March 31: Of someone else’s sandals, and Someone Else’s plans

Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20

Luke 9:7-27

Psalm 72:1-20

Proverbs 12:8-9

Let's put ourselves in others' shoes.  Or sandals, as would be the case.

Let's put ourselves in the sandals of the five thousand, who'd come to see Jesus, hear Him speak, watch Him heal.  The day's been long, they have nothing to eat.  At some point, perhaps, doubt sets in - "what am I doing here?  I'm hungry…how far do I have to go to get a bite to eat - and is there going to be enough?"

Let's put ourselves in the apostles' position.  They knew the five thousand were hungry.  They knew they had no food to feed them.  At some point, perhaps, doubt set in as well - what are we to do with these people?  If the Master's miracles,  might they expect to be fed as well?  And as we have nothing to feed them, what might they do?

The five thousand and the disciples, they had a plan A - to send everyone to nearby towns to find food. But they didn't really need to do any work - Jesus was going to do it for them.  Jesus had a Plan Be - Be Still and Know that I am God.  Praise God.  

Tonight, as darkness falls on Black Saturday, let's put ourselves in the fearful hearts, the terrified minds, the guilty consciences of all those who followed Jesus, whom they expected would liberate Israel from the Romans, who saw the torture He endured, who witnessed the death He suffered, who were too scared to stand up in His defense, who thrice denied Him after they'd been warned.  At this point, confusion and doubt, anger and recrimination, sadness and hopelessness reign.   What else is there for them to do?

Jesus's followers, they all had a plan A - to follow Jesus to victory against the Romans, to freedom for Israel.  Now they feared recrimination; they feared they might have to fight.  But they didn't, really - Jesus was going to do all the work.  Jesus had a Plan Be - Be Still and Know that I am God.  Praise God. 

Today, it's easy to be still on Black Saturday.  We remember what He told us - "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."  We know Easter is coming, the tomb will open and we will find it empty.  

But Black Saturday shows itself in many ways.   This week it was my intention to go to work, to do as much of what needed to be done as possible.  And on Sunday, I pulled a muscle in my back, pain so bad I had to crawl to stand.  I was angry, and I feared for deadlines and targets missed.  But I couldn't move.  What else was there for me to do?

I pray I learn the lesson.  I had a plan A.  But Jesus - well He has a Plan Be.  And it would be good for me to choose His plans over mine every time.  

Thank You, God, that in the midst of the darkness of Black Saturday and the frustration we may encounter in our daily livers, when things don't turn out the way we planned, we can fall back on your Plan Be.  We can rest in the knowledge that You are in control. 

March 30

Good Friday

The story I am about to tell you is perhaps the most frequently used story in all of preaching. It has all the ingredients of a great sermon illustration: suspense, drama and emotion. The only problem is that it isn't accurate. Maybe you've heard it.  It's the story of an engineer who operated a draw-bridge across a mighty river. With a control panel of levers and switches, he set into motion a monstrous set of gears that either lifted the bridge for the river traffic or closed it for the oncoming train.

One day the engineer took his young son to work with him. The fascinated boy hurled question after question at his dad. It was not until the span had opened to allow the passage of a ship that the father noticed the questions had ceased and his son had left the room. His pulse quickened. He looked outside. There was nothing below except the cold, gray concrete pier, disappearing into the river, churned white by the passing boat. Then he looked out and spied his son playing in the machinery; he was inspecting it like a government official and passing his chubby little hands, smeared with grease, over the armatures and shafts. The engineer was just about to go out and get the boy so he could swing the span shut, when a flashing light brought to his attention the approach of a passenger train.

There was not time to retrieve his son. The span must be closed. His heart leaped when he realized that his son would be crushed in the gears of that herculean machinery. A horrible dilemma mandated a horrible decision. Either his son would be killed or a trainload of hundreds of innocent passengers would be killed. With firm purpose, he reached for the closing lever.

A powerful story, isn't it? It's often used to describe the sacrifice of Jesus on Good Friday, and it is not without its parallels. It's true that God could not save man without killing his son. The heart of God the Father did twist in grief as he slammed the gears of death down on his Son.  And sad but true, the innocent have whizzed by the scene of the crime, oblivious to the sacrifice that has just saved them from certain death.

But there is one inference in the story that's woefully in need of correction. Let me quote the prophet Isaiah. See if you can find the revealing phrase.

"He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, thought he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer."   Isaiah 53:9-10

Did you see it? "It was the Lord's Will to crush him and cause him to suffer."

The cross was no accident. Jesus' death was not the result of a panicking, cosmological engineer. The cross wasn't a tragic surprise. The death of Jesus was anything but an unexpected peril. No, it was part of the original blueprint, written into the script, part of the plan from the beginning of time. The cross was the only way to rescue humankind from the deadly and eternal consequences of sin. That is why on this Good Friday we will give God our highest praise, our best worship and our utmost devotion.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, March 29

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭11:26-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Throughout Deuteronomy, Moses impresses upon the Israelite community that God will faithfully carry the people into His promise if they will remain faithful to Him.  He often reiterates the corporate and individual nature of this responsibility.  Many times, Moses points to the family relationship as ideal for passing along this truth, that parents may weave godly teaching into the daily rhythm of life.

On the flip side, God had shown Moses the very real threat of failing to prioritize the relationship with God.  While human frailty leads to this outcome, Moses warned about the negative influence of the surrounding nations on the Israelites.  By interacting with their God's, the Israelites would be prone to turning away from the one true God.

These teachings apply to our lives as well.  As Pastor Scott explained down in Texas, the Christian life involves remembering and growing in the basics — falling more in love with God and caring for His people.  May we take great care to live out Deuteronomy's principles today.

Lord God, thank You for rescuing us from our sin. Give us a hunger and thirst for Your righteousness so that we may be filled.  Prepare us to honor You this day.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

March 28

Deuteronomy 9

God tells the people of Israel that they are going to cross the Jordan.  The nation is bigger than the Israelites, the people are strong and tall and no one can stand up against those Anakites! Forget about it!  Why are they going?  Because the Lord told them they will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as He had promised. (v.3).  There are days when going into public school is like entering a foreign nation where the people are bigger, taller, and stronger than I am.  The laws that govern the day are so opposite of what I believe and Who I belong to that being being a stranger in a foreign land takes on a whole new meaning even though I am less than a mile away from my house.  So every day when I get up and face the battle, I have to remember that God has promised to fight my battles.  But what do I need to do? I start my day in prayer and in the Word so that I can be rooted in the truth. His truth will never change.  I need to be still and let Him be God.  We all struggle and we all have fears of what is "bigger and taller" than us. Maybe we all feel like strangers sometimes.  But as I reread the Old Testament and how God continually filled His promises to Israel despite their being "stiff-necked people indeed" (v.13), I find strength and trust that God is Who He says He is and will do what He has promised.  So I pray today that as we get ready to battle and to get through the day, we trust that the same God who delivered the Israelites will deliver us as well.

Randi

March 27

March 27, 2018

Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20
Luke 7:36-8:3
Psalms 69:1-8
Proverbs 12:1

A Prayer in Response to Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20

Hold on to His Word for all you're worth — because His Word is what proves God is trustworthy. And when you know God is trustworthy — you know today is worthy of joy & hope. 
- Ann Voskamp

God, your word is a rescue and a refuge for us. Thank you for telling us what is true about You and what is true about us. We want Your word to inform our thoughts, words and choices today. 

You tell us in Deuteronomy that we are a people holy to the Lord our God, chosen to be your people, your treasured possession. You have set your affection on us not because of our qualifications, but because of Your love and faithfulness.

We praise You for reminding us today that You are a great and awesome God and nothing is too difficult for You. You redeem us with a mighty hand and outstretched arm. You are faithful and keep your covenant of love to a thousand generations. We praise You that You are God our Sustainer. You led your people all the way through the wilderness, you fed them with manna and they learned that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 

When we are mired in discouragement, frustration or distractions today, would You remind us that we have seen your faithfulness before and we will see it again. Would you give us eyes to see the manna of your faithful provision in our lives today? Would you give us ears to hear Your words of life spoken over us? We love you, Lord. Amen.

Blog Post Monday March 26th

A Prayer To Experience and Display The Whole Hearted, Full Devoted And Strength Giving Love Of God (Deut. 6:5 & Psalm 68:35)

 

Lord I desire to be obedient to your command which tells me to love you with my whole heart, my full soul, and every bit of my strength.  This is something I want to do, not out of a sense of obligation but because I recognize that it is how you have shown your love for me.  This week I will spend time reflecting upon your death and resurrection as Good Friday and Easter approach.  The cross was a display of your love, a love that was poured out for me with all your heart, soul and strength.  You held nothing back, you sacrificed everything, and I am moved and my life blessed beyond words.  Help me Lord to remember and experience your love for me today so that it will guide me, it will keep my heart from wandering and will anchor my life, my love and my devotion to the only one who is truly worthy.  I want to experience a love for you Lord that fills my heart to overflowing, that consumes my soul, and is expressed in every thought and action that my strength can give aide to.  There will undoubtedly be things in my day that will try and throw my focus off, turn my heart aside, burden my soul, and cause me to lose strength.  It is at these moments when I will need to experience your whole hearted love for me as a reminder and encouragement to not loose heart and to remember that I have your power to aide my strength when I am weary.   Thank you, Lord, that your commands are not just words but that you have lived them out for us as an example to follow and find comfort in.  Fill my heart, encourage my soul, and give me strength to live a life of love for you today.

 

AMEN

March 25, 2018

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say" Luke 6:46

 

A while back I was talking to my mom in Romania and I was telling her how scared and nervous I was about an upcoming event. She listened to me day after day, trying to encourage me. After a while, probably tired of my pessimism, she asked me what the point was, of doing a Bible study every week, if I had such a hard time believing. "Don't they teach you about having faith and not dwelling in fear?" She is not a newborn Christian and her question really took me by surprise. It cured my pessimism and complaining.  

I hear the Lord asking the same kind of question here. What is the point in getting theologically smart if we can't put his words into practice? Easier said than done. It's easy when things go well, according to the plan. It's hard when unexpected happens, when expectations are not met, when people misbehave or mistreat us.

These are few things that help me focus on Jesus, practice faith, when all I want is to throw a pity party:

-          Remember that faith is not about seeing and touching but about hoping with confidence. It's about holding on to hope before a situation unfolds, before we can see that something is working. Faith precedes the miracle. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1.

-          Remember that my inability to control, doesn't mean that God is unable as well. God is in perfect control of everything and everyone. It means that I can relax in chaos, in the unexpected, in the unknown. He is in perfect control of me and everything else, to the point that: "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "Luke 12:7

-          There is no place in this world, that is out of God's influence. He is omnipresent. He is present in the darkest and in the brightest. There are no closed doors for him. "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there" Psalm 139:7,8. Wherever I am, and whatever I am dealing with, I am completely covered, and He is completely in charge of me.

-          Bad things happen to good people. My human nature wants a care free, pain free, blissful experience on this earth. After all, we are the sons and daughter of the King. It's easy to fall into blaming and despair with that belief. We are warned: "do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." 1 Peter 4:12 "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33. Nowhere he promises us a worry-free life, but he does promises us victory and assistance. "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. "1 Cor 10:13

Lord please help us to believe in you, in word and in action, help us to build our lives on solid rock and not on slippery grounds.