Don't give up!

I love this short video!  There is a longer version, I've spared you from that, but this theme of endurance permeates all of scripture.  

Even this morning, as I drove to coffee, the program on the radio spoke of endurance in marriage when things are difficult, even when it seems impossible.

Life is hard at times, there are days when we want to give up, but we need encouragement and endurance to keep at it, to keep walking with God even when it's hard.

Don't give up, the journey may be hard, but the goal is worth the price.

In Revelation the author writes, "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus."

Don't give up.  Quitting is easy to do...

to take the easy path, 

or take the easy way out, 

to give in to sin, 

or go ahead and get a divorce,

....there are a hundred 'easy roads' that we think will make life better. And, to ease the pain, we simply give up and take the easy road.

Paul's words help as we consider giving up,  he writes,

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Don't stop, don't give up, God will help you endure and when you come out the other side you will proclaim, "It was worth the pain! I'm so glad I endured."

Wandering

I've noticed that some who have walked with Christ, people who I know are Christians, have simply wandered off.....quietly wandered away.  They aren't mad really, they aren't even discouraged....not yet.  They have simply not seen the life of God in the community of faith and have lost interest.  

Life is busy, work is hard, things are crazy, why waste my time with church and church stuff when I get nothing from it?  Why invest my time when no one really knows I'm there or even cares?  I'd rather sleep in.

I think, in these days of craziness, the best weapon of the enemy is apathy.....a slow chilling of faith and interest that leaves us unfeeling and uncaring about the most important thing in life- a walk with God.  Without passion, without a real interest why should I keep going, why should I continue to be part of something that does nothing for me?  

Apathy chills us until we forget what excited us in the first place.....we lose our first love, we get cold.  You need to know this happens to all of us!  We all cool off.  The flames of our faith are something we must fan constantly to keep it fresh.

It means seeking out others for fellowship, time to pray and share our lives.  It means setting aside time to be in the bible, just reading, to hear from God.  Honestly,  it's a lot like paddling upstream!  It's work, it's the narrow road, it's challenging, and it's easier to do nothing....

....but when we do nothing apathy seeps into our very bones and chills us to the point we forget why we were excited about faith in the first place.

It's easy to wander, to become apathetic, to grow cold.  It's a challenge to stay near the flames, to seek out community even when you don't feel like it.  It's important because the greatest weapon of the enemy in our day is not outright sin...it's apathy.

It's free!

Don't you love free stuff?

To find a bargain is great, but free?  That's even better.

This little four-letter word gets our attention.  It's an offer of something of worth for no cost at all.  Who wouldn't want that?

What if I offered you a new $350,000.00 home for free, would you take it?  I'm sure you would respond, "When do we move in?"

And yet, this morning I read a passage that is overwhelmingly amazing, an offer of free stuff beyond imagination, an offer from God that most will actually say 'no' to. 

In the very last chapter of the bible is this free offer,  "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life."

Free eternal life!  Sound too good to be true?  No, not at all!  

Millions of us have said 'yes' to this free offer of life, of eternity, of salvation.  It's an offer from God that provides forgiveness of every sin we have ever committed, it's an offer of a new life, of hope, of a future, an offer of eternal life!  AND IT'S FREE!

The writer of Revelation gives this invitation, "Come, take, it's free!"

We would take the free home without a blink of the eye, why wouldn't we take life?

It's free!  Come and get it! How could you possibly say 'no' to this free gift?

500,000!

500,000 hits!  wow, thanks for all your visits and kind comments over the years.  

God has not forgotten you

(I wrote this several years ago, but it still rings in my ears.  It speaks to my heart when I wonder "where is God?"  I've reposted it and hope it helps you as you wonder about God's timing.)

Forgotten?

written by Mike Messerli

He was almost 40 years old and had been invisible as long as he could remember. His name was Joseph and like his namesake he was in bondage, but this Joseph’s bondage would never end. Joseph was lame, unable to walk, and had been that way since birth. Early in life he realized that people looked away not knowing what to say, not knowing what to do. Soon they didn't look at him at all and he became invisible to those around him.

Every morning his family would carry him to the gates of the temple in Jerusalem so he could beg for money to buy food. There was nothing else he could do. His daily post at the temple gates reinforced his belief that he was invisible. People didn't look at him. They rarely heard as he begged for the few coins they threw his way each day. Almost everyone walked by. He felt helpless. He felt alone. He felt invisible.

Would life ever be different?

Would anyone care?

Was God mad at him?

What had he done to bring about this fate?

Then, one day he heard those passing by talking about a man named Jesus. He listened as they talked about this Jesus healing the blind, restoring withered arms, healing lame legs.

His heart raced.

The mind numbing boredom of his days was suddenly interrupted by a small spark of hope. A glimmer of faith began to rise. “Maybe this Jesus would heal me,” he thought, “maybe Jesus would see me as he walked by.” Hope began to burn in Joseph's heart.

It wasn't long until his hopes were realized. The streets were always alive with people coming into the temple to worship, coming to offer sacrifices. It was this constant traffic of worshippers that provided what little income Joseph was able to beg from those who walked by. He did look pathetic. His lame legs withered and useless. His dirty worn clothes, unkempt hair, and a sad face made him the perfect beggar, the perfect object of pity. If anyone deserved the kindness of those walking by it was Joseph, but his eyes were always looking for someone he hadn’t met yet. The hope in his heart changed his focus from the coins tossed his way to the one they called Jesus. “He has to pass this way soon,” he thought. He has to come this way to enter the temple.

Then it happened. On one particular day, unexpectedly, the noise in the streets grew louder, there was an excitement in the air and the crowds swelled. Then he heard someone say, "Make way, the Messiah Jesus is coming."

Joseph was excited.

Maybe Jesus would see him.

Maybe he would stop.

Maybe he would heal him as he had healed so many others.

Then he came. The crowds were buzzing with talk about all that Jesus had done, all the miracles he had performed. “Jesus might be the Messiah!” they said, “He might be the coming king of Israel.”

And Joseph thought, "He might stop and heal me."

But he didn't.

Jesus walked right past Joseph and went into the temple. He didn't even look down at Joseph! Joseph's heart fell. Was he really invisible? How could Jesus not even look at him?

For the next three years the stories continued. Joseph listened with great interest. He hadn't given up hope. Maybe it would be his turn soon. Maybe one day, as Jesus entered the temple, he would see Joseph. He prayed that God would heal him. He prayed that Jesus would see him. He asked for a miracle. He wanted to walk. He wanted to be normal. He wanted to be visible for the first time in his life. Maybe, one day Jesus would see him….

His hopes rose as his friend Matthew had an experience with Jesus. Matthew had been born blind.* Like Joseph his disability was a birth defect. In the Jewish culture there was a common belief that these physical deformities were caused by sin. He and Matthew often talked about this. Who sinned that they were this way? How did this happen? What did they do to deserve such problems? Why was God punishing them?

Joseph and Matthew often sat together by the gate to the temple begging for money from those who entered. Over the years they had become good friends. Joseph would talk to Matthew for hours about what he saw as they sat at the temple gate. He would describe who was coming into the temple, what they wore, what they looked like. Joseph’s time with Matthew was the only thing that made the boring days bearable. This rag-tag team of a blind man and a lame man worked together to help each other as they tried to beg for enough money to provide what they needed to live.

One day, as Matthew sat begging, Jesus came by. Jesus’ disciples asked, "Who sinned that this man was born blind?" (It's a question he and Matthew had discussed often.) Joseph listened intently as Jesus responded, "It wasn't because of sin it was for God's glory." Joseph was surprised. It was an entirely new idea to him…that this could all be for good. He had thought his lame legs and Matthew’s blind eyes were God's punishment for sin. He never even imagined that God could use such a horrible thing for his glory.

Joseph watched as Jesus bent down, made mud from the dirt and applied it to Matthew's eyes. Jesus told him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." And then, without a glance at Joseph, Jesus was gone. Matthew rose to his feet, felt for his cane, reached out a hand for the wall and left to find the pool of Siloam.

Joseph was once more alone, once more disappointed. He thought again about being invisible and wondered if it had really become true. Was he so wicked that God didn't even see him anymore? He had tried to speak when Jesus was near, but couldn't as he watched Matthew's story unfold. How he wished he had spoken up. Why didn’t he say something? How he longed for Jesus to see him. How he wished Jesus had healed him.

Had God forgotten him?

Was there no hope for him?

A voice in the distance brought him back to reality. Running down the street towards him was Matthew! He was smiling, waving his arms, excited. Matthew could see! He ran up to Joseph and gave him the biggest hug he had ever experienced.

Matthew was no longer blind! He could see for the first time in his life and Joseph was jealous. He knew inside that he should be excited for his friend, but all he could think about was himself. Why did Jesus pass him by? Why didn't he heal him too? Why didn’t he speak up when Jesus was so near?

It was a difficult time for Joseph. His friend, Matthew, no longer sat with him at the gate. He didn't need to beg any longer. Now Joseph was alone, invisible once more. His depression grew. These days were the darkest he had ever experienced. He felt even more invisible than he had ever felt before. He sat silently with no one to talk to, no one to see, and no one to care.

Often, over the days ahead, Jesus would pass by as he entered the temple. Jesus came to the temple every day to teach. Joseph longed for a glance from Jesus. He prayed that God would heal him, that Jesus would notice, but he didn’t.

Jesus healed many during those days. All around Joseph were those who had been ill, blind, lame, but were now well. All around him he saw the work of Jesus in the lives of others, but Jesus didn’t heal him. A bitterness came over Joseph. He was feeling an anger rise in his heart. His faith in God was fading. Was he invisible even to God? Didn’t God care about him at all?

Events changed quickly as Joseph sat at his post. The religious leaders who had been jealous of Jesus found a way to condemn him. They had him arrested, beaten and tried. In a whirlwind series of events the Messiah was condemned and crucified! Crucified!

Jesus was dead.

Something in Joseph died that day too. He saw the events around him, but was helpless to do anything, to say anything. His last hope of being healed was gone, nailed to a tree. The Messiah was dead. The one who had healed so many had not healed him.

Joseph still sat at the gates of the temple to beg, but he had lost all hope. There was nothing to live for. It didn’t matter anyway because he was invisible and who would even notice his withered legs and hollow eyes. Who would ever notice his tears? This had all been too much for Joseph. His humanity faded, his hopes were gone, his bitterness grew and his faith all but disappeared. He still held out a hand to beg, but he no longer cared if he lived or died. His last hope of healing and a new life was gone.

In the days that followed Jesus’ death Joseph sat at the gate begging as he had done before. There were stories. He heard some talk of Jesus rising from the dead, but Joseph no longer cared. Jesus hadn’t noticed him, so why should he care what happened to this dead Messiah?

It was several months later when Joseph’s life changed forever, unexpectedly. He had become a ghost of a man. That’s what happens when you’re invisible. He didn’t matter to anyone else and now he didn’t matter to himself either. All that was left was to beg for a living and hope to die as soon as possible. What else was there for him?

Then the day Joseph never expected happened. Here’s his story from the writings of Luke,

Acts 3:1-11 One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." He looked up, expecting to get something from them.

Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.

The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves.

He was walking!

He leapt for joy. He leapt just because he could!

He danced.

He ran.

For the first time in his life Joseph entered the temple of God. He had become visible! God saw him and touched him. He would never be the same again.

But he had questions. We all have questions when we don’t understand God’s ways. Joseph asked Peter if they could talk after they left the temple and Peter gladly agreed. Joseph was ecstatic about his new legs. He had no idea how wonderful it would be to walk, but he had to ask…..

“…Why didn’t Jesus heal me? Why didn’t he heal me like he had healed my friend Matthew? Why didn’t Jesus see me?”

Peter smiled.

He said, “Dear Joseph. Jesus talked about you often. He wanted to heal you and in fact it is Jesus who has healed you this very day, but he walked by you then so that this amazing result could happen now. You see, he had an amazing plan for you and for me. Over dinner, that first time we saw you, Jesus told me, ‘Peter, did you see that lame man sitting by Matthew today? I’m not going to heal him now, but when I’m raised from the dead I want you to heal him. Joseph’s healing will be fruit for your ministry, testimony of my work in your life and in his. It will be hard for him to wait, but oh what joy he will have when I do heal him.’ So you see, Joseph, God’s plan for our lives, yours and mine, is meant for God’s glory in God’s time. He saw you. You were never invisible to him. It just wasn’t time yet. But today…..today you see the results of his plans for you. You were never forgotten. Jesus prayed that you would endure until the time came for his work in your life. I’m so glad you have endured to see this wonderful day, aren’t you?”

And in your life today, in your walk with God, you need to know that you are never forgotten by God, you are never invisible to him. He sees you, he loves you, and he cares about you. He’s working in your life in a way you can’t even imagine. It will amaze you when you see what he does. You will never be the same. Trust him, wait for him…wait for his timing. You are never invisible to God.

You are not forgotten. God loves you.

*(Read John 9 and Acts 3 for the full stories of the lives of these two men.)

Finish line for the flesh revisited

(photo by Boji)

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. -1 John 2:16

I don't know about you, but I struggle with my flesh constantly.  The battle between what I know God wants in my life and what I want is always being waged.  Sadly my flesh often wins, but the truth is that the finish line for the deeds of my flesh is the dump.  The things I want, the stuff I must have, the accomplishments I think are so important all end up on the trash heap of failed flesh.

All that the world aspires to, all that I aspire to apart from God, is destined for the dump, to be thrown away, abandoned, forgotten.  The great monuments to Stalin...at the dump.  The amazing car I "had to have"...trash.  The titles we must have to find worth and importance...forgotten.  All that the world offers, all that we want in the flesh is destined for the dump.  (I've said this several times for emphasis.  Maybe you don't need to be reminded of it, but I do.)  

I have to admit I often set my desires, my passions on things that will not last....things that cannot satisfy....fame that will quickly fade....things destined to be thrown away when we realize they don't fulfill.  The finish line for the flesh is the dump.....it's where we take the things we no longer want.  And soon this pile of trash...forgotten passions, failed fame, tarnished desires becomes a mountain and monument to the failures of the flesh.

I so long to make choices that please God.  I want to want what God wants.  I want to desire what he wants in my life, but I must admit I too often fall short.  The monument to the failures of our fleshly desires should remind us that the flesh will never satisfy,  it simply can't.

I long to follow Paul's advice as he speaks to the Colossian church and writes,

 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory."

The distortion of distress

I notice when distress, problems or trials come my view of things begins to be distorted. I see things through my pain and I lose focus on reality.  Trials, distress and pain distort reality and it feels like God has abandoned us.

I know this is true from my own experience, but I know it too from others and especially from the writers of Psalms.  Take a moment and read this portion of Psalm 77 and then a few thoughts,

Psalm 77

For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of Asaph.

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
    Oh, that God would listen to me!
When I was in deep trouble,
    I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
    but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan,
    overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude

You don’t let me sleep.
    I am too distressed even to pray! I think of the good old days,
    long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
    I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
Has the Lord rejected me forever?
    Will he never again be kind to me?
Is his unfailing love gone forever?
    Have his promises failed forever?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?

You are the God of great wonders!

Did you notice something in this heart-wrenching confession? Did you see the distortion this writer expressed?  Here it is again because if we miss this we will miss God,

                                              Has the Lord rejected me forever?                                                   Will he never again be kind to me?
                                               Is his unfailing love gone forever?                                                    Have his promises failed forever?
                                             Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Distress and difficulty quickly feels like our permanent fate, as if God will never help us, never change things.  Our perception of God, time and events is distorted and we begin to lose hope.

But the author caught himself.  He realized what he was doing and replied to himself with these insight,

But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;

I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.

They are constantly in my thoughts.

I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

O God, your ways are holy.

Is there any god as mighty as you?

You are the God of great wonders!

He realized what he was doing (feeling sorry for himself, assuming God had abandoned him) and began to rehearse all the ways God had helped him in the past.  It moved the author to praise and corrected the distortion of his distress.

When you find yourself in a trial, a problem or with suffering of any kind realize your perception of God and reality will begin to feel a bit distorted.  When that happens take a moment and reflect on God's goodness in your life in days past, how good he has always been to you.  In your reflection and praise the distortion of your pain or problem will correct itself.  

Don't forget to remember- God is good even when it feels he has forgotten all about you.