04.11.09
“REST BEFORE RESURRECTION”
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REST BEFORE RESURRECTION
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Mar 15:46-16:1 NIV
46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
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How must it have felt for those who loved and followed Jesus to have witnessed the events of His crucifixion and death. To have heard the cries of the crowd as they demanded, “crucify him!”; and the cry of their Lord as He bellowed, “it is finished!” then slumped in death. They would have seen the Roman officer spear Jesus’ dead body in the side; and noticed the water and the blood flowing. They would have trailed as the body was wrapped in linen and put in a tomb, mourning with the seeming finality of the stone rolled up against it.
But as faithful Jews, they would have sought to practice Sabbath; even having to wait to embalm their beloved Lord’s body with fragrant spices. How turbulent the ocean of thoughts in their minds, and feelings in their hearts. To know all their hopes dashed up on a bed of nails; stunned by what appeared to be the failure of the promised consolation of Israel.
But rest they did; Sabbath they practiced. Little did they know that they were not alone in practicing Sabbath. For what was Jesus doing, if not resting in a tomb? Could he have not arisen the very next morning? Rather he stayed still; awaiting the day after Sabbath; i.e. the day of new creation.
Only when the ladies rush to Jesus’ body at first light do they find that something amazing has happened! The stone is rolled back, and the presumably decaying body is not to be found.
As we find ourselves in the turbulent mix of trust and fear; will we not take time to embrace the rest God would offer us? On this Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, will we not also practice the rest which precedes resurrection?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you humbly come before the Wise and Sovereign God, who has impeccable timing in knowing how to lead and pace your steps?
- Will you embrace a kind of spiritual resting today, one which looks back to God’s activity in atonement achieved, and resurrection in the wings? Will you lift up prayers of trust; and embrace a posture of holy waiting?
- Will you take time to reflect on all God has done for you, and shown you during this season of Lent; and prepare yourself to worship the Risen and Exalted Lord tomorrow morning on Resurrection Sunday?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
04.08.09
“BAND OF THE SURRENDERED”
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BAND OF THE SURRENDERED
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Mark 14:36 NIV
36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
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Matthew 12:46-50 NIV
6 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
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In the marketplace of competing agendas, the idea of surrendering one’s will is strange concept. Divesting from one’s right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness is such an un-American ideal. But when we look at the heart of Jesus, and the history of salvation; the yielding of one’s will to God’s higher promptings is absolutely critical in the pursuit of Kingdom life, liberty, and joy.
Jesus points the way for us. As the cup of suffering is placed before Him, Jesus first prays for its removal. But in the very same breath, surrender to the higher will of His Father is intentionally chosen. To do His Father’s will has been the driving engine of his life and ministry; the very food by which He is sustained and in which He delights (cf. John 4:34).
As one wholly surrendered to the will of God, Jesus is able to re-establish the boundaries of identity and loyalty. No longer is one’s inclusion amongst the people of God based on genetics. No longer is one’s filial status unchallenged as the primary marker for loyalty. A new solidarity is established; one which revolves around having surrendered to the will of the Father. When Jesus mother and brothers go to “collect” him, thinking he is making a fool of himself; Jesus points to his disciples and declares that they are his mother and brothers. For like Himself, they belonged to the band of the surrendered; wholly surrendered to the will of the Father.
We too will not fail to face the challenge that Christ and the disciples encountered. Will we opt to find solidarity amongst those seeking their own agenda, or within filial loyalty contexts? Or will we derive energy and delight in surrender to the Father’s will; and find that we too are counted amongst the band of the surrendered?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you muse on the beautiful character of Christ; that though in very nature God, he knew how to surrender His will. Will you muse on the costly sacrifice of Christ, that He would drink from the cup of suffering out of that surrender? All for His father, and for us.
- Will you take stock of all the agendas that compete for your loyalty? Your own desires, the expectations of family, friends, employers, etc. Will you demote them in order to prioritize the will of the Father in your life? As you surrender, will you listen in faith knowing that God will clarify His will for you?
- Will you draw strength from others who belong to the band of the surrendered? Will you seek and offer encouragement, knowing that God is able to fulfill His higher promptings in all our lives?
This devotional written by Pastor Martin
03.31.09
“INTERNAL DEFILEMENT”
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INTERNAL DEFILEMENT
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Mar 7:14-23 NIV
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.
15 Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’ “
17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.
18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’?
19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’
21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
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Rom 14:17 NIV
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
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These days, people are paying far greater attention to what goes into their mouths. With the recognition that so many health issues are connected with the quality of the food we eat; people are even opting for “organic” options over the normal fare which is increasingly genetically modified, over processed, and riddled with pesticides and hormones.
The people of Jesus’ day were also very careful with what went into their mouths. The Torah had laid out very specific food laws; which taught them that what they ate had spiritual ramifications. It was understood that eating a non kosher food item defiled them; and excluded them from God’s presence.
In an effort to demonstrate piety, great emphasis was placed on satisfying the external letter of the law. As laudable as the effort might have been; the result was no less than deadly. For in the legalistic keeping of the letter of the law, the teachers of the law (and those who followed them) became blind to the spirit of the law.
Jesus declares in their midst, it is not what enters a man from the outside that makes him unclean, but what comes out. The source of sin and spiritual defilement isn’t external as much as it is internal. Impure thoughts and desires, which fester and breed defiling actions is what separates men from God; not the” righteous” prescribing to a kosher or vegan diet.
This temptation to exclusively externalize our religious focus is a very tempting option. For in one way, it reduces the spiritual life into something we can manage; something tangible and evaluative. But in a way, it can lead to a deadly blindness; whereby in our emphasis on the external we have taken our eye off the deadly corruption within. Like coating walls infested with toxic mold with a clean coat of primer and paint; dealing with the external only leaves one all the more vulnerable.
External observance alone isn’t the final stop in the journey of the spiritual life. The Kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who comes to inhabit one who is in Christ brings our focus to not external but internal defilement. And when He does, we can continue past the external to atonement and transformation.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you ponder on and praise the character of the one who came to redeem you whole; inside and out; who liberates you from the trap of external religiosity, that you might live righteousness peace, and joy in the Spirit?
- Will you reflect: how might you be reducing the life in the Spirit to matters of eating and drinking? If you are practicing Lent, how might you move beyond the external to the matters of the heart and of the Kingdom?
- If you’ve been burned or bondaged by a form of religion which is exclusively external in force; would you come to Jesus who has the power to free, cleanse and fill you with the living Spirit of God? If you know of someone else caught in this wicked trap, will you pray that they would encounter Christ, and enter the Kingdom?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
03.30.09
“FUTILITY OR FRUITFULNESS”
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FUTILITY OR FRUITFULNESS
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Psalm 127 NIV
1 A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
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Mark 4:26-29 NIV
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
28 All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
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Though possessing unparalleled abilities amongst God’s creatures, man has long recognized his dependence upon forces outside his control. For the farmer, not matter how skillful his agricultural techniques are applied, there is no way to ensure a fruitful harvest during a season of drought. So much depends on the choices we make, but so much more depends on the gift of God.
Psalm 127 reflects on this very dynamic, whereby security, sustenance, sleep, and sons are seen as a direct function of God’s gracious gift. We can strive to build, guard, toil, and even impregnate; but unless God is in it, there is naught but futility. On the flip side, God’s touch in the big and small cannot help but overflow in fruitfulness. Even if not in the short term; fruitfulness in season is never questioned for those who love, trust, and fear the LORD.
What is true for creation is true for the Kingdom as well. Mark records a parable of Jesus where the Kingdom is portrayed as a fruitful seed. A man scatters seeds; and with a power and momentum not of his own, the seeds grow. Even while he sleeps, the seeds grow. Though he has no idea how, they grow. All by itself, the seed and soil progress to the point where fruit has emerged; ready for harvest.
So much has been given us in terms of power and responsibility for our fruitfulness. But at the same time, so much is not in our hands. Praise be to our God whose very touch in our lives turns futility into fruitfulness; as we sow and sleep in faith.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you express your praise for the God of life whose work of creation and redemption results in teeming life. Will you thank Him specifically for the fruit He has already borne out in your life; as well as that which He has promised.
- Will you reflect on your work, your arenas of your laboring? Have you built, guarded, and toiled without trust and obedience? Will you ask for wisdom and discernment to know how to work with God; to labor in the context of His defined seasons?
- For the things outside your control, will you release your grasp, so that you can grip God’s grace instead?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.27.09
“RANSOMING LEADERSHIP”
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RANSOMING LEADERSHIP
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Mar 10:42-45 NIV
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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1Ti 2:1-6 NIV
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.
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There is no dearth when it comes to leadership books, or leadership models. From Machiavelli to Maxwell, key thinkers have understood the power and role of leadership; the boon or curse for those who follow in their wake. But it is Jesus who establishes the only authentic expression of lasting leadership, i.e. one which divests self for others.
This morning’s passage in the book of Mark records Jesus’ response to a situation brewing in the midst of his disciples. As they are drawing closer and closer to Jerusalem, some are jockeying for position. John and James make a private request of Jesus, to hold the seats to the very right and left of Jesus. Jesus in turn asks them if they know what they are asking for. For the occupation of those seats involve an immersion in the cup of self divestment and suffering. When the other disciples hear that John and James have asked for privileged positions, their response is unrighteous indignation. Insulted by the presumption of any lordship over them, the true colors of their incipient leadership model emerges.
Here Jesus echoes for a fourth time what it means for Him to be Messiah. Three times previous he prods his disciples’ dullard senses by declaring that He would be rejected, mocked, flogged and put to death; only to rise on the third day. But they cannot imagine that prime leadership would come to that. In their system of belief, God would not allow it. And so as they accompany Jesus, who is gathering momentum to run to the cross; they bicker over the spoils of privilege.
Jesus turns the tables and declares that while the Gentiles kill for lordship and the scepter of authority, greatness of leadership in the Kingdom means voluntary enslavement, and the payment of one’s life for others. He invokes the very title of uncontested authority, i.e. the Son of Man (cf. Dan. 7:13-14) as one whose leads by giving his life as a ransom for many.
It is quite possible that Timothy reflects on this as he calls the church to pray for the kings and those in authority. That through the influence and intercession of those who bear the name of Christ, that even the Gentile lords would encounter the ransoming leadership of the Son of Man.
How contrasting is Jesus’ leadership to the current assumption to executive privilege? Ransoming crucifixion vs. rancorous retention bonuses? How necessary are our prayers in such a time as this?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you worship at the foot of the all authoritative Son of Man; who submitted to illegitimate crucifixion in order to ransom you to Himself. Will you apply the price as paid in full; extricating yourself from the illegitimate claims of sin and Satan on your soul?
- Will you reflect on your presuppositions about executive role and privilege? What kind of leadership are you seeking to attain? What kind are you currently exerting? What might it mean to follow the path of the Son of Man in your context?
- Will you intercede for your leaders, in your family, church, nation, world? That they would encounter and espouse the ransoming leadership of Jesus?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
03.26.09
“IN MEMORY OF HER”
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IN MEMORY OF HER
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Mar 14:1-11 NIV
Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?
5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.
8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
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Sometimes deeds have more importance than names. Anonymous acts of life saving heroism, or life changing philanthropy are all the more beautiful; for they are done with purity of purpose. Not for fame or personal reknown, but love.
Here in this morning’s passage we see an anonymous deed, which does not go forgotten. A woman comes and anoints the head of Jesus with the most precious of perfumes. What significance is to be found in such a lavish act? Criminal squandering of a year’s wages by a callous wastrel? Or a beautiful act of anointing, for one who is facing a criminal’s death; the only kind of death which precludes an anointing?
Make no mistake, death is plainly in view; Jesus’ death is in the plans. The gospel writer Mark sandwiches this story in between the scheming of priests & teachers of the law, and Judas’ covenant of betrayal. Passover is but two days away; the day whereby a passing over by the angel of death is effected by the vicarious death and shed blood of a blemishless lamb.
How could it be that this woman is the only one who puts the pieces together? Did not Jesus tell his disciples three times over that he is to face death in Jerusalem (Mk. 8:33, 9:33, 10:34-35)? But all they can see is a wasted wages which could have been diverted to almsgiving as customary on the cusp of an approaching Passover.
Juxtaposed between the devious violence of his enemies and even intimate friend, and the dullness of his chosen disciples; Jesus’ heart is refreshed by this beautiful act of worship. Precious nard, kept in an alabaster jar, served frequently as a woman’s dowry. In her breaking of the jar’s neck to release the costly fragrance, could she be echoing the costly covenant love which drives Jesus headlong toward the cross?
Of all those in the room, in the city; Jesus alone understands the significance of her act. And in response, he declares that she will be remembered globally. Wherever the gospel is preached, her act of selfless worship will be declared, in memory of her.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you bow before the Lion of Judah; who gave his body and self up as the Lamb of God for you and I? Will you express thanksgiving and loyalty to the one who suffers the devious scheming of enemy, betrayal of friend, and dullness of disciple on the way to the cross?
- For those of us practicing Lent, a season whereby we wrestle with the suffering and death of Christ; will we ask ourselves by what deeds will we be remembered? What beautiful act of worship arises in your soul as you rivet your attention on the lavish sacrifice of our beautiful savior Christ?
- Will you remember the “poor”, in funds and in spirit? Lifting them up in prayer and almsgiving, that they would encounter gracious provision for body and soul; in the person of Jesus?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.13.09
“DEJA VU”
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DEJA VU
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Mark 5:1-20 NIV
5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man-and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
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Sometimes, history repeats itself. Echoes of the primal story of redemption often reverberate across time and culture. Here in this passage, Mark sees something of the Exodus story being reprised in Jesus’ ministry. The demon possessed man starts off in this story chained and oppressed. But when the on with true authority comes, not even an army of demons can mount a defense. Like Pharoah and his chariots [cf. Ex. 15: 26-28], the Roman version “Legion” is sent to a watery grave.
All this in the full view of the people; that they might know who has authority to deliver and restore. But rather than delight in the presence of the powerful Redeemer, the people balk in fear. As the Israelites did before Mt. Sinai, they decline on the invitation to draw near in reverence and joy. Resolved instead to salvage their idolatrous lives, they plead for Jesus’ departure.
How amazing it is that they would rather cling to a life of hard labor under the taskmasters of sin and demons. Guided by a misshapen fear, even privation and depravity can be imagined as a life flowing with “meat and leeks” [cf. Num. 11:4-6]. These fools would choose desolate wandering in the desert, over the promise of following the anointed one to a promised land.
But not all responded in this manner. Like Joshua and Caleb, one was willing to traverse the full course of this second exodus. Longing to be near to his Redeemer, the formerly demon possessed man run to Jesus and begs to go with him.
Again and again, history repeats itself. Echoes of the primal story of redemption are reverberating even before our very eyes. Jesus is revealing His mighty hand; liberating from sin and oppression. Even now, today people are turning from or to Him.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you reverently approach the Lamb of God/Lion Jesus; consummate in compassion and authority? Will you shed any misshapen dread; to be replaced with holy reverence and awe?
- Where in your life do you echo the people of the region in asking Jesus to get on his boat and leave? What idols do you find yourself clinging to, in substitute to the living God in your midst? Where have you declined to move forward with God, sinfully reimagining the geography of oppression to be one of privilege?
- Will you hearken to the command of Jesus to the redeemed one, “go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Who can you share your Exodus story with today?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
02.10.09
“HE HAD EYES TO SEE”
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Laurie Beth Jones, Jesus in Blue Jeans. A Practical Guide to Everyday Spirituality (New York: Hyperion, 1997), pp. 144-148
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“You have eyes, but still do not see!” –Mark 8:18.
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HE HAD EYES TO SEE
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After my brother Joe had a radical keratotomy to correct his vision, he was so enthusiastic about the results he recruited several of his friends to also have the procedure. Having worn glasses or contacts for nearly twenty-five years, he found that suddenly being able to see without having to scramble for his lenses was something so amazing that he spoke about it with evangelistical zeal.
Joe’s experience made me think about the blind man Jesus healed. How precious must have been those first few moments of sight, when darkness gave way to light, distinct forms emerged from shadows, and then colors and shapes burst forth. Annie Dillard shares in her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek that surgeons who work to restore sight are careful to note that sudden new sight requires psychological as well as physiological adjustment. Some patients could see only for a few hours at a time before asking to have their eyes shaded or closed by masks so they could rest. The sudden influx of visual stimuli is a shock to their systems.
Jesus deal with the issue of sightedness in many ways. He called the scribes and Pharisee’s “blind guides.” He told them that because they claimed to see, but chose not to, their sin would remain.
Doesn’t everyone have eyes? Doesn’t everyone see? Apparently not. My brother’s experience made me want to have an operation so that I, too, could get a “new pair of eyes.” Not with sight that measures 20/20, but with a vision that can see people and issues the way God does.
Georgia O’Keefe said, “To see a flower takes time, just like to have a friend takes time.” Sight is an innate gift, but true vision must be trained. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “You have eyes, but still do not see!” –Mark 8:18.
My mother can look at a face and sketch it almost perfectly, because she had eyes that were trained to see. During the Depression she used to earn lunch money by doing sketches of movie stars and selling them for a nickel. She once told me that she especially enjoyed doing the Dionne quintuplets. I calculated quickly and said, “Mom, that amounted to a penny a face!” “Come to think of it, you’re right!” she laughed, “but drawing babies is so much fun.” I know that whenever we meet someone, she is seeing him or her differently than I am. She is noticing the length of his nose or where her eyebrows meet or the shape of his lips and the color tones of her skin and the relationship of the eyelids to the cheekbone. I look and the person and think, Oh how nice and then try to remember his or her name. Going on a walk with my mother can often take hours because she has to stop at each flower and study and absorb and reflect on its colors. “To see a flower takes time…”
I recently stood in amazement t the El Prado museum in Madrid, looking at a painting of St. Bartholomew by Rubens. Rubens had captured the blue veins in the man’s hand and the way the light came through the tip of his ear and turned it orange. It was this little burst of orange on an otherwise dark panting that made the whole work come alive. A magnificent work by Valazquez protrayed a soldier on a horse, with the breeze billowing in the horse’s mane. Its tail was swirling in symphonic harmony with the flag the soldier carried. Who else in life would see that the motion in the flag and the mane and the tail of a horse was all one movement? Only those with eyes that see.
What if each of us could take training to see into the human heart? What if we could view situations before us rightly–with the eyes of God? “She isn’t dead, she’s sleeping.” Jesus said of the little girl before him–Matthew 9:24. He saw the situation differently from all those around him, and his vision proved to be true. “Sculpture may be almost anything, a monument, a statue, and old coin, a bas-relief, a portrait bust, a lifelong struggle against heavy odds–” Malvina Hoffman, Sculpture Inside and Out (1939).
Jesus observed people putting their money into the treasury one day. Many rich people threw in large amounts, while a poor widow put in only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said “This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others, for they gave out of their wealth, but she put in all she had.” Mark 12:41-43. Jesus had eyes to see.
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Question
Do you look at situation s with only two eyes?
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Question
When have you not seen a situation clearly, and later found out how blind you were. What could have prevented your blindness?
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Question
How can people have eyes and yet not see clearly?
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Question
What can you do–what are you doing–to correct your vision?
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Question
What situation do you wish you could see more clearly?
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Question
Describe in detail how Christ probably sees it.
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Power Connection
Dear Lord, I look at the world through a dark and dim glass. I see only in one or two dimensions sometimes–filtering my perceptions through my very limited focus and prejudices. Open my eyes. Open my heart. Open my mind. Give me eyes that truly see.
Amen
11.04.08
“REPENT FOR YOUR LIFE”
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2 Chron 7:14-15 NIV
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
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Mark 1:15 NIV
15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
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To our minds, repentance feels like an ugly word, laden with guilt and shame. But when God calls us to repent, it is because His intention is to gift us with something far better than what we have been clutching onto for life, i.e. HIMSELF! The Greek word for repentance is a word picture referring to someone doing a 180 degree turn; turning away from the target that was being pursued, back to the source of life in God.
The pivotal motivation for why we are to repent in the Scriptures is not merely so that we can avoid God’s wrath, but that can receive His grace. Repentance is a necessary precursor to us receiving healing, restoration…the very Kingdom of God in our midst.
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REFLECTION/RESPONSE
- As you reflect this morning, first start with the unbridled, generous love of God. Grasp the truth firmly that God’s intention is to heal, restore, and give the fullness of His Kingdom.
- Ask God to search your heart. What things have you been clutching on to to give you a sense of security and significance besides God? Name them, and relinquish them; so as to make room for that which God will fill you with.
- Invite the Holy Spirit to rule and reign in your heart and mind. That the day would be spent in alive awareness, and holy expectation.
