Grace Reimagined

God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. Acts 19:11=12 (NLT)

Can you imagine? Can you imagine being able to heal someone? Can you imagine being able to have a piece of clothing touch your skin and then touch someone else and heal them? And later in the chapter it says that the demon said "I know Jesus and I know Paul" (v 15). Even the demons knew his name.

I can't imagine that kind of power. It's not that I can't imagine it, I can do that. I know God has the power to do anything and it says in the passage that God gave Paul the power. What I can't imagine is being able to do that and still stay focused on God.

How do you stay humble enough to serve God and serve others when God is working in your life like that? I think as a human I'd get awfully distracted. I'd be tempted to start believing I had something to do with it. Even if you are thinking things like "Look at the way God is using me" or "Look what God is doing through me", those are not feelings of humility. And as soon as you start down that path it's a slippery slope.

How did Paul do it?  He stayed connected to Jesus. He knew who had the power and where it came from. He also knew his place. In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul said "I am the worst of all sinners." Notice the word am? He didn't say "I was." He said "I am." Currently. Presently. As I walk around healing people and leading people to Jesus, I am the worst. Paul knew deep down inside something we often refuse to think about. Paul knew that he alone had nothing to offer. It was Jesus and only Jesus. And he embraced it.

I want that. I want to know that no matter how much I do or how great it looks on the outside that I am the worst of sinners. I want to know deep down in my soul that it is about Jesus and only Jesus. It will be then that I truly understand grace.

Sometimes You Have To Move On

Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord. Acts 19:8-10 (NLT)

How many of us have been part of a church or religious group and had discord (soft way of saying arguments)? I have in the past and it is not fun. It's amazing to me that we as saints can get into it with each other over things that really aren't about the Kingdom of God at all!

Now this post isn't meant to go after religious institutions or religious people. We are all a work in progress and God isn't finished with us yet. I praise his name for that! I still have a lot of growing to do! What did strike me about this text though was how Paul handled it. It sounds to me like they were having discord and the impression you get is that it was kind of intense. What did Paul do? He changed locations. He didn't stop doing what God told him to do. He just moved to where there was less resistance.

He didn't get side-tracked with the distraction of folks who aren't working with the Holy Spirit. In other words, he kept what he cared about in his sights and let the rest fall away. He was listening to the Holy Spirit and let him guide the process instead of getting stuck trying to fix it himself.

All too often we try to do God's work for him. We try to convince someone against their will to make different choices. We say things that we aren't supposed to say or we say them at the wrong time. If only we would listen to the Holy Spirit when we deal with each other instead of trying to fix things ourselves. Only God knows when a person's heart is ready to hear him.

Paul ended up staying in the new location for two years. Guess there was a lot of work to do there. Guess the Holy Spirit knew that! I wonder what would have been lost if Paul stayed and tried to change the minds of the folks who weren't yet ready to hear God. Thank God we'll never know.

In It For The Long Haul

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. Acts 19:1-2 (NLT)

Paul was traveling and he came across some believers. Now, one would assume that since they are believers, they received the Holy Spirit when they believed, right? But apparently something was off because Paul asks them about it. And they said "We don't even know what the Holy Spirit is."

What does it mean to receive the Holy Spirit? I like the way the MSG puts this verse. It says “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?” That seems like a really good explanation. Did you take God into your mind only or in your heart?  I love the next line. Did he get inside you?

Doesn't that sum it up? We are promised that when we accept Jesus as our Savior we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But what does it look like? Well, first it means something has to change. You can't live your old life of putting yourself first; God has to come first. Now, most of us aren't going to just start putting God first. Maybe that's why the Holy Spirit has to camp out inside us - forever. This putting God first thing usually takes some time and it is often a slow, gradual process.

The process is different for everyone because God's relationship with each one of us is unique. So how the Holy Spirit works in my life is going to look different than how he works in yours. Which is why we should never judge each other. But, according to the Bible the general process is that you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit moves in, he starts talking to you about your choices, your priorities, and your behavior. You keep praying, reading your Bible, looking for God in lots of different ways (because a relationship is a two way street). The Holy Spirit uses what you are doing and what God is saying and you begin to see a difference in your life. Sometimes you can't see it all at once; sometimes you have to look back and realize that some things you used to do you don't do any more. Because you don't want to. That is the Holy Spirit.

His job is to keep growing you and teaching you and changing you to be more like God. Will you ever be finished before Jesus comes? Nope. And that's OK. God knows that. But he's in it for the long haul.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

A Minute In It - It's Always Been This Way

A little time in the Word every day changes you. Take a few minutes, put yourself in these verses and ask yourself the questions at the bottom of the post.

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”
John 5:1-10 (NLT)

What would it be like to be sick for 38 years?
Do you think at the beginning of his illness he was hopeful that he would get better? What do you think would have happened as time passed and there was no healing?
Why did Jesus ask him if he wanted to get well?
Do you think he had given up over time?
What was the man's response? Was it true he couldn't?
When we say "I can't" in our lives, is it true or is it the easy answer?
What did Jesus tell him to do?
When we need to overcome something in our lives, does Jesus give us instructions?
What did the Pharisees think about this life changing miracle?
When people in your life see how God is changing you, are they more interested in status quo or the miracle that is happening within?
What about you? When God is calling you to do something, are you more worried about what it will look like to others or are you willing to embrace the change and obey?

Not So Self-Reliant

The Lord helps those who help themselves.  (Not found in the Bible)

It's really interesting how people think this saying is found in the Bible. It's not. Do you know why? Because God doesn't want us to be rely on ourselves. He wants us to rely on him. Let's clear up some misconceptions though.

Does this mean that God expects us to stand there and not do anything? No. Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." And Proverbs 12:11 says "Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense." So we are supposed to work and do it well.

Does God expect us to think things through and make sound decisions? Yes! For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV))

So what does it mean to be reliant on God? I think it means to depend on him, not ourselves. In other words I should live my life in such a way that I am doing the best that I can in everything I do but know that it is God who is in control. And it is him I should go to for answers, not my best friend, not my Pastor, not my family.

When troubles come, it is God who I go to. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

When I don't know what to do or which way to go, it is God I ask. "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

Of course, this requires a little bit (OK, a lot) of trust. How do you get that? Trust is built on experience. Talk to God. Ask him questions. Start by leaving things in his hands. As he answers you and shows up in even the tiniest things, you will learn to trust him. Does he care about the tiny things?  Why, yes he does! "Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered" Luke 12:7

And the most wonderful thing happens next....you will start to turn to him for everything because his answers are always 100% better than anything you could think of!

From Heart To Mouth

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
    for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
    for I give myself to you.
Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
    on a firm footing.
Psalm 143:8, 10 (NLT)

A few years ago my friend Denise and I went to spend a long weekend with another friend. She had a lot of things happening in her life that were creating a ton of stress and she needed to be kidnapped for a long weekend of girl time. Denise and I flew into town and she picked us up at the airport. We went back to her house, packed up the car and took off. As she drove us toward our destination, someone cut us off almost causing an accident. She moved her hand toward the windshield and said "Friend!"

Denise and I started laughing and making jokes about how that may not have been the "F" word we chose to use in a time like that. But that is her nature. She is probably one of the sweetest people I know. Made me wonder how you get to the point that you say "Friend" to someone who truly irritates you instead of other choice words.

Then I remembered a conversation I had with her a year or so before the "Friend" incident. One day we were talking and the subject came up about someone who had hurt her. As we started to talk she said "I really shouldn't comment on this because I haven't spent my time with God yet." And there you have it. Each day, she put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6). The covering that seeps into your thoughts and emotions so when things don't go just the way you want them to, it is God that comes through, not you. 

That's what I want. I want to hear him first thing - to hear of the unfailing love that saved me - to talk about his plans for the day and to follow where he leads. I want to put on the armor that reminds me even when things don't go right, I am covered. And most of all, I want a heart that calls someone who really ticks me off, "Friend."

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

One Touch At A Time

It had been twelve long years since she'd started this journey. Twelve years of trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Once this illness started, life became unbearably hard. People saw her as an outcast. She wasn't allowed to associate with family or friends. She couldn't be near anyone in public. She was wasn’t allowed to be near people - which meant she was terribly lonely. 

She tried everything. She tried every natural remedy. She tried every medication anyone recommended. She went to multiple doctors trying to find relief. But the only thing that brought her was poverty. She spent everything she had on trying to restore her life - the life she loved and desperately wanted to participate in again.

It's a wonder she didn't give up long ago. But something kept driving her. Something kept telling her this was not it. This was not what her life was supposed to be about. As she sat on the outskirts of the town, unable to mingle and be part of the conversations, she heard people talking about a man. This man was able to heal people. He'd healed blind men, lame men and even lepers. He wasn't afraid of the labels or the common beliefs about associating with those who were sick. And from the rumors, he was headed to her town.

She made a plan. It was risky. She was not supposed to be near everyone else because she was considered unclean. She hated that word. She hated that people saw her as a disease instead of a person. What did she have to lose? She had no money, no family and friends to support her; heck, they weren't allowed near her. She made a plan, said a prayer and waited.

Jesus did pass through the town and as always, there was a throng of people around him. They pressed in on every side. How was she going to get to him? They weren't going to part to let her through - she was after all a woman and she was unclean. She could be severely punished for touching anyone and making them unclean. At that moment, a man named Jairus came and started telling Jesus that his daughter was dying. The crowd stopped to listen. This was her chance. She dropped to her knees and crawled through the sea of robes and feet careful not to touch anyone. Her heart was pounding. As she neared to Jesus, she reached out. She just needed to touch him.

As she heard Jesus say "Let's go see your daughter", her fingers brushed the edge of his robe. She felt a surge of energy in her body. She knew something had changed and she quickly tried to back out of the crowd before she was caught.

The crowd stopped and Jesus said "Who touched by robe?" The disciples thought he was joking because well, everyone was touching his robe! But he was serious. "Who touched my robe?" Was there a no way to escape without being noticed? Terrified, she stood up and faced him. "It was me." And she told him the whole, sordid story. His response? Daughter (Can you believe it? He called me Daughter!), your faith has made you well. Your suffering is over."

As she stood there trying to process what just happened, she was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with relief, with unbelief, and with shock at what just happened. But there was something more. She was taken with this man. This man that had so much power and was in such demand yet he stopped to talk to her. He stopped to focus on her and to encourage her. She couldn’t really comprehend it all. What she did know was she walked away and headed toward her family was that she was loved and because of her encounter with Jesus, she was healed.

Adapted from Mark 5:21-34

A Minute In It - Does God Provide?

A little time in the Word every day changes you. Take a few minutes, put yourself in these verses and ask yourself a few questions.

One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.
Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
2 Kings 4:1-7 (NLT)

Have you ever been in the position that you could lose everything?
Was there any significance to Elisha using what she already had?
If you were the woman and you were told to do this, would you do it?
Why did the oil flow until there were no more jars?
When Elisha told her she could live on what was left, did that mean she could go out and buy a lot of new stuff? Is there a message here about God providing enough.
Finally, do you believe God will provide like this today?