Just Trust

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Do I trust you?  One of my favorite stories years ago was about a little girl named Starla Chapman, who was once stricken with cancer.  There were two things that brought her joy; God and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.  On the night before she was to undergo chemotherapy, she uttered these two words to her parents.  Just trust.  She was only three years old, but clearly, she understood there was a higher power involved.  One might ask how could a three-year-old understand God better than others particularly at a time like that.  God after all gave us a wonderful mind for which we can use the process of deduction, put together ideas, be informing, and numerous other things.  With all this, could we be trusted to know what God needs us to know?  Then I remembered what Jesus said about children.  “Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”” (Matthew 18:3) The heart of this verse (become like little children) referred to dependency and trust.

 

Being a servant of God deals with our ability to trust in Him and His word.  One of my favorite bible verses comes from 2 Corinthians 5:7, where Paul says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (KJV) The reason it has always resonated with me is that it explains what many people would not understand.  We choose to believe in God’s existence unequivocally and without question even though we have never physically seen God nor heard Him speak literally to us.  In a world that creates false heroes and imaginary people for relationships, one could certainly understand the world’s skepticism.  This is where our own understanding can be a stumbling block.  Logic would dictate I have not seen Him, thus, how can He exist?  No one has ever come from the grave.  How could Jesus?  We could continue to go down this path of deductive reasoning to ultimately stop to say God cannot exist.

 

But our experiences with God teaches us how real He is for there are so many testimonies as to how He just showed up where no other explanation makes sense.  How many of you have heard these testimonies?  “I was at rock bottom, I had nowhere to go, I was ready to give up,” are among many of the opening stories about where God found someone.  Each of those stories end with, “I have a brand-new life, God brought me home, and now I live for Him.”  There is no doubt that despite what people have said about God, no one can create true life transformation like Him.  None of us can admit to truly understanding that, but deep to our core we know it is true.  It is why when then atheist questions my faith, I simply remind them that God is not just one thing or experience.  He is a lifelong relationship that is a constant.  He is always with me, and as the verse says, “Make your paths straight.”  Ask the drug addict or alcoholic who turned their life to God or the homeless person having found a job and apartment to live at. What about when one needed a miracle, and then God delivered abundantly in their favor.  It is hard to imagine from the outside what God can do, but for those of us who know Him, we accept and submit to Him unconditionally not because of our understanding.  Instead, it is because of how He shows up not only consistently but also without fail

 

Trusting God is as important an aspect of our faith as loving Him.  We often hear loved ones say, “If you love me, you will trust me.”  Many times, that is done to manipulate others, but if you love someone, why would it be necessary for that to be said?  God is faithful to His word, and through our journey of faith, He has proven repeatedly just how committed He is to us.  Why would we have doubts now?  Let us trust Him and be worry free for as Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing,” (Matthew 6:25) Where does God require more trust from you?  What causes you to question God’s faithfulness today?  My prayer is that when we have questions or doubts about our situation, we follow little Starla's example and simply 'Just Trust.'  Amen,

 

Starla’s story: https://www.espn.com/college-football/bowls12/story/_/id/8812751/aj-mccarron-special-bond-starla-chapman-college-football

Listening As God Would

 

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.  So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.  John 1:19-21

Isn’t it a great discovery when God shows you how much you have grown in the Spirit?  Over this past week, I have had several challenging discussions.  They were often with people I disagreed with, and a few have hurled some very nasty accusations at me.  In that moment, I tried to realize how damaging it would be to travel down a similar path with them.  In one the midst of one conversation, a person was describing a hardship they were experiencing.  I was preparing to answer with a ‘well, if you would have done this’ speech.  However, I paused, and just listened to understand what they were feeling.  I empathized with and prayed for them.  At the end of the conversation, they thanked me for listening and being of comfort to them.  That is not normally me or at least had not been for most of my life.  But somehow, God reminded me what mattered at that moment.  It was to be there for them and not to lecture on what they should have done.

Listening with the heart of God leads to compassion and loving of others.  In reading today’s verses, there were two parts that I focused on.  The first, focusing on quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry, shows the wisdom of God’s word.  Listening is the easy part.  Or so one would be led to believe.  Being slow to speak and/or get angry are at times very challenging, but if you struggle with either or both issues, they are incredible impediments to listening.  If you want to talk more, you are inherently listening less, and if you are upset, it makes it incredibly difficult to focus on what is being said.  It all makes sense.  This is a prime example of what Paul wrote saying, “ I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” (Romans 7:15)  This is the where spiritual growth comes into play.  In remembering those times where we ‘do what we hate,’ we should ask questions. What drove me to that poor outcome?  Anger?  Need to get words in?  Strong opinion?  A bit of self-reflection goes a long way in knowing what prevented listening from occurring.

The second part of the verses I focused on is humbly accepting the word God plants in our hearts.  This is where spiritual growth occurs.  We are to first be humble.  No one likes to admit they are wrong, but humility in this case is the willingness to accept you are not God. As I mentioned last week, we all want control, but we must be willing to accept He is in control.  His cup is greater than ours.  Should we accept that, only then can our hearts be transformed to His heart.  The book of Ezekiel says it best:

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.  Ezekiel 36:26-27

God’s word is perfect.  It not only gives us structure and order but also shows love and compassion.  To go against it leads to strife and challenges.  But should we learn and grow from it, we can be both better and a shining example to others of what a Christ driven life is like.  Today, let us first listen to God’s word and then, be an ear to others showing the same love and patience He has for us.  How can you be a better listener like God is for you?  What impedes your ability to hear others?  My prayer is that the next time someone asks to talk, we remove our own agendas and listen to others as God would.  Amen.

Some Good News

 I think most people like short sermons. In general, and unless the preacher is extremely interesting, I believe brevity is the most appreciated quality of a sermon, by most people. And that belief includes the understanding that there are exceptions among people, and among preachers.

So, when I read sermons in Scripture, whether the Hebrew Scriptures or the Christian Scriptures, their length is always of interest to me. It's one of the ways I evaluate the "sermon". We have so few traditional sermons of Jesus, this example in Mark is one I find very interesting:

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee,  preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15 NASB)

The reason I find it so interesting is the amazing amount of information packed into so few words. It is nearly a string of jokes with the just the punchlines included; as if it elicits the same response had the terms been defined, but, instead, relies on the familiarity of the hearer. I believe this is, in fact, exactly what Mark has done.

But we are not necessarily familiar with the terms, or simply assume they are what we think they mean. Some of you may know exactly what they mean, but when was the last time you thought this sermon through, unpacking the words as you read it?

Here is what I mean:

1. The time... - this is the opportune time, not sequential, calendar time. It's not about dates having past as much as events having been accomplished.
2. ...has been fulfilled... - completely made full. The "todo" list has all of the items checked to make it the right, opportune, time. Don't you wish you could have read that list, just to see what our Creator put on it?
3. ...the Kingdom of God... - Israel assumed this was Israel, but also understood it to mean "the sphere of God's supreme influence". It was simply understood that God would not exercise supreme influence unless Israel was free from Roman rule and religious corruption. This was a misunderstanding.
4. ...is at hand; - literally, "has drawn near", it has happened already, and is a present reality. Even though Israel is still ruled by Rome, and the religious leaders remain corrupt, the sphere of God's supreme influence has already taken up residence with His human creatures.
5. repent... - we typically say, "turn", which is another term sometimes used for "repent", but it literally is a "change of mind" or "after thought". Either way, it happens in the mind first. It is a "paradigm shift" to align our thinking with the thinking of our Savior. It is seeing and evaluating things as He sees and evaluates them, using the same priorities and values.
6. ...and believe... - a mental acceptance of information as valid and actionable.
7. ...the gospel. - Good News. This isn't "news", but specifically good news. This good news is about what has just been said, but also contains the record of the events in this book of Mark about Jesus. What makes it "good", from the perspective of our Savior, is that Israel does not need to be freed from Rome, nor their temple worship purged of corruption for His sovereignty to operate in the lives of His people.

You might think, "Well, good for them. But what about me?" You mean you have not been waiting for some "filling" of a "todo list" of our Savior before the next thing happens? We look for His "appearing" with excited apprehension, or we used to.

If you are waiting for the "purification of God's people", then you are a lot like the Jews of Jesus' day. If you are waiting for some political turn of events to signal the reign of our Savior, then you have adopted the paradigm of the Jews under Rome. If you are waiting on something else, you are sitting on the trailside rather than walking with your King.

The new paradigm of Jesus, the "good news", is that God is sovereign right now, and we can walk with Him, right now.

Is the world wonky and off? Walk with Jesus, and you will influence the world for your Savior. Is your church squabbling and stymied? Walk with your Creator, and you will influence your fellow disciples for your King.

It is arrogance that drives us to belittle others. One of the ways we know we are walking with our Savior is how humbling it is. If we feel arrogant toward others, we have been walking with a god of our making, or worse. Walking with Jesus means we are very aware of our failings and His grace.

If you want people to be different, you cannot change them. Be that disciple you believe Jesus desires, and allow the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus to influence them. Live out Philippians 2:5-11 and 1 Corinthians 13. Be that guy.

Fuller's Field

 

3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. . .

10 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."

12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!"

13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?

14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

     Isaiah 7:3-4, 10-14 (NKJV)

 We are now in the season of Advent and the Immanuel prophecy is a key verse cited in describing the coming of Christ.  The prophecy is amazing in it’s accuracy and detail, as well as the incredible truth that God would come in the flesh to be with us. But it’s also surprising to realize that this prophecy was revealed to Ahaz, a wicked king of Judah (see 2 Kings 16:3-4).

 Despite his idolatry and wickedness, the Lord was gracious to assure Ahaz that this enemy alliance would not prevail against Judah.  And despite knowing that Ahaz was a godless king, God encouraged him to ask a sign from the Lord, perhaps to stir up his faith. But Ahaz refused and said he would not test the Lord.  The Bible does prohibit the testing of God (Deut. 6:16), but that was not at issue here.  Instead, this seems to be a pious pretense by Ahaz, maybe to justify his resolve not to do God’s will but to persevere in his own plans.  In light of this refusal, the Lord then proclaimed the extraordinary sign of His choosing.  

 

This account highlights the inscrutability of God. We may not understand why God used a wicked king to pronounce such a wonderful prophecy, but we’re merely called to believe and have faith, unlike Ahaz.

 

Immanuel, God with us. Do you believe? Is He with you?

In the Beginning...of Mark

 Do you like long introductions? Me neither. Get to the point. Here's the introduction of Mark, the Gospel for those in a hurry:

​The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1 NASB) 

That's it. But look what's packed into it:

1. "gospel" - this is good news. It's not the Eleven O'clock News, not the Times, not CNN. This is good news. When is the last time you heard really good news, news that was good for everyone? It's been a while for me.
2. "Jesus Christ" - this is good news about THE Messiah. Not "a messiah". They had lots of news about such people, and it was rarely good news. This Messiah was all the messianic anointed ones rolled into One:
   1. The Prophet Like Moses - who would speak for Yahweh
   2. The King Like David - who would lead Israel to victory over enemies
   3. The High Priest like... - who would reform the corrupt religious system. This one turns out to be like Melchizedek instead of Aaron, which caught everyone off guard.
3. "the Son of God" - this is a term we often miss in English and our culture because of the "idiom" of Hebrew where "son" was used to refer to a category. This title puts Jesus in the category of God, which is claiming equality with God. That was extremely offensive to most Jews. This good news was about the Messiah of all messiahs, and every reference to the appearance of God among His people.

All these titles were found in the human being, Jesus. In this season, we celebrate the impossibility of the Creator of all matter in the universe contained in a manger sharing space with straw. What a strange beginning to such an immense story.

Being Included in God's Lists (again)

 So, I presented this to a bunch of youth yesterday. This is a video of the slide, with me talking through it. It's just over 13 minutes. It covers Genesis 5, and I refer to Hebrews and Deuteronomy as well. It's a bit different than the usual entry.

 

Blessings upon you all

Ziklag

 

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

     1 Samuel 30:1-8 (NKJV)

 This tragic scene awaited David and his men when they returned to Ziklag, a Philistine town that they'd made as their temporary residence. How awful to find the town burned and their wives and children taken captive.  To make matters worse, the men wanted to stone David, blaming him for the losses. David was their leader and he had made serious errors, not only in leaving Ziklag defenseless while they were away, but in aligning with the Philistines in the first place.

 Earlier the Bible explains: “And David said in his heart, ‘Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.’" (1 Samuel 27:7, NKJV)  Out of fear and without seeking God's guidance, David decided to join the Philistines, enemies of Israel. Instead of remaining in Judah where God had told him to stay (1 Samuel 22:5), David fled there and followed his own ill-conceived plan.

Yet after the tragedy in Ziklag, David came to his senses. Once again, David remembered that God was his strength (v. 6) and once again, David turned to God, seeking His wisdom and help (v. 7-8)  And God graciously assured David that He would be with them and bring about their victory.

 Even though he made many mistakes, David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) because he always returned to God and trusted Him.  Sometimes God will allow difficulties in our lives to get our attention when we’ve blundered or strayed so we will turn back to Him. When we do, He is gracious and welcomes us back. 

If God is For Us...

 I've been told that my Master actually isn't in my corner, doesn't have my best interest at heart, and I'm living in a world doomed to failure from the point it was created. Does it sound like I heard that from some snake in a tree? That message of bitterness and pain is out there, and it's popular with people who need some excuse for their pain and hopelessness.

The truth is much different. Jesus made a strange statement when Pharisees questioned His disciples about why Jesus would eat with "tax collectors and sinners". Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." In the account in Mark and Luke, He continues, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

It's one of the earliest "reversals" in Jesus' ministry. But God's heart for those "sinners" is clear much earlier. In the Garden, with the dead pair who were so precious to Him, God makes clothes from skins instead of the "fig leaves" they used for themselves (Genesis 3:21). And then, with their firstborn, Cain, we see that, once again, our Creator has a heart for the sinner:

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7 NASB

Even as Cain is upset that his sacrifice was not acceptable, his Creator seeks to lead him in the right path. He didn't need to. Why reach out to Cain? Clearly, Cain is far too much like his parents, the ones with whom Yahweh used to walk in the Garden in the cool of the day. But God does not give up on Cain.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:9-10 NASB

God gives Cain a chance to confess, to repent, for regret, and to make it right. The first question is a test, one which Cain fails. Yet God still gives him the opportunity, even to one who has murdered his brother. And it continues. Even after Cain lies, even after he whines about his curse, even then, there is mercy from his Creator.

Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Genesis 4:11-15 NASB

There is something in Cain's cry, that he would be hidden from the face of Yahweh, that resonates with me. Perhaps there was a glint of understanding and regret of what he had lost with his Creator. Commentators differ in their opinion about Cain, but God's mercy is unmistakable. He gives this sinner, this rebel, this murderer, a sign so that he won't be murdered himself. That wasn't part of the curse, it seems. His consequences didn't include being murdered himself, which seems strange to me.

Regardless of how you see Cain, focus on the mercy of our Creator. Regardless of how reprehensible his crime, look at our Savior. Isn't is amazing, incomprehensible? How is it possible that our Creator loves such as Cain? And, if someone loves like that, what sort of hope can we have?

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32 NASB

This has been true from the beginning. 

Mount Pisgah

 

1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho.

And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,

2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,

3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying,

'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."

5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.

    Deuteronomy 34:1-6 (NKJV)

When we read this account, we may feel bad for Moses, the leader of Israel forbidden to go into the promised land with the people, and we may feel God treated him harshly. But God is always right in what He does.

 Earlier, we’re told the reason why Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the land: the Lord said Moses “trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.” (Deut. 32:51, NKJV)  This reminds us that sin has consequences.

 

Yet despite Moses’ disobedience and punishment, God was so gracious towards him. He let Moses see the land that He was giving to the children of Israel, visible proof of His great promise. And what love and tenderness is shown in that God Himself buried Moses when he died.  In addition, Moses eventually did get to the promised land where he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 17:1-3)

 

God has also dealt with me and rightly so. The consequences of certain of my sins are still evident and remain a heartache to me after many years. Yet the Lord has tenderly comforted me and dried my tears on many occasions, and I’m grateful that my brokenness is in His hands.

 

If you’ve experienced a Mount Pisgah in your life, I hope this example from Moses helps and encourages you.

Who's Your Side?

 

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

 I am an election junkie.  With a lot that has been going on, I feel fully vested into this election.  As I was watching the results come in and going up and down with each positive and negative result, it began to feel like I had lost sight of what really matters.  Yes, I know God is ultimately in control, but yet, I still wanted my guy to win.  So, I began to challenge myself with something I read years ago.  Do I believe God is truly in control or are those just words that I say to myself when in reality I know that I truly want to be the one in control?  If it worked out my way, I would happily celebrate, but if it did not go my way, I would sulk and go into a state of depression.  How could this possibly happen?

It’s ok to acknowledge to God that you are struggling with control.  The story of Jonah is a prime example of God love and mercy for us.  God had Himself to Jonah and gave him a message to give to the city of Nineveh that they would be destroyed.  Jonah seemed all about it, but when God changed His mind after the city changed their ways, Jonah was annoyed and upset.  I was amused by his response to God saying, “Just kill me now Lord.  I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:3) The key here is to note Jonah’s commitment to his prediction and not the mercy God showed a group of people.  How often do we get caught up in what we want above what either God wants or what He feels is right?  This lesson is particularly helpful to those who may not have had the desired result they want.  Furthermore, it is important that we are honest with God and ourselves.  God, I do not understand.  How can you allow this to happen?  Then, pray for discernment.  It may not soothe the disappointment right away, but alas, our goal is not necessarily for us to have our way.  Remember when Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion said to God, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b) Even Christ understood that God’s will was more important than His own.

God is there for us in our disappointments as well as our triumphs.  We should all aspire to view our disappointments as moments to take stock to understand exactly what God's will is for your life.  It does not matter who you are rooting for.  Take time to determine what God wants you to learn from it all and move forward with confidence.  When is the last time God disappointed you?  Were you honest in your prayers when things did not go your way?  My prayer is that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty to be thankful for His love and grace no matter who your side is.  Amen.