wise and discerning. It is an innocent child who ultimately has the courage to say, “But he hasn’t got anything on!”
Sadly, we, too, are often told to accept truths that are not true, and believe facts that are as baseless as the emperor’s nonexistent clothing. What are we to do? Who should we obey?
One day Jesus and the disciples walked by a dead fig tree. The disciples noticed that the tree had withered from the roots up. It has shriveled due to a complete lack of water and nutrients. Peter reminded everyone that Jesus had cursed that same seemingly healthy tree only the day before. In one day, a tree which had been full of leaves was now withered and dead. A process that should have taken weeks, or maybe months, had occurred overnight. All of the moisture that had existed within the tree had completely evaporated within a matter of hours. There is a lesson for us to learn from that withered tree.
One day Jesus gathered the multitude that had come out into the countryside to hear Him, and He began to teach… the greatest sermon that ever was – the sermon of all sermons. Gratefully, Jesus was not delivering a message of new commandments we are to keep. Rather, He was describing the fruit that is produced in and through our lives as we remain in Him.
If you were to ask me to name some of my favorite books – other than the Bible – My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers would be at the top of my list. God has used that book more times than i can count to reinforce His truth in my life over the years.
Such was the case this morning. Chambers asks the question, “Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him?”What am i to do when everything around me points to doing one thing, but i know God has told me to do another? OR, what am i to do if i find myself in the midst of a hopeless situation, but Jesus has told me to trust Him?
In his last letter, the apostle Paul told his protégé Timothy that he had fought the good fight. He had finished the race. He had kept the faith. He had completed what God had set before him. His life is an example to us to not stop short of the goal . . . to not give up . . . but to finish strong!
Seventy years after God led the Israelites out of Egypt, their leader, Joshua, assembled the people to remind them of God’s goodness.
James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” He wrote that statement knowing our propensity to drift away from God, instead of drawing closer to Him. He warned us that our loyalty is divided between God and the world. i fear that all too often we desire the blessings of God in our lives over the presence of God in our lives.
Each of us walk through difficult circumstances at times and for seasons of our lives. You may, in fact, be walking through one right now. As i write this, a member of my family is walking through a difficult and challenging time. It is an attack from the enemy. It is important to remember that God is not the author of the circumstance. He is not the author of deceit, or illness, or hardship. But He is the “Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.” We would do well to follow the example of those we see gathered in prayer in Acts 4. They were not praying according to their will, but according to His; they were not praying for escape, but praying for His Spirit to enable them, empower them and embolden them through it.
Many of you are familiar with my book series, The Called. The premise of each of the books is that each person was an “ordinary” person who God used in an extraordinary way. God only works in extraordinary ways! And we are all very ordinary before Him. But by His grace, and in His sovereignty, God has chosen to work through each of us. As the apostle Paul reminds us, God has created each of us uniquely and given us different gifts. But the extraordinary work He intends to accomplish through each of us is not dependent upon which gifts or talents He has given us, it is dependent upon our faithfulness to use whatever He has given us, and our availability to be guided by His Holy Spirit.
As is my practice on occasion, the episode this week is a fictional first-person account as told by Zacchaeus about the events and circumstances of his life leading up to his encounter with Jesus. Though some of the characters and details contained in the story are fictional, you will find the truth conveyed to be very REAL!
It was one of the bleakest eras in the history of Judah. King Manasseh had risen to the throne upon the death of his father, King Hezekiah. Unlike his father, Manasseh caused evil to reign throughout the kingdom of Judah.
When you were a kid, do you remember getting caught doing something your parents or someone else in authority over you had told you not to do – or for not doing something they had told you to do? You suddenly realized there were going to be consequences. You weren’t going to be able to do something you had really been looking forward to doing – like going to a party at a friend’s house, or going to a movie with friends, or the like.
Most every one of us has gone through a period in our life journey when we are walking through the unknown. It’s a journey through unfamiliar territory that can take on many different faces such as disease, financial hardship, the breakup of a relationship, the loss of a loved one, extended unemployment, or the like. Even when you know that God is walking with you through every step, and leading you through it, and drawing you close … it still is a journey that weighs heavily and causes you to become exceedingly weary. You may be walking through just such a journey right now. If that’s the case, my prayer is that this post will provide some respite for you.
Jesus told the disciples to have the crowd sit down – so they could all watch and see the difference a little can make in the hands of the Master! After thanking the Father for the provision, Jesus took the young boy’s lunch and transformed it into a feast for five thousand men, plus women and children – probably fifteen thousand or more people. And everyone ate until they were full! The Master’s provision will always be more than enough when it is presented in His way for His glory!
We live in a day that is sorely in need of great leaders within every corner of our world – those who do not lead for personal gain, fame or recognition, but rather, those who would lead to bring about the changes needed for the benefit of all. But sadly, instead of selflessness, we more often are led by those who are pursuing their own personal agenda. Instead of humility, we are subjected to hubris and narcissism. Instead of the courage to do what is right, we are ruled by those who would rather pursue a path that is more politically expedient.
The Israelites experienced the victory over the Canaanites at Tabor because they followed God and remained steady despite the circumstances that were surrounding them.
Deborah told Barak that God had promised to give him victory over their enemies. Barak initially responded faithfully by saying, “I will go.…” However, he fell short when he faithlessly added, “BUT ONLY if you (Deborah) go with me”. He had received a command from the Almighty God – the Lord God Jehovah. And he responded with “Yes, BUT ONLY.…” He had chosen to underestimate what God would do and as a result, he settled for less.
We live in a day of seemingly limitless choices – from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, and from the causes we rally to support to the allegiances we make. In most instances, our ability to exercise those choices is accomplished instantaneously through a few swipes of our finger on a screen. And we pride ourselves on our ability to change our choice at any given moment should we decide to do so. In many respects, we value our right and ability to choose over the rightness of the choices we make.
We read in the book of Joshua, “Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He had spoken came true.” The psalmist David writes that every one of God’s promises is backed by all the honor of His Name. With God, it is an all or nothing deal. Either He is worthy of all honor, or He is worthy of none. Either every promise He makes is trustworthy and true, or not one of them is. God is not a man that He should lie and therefore there is no promise He can make that He cannot – and will not – fulfill.
We often make the mistake of seeing what we perceive to be “bad” timing, impenetrable barriers and overwhelming obstacles as reasonable excuses for not doing what God has told us to do. But the reality is that “bad” timing from a human perspective and impossible obstacles are exactly what God uses to magnify His power.
Seeing and hearing that the man born lame was now walking, leaping and praising God, the people in the Temple were “absolutely astounded,” and they “rushed out in amazement” to where the man was “holding tightly” to Peter and John. “Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.”(7) He wasted no time in asking the crowd two questions to get their focus on the right Person: “what is so surprising about this?” and “why stare at us as though we made this man walk by our own power or godliness?”
It would have been easy for the group to get carried away by the sight of the miracle and totally miss the Miracle Worker. i am mindful that’s still true today.
The early church looked radically different from the world around them . . . to the point others were drawn to ask, “How can this be?” In the Book of Acts, Luke records, “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!”
Do you find yourself in a situation where you are waiting on God? Has He given you a promise that hasn’t yet come to fruition and you feel like you are sitting in the waiting room? If so, there is an important lesson to remember – waiting is not inactivity! As a matter of fact, it is a lesson the early disciples modeled well.
This past Sunday, we celebrated the greatest moment in history – the day Jesus defeated sin, death and Satan by rising from the dead. The day eclipses all others. Even the advent of Jesus as the baby in the manger takes a subordinate place in history. If His resurrection had not occurred, His birth would have only been on par with that of other great men and women who have lived and died. The four Gospel writers recorded their accounts of the events surrounding Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection from different vantage points.
This Sunday we will celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Sin and death were conquered. The victory that the religious leaders and Satan thought they had achieved on Friday was overturned once and for all. Jesus revealed that He had been the One who was victorious on the cross, and the empty tomb was His proof, just as He had told His disciples. And yet, somehow, they had forgotten. Somehow, they were not looking for Him to arise from the dead. Somehow His return had been unexpected. If it was true of those who walked with Him physically for three years, what can the rest of us learn from them?
They knew Jesus better than most everyone else. John had been one of the first to follow Him. Peter had been the only one to walk on the water with Him. And when most everyone else had abandoned Him, Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of His cross and on the third day led several other women to anoint His broken body. Their love for Him had never been shaken … and yet, the faith of even these had waivered.
As the three of them made their way to the empty tomb, they weren’t truly expecting that Jesus had risen from the dead.
disciples. Some were members of His extended family or the families of His disciples, such as Salome (the mother of James and John, and the wife of Zebedee) and Mary (the mother of James the Less, and the wife of Clopas). Some of the women had been healed by Jesus, or were those from whom He had cast out evil spirits, including Mary Magdalene and Joanna (the wife of Chuza, the household manager of Herod Antipas). These, and many others, “were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and His disciples.” Mark lists Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James) and Salome as coming to the tomb the Sunday morning after Jesus was crucified.
The age in which we live often prompts us to ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” We can, at times, find ourselves preoccupied with making sure that we are receiving our just rewards for our effort. We can even do so as it relates to our relationship with God. We can become preoccupied with the benefits of our salvation and disregard why He has saved us – His mission, His purpose and His glory. We can become preoccupied with the blessings we expect from Him and lose sight of the honor and worship that is due Him through our lives.
The events that unfolded that night in the upper room before Jesus’ arrest, as recorded in John’s Gospel, were not happening “to” Jesus. The plan of redemption had been set in motion by the Father before the beginning of time. Jesus had always known what was going to occur. He knew when He called Judas Iscariot to follow Him as one of His disciples, that Judas would betray Him.
God’s timing is perfect. It always has been and it always will be. He is eternal. He’s not constrained by such things as time or space. He created it all. Time is as much His creation as we are. He can turn it backward, as we see recorded in the days of the prophet Isaiah and King Hezekiah. And just as easily as He could have turned time forward, He can make it stand still, like He did on the day He gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites.
You are probably aware that something has been taking place for the past couple weeks on the Asbury University campus of 1,600 students. Some would call it a revival; others would call it an awakening. i’ll leave it to the theologians to decide what to call it. What i do know is that on February 8th young men and women began to sense the Spirit of God moving in their hearts.
By all appearances they were faithful men. They were two of Moses’ most trusted leaders. Aaron was his brother. Hur was his brother-in-law. These were the two who had lifted up Moses’ arms that day on the hill overlooking Rephidim – the day the Amalekites were defeated. These two were probably the closest of Moses’ inner circle. If anyone had seen the hand of God moving on behalf of His people throughout the exodus from Egypt and the journey through the wilderness, it was these men. Aaron had been designated by God Himself to be Moses’ spokesperson to the people. Both men had been near Moses’ side at every critical juncture in the journey thus far.
A religious zealot by the name of Saul set out on a journey that day.(1) It was a journey of his own choosing. He was on a mission – his own mission. No one had told him to go. He had to solicit letters of endorsement to provide to the synagogues in Damascus so that he could obtain their cooperation. No one gave him those letters. He had to solicit them.
Just as Jesus knew everything about each of the men and women who accompanied Him – the one who would betray Him, the one who would deny Him, the one who would doubt Him – He knew there was no fruit on that fig tree that morning.
He knows all things past, present and future. So, if He was hungry, why was He walking over to a fig tree that He already knew was barren? And if He was hungry, why didn’t He just turn some of the leaves of that tree into fruit? Something tells me there was a whole lot more to what happened that morning than what meets the eye!
Have you ever noticed that God works in ways that we rarely expect? It’s His way of reminding us that His ways are not our ways … and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Are you walking through a circumstance in your life today where you are trusting God for an answer? Perhaps you are expecting Him to answer in a certain way … or perhaps you have no idea. Regardless, trust Him to answer in His perfect way … no matter how unexpected it might be. Just ask the fish!
It was by faith! Those are four powerful words. Apart from those four words, Noah would have perished with everyone else when the flood waters came. Abram would have been a wealthy landowner who none of us would have ever heard of, living in an obscure village none of us would have ever known. Moses would have lived out his life as the spoiled adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, surrounded by Israelite slaves. And a woman named Rahab would have lived out her days as a prostitute until her days were abruptly cut short. As a matter of fact, without faith, she would have died in obscurity just like all the rest of the people who were living in Jericho when the walls “came crashing down.”
As i look back over my life, i can clearly see those moments when i was facing major hurdles. It didn’t take me long to realize i needed to bring the matter before God. i knew that if He didn’t go before me, or fight for me, my efforts would most definitely end in defeat.
But i can also recall those times when i believed the path ahead did not require God’s intervention. i believed i could easily handle things on my own. So, i plowed ahead, never consulting the Lord on what He would have me do … and the result was disastrous.
2023 has begun. We have been uniquely prepared and divinely appointed for the journey that lies ahead. We would do well to heed the example of Joshua and not do anything without first seeking and then receiving the counsel of God. If we do, we can proceed boldly and confidently, walking in His Light and His Truth. As the year unfolds, we will find that God has placed people in our path that He intends for us to lead. We will encounter enemies that need to be conquered. And there will be new “lands” for us to possess!
The Israelites had survived generations of enslavement with little hope of rescue. The more they cried out to God, the more their situation appeared to become bleaker. As a matter of fact, when God’s chosen servant to lead them out of Egypt (Moses) arrived on the scene, pharaoh’s treatment of the people became even more severe. The beginning of a new year stood before them.
This is the last of four stories i have posted for this Advent season about the incarnational birth of Jesus. Each one, as you already know if you have been following along, is a fictional first-person account of the events that surrounded our Savior’s birth. Though some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!
Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (November 30th)
Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (December 7th)
Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (December 14th)
Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (This week - December 21st)
This week you will hear from a scribe named Annas. His name should sound familiar to you. He would eventually become a high priest in Jerusalem, and he, together with his son-in-law Caiaphas, would be instrumental in the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. At the time of Jesus’s birth, however, he would have been a young man. So, let’s consider the possibility that his first knowledge of the existence of the King of kings was at the time of Christ’s birth. Let’s listen to this young, ambitious scribe as he shares his eyewitness account of this portion of the Advent story.
This is the third of four stories i am posting for this Advent season. These are fictional first-person accounts of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. Though some of the characters and details contained in these stories are fictional, you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!
Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (November 30th)
Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (December 7th)
Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (This week - December 14th)
Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (December 21st)
This week you will hear from a fictional character by the name of Eliezer. He is the son of Joseph’s fictional cousin, Achim, who together with his wife Miriam, and all their family reside in Bethlehem. You heard about some of what Mary and Joseph encountered last week from Clopas. Let’s pick the story back up this week from Eliezer’s perspective.
Starting last week and continuing for the next two weeks, i am posting a total of four stories about the incarnational birth of Jesus. They are fictional first-person accounts of the events that surrounded the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!
My prayer is that through the stories you are reminded of the Good News of the Advent this Christmas season.
As has become my annual practice, beginning today and for the next three weeks, i will be posting a total of four stories about the incarnational birth of Jesus. They are fictional first-person accounts of the events that surrounded the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details contained in each story are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL!
My prayer is that through the stories you are reminded of the Good News of the Advent this Christmas season. To that end, let’s look at each part of this story through the eyes of four very different eyewitnesses:
Part 1 as told by Jacob the elder (This week – November 30th)
Part 2 as told by Clopas the uncle (December 7th)
Part 3 as told by Eliezer the cousin (December 14th)
Part 4 as told by Annas the scribe (December 21st)
Allow me to hastily acknowledge that our thanksgiving to God should never be limited to one day on our calendar, it should be a daily acknowledgement of Him and to Him. But is it? Do we truly stop to give Him thanks? i wonder if i have stopped short of being thankful. I’m grateful for what i have – family, friends, health, strength, possessions and provision (no matter how much or little it might be), and so forth. But am i truly thankful to the One who has provided it all? Or, have i settled for being grateful instead of being thankful?
Jesus never told Simon and Andrew where they would be going as they followed Him. It was never about the place to where He was leading. He simply told them He would make them “fishers of men”. The response required total surrender. And to their credit, they didn’t hesitate. They immediately followed Him! Their lives were never the same after that … and neither will ours.
“Abandoned” is one of those English words that has multiple meanings. It can mean “having been deserted or cast off,”(1) or to be “unrestrained, or uninhibited,”(2) or it can mean “having totally relinquished.”(3) None of us would ever want to be accused of having abandoned another person, or abandoned an animal or thing placed in our custodial care. We would never want to abandon any responsibility with which we have been entrusted. Rather, we all want to be known for our dedication and commitment to stay the course no matter what we encounter. We will never abandon our post, or anyone in need of or entrusted into our care.
Have you ever been caught up in a detour you weren’t planning on or expecting? It was one of those unexpected or unforeseen events that came to you from out of the blue. It could have been related to a situation at work, or at home. It could have started with people you didn’t even know, or it could have started with those who are the closest to you. But the further you got down the road of that particular detour, the more agitated you became.
We are a people who thrive on choices, and in our culture of consumerism and self-gratification, there is no shortage of choices. Though the breadth and variety of those choices has broadened throughout the years, it’s not a new concept. The ability to choose dates back to the Garden of Eden. It is an integral part of who we are as God’s creation. Our Creator gave us the ability and capacity to choose. But as our Creator, He knew our frame. He knew He needed to give us guardrails to help us make the right choices. But the downside of our ability to choose was – and is – our capacity to choose to function outside of those guardrails and make wrong choices. So it was in the Garden … so it is today … and so it was for the people of Israel as they made their way to the Promised Land.
During the three years the apostle Peter walked with Jesus throughout Galilee and Judea, the Lord often told him to “Follow Me.” And that’s what Peter did – he kept his eyes on Jesus and followed Him – through storms, through the many encounters with people experiencing overwhelming needs, and even through his extended times away from his family. Time and again he saw Jesus do the miraculous, the completely unexpected, and from an earthly perspective, the unexplainable. But, through it all, he had confidence … because Jesus was right there with him leading each and every step of the way.
In the Gospel of John, the apostle John often referred to himself as the one whom Jesus loved. He didn’t write that distinction because he was the only one whom Jesus loved; rather, he does so because he didn’t only have knowledge of Jesus, and he didn’t even only simply follow Jesus; rather, he was walking in an intimate love relationship with Jesus. He loved Jesus with all of his heart, soul and strength, and he knew Jesus loved him perfectly. And he desired for the readers of his Gospel to know the same.
We live in a day when promises are all too often kept only when it is convenient. Promises have become more fleeting and only endure for the moment – until we are convinced a better option has come along. Sadly, that has become true in every context in which we make promises. It’s become true in the promises made to one another in marriage. And it’s true in the promises of commitment we make to our Lord.
A transition in leadership was about to occur among the Israelites. Moses was about to step down, and Joshua was about to take his place. The incoming leader had seen enough to know that he was stepping into a daunting task – prompting increased anxiety and fear over what could occur. There was a need for assurance and admonition. Perhaps we, too, need to hear those same words ourselves.
This week in my quiet time, i have been reading the short epistle of Jude. It’s only one chapter and only contains twenty-five verses. i think i have too frequently breezed through it in the past. But this time the Lord told me to slow down and walk with His servant Enoch. In Jude 14-15, we read “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness….” That got me to thinking about Enoch.
Blessed is the man {or woman} who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his {or her} delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law he {or she} meditates day and night. He {or she} is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,and its leaf does not wither. In all that he {or she} does, he {or she} prospers.
When was the last time you felt God prompting you to step out of your comfort zone? It may have been a prompting to perform a small act of service for someone you didn’t know … or someone you knew … but didn’t like. It may have been a prompting to do something that you’ve never done before … and you were afraid you would fail … and embarrass yourself … or fall flat on your face. Or, it may have been a prompting to speak to someone who intimidates you … and the prospect was frightening to you.
As i wrote my upcoming book about the life of Enoch, i became convicted that Enoch’s walk with God was not a slow leisurely cakewalk through paradise that we might have wrongly envisioned it to be. Enoch was chosen by God to be a prophet – bringing unpopular messages to a world that had become evil. His walk with God was probably through some rough terrain, and some very trying circumstances. His walk with God by faith was anything but easy.
Impeculiar! Spell-check just told me the word is incorrect. Google tells me the word does not exist. And yet … it seems to be the perfect word to describe an attitude or action that others consider to be peculiar when, in fact, it should be the norm. i wouldn’t say the action is “ordinary,” because nothing about it is ordinary. I wouldn’t say the action is “unusual,” because it should be our daily response. But conversely, i could not describe it as “usual” or “unremarkable.” So, it must be impeculiar! Please allow me to explain.
The wind was blustery, and the waves were towering, when Peter first stepped out of the boat. But i would venture he was no longer seeing or hearing them – at least at first. The only One he was seeing and hearing was his Lord … as he stepped out of the boat with reckless abandonment.
Are you currently in a place that you are waiting on God to fulfill a specific promise He has given you? And, if so, have you been waiting for a long time … and is the end nowhere in sight?
We may be alone on the journey, or we may be surrounded by friends or family that are encouraging us along the way – but they don’t really know how to help us. They haven’t traveled that same path before. They don’t know the road markers. And try as they might, they just aren’t able to provide us with what we need. We need someone who has walked that path before us. We need someone who knows the way. We need someone who we can confidently follow.
You may recall the account recorded in the Book of Exodus about the day the people of Israel came to Aaron demanding that he make them a god made of gold, while at that very moment Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the stone tablets from God Himself. The tablets contained the terms of the Covenant between God and His people etched by His own finger. On a day that their attitudes and actions should have conveyed their allegiance to the One True Living God, they were demanding a lifeless imitation of gold.
At critical junctures along the pathway of our lives, we encounter doors that are either open or closed. We tend to perceive the open doors as an invitation or acknowledgement to proceed, and we often walk through them with excitement and expectation. However, we tend to look at closed doors quite differently. Those closed doors often represent to us something we really wanted to do or experience, and we respond to the closed door with disappointment – i.e. a missed job or life opportunity, a missed promotion, a missed adventure, etc. In those instances, we can sometimes mistakenly view God as a cosmic killjoy.
i invite you to listen to the portion of his story you may already know … and the rest that could have been. Though some of the other characters and details contained in the story are fictional, you will find the truth conveyed about the One who brings hope to the hopeless is very REAL! My prayer is that you will allow this story to be a personal reminder that the One who brought him hope is capable of bringing it to each one of us today … if we will only receive it.
You will recognize the main character in this story as the one who is often referred to as the woman with the issue of blood.
i invite you to listen to the portion of her story you may already know … and the rest that could have been. Though some of the other characters and details contained in the story are fictional, you will find the truth conveyed about the One who brings hope to the hopeless is very REAL!
If there was ever a day we needed to be reminded of the message of hope to be found in Jesus, it is today. This is the first of three short stories i am posting about men and women who experienced that message of hope at the moment of their greatest desperation.
My prayer is that you will allow these stories to be a reminder that the One who brought each of them hope is capable of bringing it to each one of us today … if we will only receive it.
This week we look at the story of the despairing father.
In his letters to the churches in Galatia and Philippi, Paul wrote that he was “crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. For me to live is Christ.” Paul’s identity was in Christ and he was writing the churches to remind them that as followers of Jesus, their identity was to be in Him as well.
The same is true for us … or at least it is supposed to be. It is easy in our day and time for our identity to get lost in our many interests that divide us and not in the One who died to draw us to Himself.
We would do well to heed a lesson from the Israelites.
Eyes of fear will always look up at the obstacles from man’s perspective; eyes of faith will always look down at the obstacles from God’s perspective. Eyes of fear will always gaze out from under the circumstances; eyes of faith will always look over the circumstances in light of God’s promises. Eyes of fear will always be blinded by the visible; eyes of faith will always be illuminated by the unseen assurance of God.
The Israelites had lived in Egypt for 430 years. As a matter of fact, it had been 430 years to the day. Now, the Lord was leading His people to embark on a journey to the land that He had promised their patriarch Abraham; a journey that would lead through the wilderness.
Because early Christians truly believed God is worthy, there was a conspicuous transformation that occurred in their lives. It changed the way they thought about everything – themselves, their priorities, their relationships, their time, and their possessions. They immediately recognized something that appears to be more difficult for us today.
There is a journey each of us take most every day. It is a journey to a “well” where we go to meet a need in our lives. Its purpose may be to fill an emotional emptiness, provide mental stimulation, meet a spiritual need, or satisfy a physical hunger. The needs we feel may vary and the places we go to appease them may look different, but we all have a “well” to which we go.
In those days, the people repeatedly chose to turn away from God and do evil in His sight. Their actions led to their enslavement and oppression by wicked kings. The people cried out in their distress, and God in His mercy raised up a man, or in one case a woman, who He chose to use to rescue them from their distress. They enjoyed a period of peace … until they again began to seek their own way.
Sadly, our life patterns are often very similar to those of the people who lived in the era of the judges.
Have you ever found yourself being weighed down by a burden of leadership? It could have been as you led your family, your co-workers, a group from within your church, or a group of friends. Whatever the group was, God had ordered your steps to be in a position of leadership with the group.
The day Moses stood before the burning bush, God gave him a promise. He promised that after Moses had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, he would return to that very same mountain to worship God. God didn’t tell Moses all that he was going to encounter along the way, and that is often true for us as well.
God’s primary purpose for creating us was for us to worship Him … with all of our being … including our language. i am therefore convinced that the spoken word was given to us by our Creator for that primary purpose – to worship Him. Yes, it was given to us so we might communicate with one another … but that is its secondary purpose. And i believe that sin is what caused our view of the order of purpose to become confused.
The work of Christ’s redemption is finished. There is nothing more to be done. We follow a Living Savior who rose from the grave. Let’s allow that powerful truth to permeate our every thought and every action every day … not only on Easter.
This is the last of four short stories i am posting about people who encountered Jesus during the months leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. You will find each of these individuals in the Gospel accounts, however i have added fictional elements to each of their stories so that we might see each one … as they journeyed through their lives leading up to their encounter … and as they continued their journey in the days that followed.
This is the third of four short stories i am posting about people who encountered Jesus during the months leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. You will find each of these individuals in the Gospel accounts, however i have added fictional elements to each of their stories so that we might see each one … as they journeyed through their lives leading up to their encounter … and as they continued their journey in the days that followed.
This is the second of four short stories i am posting about people who encountered Jesus during the months leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. You will find each of these individuals in the Gospel accounts, however i have added fictional elements to each of their stories so that we might see each one … as they journeyed through their lives leading up to their encounter … and as they continued their journey in the days that followed.
This is the first of four short stories i am posting about people who encountered Jesus during the months leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. You will find each of these individuals in the Gospel accounts, however i have added fictional elements to their stories so that we might see each one … as they journeyed through their lives leading up to their encounter … and as they continued their journey in the days that followed.
Have you ever done something that you knew you weren’t supposed to do? But you rationalized it was okay because no one was ever going to know what you had done. And then you took great effort to cover up what you had done just to make sure that no one would ever know. The answer to that question for all of us is “yes”. How do i know? Because we are all sinners … and we all have the proclivity to sin. Allow me to introduce a fellow sinner by the name of Achan who thought he could bury his sin deep enough.
Rather than choosing to honestly seek Jesus and receive His truth, many in the first century opted to harden their hearts and vilify Him. But there is one man who stands out to me from their midst. He wasn’t the only one … but his story in particular has made a great impression on me. In a day when most religious leaders were known for their efforts to discredit the ministry of Jesus, there came one who earnestly sought Him. In a day when most religious leaders mocked Jesus as He hung on a cross, there came one who meekly chose to help bury His body. And in a day when most religious leaders felt threatened by Jesus, there came one who courageously chose to take a stand for Him.
Unholy ambition is easy to spot in others. It can manifest itself in a lot of ways. The whole world is currently watching as one man’s unholy ambition has led him to direct his armed forces to invade the territory and lives of another sovereign nation. The resulting destruction is a reminder to all of us of just how evil our world can be, left to its own desires.
Some interruptions in our lives are simply unplanned delays. Like i said in last week’s episode, God can use His divine delays in our journey to bring us into alignment with His perfect timing. He slows us down in order to accomplish His perfect plan in the midst of our journey. But some interruptions are far more than a delay. They are moments, events and/or circumstances He uses in our lives to completely redirect us to a course that looks very different from the one we’ve been on.
Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced a delay in a journey. Most certainly, we have all experienced a simple travel delay caused by circumstances outside of our control. But the type of delay i’m referring to is related to our life journey. We set out on a path that we believed God had set our feet upon only to encounter an unexpected delay that either went on – or is still going on – for what seems like an eternity. If you find yourself being delayed even now, i encourage you to take a reminder from this delay in the apostle Paul’s life journey.
Sometimes we can be doing things the wrong way for so long that we no longer see anything wrong with what we are doing. In some ways, our errant practices become the norm – and sometimes, they become our new traditions. That can be true in places of worship – as well as in our own lives. Such was the case in first century Jerusalem. The temple was to be a place of worship and prayer. And yet it had become a place of commerce. Therein lies the big deal!
In 1979, four sisters from Philadelphia, who together formed an R&B vocal group, released what immediately became their breakthrough album, We Are Family,(1) featuring their Grammy Award winning single under the same title. The Sledge sisters celebrated in song what it meant to be family. If you were around in that era, i would venture to say that the song immediately began to play in your head as soon as you read the title of this post! Even if your own family experience wasn’t as joyful as the lyrics in the song, you found yourself celebrating the idea of family when those notes began to play.
Our pictures of family may in fact look very different from one another in many ways, but in the way that i would say is the most important, i would hope it looks the same!
When the day is done or when our lives come to an end, what do we want to be known for? Do we want to be known for the success we achieved, the awards we earned, or the victories we won? Or do we want to be known for the way we helped others or the civic service we selflessly carried out? Or do we want to be known for being a faithful and loving son or daughter, or husband or wife, or parent, or friend? Most, if not all, of those would be noble pursuits. But each of those in one way or another, actually points back to us.
The journey of our lives often resembles a car ride on an interstate highway. We never plan to encounter the accidents or the detours, but the reality is that they are a part of traveling along the interstate. The same is true of our lives. This week, let’s look at the detours we come upon along the way, and heed some of the lessons the Israelites learned through the detours they encountered during their journey.
You probably remember the setting (Isaiah 6). There is no indication that God was directing the question to any one person. He was asking the question of all who heard it – at that moment, and as we read those words … even today. That’s the uncomfortable part. We’re okay with it when it’s directed toward someone else. But it’s quite a different story when we believe it has been directed toward us.
It’s the beginning of a new year. Just like every year that has preceded it, the year stretches out before us like a great big unblemished canvas. This time next year, we’ll all be experts about what 2022 held in store for us … but right now, we really don’t have a clue, even though we may think we do. We’ve made our plans. We’ve set our course. But the reality is we really don’t know what will unfold.
So, as we continue our journey in this new year, we would do well to remember the lesson of the quail … and trust the One who goes before us.
It’s hard to believe that another year is drawing to a close. And yes, what a year it has been! Some of the major wordsmiths are using singular words such as these to describe 2021: vaccine, insurrection, perseverance, variant, woke, “wokelash” – and the most recent addition – “omnicron.”
Most of the words, just like those in years past, tend to focus on the events we find swirling around us – in many ways, like a whirlpool – seeking to suck us in and draw us under. So, a worthy question to ask as we enter into a new year is: will we point our gaze downward on the circumstances that surround us, or upward on the One who is Lord over it all?
A story for this Christmas season about Anna, a woman who faithfully lived out her life with the God-given expectancy that she would see the Messiah with her own eyes. Despite the many years that passed, her faith never wavered. Her story should serve as a reminder to us this Christmas season that whatever our Lord has promised … He will bring to pass!
A story for this Christmas season about Elizabeth, a woman of great faith who believed her Lord despite overwhelming odds to the contrary. As a result, she was given the great honor of being the first to announce the arrival of God’s Son … an honor that would later be shared by her son, John. Her story should serve as a reminder to us this Christmas season that with God all things are possible!
A story for this Christmas season about an unsuspecting priest by the name of Zechariah who was simply going about his business when God gave him some overwhelming news. His story should serve as a reminder this Christmas season that God can come to us at any moment and direct us to do the unimaginable. After all … He’s God … and we’re not!
Gabriel was the angel created and sent by God to deliver His message of Good News on more than one occasion. We would do well to follow his example … for we too have been sent to declare the Good News this Christmas season.
From the days of the Garden of Eden, our God has been at work to redeem a lost world back to Himself. His plan was already in motion. The plan was to send His Son to pay our debt. The plan was to then send out the followers of His Son to every corner of the globe to be witnesses of the Good News. He set in motion a mission to make a global impact that continues to this day. In doing so, He desires to work through men and women – MAGI – wise men and women who desire to be used by Him to Make A Global Impact. If we are to be those modern-day MAGI who journey on mission with the Master, we would do well to learn from our first century forerunners.
Have you ever been so caught up in what was going on in your life that you failed to keep your eyes on Jesus? And when you did come around to looking for Him it seemed like He was missing? If so, there are some lessons to be learned from Mary and Joseph.
Are you feeling like God has called you to do something that is way outside of your comfort zone? Do you find yourself in the midst of a situation that is far beyond your capability or understanding? Do you feel like God has just thrown you into the deep end of the pool? If so, you’re in good company. We see that occurring to men and women God used throughout the Bible. One of those was Joseph.
Have you ever been rejected by the very people you thought would stand by you no matter what? If so, you’re in good company! Imagine Jesus’s heartbreak when He returned to Nazareth and those He knew the best, rejected Him. Those He desired to bless the greatest, turned away from Him with great fury. What are the lessons we can learn from His journey back home?
The early followers of Jesus were fully devoted. But the thing that drew them together was not their devotion – it was the One to whom they were devoted! The church today has a lot of devoted followers. But i would contend that in too many instances our devotion has become misplaced. We have become fully devoted to aspects of our politics – or our culture. Our core beliefs have become more centered in our political or sociological orientation than in our theology. And our respective devotions have done more to divide us than unite us.
Do you find yourself in the midst of a situation that looks bleak? Are you at a place facing the unknown where you have more questions than answers? Is your situation causing you to be anxious or fearful? If so, you have a lot in common with Jesus’s closest followers.
There were two men there at the shore to meet Jesus and the disciples when they docked. The night before, when they got into the boat, Jesus had told them, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” The disciples had no idea why they were going to the other side of the lake. They had no idea what Jesus’s purpose was or who they would encounter. But Jesus did! Nothing with Jesus is random! He doesn’t waste a moment … an experience … or an encounter. Nothing is inconsequential. That was true for the disciples … and it is equally true for us. We would do well to remember that truth. If we follow the example of the disciples and keep following Him wherever He goes – we will be right where He wants us to be – in the midst of His activity – and His purpose!
What does it mean to be a “keeper of the light” – not when everything is going great – but when we are walking through tough times? Though we may need to endure for a little while, we do so with the promise of One who has walked where we are walking.
Are you at a crossroad in your journey? Are you needing wisdom to know which road to take? Are you considering which of the roads in front of you is the best one for you? The probability is that all of your options look pretty good. Let’s face it – if one of your options looks like it will lead to complete disaster, you’re probably not wasting much time considering it. So your quandary is probably over which of the “good” options in front of you is the best. If that’s the case, you would do well to follow the example of a woman by the name of Rahab.
i often receive comments or questions about why God didn’t intervene in a specific tragedy. If He is sovereign, why didn’t He keep that tragedy from occurring? The comments, in most instances, are from people crying out for an answer with a sincere and contrite heart. On occasion, it is pouring out from a heart that has become bitter and hardened by tragedy. Some have even gone so far as to conclude that since God didn’t act in the way we think He should have that He must not exist.
God has promised to always be faithful, but most often His faithfulness looks very different from what we thought it would. i have come to believe that God delights in our surprise. He enjoys doing things in ways we would never expect … because it is His way of reminding us that He is God … and we aren’t!
Jesus often takes us on a wilderness journey with Him in order to prepare us and equip us for the task that He is placing before us. Sometimes those wilderness journeys are a very private and personal affair. It’s us and the Lord – and very few others, if any, know about it. It’s a “hidden” journey – and i personally believe that it is in that type of journey that God does His deepest work in our lives.
One day in the temple, three days before His crucifixion, Jesus stood before the religious leaders of the day as their Judge rendering His verdict and His pronouncement over them. He used some very strong words. But don’t think that Jesus had allowed His emotion to get the better of Him. This was not like you or i might do – allowing our anger to seize control of our tongue and spew venom upon those who have hurt us. He was speaking out of an anger that was godly and a judgement that was righteous.
If someone was to ask you to name the twelve disciples who followed Jesus, how far could you get on the list? There are six names on the list that are more difficult to recall. Since little was written about them, their names tend to fade into obscurity in our memories But here’s the thing: the very fact that Jesus chose them to be His disciples tells us that He could entrust them to carry out His mission to make disciples.
Not one of them was anyone special on their own merit. They were ordinary people – just like the rest of us. But as they walked with the Master, He transformed them into His image and empowered them for His mission.
Forty years had passed since the Israelites’ journey out of Egypt had begun, and the journey hadn’t looked anything like they had envisioned it would be. And they were still journeying through the unknown … just like we are. There would be challenges ahead – those they could see – like the Jordan River and the city of Jericho – and those they had not yet seen.
It was the first day of the week, and the crowd was enthusiastically welcoming Jesus into the city. Most of the people spread their garments or branches on the road before Him. Everyone appeared to love Jesus! Well, maybe not everyone. But, at that moment, you would have thought everyone did by the way the crowd was acting.
The statement was made by Gamaliel, who appears to have been a voice of reason and carried great weight with the high priest Caiaphas, Annas and the others on the high council.
The man had not come to the pool of Bethesda that day expecting to encounter Jesus. He was hopelessly trusting in a pool of water that had no power. He didn’t even know who Jesus was. But Jesus knew him!
The day had started out no different from any other. A large crowd had been following Him throughout the day. Jesus was approaching the gate to enter the village of Nain. At the same time, a funeral procession was making its way out of the village on its way to the cemetery.
i often wonder what i would have done. Jesus asked the servants at the wedding in Cana to do something that was outlandish. They had no reason to expect the outcome that occurred. But that’s why Jesus rewarded their faith.
i can’t say i found God because i was pursuing Him. Rather, He was pursuing me. In that regard, i have a lot in common with Matthew. Perhaps, you do too.
John the baptizer was a man of conviction and courage – the greatest of the prophets. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah.
The apostle Andrew who grew up in the shadow of his older brother Simon Peter cast quite a shadow himself – a shadow that led others to Jesus.
Judas Iscariot didn’t set out on his journey to follow Jesus with betrayal on his mind. He followed Jesus because he truly believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
As I stood there watching Jesus, I was ashamed. How many times had I walked through that court and done nothing? How many times had I ignored the sin in God’s temple?
Soon I was standing there watching Jesus walk away. Right behind Him were my wife, my sons, my partners, and my friends. I would be less than honest if I didn’t confess that at that moment I felt very alone.