The Demons Know Him

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,     Mark 5:1-6 (KJV)

This man.  This man was miserable. He was homeless, naked, howling at the top of his lungs, cutting himself - unable to be restrained or to live with others. He was alone and frustrated. And he was possessed with a demon.

The Bible says when he saw Jesus from a far way off he ran and fell down and worshiped him. I wonder. Was it the man who saw something in Jesus of God's love and wanted to be free of his demons or was it the demons who knew who Jesus was and couldn't help but worship him? Can you, if you are living far from God, recognize him? Can you, if you are living far from God want to worship him even though it goes against everything you are doing?

I believe you can. The Bible tells us that God is the one who comes to search for us. He is the one who looks for his lost and even died so we can be found. God is always, always at work to bring us to a place where we recognize him and worship him.  Not only is he working in our lives, he is working in everyone else's life too. 

Question for us today is - is there someone that God is reaching out to that we are turning away from because they don't look and act like we think they should? And, is there something in our life that is keeping us from falling down and worshiping Jesus?

Happy Monday!

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

This day is a great day! It's a great day because it's a new day! The great thing about every new day is that no matter what happened yesterday, this day can be different. This day can be fresh and wonderful. With God in it, this day will be something completely unexpected and miraculous!

I love waking up and knowing that with God in it, my day will never be ordinary. It will be an adventure and with his strength I can say "Bring it on!"

Happy Monday!

Facing Your Fears

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.   Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” John 4:28-30, 39 (NLT)

The woman in this story came to the well at midday....which was odd because all the women of the town came early in the morning. They socialized, caught up with each other and cemented their sense of community.  This woman could not go with everyone else. She had a reputation in the town and no one would talk to her. It must have been very painful to be at the well and be ignored so she went later when she could ignore her life.

When she met Jesus though all that changed. She left her jar on the well and ran back into the town to tell everyone who she met.  She ran into the very life that she was running from to share her Good News. She forgot about what she thought of herself and what they thought of her.

Jesus is funny like that.  He knows all of our weaknesses, our fears and what stops us cold. He knows where we need to grow and just how to get us to do it.

Are you someone hiding from a reputation? Or are you afraid of something that is so deeply ingrained in you that you couldn't possibly move past it? Do you have something in your life that is holding you back that you should let go of? Friend, these are all the places that Jesus is going to work. He's going to meet you exactly where you are and move you past that place.

Will it be scary? Most definitely. Will you think you can't do it? Yep. But the one thing you can always count on as you walk into this journey you are on with Jesus, he's walking right beside you. He has not left you alone in the middle of your fear. He's holding your hand.

So, leave your jar at the well and run into the very thing you are running from. The adventure will be amazing.

A Minute In It - More Than You Need

A minute in God's word will change your life. Take a minute to read the passage below. Then, ask yourself the questions at the bottom of the post.

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 (NIV)

Why did Elisha ask her what she had in her house?
When he told her to collect jars, how many jars did he tell her to collect?
Why do you think he said "Don't ask for just a few?"
What does this story say about what God can do?
How would the story be different if she only collected a few jars? What would that have said about her faith?
How many jars would you have collected?

Weeds or Flowers?

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

As I sat and looked at the tan, brittle sticks - which are called weeds - growing out of the planter on my deck I thought "This is where my life has gone."

In years past, the planter would have been full of beautiful flowers and the entire deck would have been filled with lots of hanging baskets and flower boxes with lots of brightly colored petals of happiness. But things had taken a turn and life isn't what it used to be.

I got up and walked back into the house not bothering to pull the weeds in that box (or any of the other boxes on the deck). Funny thing is, while I don't like the weeds, I understand them. When life gets turned upside down, sometimes you have to choose what to focus on. And in this time, our focus isn't on beauty on the outside. It's on beauty on the inside.

Inside the house is an elderly parent who needs a lot of care, a married couple that has to find time for each other. Involved with this house are adult children and grand-children that need love and hugs and time. Extended from this house are family and people - lots of people that God has shared with us. People who need love and encouragement, people who need to see Jesus with skin on. We don't always manage the chaos well but, we try to put our focus where it needs to be.

Yes, I do prefer flowers instead of weeds in my flower boxes but there is one thing I prefer more than that. It's planting flowers in people's lives. I tolerate the weeds until I can get to them. I guess somewhere along the way you have to choose where you want to see the brightly colored petals of happiness.

Can Witnessing Really Be That Simple?

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-19 (NLT)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8 (NLT)

In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us to go - in other words - live your life. Live - BE. This term can be translated to mean "as you go". So, as you go, make disciples.  In Acts 1:8 it tells us that we are to be Jesus witness. To witness is to give "evidence of something." As you are living and being and experiencing, your reactions, your responses, your actions should give evidence that Jesus is in your heart.

So, would an accurate paraphrase of these two combined verses be

"Live your life and as you are doing that, show everyone what you know about me so that from your life they have proof that I am alive. When you do that, people will follow me. And remember, you are not alone. We will be with you."

Or maybe more simply.....

Love Me With All Your Heart
Live Your Life Fully
I'll Do The Rest

A Minute In It - From Troubles To Praise

A minute in God's word will change your life. Take a minute to read the passage below. Then, ask yourself the questions at the bottom of the post.

 Be good to me, God—and now!
    I’ve run to you for dear life.
I’m hiding out under your wings
    until the hurricane blows over.
I call out to High God,
    the God who holds me together.
He sends orders from heaven and saves me,
    he humiliates those who kick me around.
God delivers generous love,
    he makes good on his word.

I find myself in a pride of lions
    who are wild for a taste of human flesh;
Their teeth are lances and arrows,
    their tongues are sharp daggers.

Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!

They booby-trapped my path;
    I thought I was dead and done for.
They dug a mantrap to catch me,
    and fell in headlong themselves.

I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
    “Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.

Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
Psalm 57 (MSG)

What was David's focus when he started writing? What was his focus at the end of the Psalm? What changed his focus? How about you? What are you focusing on today?

Some Days You Just Need To Be Held

I cried out, “I am slipping!”
    but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
    your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalm 94:18-18 (NLT)

I was going through a really rough time. Everything was caving in and I felt like I couldn't hold on. A friend called and told me to listen to the song by Casting Crowns called Just Be Held.

Here are some of the words.

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Why is it so hard for us to let God hold us and trust that his grip is firm and strong? He is able to hold us with his mighty right hand and with the other, sweep away all that is not in his plan.

There are days where you have to fight and then there are the days where you just need to be held. And that's OK.