For the Joy Awaiting – Cleansing of the Temple (Monday)

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Monday – Cleansing of the Temple

Matthew 21:10-17 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

Theologians have debated the reason Jesus cleansed the temple for years.  I want to look at the 2 different views here and their applications for us today. 

1. Injustice against the poor.

In righteous anger, Jesus drives out the merchants so that the temple may fulfill its original design—to serve as a house of prayer (see v. 13). Jesus’ reaction may have been prompted, in part, by injustice done against the poor. Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Mt 21:12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Psalm 41:1-3 “Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.”

James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

The poor have been exploited from the beginning of time.  James tells us to care for those in need.  

The money changers were charging high prices to change the currency, and those selling animals and doves (which the poor sacrificed) were changing outrageous prices for them. 

The money changers probably did not see themselves as taking advantage of the pilgrims. Even in Galilee the varieties of local currency required money changers to convert coinage for use in the temple (and local economy); changing coins was necessary, not an option. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

Every person of Jewish descent was required to celebrate Passover and people traveled to Jerusalem from far away.  Bringing an animal over such great distances was not practical and was difficult.  Instead the pilgrims would bring money and purchase animals to offer as their sacrifice. 

Because each person was required to bring a sacrifice, the poor had no choice but to pay the high prices in order to get their animal.  Those selling knew this and took full advantage of this fact.  This may have been one of the reasons Jesus cleansed the Temple. 

2. Jesus defends Gentiles' worship.

That the selling occurred in the outer court, beyond which Gentiles could not travel, may have been significant.  Later reports claim that the front court of the temple was normally to be kept clear as a sacred area, but the many temporary shops for selling animals inside would have violated this custom even if they took up but a small part of the temple area. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

Isaiah 56:6-7 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant.  I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

In Isaiah 56, God promises to accept foreigners as members of his people.  He declared that all peoples would be welcome.  1 Kings 8:41-43 the author (possibly Jeremiah the prophet) is asking God to welcome foreigners into his temple and to hear their prayers and answer them.

1 Kings 8:41-45 “In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name, for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.”

By the time Jesus came on the scene a partition with a warning sign segregated the Gentiles form the Israelite section of the outer court.  This may have been done for purity reasons. 

Concern for the sanctity of this outer court, hence for the worship of the Gentiles, may have been part of Jesus' objection to the current temple order.  The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.

Lessons from the Cleansing of the Temple

1. We must care for those in need.  It is our job as believers to stand for justice for the oppressed and afflicted.  Jesus demonstrated this kind of passion for those who could not defend themselves when he cleansed the temple.  He was standing up for the exploited poor and for the Gentile believers. 

2. We must cleanse our temple daily. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

What is in our hearts and lives that is hindering the move of the Spirit?  Just as the money changers and people selling animals was disrupting the move of the Spirit in the Temple, things can enter our lives (invited or not) that hinder the move of the Spirit.  We need to be in prayer daily, asking God to cleanse our temple!

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

For the Joy Awaiting - Arrival in Bethany to the Triumphal Entry (Sunday)

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Our studies for the next five days will dig into Holy Week.  I want us to take a deeper look into the events leading up to the crucifixion, as well as the crucifixion itself.  We will begin today by covering Jesus arrival at Bethany through Palm Sunday (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). 

Friday (before Palm Sunday) – Arrival in Bethany

John 12:1 “Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead.”

Jesus arrived in Bethany the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus to spend some time with his friends.  It was during this visit that Mary anointed Jesus’ feet. 

John 12:2-3 After dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

Judas Iscariot complained about the cost of the perfume and the wastefulness of pouring it on Jesus’ feet. 

The pound of ointment would have cost about 300 denarii, the equivalent of nearly six months’ pay. Its high cost means it had likely been in Mary’s family for quite some time and was used only in small portions as a perfume on special occasions (perhaps even at burials). Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 12:3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Jesus reprimands Judas and then alludes to his upcoming death.  Jesus had talked about his death on many occasions but because of their preconceived ideas about the Messiah the disciples did not understand or grasp his meaning. 

John 12:7-8 “Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’”

It is important to note here that John 12:9-11 tells us that it was also on Friday that the Jewish religious leaders decided to kill Jesus.  At that time they had decided to kill Lazarus also since because of him many had begun to follow Jesus. 

Saturday – Sabbath Day of Rest (No mention is made of the Sabbath in the Gospel accounts, probably because it was a given that Jesus and the disciples spent the day in traditional fashion with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.) 

Sunday – The Triumphal Entry

John 12:12-15 “The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: ‘Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The fact that Jesus rode in on a donkey fulfilled an ancient prophecy (Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”)

In Bible days, donkeys were used by royal princes.  David’s donkey was used for Solomon’s coronation.  1 Kings 1:33 “the king said to them, ‘Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. ‘”

The crowd shouted “Hosanna” and the words of Psalm 118:25-26 “Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.”

These words ascribed to him “a messianic title as the agent of the Lord, the coming King of Israel.” Publishing, R. (2014). Palm Sunday to Easter. Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing.

John 12:12b-13 “A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him.”  As they lay the palm branches on the path they were making a path for Jesus to enter the city as royalty. 

The reception of Jesus by the crowds further enraged the religious leaders.  John 12:19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

Another important note: John tells us that the people gathered in mass to see Jesus because of the stories about Lazarus’s resurrection.  John 12:17-18 “Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign.”

It is sad to note that the crowds, while hailing him as King, did not understand who he really was.  Maybe if he had risen and confronted the Romans and stirred up a revolt against Roman rule they would have rallied around him. No one knows for sure. But since he came humbly and without violence they eventually were disillusioned. 

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

Facing the Giants Part 2 – Overcoming Grasshopper Syndrome

Numbers 13:1-2,30, 32-33 The Lord now said to Moses, “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” 

But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

God had already delivered the Israelites with amazing miracles.  They had witnessed his sustaining power as they traveled through the wilderness.  He had provided food, water, meat, and hello, their clothes never wore out. He had even given their army the power to defeat enemy armies along the way.   Wow! How quickly they forgot.

Now they are ready to enter the land God has promised to give them and they choose to focus on their own insecurities rather than God’s power. 

Today we struggle with Grasshopper Syndrome too.  We struggle with our Focus, Faith, and Finishing.

1. Focus

The spies went into the land to check it out.  They were to look at the cities, the “fruit” (soil, trees, crops), and the people.

Numbers 13:18-20 See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps? Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see. (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)

As they traveled through the land they found fertile soil, it was a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey.  They brought back a cluster of grapes so large that they attached it to a pole and it took two men to carry it.  They returned with samples of pomegranates and figs as well. 

When the spies returned to the camp, they showed the people the produce they had brought back.  They told them how fertile and fruitful the land was, however, they then began to whine about the cities and the people they found there.  Ten of the twelve spies complained that the people were giants and that defeat was the only outcome of attacking. 

Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, encouraged the people to go in at once to take the land.  They believed the Lord’s promise to give the land to the Israelites.    

While the ten focused on the giants, Joshua and Caleb focused on the Lord’s promise and on his record of faithfulness to his people.  We like the Joshua and Caleb, must focus on the promises of the Lord.  He is not going to ruin his perfect record by failing us. 

2. Faith

When giants arise in our path running to God is not always our first thought.  The enemy tries to get us to worry and fear right away.  He reminds us of our weakness and our insignificance.  He points out our past failures.  He makes the giant seem larger than it really is. 

Often we feel like we have no faith at all.  However, the Word tells us that we all have faith.  Romans 12:3 (NIV) “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

Our struggle is not lack of faith it is small, underdeveloped faith.  We struggle in our faith when we don’t take the opportunities for it to grow.  Each trial or temptation is an opportunity for our faith to grow.  When we fight against the trials rather than embracing them and learning through them we fail to allow our faith to grow. 

The Word tells us that all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed; however, if our faith stays that small we will struggle to believe God’s promises. Just like a mustard seed can grow into the largest garden plant, our faith can grow large and strong. 

The Israelites had been through enough giants to have huge faith, however, only two of the spies actually demonstrated faith.

Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”  If we can see that answer no faith is required.  “Seeing” is not believing because when we see believing is unnecessary.  We must hold on and believe when there is no evidence that things will end well.  We must exercise our faith when it looks like our ship will sink for sure. 

3. Finishing

We often struggle to finish the fight and kill the giant.  Many times we get a little relief and instead of pressing through and totally annihilating the enemy in that area of our life, we sit back and enjoy our little bit of freedom.  The problem with that is that the giant will again raise its ugly head and cause us even greater struggles in the future. 

At 85 Caleb was ready to finish what he had started on his mission to spy out the land.  He had the faith to go in and kill the giants that stood between him and the promise that God had given him. 

Joshua 14:12 “So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” 

The descendants of Anak were giants.  Caleb was not intimidated by their size or strength, his finishing faith was in the God who had parted the Red Sea, the God who had drowned the entire Egyptian army, the God who had fed and clothed His people for 40+ years, the God who had given strength to the Israelite army as they battled  larger, stronger, better trained armies along the journey. 

 

We know from reading accounts of the Israelites entering the Promised Land that many tribes did not obey the Lord’s command to completely destroy the inhabitants of the land (i.e. Judges 1:29 “The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them.”) and that in later years after the death of Joshua the other nations led the Israelites into idolatry which cost them their freedom and even their lives. 

We must fight our giants to the death.  We cannot allow anything to live and grow in our life that has the potential to destroy us.  Praise God!  We are not fighting alone.  It is not in our strength that the battle is won.  Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

In conclusion, we need to overcome Grasshopper Syndrome by:

1. Placing our Focus on Christ not the giants.

2. Exercising the Faith God has given us and allowing it to grow.

3. Finishing off the giants as they rear their ugly heads.  

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated. 

Facing the Giants Part 1 – Goliath has Brothers

1 Samuel 17:50 “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

2 Samuel 21:18-22 After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.

During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!

In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants. But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.

These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.

David and his men faced actually, physical giants, men of ginormous stature and strength.  Our giants may be unemployment, illness, depression, marital problems, rebellious children, abandonment, sexual abuse, bills, grades, pornography, addiction, a career, a mistake, or the future.  Whatever our giant, the key is facing it. 

How many times have we come through a battle only to find another one waiting for us?  When we are looking forward to a rest, the enemy is gearing up for another confrontation.  Another giant rears his ugly head. 

We need to remember that Goliath has brothers.  They enemy is full of schemes and tactics to use to try to defeat us.  We need to remember a few things when the giants roar:

1. On our own the odds are against us. 

As David and his men realized, the giants we face are large and well trained.  They have a “never back down” mantra and their punishment for failure is great (they already have hell to look forward to). 

Praise God we don’t have to face the giants alone.   Hebrews 13:5b God has said, “I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.”

2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Elisha’s servant could only see the enemy, but in reality the Army of the Lord vastly outnumbered the enemy’s army.  When God opened his eyes he was able to see that they victory was ensured if they relied on the Lord. 

The same is true for us.  The giants might be big, but our God is bigger.  The numbers might be great, but the Army of the Lord is greater. 

2. We must see God.

When David approached the camp of Israel he realized that the army was not seeing God but the enemy.  As in 2 Kings 6 their vision was clouded so they could only see the giants, the vast hordes of the enemy.  They were cowering in fear because they had poor spiritual eye sight. 

David saw God in the battle. He told Goliath that his God was bigger and more powerful than he was.    1 Samuel 17:47 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

“Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

In our battles, we need to remember that God is greater!  We need to tell out giants how big our God is. 

1 John 4:4 “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

3. We need to understand the Battle is the Lord’s!

David understood this principle.  He told Goliath that the Lord would conquer him.  He never once took the battle as his own.  David told Saul that God would defeat the Philistine and rescue David as he had in the past. 

1 Samuel 17: 34-37 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

2 Chronicles 20:15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

If we are living in obedience and walking in the Spirit, the battles we face belong to the Lord and he will rescue us.  We may have to take up stone and slingshot but it will be the Spirit who directs the stones path!

4. We must focus on God NOT on the giants!

David made only two observations about Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. One statement to Saul about Goliath (v.36). And one to Goliath’s face: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (v.26). That is it. Two Goliath-related comments (and tacky ones at that) and no questions. No inquiries about Goliath’s skill, age, social standing, or IQ. David asks nothing about the weight of the sword of the size of the spear.

But he gives much thought to God. As we read David’s words again, I count nine references to the Lord. God-thoughts outnumber Goliath-thoughts nine to two. How does this ratio compare with yours? Do you ponder God’s grace four times as much as you ponder your guilt? Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints? Is your mental file of hope four times as thick as your mental file of dread? Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God as you are the demands of your day? (Max Lucado)

Conclusion: The whole matter may be summed up with the following couplet:

Focus on giants – you stumble.

Focus on God – your giants tumble. (Max Lucado, Facing Your Giants, p.9)

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.  

Hope in the Lord

Psalm 33:18-22 "But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone."

•The Lord watches over those who fear him: "Watches over" means protects and cares for.  God protects those who fear him.

Psalm 111:10a "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom."

•those who rely on his unfailing love:  rely on means dependence upon. Our dependence upon the Lord is based on our awareness of our human helpless. (Dictionary of Bible Themes)

Lamentations 3:22-23 "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

•He rescues them for death and keeps them in times of famine: the Lord is our refuge and provision. He guards our hearts and lives.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” 

Psalm 121:7 “The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.”

·   We put our hope in the Lord: A total grounding of one’s confidence and expectation in God’s goodness and providential care even in the face of trouble. (Dictionary of Bible Themes) We can put our total dependence in God.  He is our courage and strength. 

Psalm 31:24 “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!”

·   He is our help and our shield: God is described as the shield of his people; protecting, giving help, strength and favor. (Dictionary or Bible Themes)

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” 

·   In him our hearts rejoice: we feel great delight in our Lord. 

Philippians 4:4 “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

·   for we trust in his holy name: our God is trustworthy!

Psalm 145:13 (NIV) “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all   generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.”

·   Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone: nothing can separate us from God’s love.  We can hope in him.

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalm 36:7 (NIV) “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

Rush Hour

Rush Hour

1 Kings 19:1-13 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take     my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.

But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”  “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Elijah has just made a mad dash to hide from Jezebel.  He was fleeing for his life.  He had just had the scariest, craziest, most anxious day of his life.  He traveled into the wilderness until he came to a solitary broom tree and there he poured out his heart to God. 

Here we see God interact with this struggling prophet.  God’s interactions are not what we would expect under the circumstances.  However, God knew that after the rush and craziness of his day, Elijah would be unable to hear his message and to receive his comfort so God chose to prepare Elijah to hear from him. 

1. God allowed him to sleep.

2. God provided him with dinner.

3. God told him to wait.

4. God told him to listen.

As we are going through our lives at high speed, it is necessary for us to maintain proper balance in order to hear from God.  When we are rushing through our day, under the pressures and stresses we each have to face, it is necessary for us to follow the example God gave us in 1 Kings. 

1. We need to make sure we get plenty of rest.  When we are tired it is hard for us to hear the Lord. 

2. We must be sure to maintain healthy eating habits.  When life is busy and we are hurrying from one activity to another it is easy to skip meals or to eat unhealthy foods because they are fast and easy.  When we fail to eat healthy we weaken our system and put ourselves at risk for illness and often run on a low battery.  Like a cell phone, when the battery is dying it is hard to receive messages. 

3. We need to learn to wait on the Lord.  It is difficult to wait on the Lord if we are hurrying about.  Just like rush hour traffic where everyone is impatient for the lights to change and the traffic to move, we are often in such a hurry that we miss vital opportunities to hear from God.  We are likely to miss “God Moments” (times when he wants us to minister to others) because we are moving too fast to even notice others. 

4.  We must work on listening for God’s voice.  He speaks to us every day and we need to be attentive. Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Let us try to avoid Rush Hour and take the necessary precautions in order to hear from God every day.  He is speaking, will we be able and willing to hear?

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated. 

Joy – 4:30 a.m., Potty Chair, and Yogurt

Nehemiah 8:10 b “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Today I want to give you a personal illustration of how the Lord brings joy to our hearts if we are open to receiving it.  

You can ask my family, I am not good when awakened in the night.  When I fall asleep it is dangerous to wake me before the alarm goes off.  I have worked hard as a mom to be there for my children during the night, but it is always a huge battle in my mind each time I have to get up in the night.  I did pretty well when they were infants, but as they get older it is more of a struggle.

Picture this if you will: I struggled for over an hour to get my chatty boy (the apple did not fall far from the chatty tree here) to quiet down and fall asleep.  It was around midnight when he finally went out.  (I know, what an awful mom to let her baby stay up so late.  We live with nocturnal beings and I have had to adapt to the night life.  Samuel has adapted well.  We are both diurnal beings and believe the old adage early to bed early to rise…. But what can one do?)

To continue, I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.  I intended to get up at 6:30, have some quiet time and then go to my volunteer job.  Samuel had other plans for my night.  Between 2 and 4 a.m. he was up 3 times crying to be held, rocked, or to sleep in Mommy’s big boy bed (Mommy and Daddy’s bed).  

By the time I got him in my bed at 4:30, after 30 minutes of rocking, I was ready to scream.  No sooner did I lay down then he cried, “Change my diaper.”  I checked and he felt dry to me but he was insistent that he was wet so I grudgingly got up and changed him.  What do you know? He was dry.  I change him anyway to get him to settle down, wasting a diaper in the process.  Urgh!!!!

I then took him back to rock, as sleeping with him between us is next to impossible for me.  As I rock I hear a toot, which turns out to be explosive diarrhea. Urgh!!!! Could this night get any worse?  I wait a bit to be sure he is finished then off we go to the changing table again. This time it is full but still dry. Before I can get his new diaper on he yells, “ I need to go on  my potty.” Seriously?!  

Off we run to the bathroom.  I put him on the potty and in a couple of seconds I hear tinkling. Woohoo!!  He did it!!  We get all excited, celebrating with high-fives, then off for a clean diaper. 

I now need to clean the potty so he sits on the bed to wait for me to finish.

Upon my return to the bedroom he informs me he’s hungry.  Really?  So off we go to the kitchen for yogurt. I figure it might help with the hunger and the diarrhea. 

By this time I am exhausted. I need sleep!!  I decided to suffer with him in our bed. I get him settled then crawl in. He yells, “Get off me, I can't move!”  At that moment it hits me how absurd this night has been. 

At that moment the Holy Spirit drops laughter in my heart and I begin to laugh. I laughed so hard I cried. I tried to stop and be quiet but the harder I tried to stop the more the joy increased. I laughed for a long time. I shook the bed as I belly laughed. I felt a bit bad for Scott who was by now totally awake too. But it couldn't be stopped!  

Proverbs 17:22a “A cheerful heart (laughter) is good medicine…” 

No matter what we may be facing the joy of the Lord will be our strength if we will allow it to be. In every trial or circumstance God will give us joy if we will seek him. The Word tells us he gives joy for sorrow.. 

Isaiah 61:3 “To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.”

If we are planted by the Lord that means he will care for us in each season of life. He will bring rain (refreshing) when we need it, he will bring gentle breezes (comfort through his Spirit), he will bring sunshine (joy and peace), he will fertilize our hearts (the Word), and he will kill the weeds that try to grow up around us (strength and wisdom to face the enemy in each battle).  

Whatever you are facing today please know that he is there. Stay planted in him and allow your roots to dig deep. Allow his joy to strengthen you and his peace to comfort your heart!!  

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated. 

Training Time

1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”   

Paul tells Timothy to train in godliness like a person would train physically.  An athlete would not wait until the day of the race to begin training; neither can a believer wait until a crisis to practice godliness.

Paul goes on to say that practicing godliness promises blessings in this life and in the life to come. 

The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines godliness as: Reverence for or devotion to God, producing a practical awareness of God in every aspect of life.

Examples of godliness in the Old Testament

Enoch: Genesis 5:23-24 “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.”

Noah: Genesis 6:9 “This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.”

Obadiah: 1 Kings 18:3-4 “So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord. Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.)”

Examples of godliness in the New Testament

Simeon: Luke 2:25 “At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.”

Anna: Luke 2:37 “Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.”

Nathaniel: John 1:47 “As they approached, Jesus said, ‘Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.’”

Jesus Christ: John 8:29 “And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”

What we need to know about Godly living

Jesus Christ is the beginning and end of godliness. 1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

The example and the power for godly living come from Christ. Hebrews 5:7 “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God”

2 Peter 1:3 “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”

Godly living demands self-discipline: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

Sorrow for sin is a sign of godliness. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.”

The benefits of godliness

Its value is in both this world and the next: 1 Timothy 4:8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

Its present blessings: Deuteronomy 4:40 “If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

1 Timothy 6:6 “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.”

The promise of future blessing: Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.”

2 Peter 3:11-12 “Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.”

Godliness does not guarantee escape from suffering: Psalm 12:1 “Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!”

2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

2 Peter 2:9 “So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.”

We need to follow the example of Christ and train ourselves in godliness.  We have great examples in Scripture of men who lived godly lives in a fallen, sinful world.  We, like them, must rely on the strength and power of our Savior to sustain us and equip us for godly living.

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

Don’t Envy, Seek Part 2

“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” Martin Luther

Let’s Review Part 1

Purpose of Spiritual Disciplines:

1.   Development and Deepening Our Relationship with God.

2.   Attaining and Maintaining Spiritual Health.

3.   Nurturing and Cultivating Spiritual Maturity.

Spiritual Disciplines

1.         Study: Memorize Scripture and expand your universe of biblical study helps.

2.         Worship: Engage in corporate worship and include worship in your own prayer time.

3.         Celebration: Practice being grateful and thankful both in your own relationship with       Christ and with other believers. Express encouragement and thankfulness to others.

4.       Service: Give your time to the church and/or to others. Ponder tithing your time.

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5.      Prayer: Take deliberate steps to pray regularly and with purpose. Praying through the Psalms is a good way to increase your “prayer vocabulary.” 

a.     Luke 5:15-16 “But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”

b.      Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”

c.      “Prayer is to faith what research is to science.” – PT Forsythe.

d.      Prayer changes me on the inside making me a usable vessel of grace. 

e.     “To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue that God uses to transform us…. In prayer we learn to think God’s thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things He loves, to do the things He wills.” Richard Foster – Celebration of Disciplines

6.      Fellowship: to share together, take part together; to share with” in the sense of giving to others; a partner, associate, companion.

a.     Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

b.     Acts 2:42 “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”

c.      Hebrews 3:1, 14 “1And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.”

7.     Confession: Practice confessing your sins to trusted people who will pray with you and be spiritual allies.

a.     James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

b.     Like Marley’s ghost in the Dickens classic Scrooge, we all carry the baggage of wrongs committed and wrongs suffered, and they drag down the heart and the mind and the body. There are no tools more readily assessable to the enemy than the guilt I bear. Wounds partially healed are easily reopened by an opportune knife thrust by the enemy, and I relive in horrid fascination the things I long to forget. Jesus died to cleanse me of guilt in wrongdoing and wrong being, and confession serves to cleanse my memory. (Authentic Discipleship)

c.     Confession: where honesty leads to conviction, conviction leads to confession, confession leads to sorrow and repentance, and repentance leads to change.

8.     Submission: Submit to the proper people in the proper ways—fight against the sin of pride.

a.      Ephesians 5:21 “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.’

b.      “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful

        servant of all subject to all.” Martin Luther

c.     Mark 8:34-35 “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.’”

d.     Submission is the deliberate act of placing myself under the authority of another as an act of obedience and worship.

e.     Submission is placing another’s needs or well-being above my own.

Don’t Envy, Seek Part 1

“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” Martin Luther

When I was a teen and young adult I became close friends with our pastor’s wife (Meta).  She tutored me through high school science and taught me much of what I know about being a woman of God.  She lived her walk daily no matter the situation and she still does.  I spent hundreds of houses in her home and watched as she spent time in the Word, prayer, worship (at home and church), and in service for the Lord.  She took my under her wing and lived life with me tagging along. 

I always wanted (envied) what I saw in her.  I wanted her close relationship with the Savior.  I wanted her unquenchable appetite for the Word and Bible study.  I longed to have a prayer time that resembled hers.  I hungered for the Bible knowledge she had.  I often prayed and asked God to “give” me what she had. 

Over the past twenty-five years or so, I have learned that God doesn't “give” us what Meta had; it takes discipline and work to grow in our relationship with Christ.  It takes Spiritual Disciplines worked out in our lives over years to have the kind of relationship I have longed for since I was a teen. 

The purpose of Spiritual Disciplines in our lives (adapted from Authentic Discipleship)

1.       Development and Deepening Our Relationship with God.

      a.       We need relational intimacy with God.  This doesn't happen by accident.  Too often Christians think that our relationship with God will just happen.  Just as in a marriage relationship, intimacy takes time and intentional work. 

      b.      To know, love, and serve God should be our focus. 

2.       Attaining and Maintaining Spiritual Health.

      a.       To be physically healthy we must eat right, exercise, get adequate sleep and relaxation.  This doesn't happen on its own it takes discipline.

      b.      To be spiritually healthy takes discipline as well. 

3.       Nurturing and Cultivating Spiritual Maturity.

      a.       To grow in spiritual maturity we must move from the natural into the supernatural.

      b.      It also requires us to seek God’s will and follow his lead as he directs our steps. 

      c.       Spiritual disciplines keep us on the road to maturing in Christ.

      d.      The goal of spiritual maturity is to become more like our Savior.  To learn to put self aside and serve His Kingdom and cause in submission.

      e.      All believers are called to spiritual maturity. 

Spiritual Disciplines take commitment and dedication.  They require us to participate in specific activities on a regular basis.  If I want to build my leg muscles I can’t just jog once and call it good.  I need to jog on a consistent and regular basis to build the muscles. The same holds true in our spiritual lives.  

Dallas Willard gives us two lists of Spiritual Disciplines (Disciplines of Abstinence and Disciplines of Engagement) he feels are vital for the growth and development of our Christian life and faith.  It is the Disciplines of Engagement I want us to focus on today and tomorrow.

1.       Study: Memorize Scripture and expand your universe of biblical study helps.

      a.       2 Timothy 2:15 “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

      b.      Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  We learn to know God’s will and change our thinking by being students of the Word. 

      c.       John 8:32”And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” God’s Word is the Truth!!!

      d.      Knowing God’s Word sets us on the path to freedom!

2.       Worship: Engage in corporate worship and include worship in your own prayer time.

      a.       Matthew 4:10 “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

      b.      John 4:23-24 “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

      c.       Worship: proclaiming in our spirit in agreement with the Spirit the loving greatness of God and holding Him in awe and wonder.

3.       Celebration: Practice being grateful and thankful both in your own relationship with Christ and with other believers. Express encouragement and thankfulness to others.

      a.       Philippians 4:4 “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

      b.      Celebration: Choosing to look for the goodness of God, to respond to it and proclaim it to others.

      c.       Joy and celebrations flow through me to others as I acknowledge God’s goodness, grace, and mercy to/for me. 

4.       Service: Give your time to the church and/or to others. Ponder tithing your time.

      a.       1 Peter 4:10 “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”

      b.      John 13:13-17 “ You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.