The Gift of God

Fifty 2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

        Many of us are preoccupied this time of year with the giving and getting of gifts.  It is said in giving one becomes like God. There is the biblical principle that it is “greater to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) and certainly, there is joy in giving when it meets a need, fulfills a longing or lifts another up (figuratively or literally).  

        The scriptures are full of instructive examples of giving (and receiving); Luke 6:38 tells us “Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Moreover, in Matthew we read “Freely you have received; freely give” (10:8b).  

       God's gift accepted by faith (John 3:16) is for all who will receive it. For those who believe and place their trust in Jesus the gift sets them free. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1 & 2). Amen! Let's rejoice in the gift of God that keeps on giving. 

~* Merry Christmas *~

For God So Loved

Fifty-2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

        The minister said it may be the best known verse from the bible- John 3:16:”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. "The world" includes all of humanity -past-present-future. "The world" embodies all of us and all of our messy, stubborn hearted, idol worshipping self-serving sinfulness. God so loved that he gave. 
         This can be hard to grasp; hard to believe. It makes me think of when I was a teenager and how my parents would occasionally say to me—that they always loved me but they did not always like what I did or how I behaved. I took it a step further and actually told my children during their adolescent years that although I loved them, at a particular moment because of the way they were acting/being, I was not feeling very loving toward them. The point being, it can be a challenge to love in the face of rebellion, rejection, offense,etc. 

      God understands this. The nature of his love is that although we have repeatedly and metaphorically spit in his eye and turned our back on him-he has never stopped loving us. “While we were sinners…Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Maybe this doesn’t sound so extreme, after all the preceding verse says “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die” (Romans 5:7). Certainly there are times when someone will die for another person, but in general, it is a rare. No one, however, can die on behalf of another person and serve as an offering for their sins. Only Jesus can do this: "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed" (I Peter 2:24). God's love expressed to us through his son cancels our debts and nullifies our sins. "This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him" (I John 4:9). This love continues today, "Christ Jesus-who died--more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Romans 8:24).

       There is really only one response we can have to such love - and that is to graciously accept it and strive to love others as he has loved us; “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (I John 4:12). This is how we testify to how God so loves the world.

H~O~P~E

Fifty-2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

        Sunday’s sermon was about hope. Hope is both universal and uniquely human and does not have to be taught or learned. We start to hope as soon as we can desire something with the expectation of obtaining it. As the minister pointed out, everyone “hopes”; “hope we get the job”, “hope we get married”, “hope a loved one gets well” etc.

        Hope is an essential element of faith; a “precursor” of sorts. This can be gleaned from Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”. This hope is for today as much as it is for a future life in heaven.

        When hope is lost life can be dismal. People who are without hope often lose the will to go on.  Proverbs 13:12 talks about how hope “deferred makes the heart sick”. The refreshment of one’s hope relieves burdens and lifts loads. Meditating on scripture can help renew hope-consider the following:

• I Peter 1:21: “Through him [Christ] you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”
• Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;”
• I Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
• I Corinthians 13:7: “It [love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
• Romans 5:5: “And hope does not put us to shame [some translations have ‘disappoint’ instead of shame], because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
• Romans 15:13 is a verse that can be spoken as a prayer for ourselves and others: “May the God of hope fill ___ with all joy and peace as ___ trust in him, so that ___ may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

During this Advent season, let us remember the reason for our hope and be ready to encourage others with this hope too.

… Unless a Person Be Born Again ...

Fifty-2 Sundays ~ Listening for God

       John 3:1-5: “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him’. Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again”.  “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit”.

    The sermon last Sunday presented a strong testimony in support of this verse. Other verses were presented to support this verse. There was not much new in the sermon for me and certainly the idea that a person must be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God is one I accept to be true. Because I take things literally, if had I been Nicodemus in this situation, I think I would have responded the same and struggled to understand how a person could be born again.

    I started to think about the ways we respond to the things God's word tells or asks of us. Some people act on what they hear straight away. Other people delay as they consider the meaning in their mind or heart or maybe they try to bargain or argue with God about it. Other people completely ignore it. 

Consider Adam and Eve – they were told not to eat from the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil” because it would cause them to die (Genesis 2:15-17). After the serpent convinced and confused ("deceived") Eve, she ate the fruit and offered some to her husband Adam. Both of them failed to respond appropriately to the instructions God had given and as we all know, there were consequences that followed. Similarly but with a different outcome, Naaman was told by the prophet Elisha to wash seven times in the river Jordan in order to be cleansed of leprosy (2 Kings 5: 9 -12). Initially he was angry and refused to do such a thing until his own men convinced him to do so and when did, he was healed.

         Abraham by contrast, accepted and obeyed when God instructed him to sacrifice his son Isaac. There was no hesitation or attempt to deliberate with God about this (Genesis 22:2-18). Likewise, when the Israelites were gathered together on the Day of Pentecost heard the Apostle Peter tell them to “Repent and be baptized” they responded and nearly "three thousand accepted the message and were baptized" that day (Acts 2:38-41).

       Many things contribute to how we respond to God. Matthew 13:1-23 (in 'the parable of the sower') identifies that the condition of our heart as a factor in how we respond. We would be wise to adhere to the words of Hebrews 3:7: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...”

         This December it will be forty years since I was “born again”. I am truly grateful to be able to say this. When I came to faith the opportunity to be 'born again' and to have my sins wiped away and a new start was an exhilarating prospect. This possibility exists today for anyone who would come to Jesus and accept what he did on our behalf (Romans 3:24). I say choose life...choose faith...choose to be born again.

Character Counts

Fifty 2 Sundays- Listening for God

         Sunday’s sermon was definitely one of the best I have heard during the past eight months of visiting different churches in the Nashville community. It was a sermon designed to be heard before the election. The intent of the message was that no matter the outcome of the election, we should be so grounded in God’s Word and our trust in Him that our faith will not stumble. This got me thinking about truth, faith and character and how they influence one another.   

         True faith has to be built on God’s Word. The scripture tells us that “faith comes from hearing the message (the Word) as spoken by Christ” (Romans 10:17) and all God’s words are true and his righteous laws eternal (Psalm 119:60).  The relationship of truth to character can be seen in what Jesus said when disputing with the Jews; although he is describing Satan, he plainly states that his nature (or character) is the result of "not holding to the truth" (John 8:44).

      The understanding of the truth is paramount to the development of faith. As the Parable of the Sower describes; “…the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it” (Matthew 13:23a). It can be difficult to love someone when you do not understand them. And we are told to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). 

     This love requires the whole of who we are, the substance of our being - our character. And character development is one of the things God apparently cares about. Consider Romans 5:3 & 4: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

         Our character as believers and followers of Christ does matter and it is on display 24 x 7. Hopefully before we ever open our mouths to share our faith, our character (nature) has left a favorable impression and been a witness to what we believe and hold to be true. 

Who’s In Charge?

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God (10-30-16)

         The text for the sermon was Romans 13:1-10 which addresses how we are to submit to governing bodies, pay our taxes, show respect (verses 1-7) and love others –as this how God’s law is fulfilled (verses 8-10). The preacher mainly focused on the part of the text about loving others, however the verses before that got me thinking about the election as we are now just days away from selecting a new president.

         In our democracy we get to vote for our leaders - one vote per person – and the one with the most votes wins – as long as they also have a majority of 270 electoral votes. In this country we are able to debate and disagree on political matters but in the end we all must accept the result of the election. Certainly our system of government is superior to what many live under in other countries.

         Even so, one might wonder if God works through voters who don’t share the same faith, values or opinions about the candidates or the issues at hand (this includes Christians too who don’t agree)?

         This question is a bit like, asking did God create the universe. One either believes he did or didn’t. I have to remind myself sometimes that God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8 &9) and “… in him [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

         God is in charge and that includes the outcome of the presidential election (Romans 13:1b). I may not like the result of the election and what that person does during their presidency but once again (by faith) I need to remember that they are God’s servants (Romans 13:4, 8) and my job is to respect them (Romans 13:7).

         In closing, it certainly makes sense that we should pray and ask God to give us leaders who will best serve at this time in their elected roles.  And we need to keep praying for those elected – as I Timothy 2:1-3 says: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior,” Amen.

              (All scripture quoted taken from NIV unless otherwise stated).

The Manifest Presence of God

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

         The sermon on Sunday was about how God shows up-how he manifests himself in our world and in our lives. The texts of Matthew 8 & 9 were used to demonstrate this in each of the situations below.

• ·   Matthew 8:1-3: A man with leprosy is healed. God heals. Even the ‘untouchable’ is touchable by God.
• ·       Matthew 8:5-13: The Centurion’s servant is healed of his paralyzing condition. God honors faith-even the smallest amount (mustard seed). There are no exceptions.
• ·       Matthew 8:14-17: The mother of Peter is healed. God loves the marginalized, the ignored and neglected of the world.
• ·       Matthew 8:23-27: God’s creation obeys him! What are we to fear when he can calm the seas with his commands?
• ·       Matthew 8:28-34: The demon's surrender to him. For they know their time is short.
• ·       Matthew 9:1-8: The paralyzed man is forgiven and set free of his condition. Jesus tells him to get up and take his mat and go home-should be not find comfort in this too?
• ·       Matthew 9:9: Matthew the tax collector is called by Jesus. When Jesus calls-go! Do not let present circumstance’s hinder following him.
• ·       Matthew 9:18-26: Jesus raises from the dead the daughter of synagogue ruler. The presence of God swallows up death and brings hope.
• ·       Matthew 9:27-30: Jesus heals two blind men – but first he asks them if they believe he can heal them. And according to their faith (our faith) it is done.
• ·       Matthew 9:32-33: The mute was healed and enabled to speak. God hears the one with no voice and he wants to free them.
• ·        Matthew 9:35-38: Jesus “saw the crowds and had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, life sheep without a shepherd”. Are we willing to show the same compassion to the lost and hurting?

         In closing the pastor quoted from the Great Commission that states “All authority in heaven and on earth” was given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). By faith and on his authority - we are called to continue this work (Matthew 10:1-8). We can anticipate God to show up and make known His presence when we do.

         This sermon challenged my faith - I don’t mean the tenants of the Christian faith (i.e. Jesus as the son of God, that he arose from the dead or that his death on the cross paid our sin debt). Rather, I am speaking about kind of faith spoken of in Hebrews (11:1) where one is confident of what one hopes for and convinced of what one does not see.  This is the kind of faith that God rewards (Hebrews 11:6) as he did with Abraham (Romans 4:3). I want to have the sort of faith that anticipates the presence of God to be made manifest and waits expectantly for him to act. Lord, help my (our) faith to grow that I (we) may fulfill your purpose here on earth as is your will in heaven.

What Are We Doing Here?

Fifty-2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

         I doubt I am the only one who has ever wondered what am I doing here. What is God’s will for my life and am I living it? These sorts of questions have weighed heavy on me in the past and while I have more peace about it now – still I wonder if I am spending my life-time appropriately.  I am encouraged by people I read about in scripture who appear to have been regular folk living a life that might be considered ordinary but then - God stepped in to ask something of them - something beyond their everyday.

The sermon Sunday was about such a person- Abraham, We looked at key points in his life - moving from Genesis 15 through chapter 21 in the scriptures. Abraham fulfilled God’s purpose for his life by being faithful and was used by God in great ways. The minister said Abraham's story tells God's story (one of creation - fall- redemption and recreation) summarized in four points:

1.   God fulfills his promises. 
Abraham was promised a son and that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). Abraham received the son God promised. This was a foreshadowing of the promised redeemer (Jesus).

2.   God’s saves people by faith and makes them righteous. 
Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:18-22) - today it is faith in Jesus that saves and makes us righteous in God’s eyes (Romans 4:23-25).

3.   God’s eternal mission continues.
Now through the church-we are called to be a blessing to others.

4.   God promises to be with us (leading, guiding and providing) until the end of time.

It was the third point that the Holy Spirit used to address the question I posed in the paragraph above. In the words of the minister he said “Our purpose is to be a blessing--to bless others in order that they get a little taste and vision of God”. This touched me. It somehow lifted an assumed responsibility (one not necessarily recognized) - to fulfill some mission or special purpose about which I have been unclear. Instead my purpose is to bless someone(s). It sounds so simple because it is simple. Like when Jesus suggested that ‘a cup of water offered in his name…’ can be suffice (Mark 9:41) and comes with a promise - that the person offering the cup ‘will not lose his reward’. 

There is magic and power in this along with joy and a sense of freedom, because blessings come in many forms-there is no ‘one’ or ‘right’ way to bless another person. This fulfills the charge to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). In blessing others we are blessed. I'd say this answers the question about what we are doing here-wouldn't you?

 (P.S. I will be on vacation for the next couple weeks...I will not necessarily have internet connectivity--so I will resume this when I return.)

Fulfilling the Great Commission

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

The sermon was titled “God’s Assignment for Your Life” and the minister asked those present if had we personalized the Great Commission and were living out God’s mission for our lives.  The scripture text for this sermon was Matthew 28:16 -20:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The three main points from the sermon were:

• ·       God gives us the power to complete his mission. God enables and fulfills in accordance with his will. Believe in his power & honor him with worship.
• ·       The plan – God gives us the plan to execute (see verses 19 & 20) - we are told to “Go and make disciples” and follow him where he is at work.
• ·       Teach people to observe and obey-as the gospel is taken to the ends of the earth. And know that He is with us until the end of the ages.

This sermon took me back to my early years of being a Christian when, under the inspiration of the Great Commission, I went to graduate school to get a degree in community health nursing hoping that in combination with an undergraduate degree in nursing and experience working as an RN – I would be well qualified to work in the mission field overseas. But that was not what followed next. In fact other than a short term medical mission trip to Guatemala twenty years ago - I have never been on a mission trip.  

Recently I met two young women who are getting ready for missions abroad. One leaves this week to go to Cambodia and the other one is raising money to go on the World Race—leaving in January to travel to 13 or 16 countries over the course of a year. These are passionate individuals who want to serve God and other people in an effort to make Jesus known unto the ends of the earth. I applaud them for their faith, commitment and courage.

One thing that really spoke to me in the sermon Sunday was the explanation the minister provided regarding the “go” part of the Great Commission. He said “go” translates to an “as you are going”. This means in our everyday lives we are to make the most of the opportunities God provides with people that cross our path. As simple as “the person who is in front of you today” is what the minister said. There is no shortage of humanity to whom we can “go” to who has yet to hear the gospel or come to faith. After all, Jesus said the “fields are ripe unto harvest” (John 4:35).

Unrelated to the sermon but seemingly relevant to the subject of the Great Commission are the two scripture verses;

Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Romans 11:25: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”

Is it possible that Christ's return is connected to the fulfillment of these two verses? Is it pointless to pray "Lord come quickly if we are not busy about sharing the good news and making disciples? 

(See for additional information: Roman's 11 - Barnes Commentary)

Breath of Life in Three Acts

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

The bible text for the sermon last Sunday was John 20:19-22. While it was being read out loud, the Holy Spirit directed my attention to the word “breathed” in verse 22. Breath and breathing is essential for physical life. The average number of breaths a person takes each day is 23,040. Like the beating of our hearts, we breathe without thinking about it unless of course we have asthma or other respiratory condition. 

The scripture reveals a significant correlation between breath, breathing and our spirit-being.  Consider the following:

         I.  When God created humankind and he brought them to ‘life’ with his breath. Genesis 2:7: “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” To breathe is to be alive. We can live a period of time without food, a briefer time without water, but we cannot live but minutes without air.

II. Breath is as connected with spirit life as much as it is with physical life. We see this in Jesus' death. Luke 23:46: “Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.” As our breathing ceases - so departs our spirit (soul) from the body.

III. Following his resurrection Jesus delivered what his heavenly father had promised – the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49); “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace is with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22). Today as Christians we too receive the Holy Spirit - not in the same manner as the disciples did, but to the same end - which among other things serves as a deposit, a guarantee of our belonging to God (Acts 2:38, Ephesians 1:14).

There is no disputing the relevance of breath to our human existence. It may sound overly simple—but giving thanks for each breath (and heart beat) that keep us alive maybe be the simplest prayer of gratitude one can offer up. One way to do that is with “breath prayers”- a way of connecting prayer with breath. See this website for more information about these sorts of prayers (Breath Prayers).

In closing-perhaps Job said it best: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4)

Amen

Planks and Specks in the Rearview Mirror

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

    In one week I have listened to two lessons from Luke 6:37-42. Each of the presenters camped out on verse 37: “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” There is much wisdom contained in this verse and with next verse (Luke 6:38) that reminds us that by the measure we use it will be used toward us. This second verse as found in Matthew 7:2 tells us that it is the measure by which I judge another that I will be judged.  This verse serves as a great reminder that I need to be very cautious when I pass judgement on another.

However Luke 6:41 & 42 calls at me too; “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

This passage highlights how it is possible to be oblivious to one’s own shortcomings and yet confident in our assessment of another person’s. How challenging this is - it goes a step beyond judging and treads into the territory of ‘I know what's wrong and how to fix it - we just need to get that speck out of your eye’. Because hindsight is said to be “20/20” - if given the chance I am sure we would each do something different if we could go back in time and do so. I definitely would - especially those things I know I have said or done that hurt another person. 

We will be accountable for every thoughtless word spoken (Matthew 12:36) and in James (1:26) we are warned to keep a “tight rein” on our tongues. Fortunately, each day takes us further down the road from the errs of our past – it’s like watching scenery in the rearview mirror as it grows smaller and more distant. If wisdom comes with age  - then we can be glad to be getting older with every passing day and hopefully our vision is improving too so we can recognize when a plank is in our own eye before we ever notice the speck in someone else's.

Suddenly Surprised

Fifty2 Sundays ~ Listening for God

    Matthew 28:1-10 was the scripture for the resurrection story presented in Sunday’s sermon. Perhaps my favorite verse in that text is verse 28:9 “Suddenly Jesus met them.” This verse encapsulates what most anyone might say the first time they encounter the risen Christ. At least it was so for me.

     I had a belief that there was a God – but Jesus was not part of my belief. I had heard about Jesus of course—but I held him out to be a phony and certainly not relevant to me or my life. And I probably secretly resented those who told me that I needed “to be saved” and “only Jesus could save me” and that there was no other way to God except through Jesus. That all changed when somehow ‘suddenly’ I came to faith. Little did I realize that God had been reeling me in (think fishing reel) over quite a period of time-and so when I moved from unbelief in a risen savior-to faith-it was sudden and I do not pretend to know or understand how it happened except to say it did.

     Jesus spent thirty three years on earth and the last three were his years of ministry. His crucifixion and what led up to it (his arrest, trial, etc.) began on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Mt 26:17) when he instituted the Lord’s Supper. That night Jesus was betrayed (Mt 26:21), then arrested (Mt 26:47-55) and overnight tried before the teachers and elders of the law (Mt 26:517-66). The next morning Jesus stands before Pilate who asks him if he is “King of the Jews” and finding no basis upon which to charge Jesus (Luke 23:4) he sends him to Herod (Lk 23:7). Herod initially takes pleasure in seeing him but because Jesus did not respond to his questioning-he and his soldiers mocked him and sent him back to Pilate (Lk 2311-12). Pilate tried to appease the angry mob by offering to release either Barabbas or Jesus. The crowd chose Barabbas (Lk 23:25). Jesus was then flogged, his clothes divided up and he was crucified all before sunset on a Friday sometime between the 6^th and the 9^th hour (Lk 23:44-46). He is buried in a tomb (Mt 27:60) and a stone rolled across the opening to the tomb and a guard posted to keep it secure (Mt 27:63-66). Saturday was the Sabbath. Sunday morning Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” went to the tomb (Mt 28:1) and they encounter the angel who rolled back the rock and showed them that the tomb was empty (Mt 28:5-7). The angel tells them to go tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee. The next thing that happens is the women suddenly encounter Jesus.

     All of us know life can change in a second. What is of greatest value or matters the most can become crystal clear in a brief moment-when facing a tragedy – we suddenly get grounded in the critical. Jesus had tried to prepare his disciples for the tragedy of his death upon the cross—they did not get it until they got it-and his resurrection was a surprise. I believe—this is the way God works. We cannot know when or what he will do until he does it and then it will happen suddenly. I imagine we will be surprised when Jesus returns to earth, it is certainly something to look forward to—along with our own resurrection-which will no doubt happen suddenly-as in the "twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Missing the Obvious

Fifty2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

          The text for Sunday’s sermon was Mark 9:30-32, a parallel text can be found a chapter earlier in Mark 8:31. The focus of the sermon was the last verse 32: “But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it” (NIV).

‘They’ are the twelve disciples who weren’t prepared to hear that Jesus was going to be betrayed, killed and three days later rise (from the dead). After nearly three years with Jesus; listening to him, watching him, praying with him and being sent out by him to do good works (Matthew 10:1-15) they still didn’t get what he was talking about. It was not the way it was supposed to go. Perhaps Peter’s challenging words to Jesus (Matthew 16:22) embodied their belief that glory was just around the corner? Jesus doused any such thoughts when he rebuked Peter telling him he did not have "… in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Mark 8:33).

I don’t fault the disciples—I think I might have responded much the same- in disbelief and fear. I think this is a common reaction –whether it is intentional or subliminal – there are times when we do not want the reality of a situation to rise to the level of our consciousness. Once it gets there we more or less have to respond to it. Each of us has blind spots-areas where we are not aware or tuned in and can miss something due to any number of legitimate reasons, and sometimes the obvious is not so apparent. As a health care provider I have observed on numerous occasions how some benign health issue causes a person to see their health care provider and in the process a more serious concern is discovered. 

It is not God’s will that we be confused or fearful; in fact the work of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to understand spiritual matters (I Corinthians 2:6-16). Matthew 7:7 reminds us to “ask, seek and knock” in order to find the truth and the answers we seek and if we do so in faith we can have confidence that God will grant wisdom  (James 5:1).

The Healing Oil

Fifty-2 Sunday’s ~ Listening for God

          Sunday’s sermon was the from the book of James, a lesson the preacher titled "What Season is It”. What was described as “seasons” I might have called “conditions”, but the the main point was that the text offered a helpful strategy  for each.

James 5:13-15:

·       “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.”

·       “Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” –

·       “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.” 

·       “If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

In summation: Pray when in trouble, sing when joyful/happy, seek prayers of others when ill, and confess sin.

          The preacher actually spent a considerable amount of time on James 5:14 & 15 about the anointing with oil. The main points:

·       Historically oil (olive oil) was very much a part of the Mediterranean culture and way of life—as well as Jewish life.

·       James was a Jewish Christian as was the audience he spoke to/taught.

·       It is not a command to anoint the ill with oil—it is a matter of personal choice.

·       There is nothing magical in the oil that anoints—instead it is the power of prayer.

·       There is no promise of immediate or perpetual healing. Spiritual healing happens at our conversion and total healing will occur at the resurrection.

Jesus certainly was familiar with Jewish customs and the twelve he sent out (Mark 6:8-13) reported they had …”anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” 

Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words provides several uses for oil as mentioned in then New Testament:(http://www.menfak.no/bibelprog/vines?word=%AFt0001973) 

(a) for lamps, in which the "oil" is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, Matt. 25:3,4,8;

(b) as a medicinal agent, for healing, Luke 10:34;

(c) for anointing at feasts, Luke 7:46;

(d) on festive occasions, Heb. 1:9, where the reference is probably to the consecration of kings;

(e) as an accompaniment of miraculous power, Mark 6:13, or of the prayer of faith

I have been fascinated with healing (miraculous healings particularly) since I was approximately eight years old. That was when I discovered a radio station that had a Sunday morning show during which people suffering with some ailment would describe in detail their condition and that was followed by a pronouncement of how they had been healed by Jesus. I was completely engrossed by these stories of these healing. I don’t recall how long I listened to this show or why I stopped, but it certainly left an impression.

Ultimately- God is the healer. He created our bodies with self-healing capabilities, he enabled people through time to discover plants and other elements on earth to assist with healing and today, scientists and medical practitioners are making phenomenal inroads into many diseases that have plagued mankind throughout the ages. I believe the most powerful instrument any of us has at our disposal to help with healing – is faith. Faith is what moves God. Therefore a prayer offered in faith can result in healing-if not in the present temporal world we live in now-certainly in the everlasting kingdom of God. And a little oil with that prayer might help too.