Liberation

Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen. Hebrews 11:1 (VOICE)

In the Bible, Jesus tells people that their faith has saved them. In the story of the woman who anointed Jesus feet, he tells her that her faith has liberated her. (Luke 7:50 VOICE)

We look at the level in which we believe something and we call that faith. And it is but what happens when what we are believing isn’t happening? What happens when God isn’t showing up the way we want him to? Do we still have faith?

Do we still believe that God is in the middle of it when it gets really, really hard? Do we stretch our faith to believe that no matter what we see happening around us, God is in control of it and it will be better than what we think or want? Do we have faith even if we never, ever see what we are praying for come to pass?

Can I challenge us a little? Do you think God wants to grow our faith? Do you think things happen to stretch us so that faith truly becomes about what we cannot comprehend? Faith is more than what we can see right now. It’s beyond that; it is believing in things that are so far out of our reach that we can’t imagine it.

And more importantly, faith is about who we believe in. Everything else is non-consequential. You see, there will always be trials and pain. But beyond that, there is Jesus. And he loves us. If we grab hold of Jesus and hold on to what we know about him no matter what is happening, that is faith. It is the kind of faith that says “I don’t know why things are going this way but, I know you. I trust you. And I will believe in your goodness more than I believe in my circumstances.”

And that is where the liberation comes in.

If We Believe

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. Luke 1:45 (NLT)

When the Angel told Mary that she was going to miraculously conceive, it would have been really easy for her to say “That’s impossible. I know that won’t happen.” No one would have thought it strange that she discounted it. No one would have blamed her for walking away from that conversation and saying “No thank you. That is physically impossible.”

But Mary didn’t do that. She believed that God would do what God said and she walked into the unexpected. She embraced a new reality.

In Luke 2, there are more examples of people embracing what God told them.

First, the Shepherds. When the Angels showed up and said the Messiah, a Savior, was born but he’s lying in a manger, it would have been easy for the Shepherds to say “That’s not the way it is supposed to be done. If he’s our King, he can’t be born in a manger.” But they didn’t. They went to look for him. They believed and they acted on that belief.

Simeon did the same. The Holy Spirit told him he would not die until he saw the Messiah. So he sat at home and waited for God to bring the Messiah to him. No! He was in the Temple looking for what God had revealed.

Anna, the prophet, did the same. She was in the temple constantly; praying and fasting looking for the Messiah. She was waiting expectantly for what God said would happen.

When the Holy Spirit speaks, how reluctant are we to follow that leading even when it seems out of the realm of our possibilities? Do we follow up on the promptings so God can lead us to his plan and purpose? Or, do we easily discount what we are told as impossible? Is it possible that we don’t see as many miracles as we could because we are looking in the realm of our possibilities and not God’s?

For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37 (ESV)

Stop Everything!

Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” Mark 5:30 (NLT)

Jesus was surrounded by throngs of people. The definition of a throng is a large, densely packed crowd of people. They were everywhere. You probably couldn’t move much and if the crowd moved, I bet you would move with them by default.

One of the people in the crowd was Jairus. He was a leader at the local synagogue so probably pretty important. He came and pleaded with Jesus for help. He could. He was important. I guess he felt comfortable going to Jesus and asking. Jesus started to walk with him and the crowd, of course, was following.

There was a woman in the crowd that wasn’t supposed to be there though. She had been bleeding for twelve years. In the Jewish culture, she was unclean. Unclean meant she shouldn’t be around anyone. Ever. She was basically quarantined from society.

She had tried everything to get better. Spent all her money. Tried many doctors. Nothing was working and I guess after being alone for twelve years….maybe she was just done. So, she snuck into the crowd and made her way to the only hope she had left. She touched his robe and could feel her body heal.

Jesus, being Jesus, said “Who touched my robe?” I love that line because there were probably a ton of people touching his robe but this was obviously different. And he stopped what he was doing to pay attention. This woman was so desperately seeking what he had to offer and Jesus noticed. He stopped in the middle of this throng and took notice of a woman who had nothing, not even social connections, because she was looking to him for help.

Jesus, was willing to stop what he was doing to get into her messiness. He put aside the important guy standing next to him. He put aside his task list (going to heal Jairus’ daughter). He focused on this one, inconsequential, needing to be healed woman.

He did it for her. He does it for you. Will you do it for others?

Which Love?

When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do—with reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion, as one loves the Father]? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You [that I have deep, instinctive, personal affection for You, as for a close friend]. He said to him, Feed My lambs. John 21:15 (AMPC)

As I read this verse and contemplated on this conversation between Jesus and Peter, I began to wonder about some things. Peter had denied Christ and I am sure his heart was broken. Have you ever done something that you know was not good and felt the immediate conviction from the Holy Spirit? I have. I hate that feeling.

After the conviction and the prayer for forgiveness the feeling like you don’t measure up is overpowering. It seems like the feeling that you are not forgiven lingers.

I wondered about that as I read this passage. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him with an agape love. Agape love is the strongest, selfless love that we can have. It is like the love that we are loved with from God. But Peter answered the question with a lesser love. He used the word phillia which means more of a friendly, affectionate love.

Did Peter answer with phillia instead of agape because after messing up he felt that he could never get to that point? Did he feel he was not worthy to even think that he could love Jesus that way? Did he doubt himself?

Jesus kept pressing and demonstrated to Peter agape love. He let him know that this was the reason he died on the cross. Because no matter how Peter messed up, he was forgiven. He does the same with us. No matter how we mess up, Jesus presses and demonstrates that we are loved with that unconditional, “I can’t believe it” kind of love. He demonstrated that when he died for us and he demonstrates it every single day when he speaks to our hearts.

Let me ask you. Do you love Jesus with that unconditional, passionate, one-of-a-kind love that he loves you? If not, what’s stopping you? Please don’t let it be because you messed up. That’s already been covered. Ask Peter.

Unsure Of The Next Move

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 20:12 (ESV)

This week I was away at a conference and the speaker was talking about a challenging time in his life. He came head first into a situation that took him way outside his comfort zone. He felt God leading him on this path but he really didn’t have the first idea how to handle it. He didn’t know what step to take next.

Then he said something that made my mind race. He said, “I didn’t know what to do but I did know how to pray.”

I had to ask myself. How many times am I faced with a problem that I don’t know how to handle? How many times do I stop and give up because I am not sure what step to take next? Probably more often than I want to admit. And why?

Sure, I may not know what to do next but God does. And, I do know how to pray! Even if my praying is faulty, the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit is actively taking our prayers and presenting them perfectly to God.

Jesus, I often don’t know what to do but my eyes are fixed on you because you have the answer! Please remind me that the prayer tool in my toolbox is the perfect tool for any situation. Amen!

A Minute In It - A Time For Everything

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Read the passage below and answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

1 For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT)

What season are you in?
Are you dreading it or celebrating it?
Are you leaving the timing to God?
What would God want you to do with it?

Don't Discount God

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Luke 1:18 (NLT)

The angel came and told Zechariah that God has heard his prayers and his wife was going to have a son. Zechariah’s first response was basically to say “Look, we are old. How do I know what you said will happen will actually happen?”

Later in Luke 1, an angel appeared to Mary. He told her that she would become pregnant even though she was not married. Mary, like Zechariah, was also confused. Her question though was a little different. Mary pointed out that she was a virgin and asked how she could be pregnant.

So why was Zechariah left unable to speak until his son was born and Mary was encouraged?

The questions of both were a little different. Zechariah questioned God and what he said would come to pass. Mary’s question was more sorting through in her mind what was necessary to become pregnant knowing she had not participated in that.

God doesn’t mind our questions. He says that we should come to him, reason with him and he will share with us. What I think he minded with Zechariah is that Zechariah doubted what he could do. Zechariah was questioning God’s ability to make Elizabeth get pregnant even in her old age. He was allowing humanness to trump God’s ability. I guess, in a way it was a lack of faith.

I wish I could sit here and say that I follow more in Mary’s footsteps than Zechariah’s but I am not sure I think that is true. God promises a lot of things in his Word and still I doubt. I want to be more like Mary and respond with “I am your servant. May everything you said come true” and trust in those promises.

Zechariah was unable to speak for a time as a reminder of who God was. And Praise The Lord! God didn’t give up on Zechariah and he won’t give up on us either!

I Believe!

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NLT)

What would you think of a conversation with God that went like this?

God: I have a plan.
Us: What is it?
God: Plans for you! Plans for good and not disaster.
Us: I can’t see it.
God: Seriously, I have a plan for you. Just work with me.
Us: I can’t. I don’t know what you are doing and that is scary.
God: Well, let’s talk. When you pray, I listen. Keep searching for me and you’ll begin to see….
Us: Look, I know your plans are more wonderful than I can imagine and I know that you are in control of everything but I am not you. I can’t do what you think I can so if you don’t mind, I’ll just stay right where I am.
God: But I am promising this to you.
Us: I know. But I still can’t.

Do you ever have this kind of a conversation with God?
What do you need to do to believe him?