5/31/13

5/31/13, day 151

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. I pant with expectation, longing for your commands. Come and show me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. (Psalms 119:130-133 NLT)

We are almost half way through our Bible reading for the year, and I just wanted to encourage you all to continue on this journey, complete the task. God has been doing a good work in me this year, and it is because I have been in His word. Today's reading in the Psalms talks plainly about His word, how it can guide our path, how it gives light. God's word is a "lamp unto our feet and a light for our path." God's word is living and active. It shows us the right way to live our lives, it convicts us of sin, it encourages, teaches and guides. It is the ultimate direction-giver. But we have to allow the word of God to be our guide, and we have to know the word of God to let it. We need to "hide His word in our hearts, so that we will not sin against Him." The Word is more than a book, it is a weapon, and we need to be ready to wield it. We are in constant battle, and our best defense is the Word of Truth!

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Thursday, May 30

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013

2 Samuel 15:23–16:23

John 18:25–19:22

Psalm 119:113–128

Proverbs 16:10,11

 

 

“You are my refuge and my shield;

                I have put my hope in your word.

Away from me, you evildoers,

                that I may keep the commands of my God!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live;

                do not let my hopes be dashed.

Uphold me, and I will be delivered;

                I will always have regard for your decrees.” (Psalm 119:114–117)

 

 

“The lips of a king speak as an oracle,

                and his mouth should not betray justice.” (Proverbs 16:10)

 

 

As Jesus stands before Pilate, He speaks truth to power.  Pilate has only received the power to judge the matchless, sinless Son because of God’s sovereign choice:  “Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.’” (John 19:11a) 

 

Jesus’s confident and well-deserved assurance in His righteousness stands in stark contrast to Pilate’s moral expediency.  The One from Above stands firm in His will, while Pilate squirms to channel the people’s will and bolster his own standing.  In the end, Pilate accedes to crucify Jesus, even after determining His innocence and finding some resolve “to set Jesus free.  But the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar.  Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’”  The Jewish leaders accused this true King of blasphemy:  for having claimed the eternal “I am” status.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ obediently endured this mockery of a trial and the certain condemnation that followed it in order to provide forgiveness to those who would trust in Him.  In doing so, He painted a picture of the rewards of obedience:  despite the pain and the cost, living righteously and for God’s glory will bring about God’s purposes and produce eternal rewards.

 

Have you ever experienced the calm assurance of standing firm in God’s will and His truth?  As Nikkie mentioned yesterday, we struggle and stain to position ourselves where we might fit best, to take the most out of life.  Yet, when we submit to His purposes and direction, we may rest confidently in His provision, care, and presence.  Please note that I am not highlighting the tie between obedience and daily health for its sake alone, but rather these fruit come as a byproduct of living victoriously for the King.

 

As an illustration, consider an upcoming trip.  Often, we rush frantically in preparation for an out-of-town excursion, packing our suitcases, gathering our travel documents, and rushing to the airport or train station.  Yet, once we have sat on the train or plane or car, we may rest, knowing that the pre-set itinerary will govern the next steps.  The itinerary provides structure for the journey ahead.  Similarly, studying God’s Word enables us to order our lives around God’s priorities, in order to travel according to His itinerary for us.

 

On another note, I often face strong waves of self-doubt.  In my mind, I sense a raging condemnation, an attack against the createdness of God in me.  This battle appears spiritual in its nature, not fleshly.  While we all struggle with daily insecurities, these falsehoods seem tied to a more sinister and destructive force.  Their character brings to mind John 8:44:  “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

 

As a parallel, perhaps these experiences and today’s passage indicate that, while Jesus faced doubts over who He was, we will face similar pressures, but more importantly over the question of “Whose am I?”  The Evil One wishes to erase the goodness of God, the joy of His people, the advancement of His Kingdom, and ultimately His glory.  Into this battle, we venture, empowered by the Spirit and girded in the truth:  “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:3–6)

 

Yet, we must appropriate this truth on a moment-by-moment basis.  When we fail to do so, we become vulnerable to attack and ready prey for the Evil One.  We may rejoice in His redemption within us, which brings transformation:

 

1.       Romans 12:2:  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

2.       2 Corinthians 3:18:  “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

3.       2 Corinthians 5:17:  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

4.       Ephesians 4:20–24:  “That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

 

Father, we are grateful that You have provided a clear example of walking in obedience to the truth through Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  We seek to follow His path of obedience and humbly request Your renewing our minds, moment by moment, so that we may understand and live according to Your will.  We seek to bring You glory through our thoughts, words, and deeds and to bless Your people.  Bring Your Word alive in our hearts and minds, and help us to be fully transformed according to Your character.  In Jesus’s mighty Name, Amen.

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2 Samuel 14:1 – 15:22, John 18:1-24, Psalm 119:97-112, Proverbs 16:8-9

2 Samuel 14:1 – 15:22, John 18:1-24, Psalm 119:97-112, Proverbs 16:8-9

 

            Classic debate in anyone's house: Who wears the pants???  Who's in charge? Husband or wife??  Well, I can really give you what I think the answer is J but I'd like to take a quote from the 2002 classic, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."  The mom tells the main character, "The man is the head, [of the house] but the woman is the neck, and she can move the neck any way she wants."  Or as I have teased in our home, "Divan wears the pants….I just tell him which ones to wear." Ha ha.  Control, in my opinion, is the hardest thing for people to give up when making a decision to follow Christ.  Even as a Christian, surrendering is the hardest part to give.  It's scary not knowing what's next, and all my life I have battled with the timeless question, "What's my purpose?  What happens next?  What am I supposed to be when I grow up?"  This has been probably the greatest struggle and I knew it at an early age.  In high school and college I even had grand plans to get the word "surrender" tattooed in Hebrew as a constant reminder to myself to give everything up to God (but to my parents and husband's relief I never did.)  In high school you could find Proverbs 16:9 written in my journal, notebooks, or bedroom wall because I recognized the truth behind it.  "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."   I may think I wear the pants, or am the head of my life, but God is the one mastering it all. 

           

  In my experience the times that I have tried to take that control, or have pushed God to the side thinking that I know better, are the times life was the messiest.  It was during those times that I crashed and burned.  These times happen way more often that not.  So hands up…surrender.  I am reminded how thankful I should be that HE KNOWS WHAT HE"S DOING!  Because we all I know that don't!!!  Life is crazy!  What a relief and hope knowing that I may have my idea of plans, what should be done, and how it should be done, but it's God who is in control.  He is guiding me….directing me. 

 

            The next question…how do we do this?  How do we give up the control, trust in him, and truly know that He determines/guides/directs our every move?  We know it, we do it, because of God's word to us.  We love and trust Him by intimately knowing Him and it starts with the Word.  We read in Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible that is a love poem about the Law: the Word of God.  In these few chapters alone, the author uses these verbs, or action words in relation to the word.  He says he "Loves," mediates on it all day long," "Obeys," "Has not departed," tastes it and savors it "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"  "Taken an oath…I will follow," asks to be taught, and "Will not forget."  These are some big commitments.  They are promises and it seems too good to be true?  How can someone really do this?  Verse 111 says, "Your statues are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart."  Joy is one of the words I highlight in my Bible.  Joy is something that I crave and desire.  Joy comes from loving the Word and knowing it.  It comes from knowing God and loving him.  It comes by trusting Him to determine my steps and knowing His plans are greater than I know.  It comes by surrendering self…surrendering what Nikkie wants, thinks, and acts on.  Hands up.  I pray Psalm 119:112, that "My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end."     

May 28

2 Samuel 13

John 17

Psalm 119:81-96

Proverbs 16:6,7

2 Samuel 13 tells a pretty sordid account of how dysfunctional David's family was (and I think dysfunctional is putting it mildly). David's son Amnon lusted after his half sister Tamar. He then planned and carried out a scenario where he would have the opportunity to take her by force. After he raped her, he threw her out of his room and locked the door. Everything about how he treated Tamar was deceitful, disgusting, and insulting. It was a horrible way to treat someone that he claimed to be "in love with."

Tamar's brother Absalom was also disgusted by what Amnon did to her. He then carried out his own plan where he killed his brother out of revenge. Absalom fled to his grandfather and stayed with him for 3 years to escape possible wrath from his father King David. 

2 Samuel 13:39 really stood out to me. It says, "And King David, now reconciled to Amnon's death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom." I started thinking about David as a father. Here we have two sons who did terrible things. Amnon committed rape and Absalom committed murder. Yet when Amnon died, David still wept bitterly and mourned for days. After Absalom fled, David missed him and wanted him to return. Even after the terrible things his sons did, he was still their father and he still loved them and he longed for a reconciled relationship with them.

I loved how Proverbs 16:6 tied into this: "Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin." The only hope that Absalom had for a restored relationship with David was if David decided to forgive him. And the only reason David would decide to forgive his son was if he loved him unconditionally. Unfortunately, Absalom never made the choice to accept forgiveness and be reconciled to his father. We will read about how his life ended up on another day.

Fortunately for us, we have the chance to make the right choice. The relationship between David and his sons is just like the relationship between God and us. We do terrible things everyday. And yet God still loves us and longs for a reconciled relationship with us. No matter what sins we commit, this will always be the truth.

 

May 27, 2013 (BlogPost) - The Holy Spirit and the Heart

May 27, 2013 [The Holy Spirit and the Heart]

"But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment." (John 16:7-8, NLT).

Jesus says that the Holy Spirit comes to convict the world.  When I hear the verb "convict" I think of a courtroom setting where the judge reads all of the charges against the defendant.  When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin the charges against us are being read.  All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  This is a voice of Truth and Correction.  He simply says, "You're wrong."  But, this is different from condemnation.

Satan condemns.  He is the Accuser (Rev. 12:10), reminding God of all that we have done wrong and demanding that God demonstrate His justice by condemning us.  He does not speak conviction.  He speaks of destruction and judgment because that is his eternal fate.  

We hear each of these voices in our hearts.  No, you're not crazy and neither am I.  But, I know what it feels like to think that I am worthless and can never be any better.  When I've sinned against God I've felt like a failure, unfit for His love.  Likewise, I've also heard conviction in my heart – "Ken, you were wrong for saying that and you need to apologize," for example.

Where do these condemning thoughts come from? The Accuser.
Where do these thoughts of conviction come from?  The Holy Spirit.

When I learned the difference between these thoughts, these voices that speak in the depths of my heart, I learned that there was an enemy that only wanted to destroy me and a God that wanted to save me (Jn 10:10).  Knowing the difference is life changing!  I refuse to listen to the condemnation, regardless of where it comes from.  The Truth tells me that receiving the free gift of Jesus overturned my death sentence.  I've been declared not guilty (Titus 3:4-7).  I may make mistakes and be wrong, but I can change because of Jesus.  I have value because I was created in God's image.  I have eternal life because I've been re-created through Jesus.  This is Good News!

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[NOT GUILTY]
"But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7, NLT).
 
"Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, 'It has come at last--salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth--the one who accuses them before our God day and night'" (Revelation 12:10)


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"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

Kenny Sullivan

(201) 218-0751

שלום

May 26

2 Samuel 11

I have had sad conversations at times in the ministry. But there is none more heartbreaking than the one concerning adultery. When one partner finds that the other has been unfaithful to their wedding vows, it devastates them.

As I talk with the offending party I usually hear sentences like, "I didn't think it would ever happen to me," "I didn't think I would get caught," and "it started so innocently." Regardless of the excuse, the consequences of adultery are deadly.

One spring night it did start innocently with David. He was now approaching 50 and he would not be going to the front lines with the boys. So why not go out for a nice evening stroll? But there was a view he shouldn't have looked at. And an invitation he wasn't supposed to give. And two people conveniently forgot the boundaries set by God.

Marriage is God's invention; it has his fingerprints all over its design. God clearly stated right from the start that it is a lifelong commitment between two people of the opposite sex.

While we can choose our sin, we can't choose our consequences. Some of the consequences of David's disobedience included an unwanted pregnancy, the death of an innocent man and a baby, the loss of respect from his children, and future political upheaval and violence – all the days of his life.

The world we live in today does not believe in sexual boundaries. The rule of thumb is to do whatever comes naturally to you. This is what I love to call, "Jerry Springer Theology." This way of thinking and living is both dangerous and deadly. As much as people think they are free, real freedom comes from living inside the boundaries God has given us. That is where the greatest marital joy possible is found.

So do we have anything to say to people who get caught in the web of sin? 1000 years after this event, a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery would be brought to Jesus. Jesus spoke two life-changing truths into her life. First, he said he didn't condemn her. He would take her condemnation to the cross and pay the penalty she deserved. Second, he said to leave her life of sin. If anyone is brave enough to own their sin, God is powerful enough to forgive it. God is not only willing to help you restore your life, but he also wants you to be even more whole than you were before. In the end, David chose to go down the pathway of repentance and grace. And it is David who was given the title, "a man after God's own heart."

May 25 - David probably didn't have a clue...and neither do I

2 Samuel 7:1-8:18
John 14:15-31
Psalm 119:33-48
Proverbs 15:33

So David, having just assumed the throne, seems to be thinking to himself "God's been so good to me. Anointing me king, saving me from Saul, that whole Goliath incident, and here I am. I have arrived. I should do something for Him to reciprocate. I know - I'll build a house for the Ark, a place for Him."

It seems he believed God was done with him. After all, what greater prosperity could he achieve? David didn't seem to have a clue God was nowhere near done with him. And so God said "hold on a minute there, junior...". And then He made David a promise about David's descendants, and the permanence of his line. And then he gave David victory after victory over Israel's foes. And at that point, David may well have been thinking of the physical kingdom God was giving him and his descendants. So even then, he still had no clue - no clue about the eternal greatness and magnificence of God's plan and promise to him, fulfilled in Jesus and the establishment of His eternal reign. How could he have a clue? God's ways were above his ways, God's thoughts above his thoughts.

God has been so good to me. He manifest His love for me in parents who love me, and who love Him and want first and foremost for me to be with Him. He gave me wonderful sisters, provided for all my needs, permitted me the privilege of being husband to a wonderful wife, and father to three wonderful children. He gave me a home and a job that weren't even in the realm of imagination when I was growing up. And He gave me a community of brothers with whom to experience and grow in Him. As good as things are, like David, I still have absolutely no clue just how good it is going to get.

I can hardly wait to find out.

Jon Lanuza

Friday, May 24th, 2013, day 144

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:34, 35 NLT)

Are we proving to the world that we are disciples of Christ? Are we showing each other the kind of love that Christ loves us with? Are we showing the world that kind of love? Are we reaching out and being the hands and the feet of Christ? These are serious questions that we seriously need to ask of ourselves. We need to answer the question, what does it mean to love like Christ? We need to define that, then we need to go and do it.

On June 25th, 1967, the Beatles first introduced to the world "All You Need Is Love." Did this song nail it on the head? At first it seems so, but at the end of each verse, there is the lyrics, "It's easy." The honest truth is that loving all people at all times is rather difficult. But it is what Jesus calls us to do. We need to fight ourselves and our instincts to constantly show our love off to the world!

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Thursday, May 23

THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013

2 Samuel 2:12–3:39

John 13:1–30

Psalm 119:1–16

Proverbs 15:29,30

 

 

Today begins our look at Psalm 119.  The longest chapter in the Bible shows a godly servant’s reflections on an intimate Father-son relationship and the supreme value of God’s Word.  The writer points out the two-way street of seeking and loving God – and His compassionate and fatherly response.  Organized as an acrostic, each of the 22 subsections stands alone as a psalm, and each subsection makes reference to God’s Word.

 

The psalmist clearly has committed his life to seeking out God and treasuring His Word.  He seeks to “meditate on it all day long” and has “chosen the way of truth.”  He has made serious efforts towards these goals.  The choices to follow God were personal and led him to hide the Word in his heart.  As a result of seeking out the Father, this servant desires purity, holiness, and boldness in his life.  He understands that we demonstrate our love for the Father through keeping His commands (John 14:21).  The servant has signed up for the rest of his life:

 

“My heart is set on following your decrees

                to the very end.”

 

 

Yet, the servant is not merely reaching out to a God that is far off; rather, the Father is closely involved with the servant’s growth.  It is a tender Father-son relationship, where the Father imparts knowledge and wisdom along the path toward maturity.  He does so with a combination of gentleness and firmness, as the situation suggests.  He intimately knows His children and what is best for them.  This impartation of wisdom is not a passive or formulaic process; rather, it is active:  God teaches, gives understanding, and directs the servant:

 

1. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet

                                and a light for my path.”

 

2. “I am your servant; give me discernment

                                that I may understand your statutes.”

 

3. “Your statutes are forever right;

                                give me understanding that I may live.”

 

 

The servant, in turn, delights in God’s Word and His presence.  His life is not a cakewalk, however, as he faces real struggles and real affliction.  A friend has suggested that evangelical Christians may have done others a disservice by proclaiming that coming to Christ is something like an “upgrade package” for life; instead, knowing God personally gives us both eternal life and eternal purpose.  We are guaranteed to have struggles in this life:  “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted... “ (2 Timothy 3:12)  Yet, the servant receives both freedom (from the captivity of sin and affliction) and comfort in his struggles:

 

1. “I will walk about in freedom,

                                for I have sought out your precepts.”

 

2. “My comfort in my suffering is this:

                                Your promise preserves my life.”

 

 

How might a treasuring of God’s Word affect your life?  One key area is decisionmaking.  When we have hidden God’s Word in our hearts, living according to His Word becomes more possible.  His Word will work within us, along with the power of the Holy Spirit, to guide us into truth and into choosing to serve Him:  “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” (John 16:13)  Indeed, we understand that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) and that all Scripture has come through the direction of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19–21).

 

When we are faced with a difficult decision, we might reflect on the following questions (and seek answers through prayer or Scripture-searching):

 

1. What does God’s Word have to say on this topic?  (It may be helpful to find a Bible with a concordance or to make use of a Bible search tool on the Internet, such as at http://www.biblegateway.com.)

 

2. What are the various options with this decision?  Which ones would be most honoring to God?  Which path is about living in fear?  Pleasing others?  Serving myself?  (Given that our emotions and will may become torn in such a decision, it is important to seek after God’s wisdom and discernment in prayer.)

 

3. How can I step forward in faith, given that the future is not clear?  (Here, we may rely on God’s faithfulness [Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 23:4].)

 

 

QUESTIONS

 

1. It appears that there are lasting benefits for following God’s Word.  How can you actively “hide” the Word in your heart?

 

2. How could you “meditate” more on God’s Word?  How might this affect your decisionmaking?

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2 Samuel 1-2:11, John 12:20-50, Psalm 118:19-29, Proverbs 15:27-28

2 Samuel 1-2:11, John 12:20-50, Psalm 118:19-29, Proverbs 15:27-28

 

            There is one night I remember from high school as being one of the most intimate moments I have ever had while reading the Bible.  My small group was reading about the life of David and of course I knew the Sunday School stories and the basic plot of his life.  It is easy to identify and get involved with David because to me, he is so real – his struggles, his heroics, his shortcomings, and his love for God.  I was laying in my bed reading these chapters, and I remember sobbing when thinking of David mourning his friend…his brother, Jonathan.  My heart just ached for David and his loss.  At that time I had grown distant with a girl who I grew up with as a sister and I remember crying for her too…cause I missed her so much.  I mourned for the loss of the deep friendship and sisterhood we had. 

 

            In these chapters we see David being vulnerable.  He was a warrior, a king, a leader, a head of a house and family.  He was known for his strength, his wisdom, strategy, relationship with God, and compassion.  He let down these walls and he mourned.  David mourned for Saul: God's anointed.  Saul was king, but Saul was also David's enemy.  He was a man who made it part of his mission to have David destroyed, because he was a threat.  Most people would celebrate, or at least be relieved with the death of a man who was trying to kill him.  But David mourned, cried, and celebrated king Saul.  Despite their history, David had compassion and loved Saul almost like God did…unconditionally.  At the start of chapter 2, the next step David did was "inquired of the Lord," meaning he prayed.  He sought God's counsel, prayed, and obeyed.  He trusted in God and his sovereignty. 

 

            Tonight at Young Life, we talked a little about how precious and short this life is.  Just like the death of Jonathan and Saul – it came quickly and even their names, their money, power, and position could not save them…"How the mighty have fallen!"  It's pretty cool how our readings from OT to NT can go hand and hand.  Jesus says in John 12: 25, "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."  It's very awesome knowing one day we will praise God next to David and Jonathan.  In the mean time, use your life to God's glory.  Don't put Him on hold or on the side because you know he will be there tomorrow.  I shared this quote tonight with the Young Life students that is well known, but it convicts and inspires me every time I hear it.  The great missionary, Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he can not keep (this physical life,) to gain what he cannot lose (eternal life)."  

May 21

1 Samuel 29-31

John 11:55-12:19

Psalm 118:1-18

Proverbs 15:24-26

"His faithful love endures forever."

(written 5 times in Psalm 118)

This is a common phrase throughout the Old Testament. It can be found 34 times throughout Psalm 100, 106, 107, 118, and 136. I started to wonder why "His faithful love endures forever" is repeated so many times. The best explanation I can think of is this: We easily forget. Every day and in every situation, we can always count on the fact that God loves us no matter what. But there are times when this is hard to remember. So it's repeated in the scriptures. A lot. So we can be reminded when life gets difficult.

And life can definitely get difficult. Unemployment, financial uncertainty, health problems, reoccurring pain, depression, fear, bitterness, cruelty, disconnected relationships, train derailments, devastating tornados... these are all things that are a part of our broken world. And they are all things that can cause us to doubt God's love.

Thankfully we have scriptures like Psalm 118 that remind us that God's love endures forever. I pray that this is something that we don't often forget. Even in situations that we don't understand (much like Mary and Martha from yesterday's reading, wondering why Jesus didn't prevent their brother from dying), we can always count on God's love. 

One of my favorite songs is "The Love of God" by Rich Mullins. I hope all of you enjoy it like I do. It's an awesome reminder that even when waves toss us about, God's love will always lift us up. 

http://youtu.be/IhKZn8gdN-E

Blog Post 5/20/13 [What do you expect]

May 20, 2013 [What do you expect?]

 

"Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe…Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:14 and 40)

 

How much did Jesus really love Mary, Martha and Lazarus? The beginning of this account seems pretty cruel.  Lazarus is sick; everyone knew Jesus to be a Healer; so, why wait around for an extra two days?  Everyone was right.  Had Jesus just gone to Bethany He could have prevented the death of Lazarus easily.  In fact, he really didn't even have to go anywhere.  He could have performed one of those long-distance miracles like what he had done for the royal official's son (John 4:46-53).  All Jesus had to do was to heal Lazarus from his sickness.  He had done this many times before – why not just heal again?  I mean, isn't this what everyone was expecting?  There's no way that Jesus would allow all of this heartache when He is able to do something about it.

 

Jesus waited for Lazarus to die so that many would come to believe.  He waited until it seemed like there was no hope left.  He waited until it was impossible for anyone to do anything.  He waited until faith completely left this situation before He decided to enter the situation.

I'm glad Lazarus is dead – now you can believe…(11:14, paraphrased)

 

There is a difference between believing God (trusting God) and expecting God to do what we want.  Believing God is God-focused.  It places all of the responsibility for what and how God operates on God with the faith that whatever God decides is for a good reason.  Expecting God to do what we want is self-focused.  It places all of the responsibility on God to do what we want God to do. 

 

Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to save Lazarus' life.

Jesus wanted to give Lazarus life.

 

Sometimes the pain that we go through seems to be without any purpose at all.  We pray, cry, scream, hope and nothing seems to change at all.  But, I believe that more often than not God is working in the middle of our painful circumstances to bring about a revelation of His glory.  That's exactly what happened in this account.  

May we believe God and expect God to do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

 

 

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Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4, The Message)

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"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

Kenny Sullivan

(201) 218-0751

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