August 27, 2017

The Servant Rhoda

“Peter knocked at the outer entrance and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.  When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, ‘Peter is at the door!”  Acts 12:13-14

This is like a comedy routine of the early church.  Peter has been in prison and it is the night before his trial.  He miraculously escapes, thanks to an angel of the Lord.  Once Peter realizes what has happened he heads to Mary’s house, where there is a group of people praying for Peter’s release.

Now for the comedy: Peter knocks on door and a servant goes to answer it.  Her name is Rhoda, which means God’s unfolded love.  As soon as she recognizes Peter’s voice, she runs back to the group to announce that Peter is there.  She forgot Peter, forgot to open the door, and Peter had to stand there, knocking away until they came to the door.  Can you picture it?

Even funnier is the response of the group, gathered to pray for Peter’s release.  They proclaim it can’t be him; he is in prison!  They tell Rhoda she has lost it and when she persists, they think it is an angel.  That would mean they believed Peter had been killed and his angel showed up.  While all this is happening, just picture Peter knocking on the door.  After all, he is a wanted man!

It makes one wonder how many times we’ve missed something, even in the name of doing what is important.  It makes one wonder if we get so immersed in praying for something that when the answer has arrived and is knocking on our door, we don’t answer it, because we are praying that which has arrived!  It gives one hope, for if the early church engaged in such endeavors, then that is good news for us.

August 26, 2017

The Lion and the Bear

“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.”  1 Sam. 17:36

The story of David versus Goliath is well known around the world.  What is interesting about this verse is the significance of David’s past experiences preparing him for the present moment.  David is letting King Saul know that as a keeper of the sheep, David has been well trained in fighting off enemy attacks.  If lions or bears came against the flock, David would defend the flock and defeat the attackers.

It is also noteworthy that David has been “keeping his father’s sheep” according to verse 34.  What a perfect picture this paints of Jesus – the One who keeps His father’s sheep.  David is resolute in his promise that Goliath will end up defeated, just like the lion and the bear.  The reason for the defeat is that Goliath is going against Israel – the armies of the living God. 

What kind of spiritual training have we received in the past that has prepared us for what we currently face?  Are there Goliaths in front of us, defying and taunting us?  If so, think back to the lessons you have learned in God’s classroom and apply them as you apply the victory that Jesus secured for you.  Fear, worry, doubt, depression – they will be like the lion and the bear, because they have defied you, part of the army of the living God.

August 25, 2017

God’s Good Pleasure

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”  Lk. 12:32

It was like a perfect storm of events that came crashing into a life.  It was a season of death, loss, illness, financial concerns, and grief.  When one wave finally subsided, another one would come.  We found ourselves at hospitals, funeral homes and cemeteries.  We grieved with those who were grieving…and yet God was with us.

In this marvelous passage of Luke, which closely connects with Matthew’s, Jesus is telling the disciples to not worry.  Life is short, God is in charge and why worry about things we have no control over?  Instead, says our Lord, seek after God’s Kingdom first and foremost.  The other things you put aside will be given to you like a bonus.

Luke’s gospel records the next verse: ” do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”  We are very much a flock in need of shepherding and Jesus provides that as our ultimate Good Shepherd.  Since we have Him in our lives caring for us, we actually can surrender the anxieties and worries, giving them to the Lord.  What we receive instead is what we are hopefully focusing on – the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom is the rule and reign of God in our lives, in our homes, and in our circumstances.

In that season of the perfect storm of events, we could weather it, because we kept our eyes on the Kingdom.. God lived up to His promise – He provided the Kingdom to us: the Kingdom of peace, of joy and of righteousness.  We were able to love and to listen, all because of what God had given us.  It was His good pleasure to do so.

August 24, 2017

The Power to Help or Overthrow

“Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, because God has the power to help or to overthrow.”  2 Chron. 25:8

God has the power to help or to overthrow.  This is an impactful sentence and powerful truth.  King Amaziah of Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, despite a few bumps in the road.  One of those bumps occurred when he assembled a military force to prepare for invasion.  A man of God warned the king with the verse above.

This is guidance for us as we walk with the Lord.  It can happen so suddenly that we try something on our own and go against what God has planned for us.  How many times have we asked God to bless our plan, rather than ask Him to reveal His plan to us?  We receive warnings – even if we go ahead and continue in our ways that seem good to us, God will overthrow us before the enemy.  Our plans will fail.  They may last a bit and then dwindle.  But the plans of man have no staying power.  The plans and purposes of God are eternal.

The good news is that King Amaziah listened to the advice given and disbanded the troops.  Lord, help us to disband any thoughts or plans that are not of You and be positioned to receive your help as Your plans are revealed to us.

August 23, 2017

Save the Best

“…Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but You have saved the best till now.”  John 2:10

It is fascinating that the first recorded “sign” in John’s gospel is this one; the turning of water into wine at a wedding.  It is filled with imagery and symbolism.  The wedding background makes us think of the wedding supper that awaits us as described in Revelation.  The water being turned into wine is representative of what happens to every person who encounters Jesus – they are changed and transformed into “new creations in Christ Jesus.”  We are changed when we confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, instantly, from water into wine, using this example.

It is interesting that when the master tasted the water/wine, he turned to talk to the bridegroom.  He didn’t talk to Jesus, or to the servants drawing the water.  He went right to the groom and gave him praise.  In this sign, Jesus is operating behind the scenes and is the groom who gets recognized.  We can again think forward to Jesus as our Bridegroom.  The master lauds the effort of the groom who saved the best for last.  The finest wine was served at the latter stages of the feast, rather than the beginning.

We cannot help but think of Jesus.  In John’s gospel, Jesus is considered “the last” and He is “the best.”  Jesus was Israel’s rescue and salvation, to be extended to encompass the world.  He was and is the best, the choicest, and the first fruits.  The next verse sums this sign up perfectly: this first miraculous sign revealed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him.  That is what happens when we find the Son of God who has been lovingly waiting for us.  We meet; we are changed; the Lord’s glory is revealed; and we put our faith in Him.  We drink from the finest at last.

August 22, 2017

The Prudent One

“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”  Pvbs. 22:3

If only life came with visual danger signs.  The ones we see on the side of the road with large red letters, warning us of trouble ahead.  When we read the signs, we can avert disaster by re-directing our cars and taking a different route to our destination.  It may take a bit longer, but it is safer.

The person with wisdom and prudence is the one who can discern with the Holy Spirit’s assistance that danger is ahead.  It is the man or woman who can “read the signs” of trouble and find a safe place to take refuge.  It is much like hearing the siren sound and taking cover, because tornadoes are in the area.  People head to the safest place in their homes and they take cover. 

Conversely, the person lacking wisdom and discernment will not hear the siren and so continue about their day.  Or, some will hear the siren but calculate that they have enough time to do a couple more things before finding safety.  They keep going and suffer for it.

The person struggling with addiction drives through a section of town well known for its local drug dealers.  The decision to stop for lunch there or delay the lunch until the next town is the evidence of heeding wisdom.  Example after example brings us to the same point:  are we seeing the warning signs are we taking refuge?

August 21, 2017

The Tasting

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  1 Peter 2:2

It was a great and joyous day when we attended the cake-tasting for our daughter’s wedding.  We drove to the bakery and met our daughter and her future mother-in-law.  As we entered the bakery, there were cakes everywhere – with all sorts of decorations, colors, and accessories.  Our server came out with a platter of different cakes.  We tasted each one, deciding upon the ones we liked and then turned to our daughter for the final decisions.  It was one of the many memorable days leading up to the big day of the wedding.  And yes, there will be cake.

Spiritual cake tastes good too, and that is the point Peter is making in this passage.  When we come to the word of God as newborns in Christ, we can handle a verse or two of the inerrant word that gets inside us and transforms us.  Through that process we have tasted the Lord’s goodness.  His word is that spiritual milk (or cake, if you want to stay with the analogy) and it causes growth in our lives.

Peter encourages his hearers to crave that kind of spiritual nourishment, since we have gotten a taste of God’s goodness.  We can find one of many examples in this epistle; in 1 Peter 1:8-9:  “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 

Try feeding on that word of God for a while.  We don’t see Jesus, but we love Him and believe in Him.  We are filled completely and thoroughly with this indescribable and unstoppable joy.  It is like being re-filled with the Holy Spirit’s leading and the word’s feeding.  It tastes so good – better than any piece of cake we’ve ever had.