Fear Not

This morning I woke up hearing the words to Zach Williams song "Fear Is A Liar." The chorus goes like this:

Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar

I went to my Bible and it confirms it.  We have nothing to fear.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  John 14:27

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
    O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine.  Isaiah 43:1

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  1 Peter 5:6-7

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

The Bible tells us to not be afraid a lot. So this week, when something spikes your anxiety and you feel that knot in your stomach, open up the word and dive in.

Brighten The Corner Where You Are

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)

As I watched the Royal Wedding (no, I did not get up at o'dark thirty to watch it, I taped it), I was caught up in the pomp and circumstance. I loved watching the people. I loved watching Harry and Meghan as they looked at each other. I loved the service.

When Bishop Michael Curry quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. my mind started to wonder. He said "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will make of this old world a new world.  Love is the only way."

I began to wonder if Meghan and Harry would do that.  Would they use their platform, their influence, their money to make a difference in the world?  The resources they have at their fingertips is immense. They could make such a difference.

And then, I realized that we all have that.  Each and every one of us has a platform where we live. In our communities, in the workplace and in our families we can love like that. We can offer God's unconditional love to everyone we meet. We have influence and we have resources. Sure, they might not be the same resources as Meghan and Harry but we have them just the same.

God asks us to be a light in our neighborhoods, in our communities. He asks us to change the world from our little corner. And truly, that is the way the world is changed, one act of love at a time.

Psalm 19

1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.[a]
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
    It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens
    and follows its course to the other end.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
    reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right,
    bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
    giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure,
    lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
    each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold,
    even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
    even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant,
    a great reward for those who obey them.

12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

14 May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (NLT)

A Minute In It - Helping Differently

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

Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,[a] get up and[b] walk!”

7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.  Acts 3:1-11 (NLT)

When you think of helping someone, do you always think of monetary help? How could you help someone without giving them money? What else do you have that you could share?

From the lame man's perspective, was what he received better? What was his response to God showing up in his life? Do you think God still shows up in such miraculous ways? Do you think he could? Do you trust that he will?

What's Behind Door Number Three?

“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord.  1 Samuel 14:6 (NLT)

Last night we were having a discussion about God opening doors for us to walk through. Sometimes, it is clear that a door has opened in answer to prayer. It is totally obvious so you walk through it.

Sometimes however, it is not so clear. Maybe the door opened only a crack. Or maybe when the door opened, it didn't look like what you prayed for so you don't know if God opened it or not. What do you do then?

When Jonathan was walking to the Philistine camp, it feels like he was going up to the door and jiggling the handle. There was definitely a door there but he wasn't sure if God was behind it so he said "Perhaps the Lord will help us." and he came up with a test.

The test was that if they said If you come up here we'll kill you, the door was closed. If they said Come up and fight, the door was open. In my mind that is a crazy test but then again, God's plans are always crazy.

Jonathan jiggled the handle, got the answer and went through the door. That day in battle he killed 20 Philistines. But what happened next was amazing. The army began to panic. They turned on each other and started fighting. Eventually, the Israelites won the battle.

Jonathan jiggled the handle of the door he was facing and it opened. He didn't really know what it was going to look like but he stepped in anyway. God didn't expect him to take care of the entire army. He expected him to take a step of faith and God would do the real work.

Isn't it the same with us? Often we stare at a door thinking we have to do everything on the other side but that is not what God wants. He wants us to trust him, step out in faith and leave the fighting to him. Perhaps if we do this, the Lord will help us like he did Jonathan.

Recalculating

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.  Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“In one thousand feet, turn right and your destination will be on the left.” Have you ever missed that turn? Maybe you missed an exit or you have been driving the wrong way for ten whole minutes. Oops. It happens, and God gets it. Maybe you were driving too fast, or you thought were taking a shortcut.

God’s plans are similar to a GPS guiding us to our destination. We punch in the address—happiness, fulfillment, and peace. He knows the best route and gets us started. Sometimes in life, we miss a turn, just like we miss an opportunity from God. Other times, we are in the fast lane towards a different destination, such as, instant gratification. Occasionally, we ignore the GPS and use our own judgement to create a new route.

Even though we can’t see what God has planned, he is right. We don’t know that He is rerouting us to avoid life traffic, like a career not suited for us. We don’t know that he is taking us away from a car wreck, like people with bad intentions. It might even seem like God is steering us in the opposite way! How frustrating!

Here’s the thing. Just like a GPS computer, God collects more data than we can. Be assured, God wants you to reach your destination, and will never stop working. He sees the big picture when we can’t. You can ignore your GPS, but it will keep rerouting you. Even when we ignore God, he keeps redirecting us.

Proverbs 3:5,6- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

If you trust your God GPS, you will always be led down the right path—no matter how many wrong turns you take.

A Powerful Force

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.   Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)

Did you ever read something in the Bible and get stuck on a verse?  I am stuck on this verse. I read it and a ton of questions started popping into my head. So here goes.

Do you think we understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us?  And those words  for us, does that mean that God will work his power on our behalf?  And how incredible is that power, the power that raised Christ from the dead? If we stop and think for a minute about the power to overcome death - the power that was behind that one amazing moment, it should blow our minds. Do we believe that he will show up and work miracles with that same magnitude? 

In addition to God working on the outside, there is a power that works on the inside. Here in Ephesians 3:17-19:

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

The first power here is comprehension. So does understanding how much God loves us give us the fullness of life and power that comes from God?  I think so. Mostly because I've watched people change when they understand this. What they care about changes. Who they are changes. Their goals and actions change and that is powerful.

In Ephesians 3:20 it says God's mighty power is at work within in us to accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or think. I don't know about you but I can think about a lot and my dreams are huge. But the Bible tells us God's power in us can do infinitely more than that.

I guess that brings me to my next questions. Do I believe it? Do I trust that God's power is real and that he is using it for us? When things are tough and I know in my heart it's not going to work out, do I put my faith in that power that I really don't understand? And most importantly, do I comprehend, do I fully get how much I am loved?  Do you?

What Is A High Priest Anyway?

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

Question for you. When you have a problem, specifically when you have done something you that you are not sure about, do you go to a friend who has experienced it before or to a friend who would not have a frame of reference?  Most of us would go to a friend who understands, someone who can sympathize.

Jesus is that person.  When he was here, he was put to the test. His tests were far more grueling than ours. Why? Because when we are tested, at some point we will fall. We can only take so much before we crumble.  But, if we didn't crumble, wouldn't Satan just keep coming at us applying pressure?  Jesus never crumbled. He never sinned. And although Satan kept coming at him with everything he had, Jesus was victorious. 

He knows what we go through. He's been there. He understands what it's like. He walked this path. He can sympathize with our journey. And there, is the good news. When you need someone to stand before God for you, Jesus is the perfect choice. This is why we can come boldly to God. Not because there is anything in us to be bold about. We can come boldly  because of what Jesus did. The life he lived, the sacrifices he made, his obedience (and his alone) allow us to be fearless.

And because he did, because he understands, because he gets it, he is our forever champion.