October 28, 2013

"For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring." Acts 17:28

The Apostle Paul was preaching in Athens and noticed that they were very religious but did not know the One true God or His Son Jesus. In their shrines they had many idols to many idols and to make sure they did not miss a god or offend a deity they built an idol to "the unknown god".

Paul saw an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel and began to tell them about this God Who was knowable, Who wanted to be known, and Who "was not far from them."

What Paul told them about God, we could stand to hear. Let's examine it more closely:

The Centrality of God - "In Him....."

God will not settle for being "a" god. He must be "the" God. There is no god like our God. He is beyond compare. He created you for Himself. He put within you a "God-shaped" void that nothing else can satisfy. You were never designed to be happy or fulfilled without having God squarely in the center of His will.

The Vitality of God - "....we live and move......

When God identifies Himself as the "Alpha and Omega", the beginning and the end, He is acknowledging that all life begins and ends with Him. Since that glorious and ancient day when He commanded, "Let there be....", life has flourished on this beautiful planet. And He personalized life when He sent His only Son, Jesus, so that His life could flourish within us.

The Identity With God - "....and have our being."

Paul was speaking to men who were very religious and somewhat superstitious. They wanted to make sure that they covered their bases spiritually. If there was a god they needed to know - they wanted to know him. It was important for them to be right with their gods. I imagine that the Great Apostle was moved by their sincere desire to be right with a God they had yet to know. So he sweetens the deal by promising that this unknown God, his God, is One Who knows you, can be known by you, and wants to dwell in you. This God is so vast and so good that you can lose yourself in Him - and only when you lose yourself in Him do you find yourself! Some of them did!

Have you?

October 27, 2013

"Agree with each other. Don't be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren't considered important. Don't think that you are better than others."  Romans 12:16

Humility is about the only way to preserve harmony. So, if you value harmony you must place a high priority on humility.

What is humility and how does it happen?

If you want to understand what it means to be humble there is not better example that this:

"Don't do anything only to get ahead. Don't do it because you are proud. Instead, be free of pride. Think of others as better than yourselves. None of you should look out just for your own good. You should also look out for the good of others. You should think in the same way Christ Jesus does. In his very nature he was God. But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to. Instead, he made himself nothing. He took on the very nature of a servant. He was made in human form. He appeared as a man. He came down to the lowest level. He obeyed God completely, even though it led to his death. In fact, he died on a cross. So God lifted him up to the highest place. He gave him the name that is above every name. When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone's knee will bow to worship him. Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow to worship him. Everyone's mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And God the Father will receive the glory."   Philippians 2:3-11

Humility is thinking toward others in the same way Jesus does.

He thinks about their needs and how He can meet them. Do you?

He counts others as more important than Himself and considers what is in their best interest.

He gave up His position and privilege to serve others.

He sacrificed His very life to save the eternal life of others.

Who can match the example of humility modeled by our Savior? Who has stooped lower than He did? Who suffered more that Him for the sake of others? Who has sacrificed more than Jesus?

He humbled Himself to restore harmony in the universe. He died and rose again so that it would be possible for harmony to be preserved among His people.

In short, to have humility you must have the mind of Christ. How does that happen?

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. 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." Romans 12:1-2

Humility comes as a result of humbling yourself to God and allowing Him to purge your pride and self-centered mind and your self-seeking heart. In other words, harmony begins by getting yourself in tune with God - heart and mind.

Have you done that?

Will you?

October 26, 2013

"The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17-20

Jesus was sending His followers to discipleship training.

They went out in His name to preach, and testify, and to heal and deliver. They did it and they did it successfully and they returned rejoicing!

In Jesus' Name and under His authority they had healed people and they had cast out evil spirits and had demonstrated the power of God.

Jesus rejoiced with them because He had seen the Evil One defeated by His followers obediently exercising His authority! But then He put some perspective on their accomplishments with this admonition, "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

There are several important truths to be taken from this curious statement.

1) To exercise the power of my authority be sure you are in personal relationship with me.

2) It is exciting to to have my power, but it is more important to have my provision.

3) Having God's power without living in His presence will lead to pride and corruption.

4) The power to perform signs and wonders can last for a lifetime but our place in Heaven is eternal.

5) Your position in heaven impacts your power on earth.

6) Rejoicing in what God does is good but rejoicing in Who He is much better.

Enjoy miracles!

Employ the power of God!

But more importantly, embrace the Person of God and live in His presence!

October 25, 2013

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:16-21

You serve a powerful God!

How powerful is your God?

More powerful than your wildest imagination.

According to Mark Batterson in "The Circle Maker", astrophysicists calculate that it is 15.5 billion light-years to the edge of our universe. We know light travels 186,000 miles/second x 60 seconds/minute x 60 minutes/hour x 24 hours/day x 365 days/year = 5,865,696,000,000 miles/year. That's ONE light year and we are talking about a universe 15.5 BILLION times larger larger than that!

That is a LOT of zeros! It is an unimaginable number! But it just begins to illustrate the vast difference between what you are able to imagine and what God is able to imagine AND do! This should help you with insight on what St. Paul means when he states that God is able to do more than you can imagine! He can imagine more than you imagine and to DO more than you can imagine. Not only are God's thoughts higher than your thoughts, His math is much higher than yours!

So, when God does something you couldn't imagine or does something you imagined but in a way you never imagined you call it a miracle.

A miracle is just a glimpse at the difference between who God is and who you imagined Him to be. Could it  be that one of the purposes of miracles is to stretch your imagination and your imagining of God?

Imagine that!

Please!

October 24, 2013

"Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”  John 4:39-42

Who doesn't love a good miracle?

Who couldn't use a miracle?

Over the past few days we have learned a couple of things about miracles. 

First, miracles happen in response to a great need. If you are struggling with a big need you are a candidate for a miracle!

Second, miracles happen as a result of a great deed. When you do what God has asked you to do He will do what only He can do.

Today I want to make another point about miracles. While we like the outward miracles that we can see happen, but some of the most effective miracles are those that happen in the heart of a person and are out of view.

As an example of this point, I point to the Samaritan woman at the well whom Jesus encountered.

Something happened to her! Something changed her from the inside out. Her heart was different! Her attitude was different. Her demeanor was different.

She had met the Messiah! She found the living water that would flood her with joy. She found Someone Who told her everything she had ever done and yet He didn't condemn her. In fact, He loved her despite her sinfulness.

Once she had experienced the grace of Jesus for the forgiveness of her sins, she hurried into her hometown and told everyone about this Messiah Who have changed her heart!

The record shows that most of the town put their faith in Jesus and make Him their Messiah! 

That's miraculous!

When Jesus fed the multitude, thousands were satisfied but there is no record that any were saved.

I encourage you to expand your concept of miracles! A miracle that transforms a life is no less significant than one that parts the sea.

Don't miss the forest for the trees!

October 23, 2013

"After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."  John 9:6-8

As you were reminded in yesterday's post, miracles always happen in respond to a need. The more desperate the need the greater the miracle.

I want to call your attention to another common denominator in Biblical miracles - a great deed.

Just as every miracle happened in response to a need, every miracle was preceded by a deed.

What do I mean by a "deed"?

By a "deed" I am referring to an act of obedience done to demonstrate faith in Jesus.

The blind man was told to go wash in the pool. He did and when he did he was healed!

Moses was told to lift his staff and stretch it over the waters of the Red Sea. He did and the sea opened to allow hundreds of thousands to cross on dry ground!

Peter was told to step out of the boat and onto the stormy sea. He did and walked on the water!

Four friends climbed to the roof and tore a hole in it to lower their friend down to Jesus. He was converted and healed!

The stewards at the wedding were told to fill the jars with water and bring them back to Jesus. When they did He turned the water to wine.

Jesus told Lazarus' friends to unseal the tomb. When they did, Jesus walked in and spoke life back into Lazarus!

The disciples were told to cast their nets over to the other side of the boat. When they did they caught so many fish their nets were breaking!

If you care to study the miracles of the Bible (OT and NT) you will see these two dynamics at work in each miracle - there was a great need and in response to that need there was a person who obeyed and did a great deed. The great need and the great deed combined to demonstrate the healing power of Jesus.

Are you in need?

Ask God what He wants you to do about it!

October 22, 2013

"When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves. "But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!" They said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  Matthew 14:15-17

Let's see, here we have thousands of hungry people and just one simple lunch. That's a problem! How do you do the math on that?

Well, when you have Jesus it helps balance the equation: 1 lad + 1 lunch + 1 Lord = leftovers!

No wonder the feeding of the 5,000 is one of the most popular and well-known miracles of the Bible!

This miracle illustrates an important truth that binds all the Biblical miracles together - every miracle came in response to a need! Search the Old Testament and the New Testament and try to find a miracle that did not happen because there was a God-sized need to be met. 

In 2013 America, we don't like having unmet needs. Most don't need to be needy. Some believe they are entitled to have their needs met. I don't enjoy being in need and I doubt if you do.

But, let's think about this. Miracles arise in response to needs and we don't like to be needy. So do you think there could be a possible connection between our aversion to needs and the rare occurrence of miracles?

While I am sure the answer to the question of miracles is more complicated than just a reluctance to admit you have a need or your unwillingness to suffer need, I am sure it is part of the reason.

A multitude to feed, a dead brother to raise, a sea that stands in the way, a man who is lame, a man who is blind and millions in a dessert needing food and water, were all desperate needs that were met by a miraculous provision from God.

Every person I know would love to receive a miracle. But not every one of them is willing to bear suffering or neediness.

If needs give rise to miracles, and if you don't want to be in need, guess what you will likely not receive?

Perhaps you need to spend some quiet with God and give this some prayerful consideration.