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Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Reading for the Day John 11-12; James 1-3 Focus on John 11:43

“Then Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’”  Many times when I read accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry in the gospels I think, “I wish I could have been there,” but never more so than when I read the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  The account contains so many interesting details, nuances and proclamations.  In all of it, though, the most compelling verse for me is John 11:43.  Can you picture being there?  Can you picture standing near the entrance to the tomb, when Jesus has told the people to roll the stone covering the entrance aside?  Lazarus’ sisters sought to stop Jesus, because they were afraid Lazarus’ body would have stunk by that time.  Jesus wouldn’t be stopped.  He shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”  I picture a dramatic pause, and then the mummy-like figure of Lazarus appearing at the door in his grave clothes.  Did the crowd shout?  Did they stand in silent awe?  I once heard someone say the reason Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out!” is if He had simply said, “Come out!” every person in the tomb would have appeared at the door!  No doubt they would!  Jesus is the author of life, and He holds command even over death.  Had I been there in that moment, I don’t know what I would have done, but I would surely have believed Jesus was amazing—probably the Son of God.  The only ones who stood by unimpressed, or at least unmoved by the incident, were the religious leaders.  Far from celebrating Lazarus’ resurrection, they now realized that Jesus’ place among the people had become that of a leader, if not their Messiah.  They started plotting Jesus’ death.  It makes no sense on the surface.  Why would anyone kill a man who had the power over life and death?  The only reasonable answer to that question is – fear.  They feared the Romans would intervene if Jesus proclaimed Himself king.  They feared a loss of control if Jesus were proclaimed a religious leader among the Jews.  They feared the possibility of even considering that Jesus was who He claimed to be.  Fear is a powerful motivator.  In our lives fear will eliminate Jesus from taking central place in our lives, or Jesus will take the central place in our lives and overcome our fears.  Which will it be?  Jesus offers all who seek Him first a place in His Kingdom and the assurance of lives of meaning and purpose.  May we choose Him over fear, that HE may overcome fear in us!

Heavenly Father, Thank You for sending Jesus to overcome every obstacle in the way of eternal life with You—including death!  Thank You for the account of Jesus raising Lazarus, which shows us that for Jesus there is never a hopeless situation.  Glorify Yourself in our lives today, by filling us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to live the kind of lives that will draw others to You.  This I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

The three things I’m tired of: psychology, bureaucracy, and commentary.

Blaming to excuse.

No matter how you understand people, only one thing cures the heart or the head. Unconditional love has nothing to take apart and mends every broken heart, eventually. So if we already know this is the answer, let’s not waste any more time by taking apart questions.

Stop pointing fingers; learn to forgive others. Stop making excuses; learn to forgive yourself.

The word “psychobabble” appears in dictionaries and spell check software, but “psychobullshit” does not.

Institutional blaming and excusing.

It appears to take a crisis to cure what ails institutions. A few renegades can bully their way through, but they won’t stop to cure the system for everyone else. The people of the system don’t often support efficieincy in the system.

Better to beg foregiveness than ask permission, but only if you have money. Actually, either way, you need the money.

Unforgiveable: Delaying action to tell people what you do.

People talk about doing, or about what is done. Few do anything original.

Most of what I read, hear, or watch is about something else I could read, hear, or watch directly. Reporters forecast to supplement what they report. Analysts discuss the strategy of politics and sports, or explain markets, science, and history. Later they explain why they were actually wrong. I could watch two hours of trailers, featurettes, and reviews for every two hour movie.

Two thumbs: Most of what I have to say to the world is about what other people do or say.

Flight paths. Two of them. I snapped this with my phone last week, when the sun was out from behind the clouds. I am missing the sun right now.

Bridget's Artwork.

Monday, March 15, 2010 Reading for the Day John 9-10 Focus on John 10:10

Few verses in Scripture say so much as John 10:10:  10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus made it clear that the goal of His life is to make our lives ABUNDANT.  In the Greek New Testament we find two words for life:  bios and zoe.  Bios is physical life.  Zoe is the life of God.  Some would call it spiritual life.  When Jesus tells us He comes to give us life, and that we may have it more abundantly, He was talking about zoe.  Jesus cares about our physical lives, but He cares much more about our spiritual lives.  Why?  Because at most we are going to live a century in this, physical life.  Then we will live for eternity in our spiritual lives!  We want to live that eternity with God:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  That means in this life we must follow Jesus.  We must make Him first in our lives.  Jesus makes it clear that the goal of His opponent, Satan, or “The thief” as He put it in John 10:10, is to steal, kill and destroy.  Most often Satan disguises his theft, murder, and destruction in pleasant sounding, smelling, tasting, touching or feeling packages.  After all, few of us would go willingly to our own destruction!  The key for us to remember is Jesus ALWAYS leads us to life—abundant life. His way is often hard.  His way is often filled with challenging decisions.  His way will cause us to depend absolutely on His life within us through the Holy Spirit, but all of that is far more fulfilling at the end of the day than following the ways of “The thief.”  As we go about this day, let’s make sure our priority is to seek after the life that is truly life, which comes only through Jesus.  Let’s make sure when the thief comes, and he surely will, that we are ready for him, and are prepared to defend ourselves from his lies, temptation and destruction.  The Good News is we may experience the abundant life of Jesus here and now—we don’t have to wait for heaven to experience it—and we WILL experience it as we live IN Him and in the power of His Holy Spirit!

Heavenly Father, Thank You for all You are, and for the abundant life You give us through Your Son, and our Lord, Jesus!  Fill me with Your Holy Spirit today and everyday that I may live that abundant life moment by moment and offer it to others.  This I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Sunday, March 14, 2010 Reading for the Day John 7-8 and Hebrews 11-13 Focus on Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11 is referred to as “The Faith Chapter.”  From the beginning of the chapter when the author defines faith for us, through the body of the chapter where the author presents us with a “Who’s Who” in the “Faith Hall of Fame,” to the conclusion of the chapter when we’re reminded all that “Who’s Who” list of faithful men and women didn’t receive what we have received---The assurance of our faith:  Jesus Christ come to the world, crucified for our sin and risen from the dead. All the amazing men and women of faith in the Old Testament looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, but they never saw the day when He came.  We live 2,000 years AFTER He came.  While all of us would love to have lived in Jesus day, to have walked along side of Jesus when He walked the earth, the reality is we’re way better off than those who lived BEFORE Jesus came.  We’re better off, because we are SURE of what we’ve hoped for.  We are SURE that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  We’re sure that either during our lives or at the end of them we will stand face to face with Jesus and hear His words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter the joy of your Master’s kingdom.”  I am so glad to live on the “victory side” of the cross and resurrection, to be able to wake up each day with the assurance that my faith is well placed.  Does that mean I never have even the smallest doubt?  Not at all!  I’ve doubted many things about the faith over the years, but every time I start to doubt, I consider again what faith is:  The substance of things hoped for; the evidence or conviction of things not seen.  Faith must leave room for doubt, or it isn’t faith! If it’s 100% no doubt sure, then it doesn’t require faith.  When I start to doubt I simply doubt my doubts and hold onto my faith.  That may sound simple or simplistic, but the reality is I KNOW that my faith in Jesus is well-founded and well-grounded, so when the doubts come, I doubt them and keep trusting in Jesus!

Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for Your faithfulness, and for being worthy of my faith.  I thank You for all those who came before me in the faith, and who have set the stage for my life of faith.  Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may be faithful and live in faith.  This I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

My Bluetooth adapter.
tags: p365.2010

Posted via email from Bryan Hill's Posterous

Saturday, March 13, 2010 Reading for the Day John 5-6 and Hebrews 8-10 Focus on John 6:1-15

Jesus performed many miracles, or as John preferred to call them “signs and wonders” during His life and ministry on earth.  Only one of those miracles is recorded in all four gospels:  the feeding of the five thousand.  Each of the accounts has slightly differing details, as one would expect when reading four different authors’ viewpoints on a particular event.  What I have always loved about John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand is that we’re told the source of the five loaves of bread and two fish that Jesus prayed over and multiplied so that they fed 5,000 people was a “lad” or a “boy.”  I’ve always thought about the impact the event must have had on that boy for the future.  After all, for the rest of his life, the boy would    Have been able to tell anyone who would have listened, “I gave Jesus five loaves of bread and two fish and He turned it into enough food to feed 5,000 men PLUS all the women and children who were with them."  Can’t you see folks rolling their eyes or shouting, “No way!”?  But the boy saw what he saw, and he had participated in a miracle of God.  He provided the “seed” for the great “harvest” made available to the crowd by Jesus.  I once read, “God can do a lot with a little if He has it all.”  The feeding of the 5,000 may be the best example of that adage recorded in the four gospels.  The boy didn’t have much.  In fact, that’s what Andrew said when he brought the boy to Jesus:  “He has five barley loaves and two fish but what is that among so many?”   What, indeed!  May we have the attitude of that lad who gave all he had, little as it was, and saw a miracle as a result!  What miracles are waiting to happen in our lives individually, and as a congregation, until someone steps forward and says, “It isn’t much, but I’ll give it all to You, Jesus!”?  May each of us live out that attitude, because as we do, we can be sure that miracles are on the horizon!

Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for Your faithfulness!  Thank You for taking the little we offer You and multiplying it.  I pray You will take all of me, little as that is, and multiply my effectiveness in offering Your salvation to my family, friends, and all I meet. This I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.