The Unusual in the Usual Place

 

The friends stood outside the crowded house in Capernaum where Jesus visited. They wondered how they would ever manage to get their friend born with palsy near Jesus.  Determined to have an opportunity to seek help for him, these men literally raised the roof to lower their friend toward Jesus.

Jesus oddly enough, praised the faith of the paralyzed man and granted him forgiveness for his sins.  The friends sought physical healing, but Jesus sensed a need for something greater than walking.  Immediately, Jesus sensed the disapproval of the Scribes present in the crowd and challenged them with a question.  “Which is easier to say?  Your sins are forgiven or get up and walk.”

This rhetorical question really needed no answer.  Think about it though.  It’s easier to say your sins are forgiven, because if it didn’t really happen, no one but the intended receiver would know.  When we receive the gift of forgiveness we alone know the power and inward healing of those words.  It isn’t until we live in light of those words and display the transforming power of those words that others can know we received it.

Jesus understood the logic of their thought process as well as ours. Therefore, to prove His ability to forgive sins to the crowd, He told the paralytic man to pick up his mat and walk.  The immediate physical healing revealed the power Jesus possesses to change a person’s life forever.

Witnessing physical healing would increase anyone’s faith, wouldn’t it?  Believe it or not, sometimes is does but others times it doesn’t.  Like those in Jesus’ day, we’re prone to skepticism, too.  We don’t expect something extra-ordinary to take place.  We look for the predictable, those things we can produce in our own power, or those things that make us comfortable.  Many times we miss seeing what the Lord can do or is doing, because we only see what we expect to see.  If we could develop a keener eye for the unusual, we might actually begin to recognize the Lord’s presence more.

Journey with me now, down memory lane, to the place of discovering again how the Lord did the unusual in the usual places.  My memories instantly gravitate to the early 90’s when my husband decided to leave his secular job and finish his education in preparation for full-time ministry.  We lived in Eastern Pennsylvania in our first home with four children ranging in the ages of one to eight. 

In a step of faith we put our house up for sale at a time when homes around us had been on the market for a year or more.  The Lord sold our home in one month.  So, we packed up everything we could carry into a homemade trailer and stayed in a mobile home provided by friends for six weeks so my husband could finish up his employment.  We then headed to Texas to stay with my husband’s parents for the Christmas holidays.

At the first of the year, with no acceptance letter from Moody Bible Institute yet, my husband headed to Chicago for registration day and was immediately given admission.  Later that day he located an apartment for our family that had the one thing I prayed for, a washer and dryer.  The day the children and I arrived I made some calls to locate a church in our area with an AWANA program for my children.  Several calls later, I spoke to the AWANA leader who informed me that one of their members lived on my street, a second specific prayer I asked the Lord for with this move. Our year in Chicago was rich with opportunities of fun and fellowship because of this gift of friendship.

One Saturday in the summer of that year my youngest son cracked open his head on a coffee table, and a trip to the emergency room required internal as well as external stitches.  On Monday we received an anonymous check in the mail from the church we previously attended in Pennsylvania that covered the entire hospital bill.  A year later the Lord provided a second anonymous check to pay the entire hospital bill of a second son’s injury within twenty-four hours of the accident. 

The Lord never stopped watching over us and during our mid-thirties we returned to the East coast for a few years after the death of my father.  My husband returned to his previous job for a time until the Lord opened up a different job for him as he also gave my husband the opportunity to be the pastor of a new church plant.  As this new ministry began the Lord provided a large facility for only fifty dollars a week, a professionally made church sign for free, money for needed tables, and an organization the provided free food for the food pantry we started for the less fortunate in the area.

If these unusual events were not enough to boost our faith we also saw my husband’s father receive an instant healing from an x-ray confirmed broken neck.  A couple weeks later my husband went into shock after a thousand pound furnace fell on his thigh, but he walk out of the emergency room hours with only a bruise.

The Lord never stopped doing these kind of unusual things for us.  Most recently, He provided us with a mansion on a hill to rent while we settled into our new ministry.  For over five months we have been able to overlook the Mississippi River with its beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  We had the joy of hosting an Easter sunrise service and meal in our home with over sixty in attendance, and every month a group of ladies gather together for great fun and fellowship. 

What about you?  Close your eyes and let your mind wander down memory lane to the times you can see the Lord doing unusual things in the usual places.  Each memory provides you with a moment in time when the Lord wanted you to recognize His presence with you.  Tell Jesus thank you for showing you His presence and share your memory with someone else.  May we always help one another see Jesus in the usual places.

Believing the Impossible

~~REVISED~~

     Matthew 19 told the story of a man described not only as young but rich.  He approached Jesus about what he needed to do to obtain eternal life.  Despite what he had already possessed, he lacked the confidence about his eternal destination.  His question indicated his belief in a life beyond this one.  

     Jesus quoted several of the Ten Commandments, and the man confidently responded about his obedience to them.  However, unsatisfied with the idea that this might help him, he asked Jesus what else he lacked.  Seeing the deepest issues of this man’s heart, Jesus challenged him to sell all he owned and give all the money to the poor and come follow Him.  With deep sorrow, the man departed.

     The man received the call to be Jesus’ thirteenth disciple but didn’t accept the offer.  It proved the sad truth on how money will be our master if the Lord isn’t.   With his departure, Jesus informed the disciples the way riches caused difficulties for the wealthy.  The disciples and the rich young man must have assumed that money could buy anything, even eternal life.  Jesus’ comment bothered the disciples, and they questioned Jesus on who could inherit eternal life if the rich had trouble.  Jesus assured them that the Lord accomplished that which is impossible for man.

     The word “impossible” conjures up different thoughts and emotions for each one of us.  For some, it spurs on the desire to prove the naysayer in our lives wrong.  For others, it generates a sense of hopelessness of ever overcoming the mistakes of their past.  Yet for those of faith, it hopefully stirs up excitement and anticipation.

     The naysayer and those feeling hopeless might ask these kind questions and respond this way:

Can something really be created from nothing?  Can good truly come from being sold into slavery? Can waters really part a large river and make the land passable? Can an army march around a city wall and bring it down? Well, of course not. Impossible.

Can a king who committed adultery and murder be a true friend of God? Can a young boy slay a giant with just a sling and stone? Can a donkey talk about seeing an army of angels? Can someone be thrown into a fire and come out of it without a burn? Well, of course not. Impossible.

Can someone walk on water? Can water be transformed into wine?Can two fish and five loaves of bread feed 5,000 hungry men with all their wives and children? Can someone decay in the grave for three days and then come back alive again? Well, of course not. Impossible.

Can a tax collector return five times the amount he stole from others? Can one who had five husband and lives with a sixth make better choices? Can a friend who denied knowing you, turn around and sacrifice his life for you? Can one who murders Christians ever change? Well, of course not.  Impossible.

     Yet, we know the Scriptures tell us all these things took place and by faith, we believe these incidents are true.  However, what do we believe the Lord can do today?  Is He that same God able to do what no one else can do in us and through us?

     Do we believe people can be transformed in the way they think, speak, and act? Do we believe there is “No Condemnation” for the one who knows and loves Jesus? Do we believe in a power that enables us to forgive our enemies and extend mercy and grace toward them? Do we believe we can truly love those who refuse to return our love? Well, of course.  We depend on it.

     Do we believe we can receive healing physically, spiritually, and emotionally? Do we believe someone can be rescued from addictions? Do we believe marriages can be healed? Do we believe we can have joy in difficult circumstances? Well, of course.  We depend on it.

     Do we have the confidence Paul displayed to the Philippians when he said, “He who began a good work will complete it”?  On our own, we’re powerless to change our ways.  Instead we need to recognize the habits and unhealthy responses and seek the Lord for their removal. 

      
For my life I choose to believe He is in the process of:

·       Making me a woman who loves Him with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind.

·       Making me a joyful woman despite my circumstances.

·       Making me a woman who strives to please the Lord over people.

·       Making me a humble woman wholly submitted to His will and way.

·       Making me a woman of the Word.

·       Making me a woman devoted to prayer.

·       Making me a free woman of my past.

·       Making me a woman who listens more and talks less.

·       Making me a grateful woman.

·       Making me a woman of encouragement, grace, and forgiveness.

·       Making me a giving woman without expecting anything in return.

·       Making me a contented woman.

·       Making me a woman who obsesses on those things that honor the Lord only.

·       Making me a non-gossiping woman.

·       Making me a woman who draws others to the Lord.

·       Making me a compassionate and merciful woman.

·       Making me a woman filled and controlled by His Spirit.

·       Making me a woman of truth.

·       Making me a woman who loves like Him.

·       Making me a woman who understands her value, worth, and purpose.

·       Making me a woman of courage and strength.

     Do any of these desires resonate with you?  What do you want to begin believing the Lord for today?  Write them down and daily ask the Lord to make you a person who honors Him in everything you think, say, and do.

@copyright 2013

    

Compassion in its Finest

      We don’t really know the reason people make the choices they do. We may only somewhat understand our own. At times we even make assumptions and jump to all kinds of conclusions about others decisions.  However, unless the person shares their feelings with us, we are only making a guess about them.

    The Scriptures tell us a story of an injured man on the side of the road and the response of three by-passers. The purpose of this parable was to teach what it takes to be a truly loving neighbor.  It drives home the point that in order to love the Lord we cannot physically see with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, we must love the neighbor we can see.

     Our story begins by telling us about a man ambushed and severely injured by a robber. He lies on the side of the road, possibly close to death.  The first two men, a priest and a Levite, pass by on the other side.  For whatever reason, they avoid getting involved in the situation. We can make guesses as to their reasons, but instead should put ourselves in a similar situation and honestly evaluate what we do.  Don’t we pass stopped cars or the filthy individuals holding signs and asking for money all the time?

     Jesus points out that the third man, who stops to help the injured man was first and foremost a man of compassion. The fact that he was a Samaritan adds more validity to his compassion as he crossed cultural differences to assist the hurt man.  We are told the Samaritan went above the call of duty by not only taking care of the immediate needs of this man but assuring the innkeeper his desire to foot the entire bill to see that this man received the necessary care for him to regain his health. 

     This parable reminds me of two particular incidents in my life in which the Lord placed caretakers in my life as a young lost girl.  The first was my first grade teacher and the second was my seventh grade teacher.

     As a seven year old I took a fall on the playground, skinning up my knee.  My teacher comforted my tears with a hug.  I had no idea at the time the reason I craved affection from her, but what would be considered modern day self-inflicted injury, I fell every day afterward.  I received the exact same response each time, comforting arms.  I believe compassion for a troubled little girl drove this woman’s response to me.

     By the time I reached seventh grade, my private struggle with suicidal thoughts consumed most of my waking hours.  I decided to take a risk and gave my English teacher a journal entry revealing my dark and dismal thoughts.  For the next two years she invested even some of her off hours trying to instill in me a sense of self-worth.  Unfortunately, it was void of the saving grace of Jesus, but it did keep me alive to find Jesus as my Savior in the middle of my sophomore year of high school.

     As I reflected on this parable and these teachers placed in my life, I realized their provision in my life from the Lord. Due to my insecurities, I had few companions my own age and carried many deep unresolved fears far into my adult life.  It took decades for me to fully comprehend how the Lord lived this parable out in my life with my own Good Samaritans.

     How about you?  Can you reflect on your life and see the way the Lord brought a person of deep compassion into your life?  Do you see the way they went beyond the call of duty to help you?  How did his or her response give value and meaning to that difficult time in your life?  When you were bleeding and needing someone to bind up your wounds, what did they do to care for your injuries?  Even if they are no longer a part of your life, praise Jesus for providing them for you when you needed them.

Always Dream

As a young boy the Lord gave Joseph dreams.  These dreams showed Joseph accomplishing great things and his father and brothers bowing before him.  Joseph enjoyed talking about his dreams and this infuriated his brothers.  Increasing the tension even more with his siblings, their father gifted Joseph with a multi-colored coat that he wore all the time.

One day, Joseph headed out to the fields in search of his brothers.  They couldn't miss his coming as they saw the brightness of his coat as he approached.  A deep root of anger and jealousy simmered in their hearts, and now an ideal situation had arisen for them to lash out and rid their lives of the one that vexed them.

As they ate and contemplated their exact plan of action, Joseph sat at the bottom of the dried out well.  Certainly he must have wondered if his dreams had actually come from the Lord now.  As his brothers decided to sell him off to some travelers instead of killing him, he still probably questioned the validity of his dreams.

However, Joseph made the best of his circumstances and no matter where he landed he found favor with those in authority over him.  Eventually he rose to a position of second in charge in the land of Egypt.  It was during a great famine in the land that his life crosses paths with his brothers again.  He instantly recognized them, but they remained clueless about his identity until they past the test Joseph placed before them to confirm whether their hearts had changed since their last encounter.

His brothers never really understood the heart of Joseph until the passing of their father.  They were still reeling in guilt and fear for their lives.  However, Joseph looked at them and with full trust in how the Lord worked in his life he said to his brothers, "What you meant for evil against me the Lord used for good for the preservation of many lives."

Whether we receive true visions or just a dream implanted within our hearts, we need to realize that Jesus fulfills the dreams submitted to honoring and glorifying the Lord.  Those dreams come in unexpected ways and most of the time in unexpected times.  Just like Joseph needed pride removed before his dreams came true, we too might need some heart preparation before our dreams come to pass.

For now, may we place all our dreams in our Savior's hand and trust the fulfillment of them to His timing and His way.  His plans will be best for everyone involved.

Transformed

Zaccheus climbed a sycamore tree because the crowd was so large.  He wanted a glimpse of Jesus.  Did only curiosity motivate him?  There may have been something much bigger stirring in the heart of this man of small stature.

When Jesus approached the tree, He looked up at Zaccheus and called him down.  The Scriptures tell us he came down joyfully as Jesus had invited Himself over to dine with Zaccheus.

The crowds grumbled, of course, presuming Jesus was clueless about not only who Zaccheus was but his occupation.  Tax collectors carried with them reputations of deep dishonesty and Zaccheus was not only a tax collector, but the chief of the tax collectors. He probably swindled wages owed to those working under him too.

The next scene is the salvation and complete proof of a true transformation in Zaccheus.  He promised Jesus that he would return four times the amount he stole from people.  Zaccheus recognized his sin immediately, and Jesus honors the repentance in Zaccheus' heart by stating to everyone present that salvation had come to this home.  Jesus also reiterated the fact that His purpose was to save the lost.

How difficult life must have been for Zaccheus after he returned to work the next day as a changed man.  He was still a tax collector despised by the people.  What a humbling experience to now trace back every dishonest act against others and restore back to them what he stole.  Now he would strive to do honest work, but carry with him the reputation of being a tax collector with people still assuming he was dishonest.

How gracious are we to those transformed by their encounter with Jesus and have repented?  May we learn to open our eyes and love like Jesus those who strive to overcome their past by God's grace.

The Lesson From the Sisters

Entering the village of Bethany, Jesus stopped by the home of Martha and Mary, and their brother, Lazarus.   On what may have been His first visit in their home with them, Martha rushed off to the kitchen.  Suddenly, she realized that Mary had not offered to help in the cooking and serving of the meal.  The Scriptures are silent about who else accompanied Jesus, but it's pretty safe to assume that Lazarus and some of the disciples were there too.  Mary listened as Jesus spoke to someone besides her.

When Martha became overwhelmed with her preparations, she decided to discuss the situation with Jesus.  She pointed out her need for help and expected Jesus to tell her sister to help her.  However, Jesus rebuked Martha for her anxiety.  Her words bled with a "poor me" mentality  which showed her insecurity and possibly a struggle with her self-worth. She asked Jesus if He cared about the wrong treatment she felt she had received from her sister.  She might have wondered if Jesus even noticed the amount of work she put in trying to serve Him.  

She definitely felt slighted by Mary's lack of help, but her anxiety might have been caused by either her excessive preparations or the possibility from the number of guests present. (Luke 10).  Jesus ignored her question regarding His care for her and commended Mary's choice to listen.  He refused to deny her this opportunity. It's possible that Mary's faith actually needed strengthening at this point in order to best prepare her for what the future held.

Only Jesus would know what both sisters truly needed at this time in their lives.  Martha's encounter with Jesus apparently taught her the valuable lesson she needed to learn.  The next time we hear about Jesus dining with them, she prepared the meal alone again without any complaints.  

However, the one upset with Mary's choice on this occasion was Judas Iscariot.  He gave off what sounded like a righteous concern about a better use of the money Mary used to purchase pure nard to anoint Jesus' feet.  Jesus saw through his facade and once again praised Mary's choice.  (John 12). 

We too can get distracted by the wrong things and miss the true intentions of others.  We may fall prey to the selfish acts of others and even at times develop a victim mentality.  Martha first believed she was being mistreated by Mary's choice and not only wanted some help but probably some attention to what she was doing.  

We do know that money can absolutely be used wastefully at times.  Judas' downfall was money, and despite all the time he spent with Jesus, he never understood Him the way these two sisters did.

We need to guard our hearts or we can become blinded to the truth lived out in front of us.  Martha took heed to Jesus' rebuke, and we see the way her faith developed to the point of cheerfully serving a meal without help or complaints.  She no longer stressed over her sister's choices. 

The Deception of Pride

A walk through the gospel gives us a picture of the deception of pride.  The religious leaders in Jesus' days followed Him from impure motives.  They held on to their traditions like they were God's gift to them, and so whenever Jesus seemed to break their man-made laws it provided them with more evidence for their case against Him.

How often do we approach situations and people with our own preconceived ideas, too?  We question the heart and motives of those who use different methods then us.  We jump to conclusions and think the worse about what others are doing.  We don't understand or dislike something and therefore decide that it must be bad.

When we don't like what others are doing, we need to step back and examine our own hearts.  We need to carefully guard against the spirit of pride and judgment.  If not, we may become the Scribes and Pharisees dwelling in the church today.  Jesus looked into their hearts and called them hypocrites and white-washed tombs.

Father, open our eyes and  help us recognize areas in which pride has found a foothold in our hearts.  Give us the courage to face it and release it to You, so that deception will be lifted from us and we might walk in the truth toward others and ourself.