God Running

Unemployed

Meaning of Life

The following is a true story.

Back in Chicago they both had good jobs. Back in Chicago they lived in a nice apartment. But that was six months ago. Now he’s twenty-three years old and living in an 8’x21′ travel trailer in the mountains outside of Talent, Oregon. His wife is seven months pregnant with their first child. Their trailer is so small that, in her pregnant condition, if she drops the soap in the shower she has to step out of the shower to pick it up. The only place for the refrigerator is on the front porch. His boss at the cabinet shop where he works tells him that the economy is bad and getting worse — the work is drying up. He has to cut his hours back to eight per week.

He is not a believer, but it’s been said that there are no unbelievers in fox holes, and he is in a financial fox hole. In desperation he walks out into the beautiful woods of Southern Oregon, kneels down and prays. He says, Lord, please, I have a baby on the way, my hours are down to almost nothing, we can’t afford to pay the rent on our little trailer, we’re broke. I need a job.

Friends and family tell him to apply for unemployment. But partly out of his foolish pride, and partly out of his own integrity, he won’t. Unemployment is not for able bodied men, he answers. With no job, my job is to find a job, he says. So he applies everywhere: wood mills, factories, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, everywhere. But nobody’s hiring.

Things get desperate. The baby is due soon and his pregnant wife is ready to move back to Chicago, where her family is, and where the jobs are. Where she can live in a decent place instead of a tiny travel trailer. During one tearful argument she has her bags packed and is at the front door. Just until the end of the month, he says. If I don’t find work by the end of the month, we’ll head back home.

He’s spending more and more time out in the woods, on his knees, praying. One time he prays something that even surprises him. He starts with the usual desperate plea, Lord, please, the rent, the baby, the bills, my wife has had it. I need your help. Please. And then, this unbeliever, prays something surprising. These words come out of his mouth: Lord please give me a job, and give me a job where there are Christians.

He and his wife are looking at help wanted sites when he finds a firefighter position advertised. Good salary, good schedule, it sounds too good to be true. Unlike many young men, he’s never dreamed of becoming a firefighter, in fact, it’s never even crossed his mind. I’m not sure about this one, he says. It really does sound too good to be true.

You’re applying, she says.

So he does. He applies. They give him a three hundred page binder to study, for a written exam.

Just a few days after he turns in his application, the baby is born. He learns something about what it means to love someone, in truth, he didn’t know he could love anybody as much as he loves his little boy. They pay part of the hospital bill with money borrowed from family. The rest they promise to pay on a little each month.

He’s in the woods again, on his knees. More desperate than ever. Lord, now on top of everything else, I have this baby to provide for! Help me to do that Lord.

The baby is five days old the night before the firefighter test. He crams all through the night then shows up, sleep deprived, at the local high school cafeteria where the test is being given. He walks through the door to find three hundred other applicants seated and waiting for the tests to be passed out. Look at them all, he thinks to himself. He almost walks out but decides, as long as he’s come this far…

The guy on his left seems to be acquainted with the guy on his right. Did you hear there’s a  firefighter from Portland who came down to take this test? The guy on his left says. The guy on his right replies, No, but did you hear there’s a Captain from Phoenix, Arizona who’s taking this test?

Wow, he thinks. What chance do I have. But I’m here. What else is there for me to do but to go ahead and take this exam.

A week later the phone rings. It’s the fire department. They want to do an interview. A week after that he’s in front of the Fire Chief and two Battalion Chiefs. He answers everything as best he can. A few days after that they offer him the job.

On day one, in the middle of his first full shift as a firefighter, one of his crew says, Hey, we usually take a little time to do a Bible study in the evenings. Why don’t you join us?

That unemployed twenty-three year old was me. And as you can see, I have found Jesus’ words to be true. You will too.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’


“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”


And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”


–Luke 18:1-8

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 Posted on March 20, 2012 by

 Bible Study

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Genesis Chapter 34 — You have brought trouble on me

Read Genesis 34

Where we last left Jacob: We last left Jacob encamped just outside of Shechem. He and Esau had just reconciled, and we explored the importance of reconciliation with others, and especially, the importance of reconciliation with God. We learned about how neglect is the most damaging thing a person can do to a relationship, even worse than abuse, and how it’s essential that we not neglect our relationship with Him. (see previous post: Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him)

Genesis 34:

In Genesis 34 we’ll hear the story of Dinah’s rape and how her brothers respond. After that we’ll learn about the four reasons why God wants to use you to do His work.

To this point, only one daughter of Jacob’s is mentioned in scripture — Dinah. She’s listed with all the sons born to Jacob and we don’t know if that’s because of her central role in the story we’re about to hear, or if she actually was the only daughter to that point. (see Genesis 30:21)

Now Jacob’s daughter by Leah, who is Dinah, goes out to visit the women in her area. And she’s seen by a young man named Shechem who’s the son of the ruler of that place, Hamor the Hivite. When he sees her, the young man Shechem is filled with desire for Dinah, and he takes her, and rapes her. Shechem’s heart is drawn to Dinah, he falls in love with her, and speaks tenderly to her. Afterwards he goes to his father Hamor and says, Dad, pull some strings and get me this girl for a wife. I’m crazy about her.

What a story, and one that we’re familiar with today. The new girl comes to town, different, beautiful, and from an exotic new people. The privileged young man, the son with a rich and powerful father, sees her and wants her. Though a prince in that city, he’s a prisoner to his lusts — he takes her, he rapes her, then, after he rapes her, he asks his father to use his considerable influence to get him what he wants. We still see it today among the rich and powerful — Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, they’re rich, they’re powerful, and they’re used to seeing what they want and taking it. The Bible is timeless. Of course it’s about God, who is unchanging, but it’s also about people, whose sinful nature remains the same to this day.

Back to our story: So word gets back to Jacob about what happened, but his sons are in the fields with the livestock; so Jacob doesn’t do anything about the matter, thinking he’ll wait until his sons come home.

Then Shechem’s father Hamor shows up to talk with Jacob, but by then Jacob’s sons had heard about it and had come in from the fields, so they’re all there together: Hamor, Shechem, Jacob, and all of Jacob’s sons. Jacob and his sons are blown away by what just happened. They’re shocked by it and outraged.

But Hamor says to them, My son Shechem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please, give her to him as his wife. And, even beyond that, let’s intermarry; give us your daughters as wives, take our daughters as wives, and you can settle here among us. The land is open to you — live in it, trade in it, buy real estate in it.

Then Shechem speaks up and says, Let me find favor in your eyes, I’ll give whatever you ask. Name your price for the bride as high as you like. I’ll pay whatever you ask only give me the girl as my wife.

In their anger and outrage, Jacob’s sons reply deceitfully to Shechem and his father Hamor. They say, We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who’s not circumcised. That would be a discrace to us. We’ll enter into an agreement with you on one condition and one condition only: you have to become like us by circumcising all your males. Do that and we’ll give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. But if you won’t agree to be circumcised, we’re taking our sister and we’re out of here.

Well, Shechem, who’s the most honored young man of all his father’s family, he must have fallen hard for Dinah, because this circumcision thing seems like a good idea to him. And his father Hamor likes the idea as well. Shechem’s so excited about marrying Dinah that he wastes no time in doing what was agreed to. He takes his father to the gate of their city to speak to all the men. These men are friendly toward us, they say. Let them live in our land and trade in it; there’s plenty of room. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. But there is one thing… the’ll only live with us as one people if we’re all circumcised.

But think about it, they continued. These guys are rich! Won’t their livestock, their property, and all their other animals become ours? So let’s agree to it and let them settle among us.

And all the men who were there agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every man and boy in the city was circumcised.

Fast forward three days. Every single man and boy in the city is in terrible pain. And two of Jacob and Leah’s sons, Simeon and Levi, brothers of Dinah, decide to take advantage of it. They take take up their swords and lead a surprise attack on the city, killing every male including Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they rescue Dinah from Shechem’s house. They also loot the dead bodies, seize their livestock, donkeys, and everything else both in the city and out in the fields. They carry off all their wealth and all their women and children.

The slaughter and plunder was all done without Jacob’s knowledge.

When Jacob sees Simeon and Levi he says, You have caused me to become a stench in the nostrils of the people of the land, the Canaanites and Perizzites. We’re few in number and if they join forces and attack us, we’ll be destroyed.

But they reply, Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?

Jacob says to his sons, You’ve caused me to become a stench in the nostrils of the people of the land, and, if the Canaanites and Perizzites join forces, they’ll wipe us out! Matthew Henry puts it this way, “If all the Shechemites must be destroyed for the offence of one, why not all the Israelites for the offence of two?” Even though Jacob knew of God’s promise to preserve the nation of Israel, he was wise to be concerned about the consequences that inevitably follow sin. Parents are often aware of consequences that their children, even their adult children, have no fear of. (Matthew Henry)

Later we’ll see Jacob on his death bed, blessing and prophesying over each of his sons. When it comes to Simeon and Levi’s turn he says of them,

“Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:7)

4 Reasons why God will choose to use you:

Was it wrong for Shechem to rape Dinah? Of course it was. Was it right for Simeon and Levi to take out an entire city in revenge? Absolutely not! Jacob nailed it when he said, “Cursed be their anger…” But the Lord doesn’t shy away from revealing to us the flaws and failures of his people. Simeon and Levi had problems. The nation of Israel had problems. They were deceitful, they were sinful, they were far from perfect. Throughout the Bible God takes pains to show us that He uses imperfect people to do His work. We’ll see later that, in spite of what happened in today’s story, the tribe of Levi will be assigned to minister to the LORD as His priests.

So why? Why does He do that? Why does He use imperfect people to do His work. Why would He use a person like you? There are four reasons.

1) There’s no one else to use:

The people of the Bible were just like the people of today, they were imperfect, they were flawed, yet God used them. If God only used perfect people, He would have no one to work with! So He uses what He can — and that’s you, and that’s me, with all of our failures and sin. God will use you, with all your imperfections, because we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) You fall short just like everyone else. God will use you because you’re the only type of person available to Him.

2) His grace

God allows us the opportunity to serve Him in spite of our weaknesses because He is gracious. He knows we’re but dust and ashes. (Genesis 18:27) He knows we wrestle with our flesh. We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

We can actually approach God’s opportunities to serve Him boldly and with confidence, not because of who we are, but because of what Christ did, on the cross. Christ reconciled us to God that we may receive mercy and find grace.

3) Your growth

Some have the thought that they need to improve themselves before they can serve God, but scripture teaches just the opposite. If you serve God, you’ll find your self improving, as a man, or a woman. As you’re around Him, in His word, with His people, praying, or ministering unto one of the least of humankind, you’ll find yourself growing. God has a way of using people to do His work while growing the same said people into men or women of God. When Elijah called Elisha into service, he was just an average farmer. In fact he was plowing a field at the time Elijah called him. When Jesus called the disciples there was no one special among them, they were just a bunch of fishermen and other regular guys. Elisha grew, and Jesus’ disciples grew, primarily, while they served, not before. (1 Kings 19:19, Mark 1:16-20)

4) His glory

The beauty of God using a flawed, imperfect person like you or like me, to accomplish His will, is that He gets the glory! If He were to use brilliant perfect people, the response of those observing would be to assume that the talents of the person were the reason for God’s success. And the person would get the glory instead of God Himself. We see a great illustration of this in Judges chapter 7. General Gideon is preparing to go into battle against the Midianites with 32,000 men when the Lord says, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me (and say) ‘My own strength has saved me.’ God continued, “Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. (Judges 7:2-3)

And that was still too many in the Lord’s sight. So He had Gideon take the remaining men down to drink water from a stream. Only those who cupped their hands and lapped water like a dog were permitted to fight. That left only three hundred men to go into battle against the entire Midianite army. And, with God’s help, they won. And God got the glory.

I’m so thankful that God makes a point of sharing the failures of his people, like those of Simeon and Levi. That encourages me, and it should encourage you as well. I can very easily become discouraged with my own deficiencies and feel that I’m not worthy to serve Christ.

But the reality is, you don’t have to be anyone special to be used by God. In fact, if you have too much going for you, it could actually get in the way. The only thing you need to be used is a willingness on your part.

So try something, attempt something for God, maybe something small. Offer to help in some small way at church. Look for an opportunity to help a neighbor in need. Join the local big brother or big sister program. Make a short prayer list and pray for the people on it once a week. Are you too busy, or too tired after work? Those are just imperfections that God can overcome. Pray about it. Start anywhere, with anything that has eternal value.

Serve Him and His blessings will exceed your expectations.

Start by saying this prayer with me, “Lord, I’m flawed and imperfect, but use me anyway. Lord use me anyway, anyway you please. In Jesus’ name.”

Now go out and look for opportunity. You’ll be surprised at what you find.

“God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”

1 Corinthians 1:28-29

References:

Bible Gateway

Blue Letter Bible

Chuck Smith

Matthew Henry

Laura’s Thoughts on Scripture

Jon Courson

 2 Comments

 Posted on March 16, 2012 by

 Bible Study, Genesis

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Blessed are they that hear the word of God -Luke 11:28

One of us is the person who’s most blessed by this blog. My hope is that person is you. But while my prayer is for this blog to play at least some small part in your developing a rich, deep relationship with Christ, there’s no question in my mind who the most blessed person is.

It’s me.

The opportunity to write you these “letters” has been one of the greatest kindnesses that the Lord has shown me in my lifetime. I’m astounded at how the more time I spend immersed in God’s word, the more blessed I become.

I give thanks to Him for the privilege.

“…blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

-Jesus Christ, Luke 11:28

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 Posted on March 16, 2012 by

 Bible Study

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As the heavens are higher than the earth — Isaiah 55:9

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

 3 Comments

 Posted on March 13, 2012 by

 Bible Study

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Senna Part 2–Teach us to number our days: Psalm 90:12

Ayrton Senna bible verseThe story of Formula 1 race car driver, Ayrton Senna is so compelling that I couldn’t help but write this post to let you know how the whole thing ended. After his victory over his rival Alain Prost (see post on Genesis 33 to read Part 1 of Senna’s story) he went on to win two more world championships. Ayrton Senna was a flawed man, yet greatly loved in his native Brazil, and around the world, for his humble, unassuming nature. In an interview after winning his third world title, Senna talked about how he was happiest when he was learning and improving as a driver, and also as a man. At the end of the interview he made this comment:

“There is a lot to go, a lot to learn, a lot to live, but I have plenty of time.”

I don’t know anything about Ayrton Senna’s beliefs or theology, but I do know that shortly after that interview, on Sunday, May 1, 1994, the morning of the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna woke up and asked God to talk to him. He opened his Bible to a verse that, according to his sister, said “God would give him the greatest gift of all gifts, which was God Himself.” (perhaps the verse was John 3:16)

Later that same morning, while leading the San Marino Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna died as a result of injuries suffered in a crash. He was 34 years old.

“Why aren’t you investing in your relationship with your God?” the old man asked.

“What’s the hurry?” Replied the young man.

Maybe, like Senna, you’re thinking, “there is a lot to go, a lot to learn, a lot to live, but I have plenty of time.” You might be making plans: today or tomorrow we’re going here and doing that, we’ll have some fun, or do some work, maybe make some money. But, really, how do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. (James 4:14 NLT)

Life is short. Eternity is so long that it’s incomprehensible.

The day is coming when you’ll be glad for every minute of time that you devoted to eternal things, heavenly things, those things that please God. And that day is coming much quicker than you realize. So begin now to invest your time, your energy, your focus to growing closer to Christ. Or as Jesus put it, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) When you realize the brevity of your life here on earth, it’s the only thing that makes sense.

Lord…

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” -Psalm 90:12

[You might also like: Senna Part 1–Senna vs. Prost–Esau Ran to Jacob]

References:

Image via Damien – Creative Commons

 10 Comments

 Posted on March 12, 2012 by

 Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young

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Senna Part 1–Senna vs. Prost, Esau ran to Jacob: Genesis Chapter 33

Senna Prost Reconcile Jacob Esau Genesis 33Read Genesis 33

Where we left Jacob: We last saw Jacob the morning after he had wrestled with God’s angel all night long. The angel touched Jacob in the hip in a way that made him lame, and in a way that changed him as a man. From that point forward we see very little of the conning and conniving that we saw before Jacob was touched.

The story of Senna vs. Prost

Ayrton Senna was a race car driver prodigy. He began racing the Formula 1 circuit when he was just 24 years old. There was an almost childlike humility about him, a rare character trait among Formula 1 drivers. Senna was well loved around the world and especially in his native Brazil. Famous for his ability to drive on a wet track, at Monaco, in his first year driving F1, he was in thirteenth place when it began to rain, after which, he passed the next eleven drivers ahead of him, in a such a short time, that it appeared his victory was inevitable. However when the leader, a Frenchman named Alain Prost, realized his victory was threatened, he signaled to race officials that he felt the race should end because of the wet conditions. It was an interesting request because the rain had actually let up some at the time. Many suspect the real reason was because he knew that if the race continued, he would lose to Senna. Race officials did end the race and Prost finished first, Senna second. Although Senna actually passed Prost just before the finish line, but the red flag had already been shown.

A few years later Senna joined the McLaren racing team which already had as one of its drivers, Alain Prost, the same driver who signaled to end the Monaco race before Senna could pass him. The two seemed to get along well in their first year as teammates, but during their second season together, envy crept in. Senna and Prost’s mechanics stopped sharing information with each other. Both drivers found themselves looking over their shoulder, wondering if the other guy was getting better treatment, and a better car to race. By the last race of that second season, Prost and Senna were leading all other drivers on points by a wide margin, with Prost in first and Senna second. All Prost needed to win the world championship was for Senna not to finish. On the forty-seventh lap Prost appeared to have an opportunity to run Senna off the road and he appeared to take it. Both cars seemed to be too severely damaged to continue, which didn’t matter to Prost, who was assured of the world championship, no matter what, as long as Senna didn’t finish.

However, even with the front end of the body of his car badly damaged, Senna was somehow able to make his way back to the race course. As soon as Prost saw that Senna was back on the track, he immediately made his way to the race steward’s office where he had a conversation with the president of the Formula 1 racing circuit, who just happened to be French, as was Prost.

The delay from the crash had caused Senna to fall back to the middle of the pack but he charged hard and in almost miraculous fashion, won the race and with it, the world championship–or so it seemed.

The award ceremony at the podium was delayed. Things had become political. It appeared that the French president of the F1 racing circuit was looking for some means of ensuring that the French driver Prost would win the world championship. A decision was made to disqualify Senna on a technicality.

Not only was Prost named the winner of that years world championship, but in spite of video tape evidence to the contrary, Senna was blamed for the crash, fined $100,000, and suspended from racing for six months.

The very next year, at the last race of the season, Prost and Senna were again the only two in contention for the world championship. Only this time, Senna was ahead on points, and only needed for Prost not to finish to assure himself the world championship. At the very first corner, Senna had an opportunity to run Prost off the road…

Sadly, he took it. Both cars were unable to continue. And by virtue of the fact that Prost did not finish, Senna won the world championship.

What an opportunity Senna had! What a tremendous chance to show grace to another!

What an opening that was for reconciliation!

The Story of Jacob vs. Esau

Having just left the angel, and feeling the effects of his touch on his hip, Jacob is limping along when he looks up and there he is, Esau, coming with his four hundred men. So Jacob divides up his group, he takes his wives’ handmaidens and he puts them in front with their children, then he positions his wife Leah and her children next, and then his wife Rachel, and her only son Joseph, in the rear. Jacob himself goes on ahead and bows down to Esau seven times, bows all the way to the ground, as he approaches him.

But to Jacob’s surprise, Esau runs up to meet Jacob and gives him a bear hug; then he throws his arms around his neck and kisses him. They’re both so overcome with emotion at their reconciliation that they break into tears. Then Esau looks up and sees the women and children and asks, Who are these people?

Jacob answers, They’re the children God has graciously given your servant.

Then the female servants and their children approach and bow down. Next, Leah and her children come and bow down. Then, last of all, Joseph and Rachel come, and they bow down too.

Esau asks, So what’s up with all of these flocks and herds I encountered before you?

To find favor in your eyes, my lord, Jacob answers.

Esau says, I already have plenty. You should keep what you have for yourself.

Jacob quickly responds, No please! If I’ve found favor in your eyes, please accept these gifts from me. Because to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you’ve received me with welcome. Accept my present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me, and I have all I need.

And because Jacob is so insistent, Esau accepts his gift.

Then Esau says, Let’s be on our way, I’ll accompany you.

But Jacob says, My lord knows that the children are slow, and that I have to care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If we drive them too hard, even for a day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead, while I travel slowly, at the pace of the flocks and herds, and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.

Esau says, Then let me leave some of my men with you.

Why do that? Jacob asks. Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.

So Esau heads back to Seir. But Jacob, instead of going to Seir, travels to Sukkoth, where he builds himself a place and makes shelters for his livestock. That’s why the place is called Sukkoth, the word means shelters.

Later, Jacob made it safely back from Paddan Aram to the area of the city of Schechem in Canaan. He bought a piece of ground, from the sons of Hamor, for one hundred pieces of silver, within sight of the city of Shechem and there he pitched his tent.

There also, he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel, which means Mighty is the God of Israel.

Why You Need to Reconcile

Unlike Senna, I admire how both Jacob and Esau let the past go and moved forward with reconciliation. Jacob’s manipulations, Esau’s murderous threat, they both left them in the past and reconciled.

Maybe this blog post is for you. Perhaps there’s someone in your life who you need to reconcile with. It’s been said that holding a grudge is like drinking poison, then waiting for the other person to die. Reconciliation is huge. It’s a tremendous blessing. And the one who’s blessed the most by far, is the one who’s doing the letting go. I’m thankful that Jacob and Esau let go of their past and worked toward the restoration of their relationship. I wonder what might have happened between Senna and Prost, had Senna passed on his opportunity to knock Prost out of the race.

The need for reconciliation can be caused by all sorts of things. When my wife and I used to do foster care we received training in what causes emotional problems in the kids whom we cared for. I found it interesting to learn that even worse than abuse, neglect does the most damage to a relationship.

Jacob did not neglect his relationship with God. After he arrived at his destination, he built an altar and called it El Elohe Israel, meaning Mighty is the God of Israel. Reconciliation with God wasn’t needed because, as we have seen, during his journey Jacob remained in communication with God, and here at the end, he builds an altar, he remains engaged in his relationship with Him.

Could it be that you need to be reconciled to God? Could it be that you’ve been neglectful of your relationship with Him? Do you think of your relationship with God in the abstract? You’ll be blessed beyond your expectations, if you choose to change that and think of Him as the Person He is. No relationship is more important. There’s no better way to invest your time and energy. What would your relationship with your spouse be like, if you invested the same time and energy you do in your relationship with God? How long would your marriage last? How long would it be before you woke up and took concrete steps toward spending more time with her, investing more energy in him. You desire relationships with others, and God, Who created you in His own image, desires relationships with others too — He desires relationship with you. “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends…” Jesus said. (John 15:14-15) God is a person. Jesus Christ is a person. He’s the most important person there is in your life, and He desires close friendship with you. Perhaps you recognize this to be true in your mind, but what about your heart?

I would encourage you to pray. Pray right now for Christ to turn your heart toward Him. Pray for His Holy Spirit to come upon you and to make your relationship with Him, one that’s rich, and deep. Pray for it daily.

You’ll be tremendously blessed if you do. You’ll miss out on so much if you don’t.

Reconcile yourself to Him.

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

James 4:8

[You might also like: Senna Part 2–Teach Us to Number Our Days]

References:

[Image via: @lozanopuche – Creative Commons]

Bible Gateway

Blue Letter Bible

Matthew Henry

Wikipedia

Jon Courson

 6 Comments

 Posted on March 10, 2012 by

 Bible Study, Genesis

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Love Like Jesus–The One Thing You Need: Matthew 3:13-17

Love Like Jesus Holy Spirit and LoveThen Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:13-17

How Jesus Loved People

In our last post about how Jesus loved people, we saw that He prepared Himself to love others by spending time at His Father’s house, at His place of worship. (see previous post) In today’s post we see that Jesus further prepares Himself to love people by receiving the Holy Spirit. And the way He does it… His humility, it astounds me. Jesus humbled Himself, He submitted Himself to the same practices that were in place for everyone else. Here He was, God incarnate, fully man and also fully God, and yet He submitted to the same conventions as everybody else. Even when John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” He insisted that He be treated the same as anyone.

So Jesus, the God-man, in order to prepare Himself for the great outpouring of love that was to come over the next three years, submits Himself to John and is baptized. And when He’s baptized, the Holy Spirit descends from heaven and alights on him.

How to Love Like Jesus

Think this through with me — if Jesus Christ Himself needed the Holy Spirit, to prepare to love on others, Lord knows you and I do too. The only way to love people the way our Heavenly Father desires us to, is to first receive the Holy Spirit. That’s how Jesus did it, that’s what you and I need to do also.

Jesus spoke at length about the Holy Spirit with His disciples when they were upset at the news that He would be leaving them soon. Shortly before His death He told them He wouldn’t leave them as orphans. He said that after He’s gone, His Father would send the Comforter, or Advocate. The original Greek word used there is parakletos, which means “to come along side.” The origin for our English word, paramedic, comes from the same Greek prefix, para-. A paramedic comes along side a patient to help heal him or her. The Holy Spirit comes along side you to help you in every area of your life. This happens the moment you decide to follow Jesus Christ.

But there’s another way in which the Holy Spirit comes to us, and this is the way that empowers us to love people the way God desires us to. In Acts chapter 1 Jesus instructed His disciples: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5) Then in Acts chapter 2, suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2) The Holy Spirit blew the disciples away. They were filled to the overflowing, and they were empowered to do things and to love people in ways that aren’t humanly possible apart from God. (See Acts chapter 2) This is the way the Holy Spirit comes to people described by Jesus when He said, “…rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

Ephesians 5:18-20 tells us to be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When you’re filled with the Spirit your heart is filled with music. But the music isn’t dependent on the circumstances of your life, which are sometimes up and sometimes down. The object of the music of the Holy Spirit is Christ, Who is unchanging. So when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit you’re empowered to love God, and to love people, regardless of your life circumstances. (Keller)

This is spectacular! Because without love no matter what we do, you and I are as a resounding gong. No matter how hard we try, no matter how we may sacrifice, we gain nothing without love. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) “You’ll never know your full potential in Christ, until you yield to the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life.” (Chuck Smith)

You need to love, to please God, and you need the Holy Spirit to love.

To love people the way Jesus did, you need to first receive the Holy Spirit as Jesus did.

All that’s required is to ask God for Him. Simply asking, from your heart, that God would pour His Holy Spirit out upon you is all you need to do to receive Him. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Jesus said in Luke 11:11-13. So to receive God’s power to love people, like you’ve never loved them before, ask Him for His Holy Spirit.

Just ask!

Ask right now.

Ask every day, for the Holy Spirit, and your Father in heaven will give Him to you.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Romans 8:14


[Image via: knowhimonline – Creative Commons]

[HT: Chuck Smith, Living Water; The Word for Today, 2007; Chuck Smith Audio Teaching on Holy Spirit; Dr. Timothy Keller; BibleStudyTools.com; Jon Courson]

 1 Comment

 Posted on March 8, 2012 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too

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Luke 17:1-2 — Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come

Five days ago an article was published arguing for the legalization of what the authors call “after birth abortion.” They openly write that they’re using this term to replace the word infanticide. Ironically the article was published in the “Journal of Medical Ethics.” (see After birth abortion: why should the baby live?)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Luke 17:1-2

References:

Tim Spivey

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 Posted on March 7, 2012 by

 Bible Study

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Ephesians 5:15-16 Redeeming the time

I was scrounging around the house yesterday, looking for a highlighter when I came across this old 2 3/4″ x 4″ calendar booklet I used in 1990. I looked through some of my appointments and as I did I thought about other calendar booklets I’ve maintained: my running log calendar, and my cycling log calendar, and my tennis calendar, and my hang gliding log calendar. It struck me that I’ll be held accountable for all that time logged into all of those calendars.

Imagine with me that you’re before Christ, the moment after you die. He breaks out your calendar book, or your Google Calendar, or Outlook Calendar, or whatever, and starts to page through it.

“So, I see you watched quite a bit of TV, you played softball, you followed a few blogs… looks like you did very well at World of Warcraft…”

The realization that sinks in is that there’s no way to go back! Looking through my own 1990 calendar made me wish that I’d spent my time differently. It made me wish that I’d devoted myself more to my relationship with Christ and with the people around me — investments that last, investments that are eternal. But I can’t. 1990 is gone forever.

Life is short. I spoke with a friend today who has only a few more years to live. Even if you’re not battling a terminal disease, the fact is, life is terminal. It flies by and before you know it, you find yourself wishing you had spent your time differently.

1990 is gone forever but you and I can still live differently, from this point in time forward. I can live with Christ in mind, you can draw closer to God. We can live lives that love God better.

You can’t go back but you can go forward, making the most of every opportunity, living your life for Him.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

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 Posted on March 6, 2012 by

 Bible Study

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He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched–Genesis 32:22-32

A Man Broken

Content for this article was taken from the new book Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus). For more articles included in the book go to Love Like Jesus Book. Love Like Jesus is due to be published in 2018.

Read Genesis 32:22-32

Where we left Jacob: In Genesis 32:1-21 we saw Jacob approaching his brother Esau’s territory on his way back home. As he neared his encounter with Esau, he became increasingly concerned with their history, specifically his deceit and manipulation of Esau to trick him out of his birthright and blessing, and Esau’s threat to murder Jacob for revenge. Jacob became afraid and sent gifts ahead in an attempt to appease Esau. He also prayed a fervent prayer to the LORD, asking Him for His help. (see previous post, Genesis 32:1-21 – Save me I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau)

If you’ve ever dreamed of having a powerful encounter with God Himself, read on.

Genesis 32:22-32

We pick up our story on the night before Jacob will encounter Esau. He takes Leah, Rachel, their two handmaidens whom he took as wives, and his eleven sons, and he sends them across the river at the ford of Jabbok. Then he sends across all the rest of his possessions until he’s alone.

So here’s Jacob, just about to encounter Esau, just about to encounter, what is now at this moment, his greatest fear. And it’s when he’s alone that God chooses to encounter Jacob, coming to Jacob in the form of a man. (Is this man an angel? Is he a preincarnate appearance of Christ? Different scholars have different takes on the question) What we do know is that the man wrestles with Jacob all night long. At daybreak the man realizes he can’t overpower Jacob, so he touches Jacob’s hip socket, so Jacob’s hip is is wrenched. Then the man says, Let me go–it’s daybreak.

But Jacob says, I won’t let you go unless you bless me. (You might be tempted here, to think that Jacob is demanding to be blessed. But we see in Hosea 12:4 that Jacob was actually weeping and begging to be blessed.)

The man asks him, What’s your name?

Decades earlier, Jacob’s father Isaac had asked him the same question, What’s your name? And Jacob answered with a lie: Esau, he told his father. (Genesis 27:19) Here we see God’s angel, who quite obviously, already knows Jacob’s name, asking again, as if to say, Let’s see how well you answer this time? Many of us are trying to be someone who we’re not. I wish I were that guy, we say. Or, I wish I had what she has, we think. I wish I could do what he does… When we come to the place where we accept who we are, that’s the place where God can begin to use us most effectively. The LORD doesn’t want you to be someone else, the LORD wants you to be the best you, you can be.

Jacob, he answers.

Then the man says, Your name won’t be Jacob anymore, but Israel (which means he struggles with God or governed by God), because you’ve struggled with both God and with humans and have overcome.

Then Jacob says, Please, tell me your name.

But the man doesn’t tell him his name. He only answers Jacob’s request with a question, Why do you ask for my name?

Then the man blesses Jacob.

So Jacob calls the place Peniel. (which means face of God) He says, I call it Peniel because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.

By now the sun’s rising high in the sky, so Jacob limps along, because of his sore hip, out of that place called Peniel.

And to this day, the Israelites don’t eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Alone with God:

So here’s Jacob, just about to encounter Esau, just about to encounter, what is now at this moment, his greatest fear. And it’s when he’s alone that God chooses to encounter Jacob.

This is huge! This is one of the most powerful secrets to confronting your fears! When you’re about to encounter something or someone you fear, do whatever you need to do to be alone. Send your wife across the river, so to speak, if you have to. Send your kids to the sitter if you need to. Take a vacation day if necessary. Do whatever you have to do to separate yourself from your people, possessions, and responsibilities, and get away.

Find a way to be alone, and God will find a way to encounter you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8 NKJV) And when He does, it’ll probably be emotional. It will probably be a struggle. There will be wrestling over your issue. An argument may even ensue, as you pour out your feelings, your fears, and maybe even your tears. (Hosea 12:4)

But don’t let go of Him. Hang onto Him for as long as it takes, until you’re blessed.

This is one of the most powerful actions you can take in life. It might feel weird at first, it might feel awkward initially, but try and see. If you do what I say here, if you do what Jacob did, and if you do it fervently, you’ll be blessed beyond your expectations.

God’s touch:

God touches us in amazing and beautiful ways. He touches us when He helps us through unemployment, or a failed marriage, or a financial disaster. He touches us when He turns our hearts toward Him, and toward others.

One of my favorite examples of God’s touch occurred when the leper approached Jesus, begging Him for healing. Now at that time, in that culture, it was against the law to touch a leper. “Outcast unclean! Outcast unclean!” lepers were required to shout, everywhere they went. A leper was a person who hadn’t felt the touch of another human being in a very long time. A leper was a person devoid of physical affection from others.

But Jesus, disregarding the law of humankind, in response to this lepers pleading, reached out and touched him, and he was healed. (See previous post — Mark 1:40-45 Jesus’ Touch)

However, there’s another way in which the LORD touches us. I’ve experienced it myself. Ten years ago I was in the prime of life. My marriage was doing well. My family was doing well. Professionally I was a part of the leadership in my organization, and doing well. My wife and I were just starting up our vacation rental business, it was going well. We were building a 4,000 sq ft home overlooking the beautiful Rogue Valley. Physically I was doing well. I was a high energy guy who worked from early morning until late at night. And, in my not so humble opinion, I thought, spiritually I was doing well also.

Then God touched me.

I was in Portland for a college class I needed for my Fire Administration degree. My family and I had just enjoyed a nice dinner and we were leaving our hotel to walk over to the Lloyd Center Mall right across the street. As soon as I hit the cold January air, it felt as though someone had removed all the oxygen from the atmosphere. I honestly thought that I had somehow walked into an invisible cloud of hazardous chemical gas. The only problem with that theory was, I was the only one in our group who couldn’t breath.

Next thing you know I’m in the hospital for a double by-pass operation. I can’t tell you how many people told me, I was the last person on earth they thought would need open heart surgery. But God touched me.

No longer was I a high energy guy. Gone was the capability to work from early morning until late at night. The capacity of my flesh was reduced dramatically. But I continued to try to live my life the way I always had: teaching a men’s leadership Bible study once a week, leading a church home group twice a month, serving as an elder at church, I was writing my book, I finished up school to get my degree, I took a promotion at work. As you might imagine, things didn’t go so well. I began to struggle with depression, partly from the heart medication, partly from the changes in my body, and partly because I wasn’t adjusting to life after God’s touch.

That was ten years ago. Now I see God’s hand in it all. He taught me things, important things: I used to think that most people were lazy. I didn’t understand why they didn’t work as hard as I did. God taught me not to think that way anymore. He showed me that everything I have is because of Him and not me. Even my previous high energy level was a gift from Him, and He taught me that He can take away that gift, or any other gift, anytime He thinks it would benefit me to do so. He revealed to me my faults and my shortcomings. He helped me to see that I can be a difficult person to be around. He helped me to see that I’m a person who needs His grace, and His mercy.

He rocked my world. He humbled me. He humbled me in a big way.

And now, having walked through that valley, I’m thankful for His touch. If I had the power to go back in time and have God take a pass on touching me in that way, I wouldn’t do it. I would rather be more of the man He wants me to be, with a reduced capacity, than a man with abundant energy, but who’s less His man.

And that’s not even the best part. The other day Kathy and I were standing in line at Barnes & Noble when an older lady told us the story of how her husband went to sleep one night and never woke up. He died of a heart attack before morning. A few days later, after an hour of bicycling, I felt nauseous. Twenty minutes after that I had chest pain accompanied by pain in my left shoulder radiating down my arm. If you know anything about heart attacks, these are classic symptoms. I couldn’t help but think, Hey, this could be it, just like the lady’s husband from Barnes & Noble, the Lord might take me home before morning. Obviously by virtue of the fact that I’m writing this post, it wasn’t my time yet, but for the past ten years, similar aches and pains happen from time to time. And every time, I’m reminded of heaven and eternity. Every time, I’m reminded of how short life is, here on earth, and how long eternity is, there with Christ.

The best part is, God’s touch has had the effect of turning my heart toward heaven, toward Jesus, toward eternity. God’s touch has changed my perspective completely. It’s one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I’d rather live another two years with this perspective than another twenty primarily focused on the things of this world.

And it’s not just me. I know a man who had a similar experience when a knee replacement operation went badly. I read about a C 3-4 quadriplegic from Erie, Pennsylvania who says his broken neck was the best thing that ever happened to him. Just a few nights ago, I talked with a friend of mine who’s missing his right lower leg–he told me the accident that took his leg was the greatest thing that ever happened to him. This is what Paul is talking about when he says, he (Christ) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)

God touched Jacob. It’s interesting to note that after God touched his hip, we see very little evidence of sin in Jacob’s life. The angel even gave him a new name. He was no longer Jacob the “heel snatcher,” but now he would be called Israel, “governed by God.”

God touched Jacob, and the entire nation of Israel, from that day forward, no longer ate from the sinew of the hip socket, in remembrance of Jacob. He is remembered, not for his cleverness, not for his shrewdness, not for his amazing capability, but for his brokenness before his God. And for the rich and deep relationship he had with his LORD, after he was touched in the hip. God touched Jacob, He touched these other men I wrote of, He touched me. If He touches you in this way, after you’re through the valley, you’ll be surprised at the blessings that await you on the other side.

God may touch you, because He’s always more concerned about your eternal condition, than He is with your current comfort.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Touching You

Right now you might be asking yourself about your own eternal condition. Maybe you’re like me before God touched me, consumed with the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. If you are, maybe you’re reading this for a reason. Maybe this is your time to give yourself to Jesus, I mean really give yourself to Him, wholly and completely. That’s what made all the difference for me. That’s what will make all the difference for you too.

That day when I fell on my face and surrendered my life to Him, that’s the day everything changed.

You can do the same.

Humble yourself before Him and give your whole self to Jesus.

Surrender.

You’ll never regret it.

(I would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at kurt@kurtbennettbooks.com)

References:

 

1106 Design Love Like Jesus Book Cover

Coming in January of 2020:

Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus)

Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others.

Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including:

  • Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God’s love to others.
  • How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman’s love languages (and how you can too).
  • The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ’s extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions.
  • How to respond to critics the way Jesus did.
  • How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did.
  • How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat).
  • How Jesus didn’t love everyone the same (and why you shouldn’t either).
  • How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself–he even napped–and why you should do the same.
  • How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end.

With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God’s definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too.

A life of loving like Jesus.

(Kindle, hardcover, and paperback are scheduled to come out in 2020.)

 

 

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 Posted on March 3, 2012 by

 Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis

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Matthew 25:23 — His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much’

“Live for the approval of others and you will not live for Christ’s approval—and you will not endure.”

–Randy Alcorn



His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Matthew 25:23 (ESV)

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 Posted on March 2, 2012 by

 Bible Study

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Titus 2:7 — In everything set them an example by doing what is good

Pictured here are my son Gabe and his son Andrew. Andrew is not even one yet but, as you can see, he’s already taken to imitating dad.

Example matters.

In everything set a great example. You’ll have no greater joy than to hear that your children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4)

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 Posted on March 1, 2012 by

 Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Marriage

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