What’s on Your Mind?

Imagine Jesus sitting on a park bench with you. His eyes, filled with amazing love, fall on you, and He says, “What’s on your mind?” Could you speak an intelligent word? I don’t think I could. Then He says, “You can come to me when you are tired and I will give you rest. You can learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your soul” (Matthew 11:28 – my paraphrase). Would you like to have rest for your soul? Life can be demanding and stressful, but that is not what God wants for you. He wants you to come to Him as a child would go to his daddy. He will partner with you to accomplish all He wants you to do. Imagine partnering with a loving and patient God. You might ask, “How could that happen?”

A Conversation with Jesus

Partnering with Jesus starts with a conversation. I started by reading the Bible, where I learned about God’s story, His character, will and promises. I discovered that He keeps His promises because of His love for people. Jesus’ disciples saw Him slip away to quiet places to pray. They knew that John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray, so they asked Jesus to teach them. He used the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern, and said, “This is how you should pray:

• Begin with praise and adoration to God.
• Ask that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Ask for your daily needs.
• Ask Him to forgive you as you forgive others.
• Ask Him to keep you from temptation and sin” (Matthew 6:9-13 – my paraphrase).

Prayer is Not

Be encouraged that God loves and cares about you, but He doesn’t like “shopping list” or “to do list” prayers. That is not the meaning of, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7). Jesus says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer is Relationship

People in love with each other spend a lot of time together – loving, encouraging, giving and helping each other. This is the kind of time God wants to spend with us. He loves us and desires for us to love Him in return, by spending time in His word and in His presence.

Prayer

O Lord our God, King of the universe, thank you for loving us. Teach us how to be in relationship with you by learning more about you, your story and your plan for our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen…

Live Like You Can’t Lose

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Unstoppable, unshakable, reliable and everlasting is the amazing love of God. The early Christians learned from the apostles, the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ miracles and teachings. She lived like she could not lose. Threats and persecution could not quiet her. No matter how much the empire took from her, she would not stop being loving, compassionate and generous. The early church loved the living God and set an example for us to follow.

The gospel has traveled on the ground from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Empires and kingdoms have come and gone, but the church is still here today. Many books have been written and movies made, but the Holy Bible is still a best seller.

How would you live if you knew you couldn’t lose, if you knew you could rise above rejection, if you knew you, and ordinary person, could accomplish the extraordinary? Would your write that book? Would you start a church or a blog? Would you visit someone in the hospital or prison? Would you reach out to love the unlovely? Give to a needy person in your neighborhood? What keeps you from living like you cannot lose? Friend, I feel like I am preaching to myself. Rejection is hard to take. Persecution even harder. Writing a book or a blog post requires overcoming procrastination and other ways of wasting time. We can only live like we cannot lose in the power of God, but He is faithful. Ask Him to bless you, your work, your ministry. He promised, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Prayer: Holy God, merciful Father, empower us to continue to bring revival and renewal to this dark world. Use us to help you make all things new–today. We cannot do this without your help. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

A Clash of Kingdom and Empire

Antakya, Hatay / Turkey – October 08 2020: View of streets and houses in old Antakya city center

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds on earth. The seed of the mustard plants (weeds) in Israel is a powder, and when the wind blows the mustard seed gets all over everything. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told His followers to stay in Jerusalem. He said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus’ followers were scattered over the whole world. They started their mission in Antioch on the Orontes River in Turkey. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire, which was a melting pot of Caesar worship, entertainment, social status and scarcity. God’s people were first known as Christians in Antioch, now called Antakya. The pagan culture gave them this name–they didn’t name themselves.

Do you wonder what they did to earn this name? Several things distinguished them from the pagans. First of all, they refused to participate in the imperial cult. They worshiped the one true God, and for that they were persecuted and their property was confiscated. Secondly, they didn’t divide themselves by status, race or culture. They shared whatever they had with each other and lived with plenty. Third, they valued life. They didn’t enjoy fighting-to-death entertainment in the arenas and amphitheaters, and they didn’t throw away babies. First-born baby girls in the Roman Empire were put on the steps to die and babies born to temple prostitutes were also cast away. The Christians picked up these children and adopted them.

This clash in life-style spread over the entire Roman Empire like mustard seed. Today it continues to break all cultural, political and religious barriers with the amazing love of Jesus. Once a person experiences this love, they cannot keep it to themselves, but want others to experience it too. It’s what I want for you, friend. Life in the world today is very much like the Roman Empire and becomes meaningless without God. He has a more excellent way for you. “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your gospel message of love, forgiveness and eternal life. Thank you for the early Christians who paved the way for us to know your love and abundant life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Refuge and Strength

“God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3).

The picture is of En Gedi, an oasis from springs east of the Dead Sea. I climbed a rocky, mountain path on a very hot day to get here and was refreshed by the pools and waterfalls. Moving water in the Bible is referred to as living water–like that of En Gedi. At the Pool of Bethesda, sick people waited for an angel to stir the water so they could be healed (John 5:8). When Jesus talked to the woman at the well He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). En Gedi is remembered best as David’s refuge when he ran for his life from King Saul.

Jesus is my En Gedi–the Spring of Living Water, my Healer and my refuge in times of trouble. He is always with me. He never sleeps or slumbers. He doesn’t grow weary of hearing my cries for help or of my praises in times of joy. “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you . . .” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Friend, do you know God as your Spring of Living Water, Healer and Refuge? If not, seek Him. He promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13) and “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Our God is a God of easy access. He is waiting for you. He says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20). God be with you.

Prayer: Holy Lord, compassionate Father, thank you for visions of your glory in the Holy Lands. Help us to experience your holiness right where we are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.