Today is our National Day of Prayer…
Lessons From A Storm (part 2)
Our first principle is that storms will come even when we are obedient to the commands of Jesus.
Text: Matthew 14:22-31
The second principle is in verse 25: Our Blessings are Found at the Darkest Part of our Storms.
While the scenery of the text is rough and tough, it is comforting to know that there are some positive things happening even in the worst part of the storm. Our text informs us that it was the 4th watch of the night. The Romans divided the night into four watches. The fourth watch was between 3:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M, which is believed to be the darkest part of the night.
This text reveals to us that it is during the darkest hour of our storm that Jesus draws nigh. We should find it encouraging that Jesus in the hour of desperation and frustration is drawing near. This verse also reveals to us one of the purposes of storms. I think that storms are allowed by God to show us what is within us.
Look at the text, Jesus is moving toward the disciples but they suffer from a case of mis-identification. Fears, runs wild in the disciples. They mistake Jesus for a Ghost, their fears and phobias surface like the rising of the tide.
This gets us to the third principle in verse 27: Storms Reveal the True Source of Our Strength (Courage).
When things were at the worst point for the disciples, when they were overwhelmed by the wind and the waves, Jesus shows up. The disciples had been rowing for a long time, and yet they were unable to get trough the storm. Storms reveal our own inability and the ability of God. We try to live large and in charge, but as great as our press clipping may be, when storms come they reveal all of our inadequacies. Yet Paul declares that when we are weak, we are strong. When Jesus shows up in our storm, we find that we gain strength. We gain strength to do the possible. When Jesus shows up He can help us make something useful out of our mistakes. When Jesus shows up he invigorates, restores and empowers us to reach the unreachable, to cross the uncrossable. Storms let us know that without Him, we can do nothing and without Him we are doomed to fail. Yet, when Jesus shows up, we gain the strength to join in with Paul and say in Christ I can do all things.
The storms of life are liken unto a grain sifters, it matters not what you start with it but rather it is all about what is left when the shaking stops. Many of us are going through a lot of stormy patches, and some of the people we thought would be left when the shaking ended, were gone. Some of the things we were counting on as stabilizing elements of our lives have disappeared. I want to share with you that what matters most is what is left when the shaking stops. We have to learn to thank God for what is left and stop complaining about what is lost.
Question: What do you do when the storms of life are raging? Pray, keep busy, isolation, evaluation, hesitation, rationalization, or just blame everyone else for your current circumstance?
Storms are designed to hinder our progress, impede our development, distract our focus, and halt our spiritual development. Think about it for a moment, when storms come don’t they keep us from going where we were trying to go, in fact a severe storms will sometimes cause us to forget what we were doing before the storm came.
But, I don’t want you to misunderstand what I mean by the word “storm.” A storm is any situation that hinders, halts, distracts, and attempts to destroy your peace, joy and the providential and plan God has for your life. Sometimes our storms are places of employment, sometimes they are people in our lives; our finances, friends and even family members can be storms.
Let’s press on…
Principle number four, from verse 28: We Must Be Willing To Get Out of The Boat.
Boats is being used a s a metaphor for our old patterns or life. Those predictable behaviors and tragic flaws that we have a tendency to repeat over and over again. We keep rowing, but we are not making any progress in our little, old boats. This boat represents the status-quo, the same-old same-old. Too often we are trapped by the status-quo. We get trapped in the expectations and fears of others who are more than happy to share with us what they would and would not do.
It is time to get out of that tired old boat and experience something new. If you don’t like what is happening, if you’re tired of the way things are going, get out of the boat. If you don’t like the way people treat you, change boats or if you don’t like the way things are going in your relationship get out of the boat.
But wait, get out does not mean leave, it also means try something different. Change the formula and the end result will also change. 2011 is an great time to get out of the old boats of failure and frustration. Can you think of some boats that are sinking (not working real well for you) that you need to get out of.
I also think that this lesson demonstrates how we shortchange God by staying in our crummy little going-nowhere boats. The point is it better on the water with Jesus that in the boat with others who are not going anywhere or doing anything.
[conclusion Friday…]
One Woman’s Opinion: OBL (5-3-11)
Many of the commentaries I have read applaud the efforts of the U.S. as serving or dispensing justice. I have found this disturbing. I do not think justice has been served. I cannot imagine Christians or any other religious group celebrating anyone’s death. I do not see how this will resolve terrorism. What I foresee is retaliation, more death and more hate-mongering. I do not think this act will advance our efforts in bringing this war to an end. I do not think this will bring Christians and Muslims any closer than the Crusades did.
I am deeply disturbed by Christians wanting to celebrate another’s death. This does not bring closure or resolution; the wound is still present, and our loved ones cannot be returned. What happened at Ground-Zero was horrific, but there is no getting even. There is no getting back at them.
In all likelihood another “mastermind,” or two, or three will rise up. Will al-Qaeda be more disorganized? Perhaps for a time. But I do not think the Americans who “manage” our wars and direct our fighting young men and women understand the mentality of religious fundamentalists or fanatics any more than they understood how to fight war in the jungles of Vietnam.
As people of faith ourselves, we should not be surprised by their passion and zeal for what they believe in. Can we regard it as wrong, and not something we’d buy into? Of course we can, but we can never truly understand it.
Sadly, for most of us Americans, Christianity is a hobby. We work hard at not letting our religion and spirituality affect or interfere with the other areas of our lives. If we want to put it aside for a while, then we can walk away from it and pick it up at a later date…no harm, no foul. If we want to visit some other form of spirituality, we can bring the parts we like back into our worship because it makes us feel better.
I wish to take nothing away from the Navy Seals who did a great job in their espionage efforts and stealthy activities. It was their job; like the executioners we pay at state prisons. But it is not a time of celebration or joy. It is a time of fear and prayer.
How can it be that each side can claim to have God on their side? Is this what we have learned after thousands of years of religious teaching and scholarship? That God has nothing better to do than sit around and choose sides! That we do not have free will to choose what we do and how we respond? That if God is on “our side” that anything and everything we do is right and just and fair? That somehow we can subjugate God’s will to our own?
I am at a loss. And although I shed no tears for Osama, my hearts breaks for our religious community.
[As an active blogger, I felt I would be remiss if I did not make a personal comment about the most reported event in the current events.]
Lessons From A Storm (part 1)
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:22-31
Have you ever wondered why contrary winds seem to continually blow in our lives, I have. Why are there problems on the job and problems at home? Why do we seem to have problems in every aspect of our lives, all at once. I would like to suggest that perhaps the storms are not really about our jobs or homes or family or anyone else; maybe… these storms are all about us…me and you. We have all heard and said that we shouldn’t think everything is about us….but sometimes it is.
Let us consider what God might be saying to us in our current situations. Yes we work really hard to look good on the outside, but on inside we are about to lose our natural minds.
We have gators on our feet’s, furs on our backs, pearls around our necks and diamonds on our fingers but yet we are at a loss to understand why the lions, bears and tigers (oh my) are on our trails. We swim with sharks, we dance like Kevin Costner with wolves, we sleep with the enemy and we are constantly subjected to the indecent proposals of the enemy and the prince of this world. Steaks in fridge, but no solutions to our storms. We have full pockets, but empty hearts. We are just poor pawns of an unjust world. Yes, the contrary winds and waves of the world leave us at a loss.
Yet, the scripture offers us several (actually seven) practical but powerful principles embedded within this passage that I believe can help with our own stormy situations.
Our text is recorded in each of the synoptic gospels.(Sorry, “churchspeak.” It is in all four of the Gospels- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. All of these Gospels tell the same or similar stories, primarily about Jesus, but from different perspectives, or different points of views, different eyes…hence, syn-optic.) This is of great benefit to us, because it gives us a panoramic view of the events.
The framework of our text is that Jesus has just fed the five thousand. The disciples have just witnessed the marvel of the mighty, and miraculous manifestation and demonstration of the power of God incarnate on display.
There is a disconnection and a departure in our story. Our disconnections always precede our departures. If you want to get somewhere else, there are some things you must let go of that are keeping you where you are.
Jesus dismisses the crowd and commands the disciples to go to the other side. Observe the atmosphere, the weather is normal or should I say ordinary. The background of this textual episode is just an ordinary day.
The thing about storms in our lives is that they tend to happen when we have disconnected, made our departures and are on way. Additionally storms often show up during what believe to be ordinary days.
Let’s look at the scripture. We have Jesus commanding devoted and dedicated followers to depart from their current location to another destination on what appears to be an ordinary day. Our text informs us that the principle parties, the disciples, are far away from land, in a boat. The other synoptic writers tell us that the boat was about half way across and then the weather changed. Such is the nature of storms. They come unannounced, and during a time when we are too far out to turn back and too far out it seems to make it over. It is during these times that God is able to develop and deliver us.
So, on to the principles involved:
1st Principle, found in verse 22, Storms come even when we are obedient to the Commands of Jesus. This text teaches us that a right relationship with Jesus is not a recipe for a storm-proof life. If we look at the text, it was Jesus who told the disciples to get on the boat. And it was Jesus who told the disciples to depart and go to the other side. So the text reminds us that even when we do the best we can, even when we are striving and straining to be the best for God that we can that storms will come. No matter who we are storms are going to come into our lives.
See how the weather changes and the calm waters become waters of restlessness. Sometimes we are sailing through life, working, providing for our families and going about our ordinary and habitual routines and the weather changes. The phone rings and we have lost a love one (weather has changed), sometimes it a lay off from your job (weather has changed), sometimes it is a love one saying I don’t love you any more and I want out of the relationship (weather has changed), sometimes it is your child sharing a moment of making a choice that will change everyone’s life (weather has changed). You were striving to do what the word said, but the weather changed.
So, our first lesson is that storms will come even when we are obedient to the commands of Jesus.
What else can we find…
[more tomorrow…]
Osama bin Laden (5-2-2011)
A lot has been said about Osama since his death. I thought this was an article worth reading and considering, as we continue to try to live our lives with intention and with purpose. Everything we say and do matters…
7 Lessons To Teach Your Kids About Osama Bin Laden’s Death:
http://www.epicparent.tv/7-lessons-to-teach-your-kids-about-osama-bin-ladens-death/
The Favor of a Few / Sermon Notes 5-1-11
Text: Romans 11:1-12
If you are in, or of the Father, or a follower of Jesus, you must wrestle with the question of faith.
We must get a fresh focus on what favor means.
We must learn how to apply favor in and around our lives.
“How many of you need favor?”
Paul is making a provocative proposal to God’s people.
The Book of Romans represents the theological lynchpin to the New Testament.
The 10th and 11th chapters, Paul asks, “Is it worth anything to still allow the Jews to be in ‘it’?”
The Gentiles have started gaining in prominence in the church, and are looking down on the Jews.
Paul is telling the Gentiles to be patient, prayerful and peaceful with the stubbornness of the Jews.
The Jews have been having some difficulty with the shift in the church.
The past recipients of God’s favor are having difficulty with the new “flavor” of God’s favor.
The Gentiles ask, “Why should we pray for the past recipients of God’s grace?”
Favor, like flavor, can get stale.
Romans 10:2 – the Jews have a zeal of God, but none of God’s righteousness. They have fallen out of favor by trying to establish their own righteousness (following the Law)
Favor is not perpetual, it is positional. Favor is based on your position in God, and the willingness to walk with God.
Favor must be re-appropriated on a seasonal basis
Verse 1 asks, has God cast away His people? Has He separated Himself from them? If this is the case, Paul himself would be forced out, as he is a Jew as well.
Favor is fresh and will fall where He wills it.
Favor is not an individual commodity, but a bundled product, a community commodity.
It’s not about me, but about “us”
We have examples of people who received favor, but did not use it only for themselves. They shared it, or used it to benefit others.
Abraham- used it to get Lot out of trouble.
Jacob- used favor to allow Laban to get increase in the land.
Joseph- some of his favor fell on the Egyptians, as they prepared for the upcoming famine.
Favor is a community “thing.”
What do we do to become qualified? We must be willing to receive God’s favor and walk in it.
Favor is a supernatural commodity of God’s.
Verse 5- You don’t have to receive favor to be in favor.
Just because you are a “good Christian” does not mean that you will always get favor.
We should pray to be near people with favor.
We should stop the “hat-eration”
When someone else goes up, I can go up with them.
I can get next to them, help them, encourage them…
In order to have favor, you need to be bundled with the people receiving favor.
Grace- Skit Guys
This seemed an appropriate follow-up to our journey to Calvary and on to Resurrection Sunday last week.
If you missed the line, what Jesus said to Mary was, “Tell the Disciples and Peter…” Wow.
And, just in case you don’t remember the back-drop for this: Peter has denied even knowing who Christ was three times, and has been in hiding with the rest of the Disciples. Meanwhile, the women go to the Tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial. Jesus appears to Mary and says, “Tell the Disciples and Peter…”
We are so busy talking and doing and asking and complaining, we don’t often take the time to listen. Jesus speaks to us and demonstrates His grace to us constantly. It’s always about Him. Listen…
Sermon notes tomorrow…
GEMS
Spending the day at a conference (GEMS) with local 8th to 12th grade girls talking about:
Dating abuse and violence
Abstinence and starting over
Self-esteem and body image
Careers
All very important topics for our young people, girls and boys. We must stop hiding our collective heads in the sand, and acting as if we don’t have to be intentional about how we parent, mentor and pattern behaviors.
Go talk to a youngster today. Yours or someone else’s…
No post today.
GEMS= Girls Empowered and Motivated for Success
Are You A Trader?
Today I am asking for your input. Leave me a comment about the film, or anything else on your mind.
What do you think our world, our individual lives, yours and mine, would look like if we actually stopped pursuing the “shiny” things in life and “keeping up with the Joneses” and turned our minds, hearts and talents to more lasting treasure?
What impact could we make in our homes and our churches and on our jobs if we actually acted like what we did there mattered? Because it does matter.
It matters what we teach our children, and all the lives of children we touch. It matters that we have respect for each other; even if we don’t really love them.
It matters that we seek the lost. And some of the most lost people we know sit right next to us every day.
What we do has eternal consequences, and we should live our days as if we believe that to be true!
Comment….
Up Against the Wall (Part 3)
Preparation first involves waiting on God.
Text: Nehemiah 1:1-11
What do we expect from God?
When we pray about a situation or a person, should we expect God to operate in our time frame, and in the ways we understand to bring the fulfillment we think is best? Or, are we prepared to do what God calls us to do in the way and time He calls us to do it?
Notice in Nehemiah 1:1, Nehemiah receives the report about Jerusalem from Hanani in the month of Chislev. Then he prays. And, in Nehemiah 2:1, when he finally makes his request to the king its the month of Nisan. According to the Hebrew calendar, Chislev corresponds to our December; and, Nisan corresponds to our April. That’s 4 months of prayer and fasting! In our world of instant everything, its very hard for us to pray and wait on God. We’re very hasty and impatient creatures.
The Second thing that preparation means is, commitment. It means being available for God to work in us and through us in His way.
Nehemiah was the cupbearer for the King (Nehemiah 1:11b). The cupbearer tasted the wine before the king drank it, tasted the food before the king ate it. If someone tried to poison the king the cupbearer would die.It was a position of intimacy and trust. The cupbearer had to be with the king during confidential discussions. It has been suggested that, apart from the queen, the cupbearer had the greatest influence on the king. So, there was no one else in the kingdom in a position to speak to the king about Jerusalem the way Nehemiah did. God had placed Nehemiah there for a reason.
In 2:8, after his conversation with the king, Nehemiah says that he was successful. Why? “Because the good hand of my God was on me.”
Unlike our current times, I have read that in ancient Greece, to prevent foolish politicians from proposing idiotic laws, lawmakers were asked to introduce all new laws while standing on a platform with a rope around their neck. If the law passed, the rope was removed. If it failed, the platform was removed. Hmm……
How committed are we to God’s plan of action? Its easy for us to complain about our boss, to gossip about people in the church, to back stab people in the community, to gripe and moan about the way things are when none of these people are with us.
How many of us are prepared to act, choosing to do what God calls us to do, in the way He wants us to do it?
It is hard. It wasn’t easy for Nehemiah either. In 2:2, coming before the king he says, “I was very much afraid.” In 2:4, when the king asks him what he wants Nehemiah answers by saying that he prayed to God for- “HELP!”
It wasn’t easy for Nehemiah. It isn’t easy for us. When we are up against a wall we need to be prepared, choosing and being committed to do what God calls us to do.
The Third and final part of preparation is PLANNING. The tone and wording of Nehemiah’s speech would have to be very careful. Nehemiah has thought this all out.
Verse 2, the king asks Nehemiah: “What’s wrong?” “The city of my father’s tombs is in ruins.” Notice he mentions tombs, something the king can relate to. Verse 4: “What do you want to do?” “To rebuild it.” Verse 6: “How long will it take?” And, Nehemiah gives him a definite time period.
He had thought out everything he would need. He was a 1,600 mile round trip through hostile territory to fix the walls of a city. A city the rulers of the area would rather have in ruins. He asks for letters to the governors of the provinces that he would have to pass through. The letters with the king’s signature would guarantee safe passage. He needed supplies, so he asked for letters of requisition, – asking for timber from the king’s own forest.
Nehemiah knew what he was going to say and how he was going to say it, long before he was called on to say it. He had the answers to the kings questions and a plan to be put into action. Praying in faith is not a substitute for careful planning.
God honors orderly thinking. Jesus said, “When a man wants to build a tower, does he not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Or, what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:28,31)
We should learn to think our issues and plans through before we commit ourselves. We need to be prepared for what we’re getting into.
With God, praying and waiting is always an adventure. It is never passive. It is always productive, a time of preparation. A time to think through our commitment to God’s purposes. Time to evaluate the resources He’s given us. Time to consider the possibilities and how they can be realized. So that in God’s way and in God’s time we will be ready to move as He leads us forward.
No human being could have opened the heart of the king to Nehemiah‘s request, but, God did. God brought Egypt to its knees before Moses. God preserved His people through Esther.
He wants to work in our lives, with the people and situations we face. Will we pray? Will we prepare?
Expecting God to move us forward in His time and in His way?
Amen…………