Where I Need To Be

When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17 (NLT)

I hate being sick. I guess every body probably does. Right? Well recently, I got sick. I had a terrible cough and ear ache. The ear ache pushed me to go to the walk-in clinic. After I checked in and sat down, a couple came through the door. The woman walked to the counter and signed in. Her husband started to move toward the section of chairs where I was sitting.

She said “Frank, don’t sit there. Sit over there.” and she pointed to a section of chairs in a different part of the room. After they sat down, I heard him say “Why do you want to sit over here?” “Because she’s coughing.” she replied.

Now granted, I was coughing. And I know people don’t want to get sick. But the way she said it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I started thinking to myself “Aren’t we in a clinic? Aren’t people supposed to come here that are sick? And maybe even coughing?”

Then, I remembered what Jesus said in today’s verse. My mind wandered to our churches and how we make people feel like this lady made me feel. We treat people who come in with problems or sins like they shouldn’t be there or like we can’t hang out with them because well, they are sinning.

Jesus said we are all sinners. We all need him. The problem is in that some people think they are righteous, they think they don’t need him. They think they are fine. They are thinking wrong. We all are sick. We all sin. We all desperately need Jesus.

As I thought through all this I looked up at the woman and smiled. I was in the right place. I knew where I needed to be. I needed to be in the clinic getting help for my cough and ear ache and my heart needed to sit at the feet of Jesus so I could love everyone….even the people who make me feel like I don’t belong.

You Want Me To Do What?

“Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied.” Acts 9:10 (NLT)

Ananias was a Jesus follower. One day he was minding his own business sitting in his house and God spoke to him. When Ananias heard God call his name he replied with a “Yes, Lord!” The Lord then instructed him to go to help Saul.

Wait. What? Saul as in THE Saul that killed people who love you? The SAME Saul that was there when Stephen was stoned? The very Saul who has shouted threats against your people and is making it his life mission to go around killing us. That Saul?

Yes, that Saul.

Right at this point Ananias had a choice to make. He could take everything he knew about this guy and decide it’s too risky and obviously the Lord wouldn’t call him to do something so dangerous because God loved him and wouldn’t want him to put himself in such a risky position. Or, he could go.

Ananias must have really trusted God. Because in spite of the reality before him, in spite of knowing he could be arrested, thrown into prison and die, he went. He went because he trusted God. He went because he knew the Person behind the voice and he knew that no matter what was going to happen, God’s plan would be better. God’s purpose for his life would be fulfilled even in his death and that was what he lived for.

He got up, went to Saul, He laid his hands on him and prayed for him. He commissioned the man that would further the Christian faith like no other. Of course, he didn’t know all this at the time. Afterward, he went home and felt good that he did what God said (and he didn’t die.)

What about you? What is God asking you to do that you are afraid to do? Maybe, like Ananias, you should remember the God you know and follow his lead. Maybe there will be a kingdom impact beyond what seems humanly possible. You see, when we follow God and say “Yes, Lord!” the kingdom impact is always more than is humanly possible. It is God ordained.

A Minute In It - What Do You Hold On To?

A minute in God’s Word will change your life. Take a moment to read the text below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. Luke 22:54-61 (NLT)

Why did Peter deny Jesus?
What was he protecting?
What is it in your life that you are protecting?
Are you denying Jesus by holding on to what you have?

How To Describe God

Did you know that Psalm 119 has a section for every letter of the Hebrew alphabet? I thought it would be fun to do something like that in English. So, for every letter of the alphabet, choose a word that describes God. I've filled in my thoughts. Now you try. Share some of your answers!

A - Awesome
B - Big
C - Creative
D - Dangerous
E - Exciting
F - Funny
G - Giving
H - Healing
I - Intentional
J - Jealous
K - Kingly
L - Loving
M - Mighty
N - Nailed
O - Omnipotent
P - Patient
Q - Quiet
R - Redeemer
S - Savior
T - Trustworthy
U - Unfailing
V - Vivacious
W - Willing
X - Xtreme
Y - Young at Heart
Z - Zealous

He's Still King

John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’” Luke 7:20 (NLT)

John was in prison. Can you imagine it? The prisons then were damp, dark cells in the bowels of some structure. While there, his disciples came to visit and told him of all the things Jesus was doing. Jesus was healing tons of people. He was casting out demons; he was raising people from the dead. Miraculous things.

John sent them to Jesus to ask him if he was really the Messiah. Wait. What?

John’s whole ministry was about declaring that Jesus was the Messiah. He said it over and over again. Early in his journey he saw Jesus coming and declared “Behold, the Lamb of God!” When he baptized him he saw the Holy Spirit descend on him. John knew Jesus was the Messiah.

So what happened? John knew his end was near. He knew he was going to be put to death. And I bet he was afraid. I wonder if as he sat in his cell and contemplated what was coming if he began to wonder why Jesus wasn’t helping him out of this. Do you think he reasoned that if Jesus was the Messiah, why didn’t he free him?. After all, John had served him faithfully all these years. Maybe the thought crossed his mind that Jesus was not the Messiah. After all, if he was, he could do something.

Ever happen to you? Have you ever been in the thick of it (whatever it is) and you have prayed and prayed and prayed. And no relief. No answer. It is so tempting to believe that if God were God he would fix the problem. Maybe he’s not. Satan loves to put that lie in our heads.

Jesus did answer John. He told John to look at everything that was happening; not just at his cell. Look broader. God is moving. Refocus and you will see it.

Jesus did not save John. There was a purpose and plan for John’s life. Jesus did not interfere with that. Even though John was beheaded, Jesus was still the Messiah. And he is still the Messiah today. No matter what your life looks like right now, Jesus is still King. He still died for you. He loves you. Even if you don’t get the answers to the prayers you are praying.

Stop Digging

You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Psalm 30:3 (NLT)

So what I’m going to talk about today is a little odd. I know that in advance but this imagery got stuck in my mind and I think it’s powerful. Imagine yourself standing in a field digging your grave. You have a shovel. And little by little you are digging a hole for well, yourself.

This is what our life of sin is like, right? The Bible says the wages of sin is death. So, with every sinful thought, selfish action or overtly sinful deed, we bend down and dig a little deeper. I wish I could say I don’t dig my own hole. Far from it. Have you ever been walking down the road and you see something and a really unkind thought pops into your head? I have.

Have you ever started to tell a story and while your intention was good when you started you end up making yourself look good while making someone else look not so good? I have.

Have you ever felt jealous because something good happened to someone else and not you? I have.

So, if I were going to measure the depth of my grave by my actions and thoughts, well, I’d have finished it long ago. But, here is the really cool thing.

Jesus, when he died on the cross and said “It is finished!” he covered up the hole I dig for myself. He called my name and your name and he said “Get out of there! You don’t belong in that grave! You are free.” In his death on the cross, he filled in my grave. He filled in your grave. He filled it in, packed it down, poured concrete in and threw away the shovel.

It was truly finished when he loved us so much that he gave up everything for us.

On the days when you feel like you are digging a hole; on the days when you think you are not good enough and no matter what you can’t get it right, remember. Remember that Jesus died for you. Throw away your shovel and stop digging. Your grave has been filled with love (and concrete.)

How Do You Worship?

But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” John 4:22-24 (MSG)

As Jesus leaned in and talked to the woman at the well, he did what he always does with us, he started focusing on her heart. He pointed out things in her life that were not what they should be. He highlighted her sins with his “only Jesus can fix this” spotlight. Jesus gently let her know that he could see what she was struggling with.

As the conversation between them became more intimate, she did what we all do. She deflected. This was getting too personal and uncomfortable. Let’s talk about something less heartfelt…..like where we should worship. Should we worship in this church or that church? Which denomination is better, yours or mine? The woman tried to make the topic of importance about something other than her life.

Jesus cut to the heart of the matter again.

He said all that stuff doesn’t matter. It is semantics. What matters is what is in your heart. What matters is that you worship God with all of your soul, with your very being. When you are in a relationship with me, your life will be changed. You will become a different person. That new being, that new person is where the worship starts. The way you live your life is your worship.

Are you living your life in worship? Do the decisions you make and the way you live life reflect a heart that is in love with Jesus? If not, then there is something missing. We were not created to just attend church and check the box. We were intended to worship with all of our heart, soul and mind.

That’s what a life surrendered to Jesus looks like.

Still Thirsty?

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. John 4:14 (NLT)

The woman came to the well. Same routine as yesterday and the day before. As she walked there in the middle of the day, the sun beat down on her. It was hot. But she came now because she couldn’t face the people in her village. Her life had been a series of one mistake (or bad choice) after another. And because the village was small and they all knew each other, everyone knew her history.

People are not kind. If you do something they don’t like, they judge you and make you feel like an outsider. That’s the way she felt. So instead of facing it every day and going to the well with the crowd, she went alone. Alone was painful but less painful than the people were.

As she approached the well, there was a man sitting there. A Jewish man. What was he doing here? He was n Samaritan territory. This was unheard of. She thought to herself, “I am going to get my water and get out of here. He won’t speak to me anyway. Jews don’t talk to Samaritans and men don’t talk to women. Ever.” As she approached the well, he asked her for a drink.

She almost dropped her jug. What in the world? As he engaged her in conversation, she felt herself relaxing. There was something different about him. He was talking about giving her water. He didn’t even have a bucket to draw water with. What was he thinking? Then he began to tell her about his water. His water was different. He said if you drank it, you would be filled up. Never thirsty. Never empty. He said if you drank his water something inside you would change.

Something would start and it would keep bubbling up to overflowing. She desperately wanted that water. She wanted to quench the thirst in her soul for something better than this life she was living. Her heart yearned for it. In that moment she decided. She would take some of this water. She would let it change her.

I want this water too. Each and every day I will look for the water that Jesus offered her. I will drink it and my soul will be satisfied. How about you?