February 6, 2014

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."  Romans 12:15

What IS empathy? What does it mean? I like this definition: "Empathy your pain in my heart."

So, what does this have to do with peace?

Quite a bit, actually!

Here's how.

When I am as worried about how you are feeling as I am about how I feel, I am less likely to create trouble for you. I am less likely to hurt you or offend you.

When I try to put myself into your situation and try to imagine what you are feeling, I will be more careful in how I treat you and quicker to lend a hand.

God created us. He made us in His image. Seeing as He is all-knowing and all-wise and He created us with emotions, one would assume that He would be able to empathize with us when we are hurting or suffering. But, prior to sending His Son Jesus, He really could not fully understand the fears and frustrations human beings face on a daily basis.

But, after 33 years on planet earth as a humble carpenter turned evangelist, God not only could understand us better but He can also empathize with our pain and suffering. In His time on earth, Jesus was confronted with a myriad of emotions and feelings.

That is why Hebrews reminds us, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin."

Jesus brought us peace by subjecting himself to trouble and tribulations that eventually lead to His excruciating torturous death. In that time He felt the sting of criticism, the loneliness of rejection, the humiliation of being despised and the frustration of being misunderstood. And, He knows how to comfort us since He can empathize with our emotions. He also knows how to intercede for us before the Father because He has felt the full range of emotions.

When I become a grace-giver instead of a grudge-holder, I help bring peace.

And when I care as deeply about your emotions as I do my own, that helps create peace there.

Looking for peace? Discover grace and peace in Jesus, the empathetic Savior!

February 5, 2014

When Jesus wanted to illustrate what grace is like and how it operates He told this story:

"Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father. "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time. "All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.' "The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!' "His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'"  Luke 15:11-32

You know this classic story as the "Prodigal Son". The word "prodigal" means "extravagant". 

Who was the real prodigal in this story when it comes to grace?

Right! The father!

Both boys were extravagant in their foolish abuses of grace! They illustrate the two ways grace is most often rendered ineffective.

The younger son exploited it. He took selfish advantage of the father's love and kindness. He took the money and ran because he could.

The older brother expected it. All he had ever known was the goodness and generosity of the father, so it lost its impact upon him. Grace is primarily about relationship and the older son lost his appreciation for his father.

While the younger son abused grace the older son refused it.

In your experience, aren't those the two most common ways we abuse grace? Regardless of which way we damage our relationship with God it is equally foolish and disgraceful. Let's call it what it is - sinful!

Will you take some time and reread this story?

Will you meditate on the love and grace of the Father?

Will you allow the Spirit to search you to see if their is any disgrace in your heart or mind that keeps you from knowing the grace of God?

February 4, 2014

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."  Romans 12:14

Why would I bless one who persecutes me?

How would that keep them from persecuting me more?

If they keep persecuting me do I keep blessing them?

How does that help me? Am I to be a perpetual victim?

What does it mean to bless them?

Good questions!

What would Jesus do?

What DID He do for you?

He loved you, even though you were born a sinner and had no desire for Him.

You lived for yourself and satisfied all your selfish desires. He gave up all the privilege and pleasures of Heaven for you and came to be born as a baby in a manger.

He kept seeking you and reaching out to you as you ignored Him and chased pleasure.

As you cursed Him and took His Name in vain, He prayed for you and blessed you as much as He could.

Long before you had any desire to live for Him, He died for you.

Why would He do that?

That's grace!

What is grace?

God's Riches At Christ's Expense!

God blessed you and removed the curse of sin!

That is why He can call you to bless those who persecute you! Because He did! You can, too.

Who will you bless today? How will you grace others?

February 3, 2014

"Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath." Romans 12:14

Getting a grip on grace requires releasing grudges. Let's talk about how that happens.

Here's a story to help illustrate this truth:

An interesting system has been used for capturing monkeys in the jungles of Africa. The goal is to take the monkeys alive and unharmed for shipment to zoos of America. In an extremely humane way, the captors use heavy bottles, with long narrow necks, into which they deposit a handful of sweet-smelling nuts. The bottles are dropped on the jungle floor, and the captors return the next morning to find a monkey trapped next to each bottle.


How is it accomplished? The monkey, attracted by the aromatic scent of the nuts, comes to investigate the bottle, the nuts, and is trapped. The monkey can't take its hand out of the bottle as long it's holding the nuts, but it is unwilling to open its hand and let them go. The bottle is too heavy to carry away, so the monkey is trapped.

You hold onto a grudge out of a desire to get even with someone who has hurt you or wronged you. But in the attempt to do so, and even in the desire to do so, you are trapped by your own devices. Just like the monkeys, your stubborn refusal to release the grudge keeps you trapped like them. And like them, all you need to do is let go.

But in fact, it is more than letting go, it is grabbing something else - GRACE! You release the negative so you can possess the positive. Grace is an incredible gift that is yours for the taking, but to take it you need a free hand. If I held out a gift to you, I could offer it but it would not be yours until you received it. You have to reach out and receive it with open hands.

Grace is a gift that must be received freely and once received it must be passed on to others. You cannot do either if you are trapped in vindictiveness and resentment.

Spring the grudge trap and escape to the freedom of grace!

February 1, 2014

“He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And he MARVELLED because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:1-6

"As he entered Caper′na-um, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard him, he MARVELLED and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  Matthew 8:5-10

If you are going to have a faith that moves Jesus you will need to enjoy His presence in the moment. The Centurion did that, but the people of Nazareth didn't. They struggled with faith because they were caught in an old paradigm of Jesus the carpenter and Jesus the son of Joseph and couldn't accept the Jesus the Messiah.

They demonstrate several things that happen when your faith gets stuck in the past.

One is prejudice -  “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?"

Prejudice is judging someone ahead of time based on previous experience. Prejudice is what the Nazarenes displayed when they refused to believe differently about Jesus despite ample evidence supporting He was a prophet of God.

Another problem with getting stuck in your past is pride - "And they took offense at him".

Even though they were astonished by the depth and authority of His teaching, they were unwilling to yield to His teaching because they would have to admit He was more than a carpenter.

Faith cannot be stuck in your past. You can't rest your faith on memories, no matter how significant the events that inspired the memories. Faith is expressed in the moment from an up to date relationship with Jesus! 

The Centurion demonstrated that truth and this poem says it well.

MY NAME IS “I AM” 

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking: “My name is “I AM.” He paused. I waited.

He continued, “When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WAS.’ 

When you live in the future with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WILL BE.’ 
When you live in this moment it is not hard; I am there! My name is ‘I AM!’

January 31, 2014

“He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And he MARVELLED because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:1-6

Wouldn't it be amazing to have Jesus marvel over your faith?

Wouldn't it be lousy if He was amazed by your lack of faith?

Both of those reactions happened in these two portions of Scripture. Would it be helpful to know the difference?

It makes a huge difference whether your faith lives in your memory or in the moment!

Having looked at the positive side of this story with the Centurion, shall we examine the negative response from the hometown bunch? What caused them to flunk the test of faith?

I think they were trapped in an old paradigm in their ideas about Jesus - "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” 

While they were astonished by the wisdom of His teaching and amazed by the testimonies of His miracles, they couldn't reconcile what they heard from Him and about Him with the image they had of him as a local guy. 

Because they were trapped in a previous paradigm of Who Jesus had been they couldn't reconcile the reality of Who He is with their recollection of Who they remembered Him to be. So, they clung to the familiar past rather than conjure fresh faith.

Is your faith stuck in the past? Are there any previous paradigms that hinder you from knowing Jesus in the now?

What God has done for you in the past is significant and worthy of praise! His provision in the past can help you trust His promises for today, but faith must be expressed in the moment not in your memory!

January 30, 2014

“He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And he MARVELLED because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:1-6

^“As he entered Caper′na-um, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard him, he MARVELLED and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  Matthew 8:5-10

It is certainly worth taking a look at the faith of this Centurion who caused the Master to marvel over him. Perhaps we can gain some insights on faith that moves our Savior.

In contrast to the Nazarenes in Jesus' home town, this soldier's notions of Jesus were not shaped by memories or experiences of the past, but they were driven by the urgency of his moment in the presence of Jesus. Here are a few insights I gain from this encounter.

The Centurion's faith was motivated by the need of his servant at that moment - “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.”

One commentator I studied speculated that the servant's ailment might have been lockjaw - a paralysis of the jaw muscles making it impossible to open the mouth to eat.

Be that as it may, we know the servant's condition was a real and imminent threat to his life and the Centurion felt the urgency of this moment. If something didn't happen soon his servant would die and he believed Jesus could make something happen so he hurried to where Jesus was and cried out for help.

His urgent plea was heard by Jesus who was moved by it and agreed to go home with the Centurion to heal the servant.

Also, I notice that the Centurion was moved by his nearness to Jesus in the moment. "As he entered Caper′na-um, a centurion came forward to him." The Son of God stood within reach and he had to seize the moment! He knew his servant was in bad shape and Jesus was able to heal him.

Third, and perhaps most significant, the Centurion was moved by the nature of Jesus in that moment, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed."

It was the Centurion's faith in the authority of Jesus that caused Jesus to marvel at his request. Through his military experience of having authority and serving under authority, this Centurion had no problem understanding and accepting the authority of Jesus. Because he did, he knew that Jesus' authority over demons and disease came from WHO He was not from WHERE He was so it was easy for him to believe Jesus could heal his servant by just His word.

Faith that impresses Jesus is faith that exists in the moment not in some distant memory. It is faith like that demonstrated by this Centurion who was fully engaged with Jesus in that moment when he was moved by his need, by Jesus' nearness and by the supernatural nature of Jesus at that moment.

How is your faith? 

Is it based on your memories about Jesus or built into your moments with Jesus?