Prepare the Way

Today’s reading: Luke 1

In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel visited the priest Zechariah and told Zechariah that his wife will bear a son. The angel foretells of Zechariah’s son:

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:16-17)

Upon the birth of Zechariah’s son (John the Baptist), Zechariah reaffirms what he heard from the angel Gabriel in that John will prepare the way for the Lord:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, (Luke 1:76)

One question I had after reading the chapter was: Why was it necessary for John the Baptist to “prepare the way” for Jesus? Jesus, being the Son of God has all power, so he could have just called people to himself in many ways. What was different about John the Baptist from other prophets?

My primary understanding is that John’s mission is the fulfillment of prophecy and it was foretold hundreds of years prior through the prophet Malachi, that a messenger will come to prepare the way:

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

God had been using prophets for hundreds of years to send his messages of repentance, faith, and direction. They also told of a coming messiah. John’s special mission was to say he’s HERE. What an honor.

Translating this to my life I think about how we prepare for earthly events. If we know someone is coming to visit us from out of town, we typically clean our homes and put on a welcoming attitude. Sometimes we prepare for days; we prepare food, beverages, bedding, and plan events. We build our anticipation for what is to come and envision some of the conversation that we’ll have with our guests. We tell our neighbors and friends that this special someone is coming.

I believe this same preparation, as well as how John worked to prepare the people is how we should be preparing and anticipating the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be preparing ourselves in our relationship with Him today so that when we do meet face to face, it will be with joy and not with fear. We need to be sharing his love and salvation story with neighbors, friends, and family so that they too may celebrate his glorious return. The prophets from old said he’s coming, John the Baptist said he’s here, and we say he’s coming again – and he is. Prepare the way.

Don’t just take my word for it, Jesus said it best in telling us to prepare for him:

Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:25-27)

Father God, thank you for your loving, perfect truth that we can find in the scriptures. Please show us how we should be preparing the way for your son Jesus. Show us how we we should prepare ourselves; give us courage and wisdom to spread your message of love, forgiveness, and salvation to others. Amen.

Introducing: The Gospel of Luke

Hi everyone! I hope your Thursday is going well. Today I am introducing the gospel of Luke. When I got the schedule and found out I would be introducing Luke, I laughed a little about that because that is who I was named after. For a little while, I even pursued a life in the medical field and everything to really follow in his footsteps… you know, since he was a physician and all.

 

Ha, I’m just joking with you. Of course, I wasn’t doing it because of being named after him, but that would have been a cool story, huh? Long story short, I am no longer in the medical field anymore. Today, I want to begin our journey into the book of Luke.

 

Luke is actually only named 3 times in the whole Bible, and he wasn’t with Jesus during his time here. Luke was a gentile, he was humble, and he was the only one to stay with Paul until his death. Most people know that Luke was a physician, and besides writing the book of Luke, he also wrote the book of Acts. The gospel of Luke was thought to have been written around the 60 A.D. time period. The book of Luke is unique in a couple of ways to the other gospels. Let’s check the differences out together.

 

  • The book of Luke is filled with lots of eyewitness accounts dating all the way back to John the Baptist and ending with Jesus’s death and resurrection. The book is also the only gospel that includes the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.

 

  • The second thing I find really interesting is that the book of Luke is the gospel that includes the most stories of healing that Jesus did in His time here. This really shows that Luke was passionate about being a physician and had a lot of compassion towards those who were sick and needed healing.

 

As we continue through the chapters of Luke one by one, start to think about this book from the perspective of a physician. Remember that Luke was just a human, like you and me, so we can humanize him and can start to see the emotion and compassion in his writing. As we move forward, remember these characteristics of Luke. We are excited to share God’s word through the book of Luke!

And Peter

Our prayers are with the LaFrance’s.

Yesterday’s post highlighted the tearing of the curtain and the final price that was paid in full for our sin. It represents an opportunity for closeness to God.

In today’s reading (Mark 16) the angel has a message for Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James to carry. He tells them to go and tell it to Jesus’s disciples ‘and Peter.’

When I read this I thought to myself ‘what an interesting way to address a group.’ Knowing that the selection of words was precise I began to wonder why ‘and Peter’? My thoughts went to the message. It’s my understanding that ‘angel’ means messenger. So I can presume this angel had a message. Further, that every message has intended recipients. Also, that carrying a message includes seeing it is received. Could it have been, to ensure the task was completed and all the intended recipients received the message, that special note needed to be made for Peter to know the message was for him as well? that the angel knew Peter would not include himself in the category of the disciples without this special inclusion?

If so, considering how Peter must have felt, reminds me of so much scripture that had yet to be revealed calling us to hold fast, (Hebrews 3:6, Hebrews 3:14, Hebrews 10:23, 1Thessalonians 5:21, Revelation 2:25, Revelation 3:3) remain salty, (Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50, Luke 14:34) and overcome in the face of trails. (Romans 12:21, James 1:21, 1John 5:4) Praise God for His Word! It encourages me that we need not be perfect to be useful to God more that we need not try to do it on our own. Such a burden would certainly leave one feeling like they had fallen from the graces of God at the slightest misstep. Knowing that perhaps, Peter struggled with a lie that his poor performances may disqualify him from God’s service is a good reminder that I need to cling to these scriptures.

Indeed we have been purchased in our imperfection. God, knowing the future value, decided on the price and it was highest. By His grace and mercy we are made useful to Him. I’m reminded of a study on the armor of God. Specifically, the shoes.

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; – Ephesians 6:15

To make ready for battle in the good news that we have made peace with God. We have made peace with God and so we are on God’s side. God is with us! He will not leave us. We should not be without this peace when working for the LORD and fighting the good fight. (Ephesians 6:10) The truth stays us and gives us firm footing to complete the work God has given us to do. (Isaiah 41:13, Psalm 27:1, John 16:33, Romans 8:17-18, 1Corinthians 15:57, Philippians 4:13)

God has given us His armor. May we all use it well. Amen.

 

Photo: Raphael – Christ’s Charge to Peter

Curtain Call

Today’s Reading: Mark 15

I write this post from my moms bedside who has currently resides at the 4th floor of ICU these last few days.  We are waiting for another surgery with outcomes  that range from A-Z with various terminology that leaves me in a blur.  The only two results I can still hear are life or death.  The thoughts, words, and prayers shared are priceless as it has strengthened a faith in the trust of a Father who only knows the results. These results not known to me have already been decided by our God who has plans predestined according to His will and not our own.

Ephesians 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

In between the beeps, clicks, and sound of each ventilator breath the trust in God holding everything in his hands,  including my mothers life, always holds true. In this short, vapor of a life we have on this temporary earth I’m grateful for the promise God has given to us for an eternal life with Him. Psalm 39:4-5 reminds me of our investment we spend on our earthly days for an eternity with God.

Psalm 39:4-5 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; he span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

As I read through Mark 15 the death of Jesus always puts lump in my throat as I am saddened by the mocking, brutalizing pain, and abandoned feeling Jesus would have felt. But as you read on to Mark 15:38-39 there is another assurance of the relationship God desires from us.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”  

This curtain represented a barrier to the Holy of Holies that only allowed the highest priest to come in and enter into God’s presence and make atonement for their sins. ( Jeremiah Study Bible 2016) The symbolism of the curtain being ripped from top to bottom is that God opened the way for everyone to have a relationship with him.  Jesus’s death on the cross grants us all access to the the highest of all, Jesus, who sits on the right side of God.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

So on this wonderful Valentine’s Day, God wants us to approach him, with heart and arms wide open. This true love given by a Father who sent His Son to die on the cross for us.  He tore down this curtain to show us that we are all invited into His presence. Believe, keep the faith, that God loves, cares for, and will never leave our side.   Psalm 62

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Mended – Matthew West

Oh, That Sweet Smell


Today Reading: Mark 14

This is Lynden this week. I am blessed to have a great wife that was able to post for me last week while I was ill. I am truly blessed and fortunate. Today, I have the privilege to dive into Mark 14. Upon first reading this chapter, I felt overwhelmed and awed. In these verses Mark has given us the snapshot of the days before the crucifixion and Passover. I have prayed about what to reflect on this week and I chose: the preparation of the body for burial.

Mark14: 3- 7

 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,[a] as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.  There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?  For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.  But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

As I have researched this passage this week many things are coming more in-focus for me.

  • The place that Jesus has come is the home of Simon the Leper. During the week before he is to be sacrificed and put to death he is eating at a home of a person who is on the fringes or margins of society, a person with Leprosy. This is a “unclean” person and outside of the proper lines of the Jewish society, as sen in last week’s post.  He is willing to be doing His Father’s work until the last moment.
  • Simon was also a friend of Jesus. He was a close friend, this Simon was also known as Lazarus of Bethany. The same Lazarus that was raised from the dead. In John 12:2-3, the same scene is witnessed where Jesus and the Twelve are at the house of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Some have thought his name is Simon Lazarus, similar to John Mark, whose gospel we are reading.   Mary is the woman whom poured the oil on Jesus. Is it interesting that the place that Jesus is prepared for his burial is at the home of the one he resurrected?
  • The main point that I was focused on ordeal with the perfume. Many people were arguing about the price of the perfume and what the proceeds could buy the poor and needy. But to look at this as from the point of view of Mary is one to sit in awe. This man, Jesus, has been with this family for a large portion of their life. This man love the family and the siblings.  This man has brought back their brother from a 4-day death.  This is the family in which “Jesus wept”. This is the family in which so much has happened to and happened with. This is the equivalent to their brother. Mary has been there with him and has witnessed many things and this is her manner to bless him before the end.   The amount of money that was used to purchase this oil would be about $30,000 to $50,000 in today’s economy, approximately one year’s wages.  This was a major sacrifice.

Ok so the stage is set and we know the outcome: death, burial, and resurrection. But take a moment and imagine: The supper at Bethany, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, The trial, The flogging and beatings, The crucifixion, The burial, and The resurrection; in all of these stations this aroma is filling the air, the person, the being of Christ. It is truly anointing him.

I can only image the moment when Mary, his mother, held him in her arms that last time off of the cross and could smell this oil on him.

I think of my children and the smell of the newborn, something that is only there for a short time, but can bring back memories as if it was yesterday. Oh, that sweet smell.

Now, the question and prayer I have for you is: Would a year’s worth of your salary be enough to anoint Christ and who would see the effects? Would you make that sacrifice?

Dear Heavenly Father, allow us to be unselfish and generous with our possessions to glorify you now as Mary of Bethany did for you before you were glorified. Amen

Keep Watch

Today’s Reading: Mark 13

I found myself on the interstate last week during a heavy snow.  The danger was clear.  Drive too fast and you will careen out of control into the ditch, or worse.  I witnessed it happening all around me.  I also understood that my own efforts were not enough to control the risk.  Other drivers pose a threat to me.  Extra vigilance is required.  My focus intensifies.  This intense focus is true in the broader picture of our lives too.  Here are a few things that we regularly keep watch on:

·      Finances ·      Children
·      Leaky basements ·      Maintenance schedules
·      Fuel levels in our gas tank ·      Calendars

By watching these things in the present, we minimize the future cost.  The risk, of course, is when we fail to keep watch, or as Jesus says, we “fall asleep” (Mark 13:36).  What do you have difficulty keeping watch on?  How are you most likely to be found “asleep?”   Additionally, remember that others around us can amplify the risk.  As a culture, what is America not paying attention to?

·      Sobriety ·      Pornography
·      Idolatry ·      Selfish Ambition
·      Media –  Internet, TV, music ·      Community
·      Personal responsibility ·      Demystifying God

To be honest, I wrote a few things there that I did not want to.  Take sobriety, for instance.  When I hear that word, my mind races to an image of an unfit father who neglects his responsibilities.  This picture allows me to quickly dismiss it as, “not me.”  Look closer.  Consider how well do you “keep watch” after one glass of wine.  How about two?  Three?

Pornography is another issue that I would rather not address. But, I read a startling statistic this week that is worth sharing.  It says that 70% of all 18 to 34 year-olds are regular viewers of pornography.  And, on average, they started viewing it at age 11.  Do you hear danger?  I do.  James Emery White explains the consequences in this blog post.  It’s worth reading.  As I look around, however, I can’t say that it’s surprising.  Sexual images and viewing invitations are everywhere.  I am fully desensitized.  As Jesus puts it (Luke 22:46), I am sleeping!

Before you start losing hope, let’s look back at the promises of God.  He gives us the equipment we need to keep watch both offensively and defensively. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:5-10.  It tells us to build a defense with “the breastplate of righteousness.”  This defense looks like integrity, holiness, and purity.  Where do they come from?

·       Prayer Matthew 26:41 tells us to watch and pray
·       Submission Hebrews 13:17 explains that our leaders are watching over us too. We should, therefore, listen to them
·       Community Ephesians 6:18 encourages us to be in prayer for all believers, everywhere.  We are in this together!

I have a harder time summarizing Our offensive posture, so I am going to rely on N.T. Wright.  In his book After You Believe, he describes how we must, as Christ-followers, make the hard decisions and take the hard actions that run counter to our flesh.  These are our offense.  Through them, we “develop, in the present, the character which will truly anticipate the life of the coming age.  …. Sooner or later, preferable sooner, each individual Christian must make the key choices to “put on” the things which genuinely anticipate, in the present the life we are promised in the future, the life we have already been given in Christ.  And, having made those key choices, each Christian must acquire the habit of making them over and over again.”

As you can see, keeping watch isn’t hard.  Keeping watch on the most important things – the things that affect our souls – requires focus and intensity.  My prayer today is that something here shines a bright light in your eyes causing you to awaken from your sleep.  I also pray that the darkness will forever be gone, replaced with the eternal light of love, made available to all of us through Jesus Christ.

 

A Love Like No Other

Mark 12

Today’s reading is Mark 12, and we will focus on Mark 12:30-31. Jesus tells us the greatest and 2nd greatest commandment when asked by a scribe. He says…

“And you shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Let’s then ask the question my four-year old son asks many times daily, “Why?” Growing up, there were times when I wondered what made Jesus death different than many other people throughout history who had been wrongly put to death.

Romans 3:23 and 6:23 provide an explanation. Romans 3:23 states, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” James 4:17 even tells us that we sin not just by what we do, but by what we don’t do. The beginning of Romans 6:23 tells us, “the wages of sin is death.” I think it is often overlooked that sin is singular here. Many people mistakenly think that if they do more things right than wrong, and if they are a “good person,” they will go to Heaven, but just one sin separates us from God and brings us condemnation. I love the picture often used to tell the Gospel which shows us on one side and God on the other side of a large crevice with sin and Hell at the bottom. We are separated from God due to our sin and there is no way to get to the other side until we lay the cross down, which Jesus died on for us, as a bridge to bring us together with God.

Romans 5:8 tells us, “God shows us His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” We did nothing to deserve this. These verses answer my question growing up as to why Jesus’ death on the cross is different and so important. Only God, who is without sin, can justify us and bring us together with Him as one by grace through his perfect son Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:9 says, “(God) who saved us and called us to a holy calling not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which He gave in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” He did something for us that we could not do for ourselves. No number of good deeds can bring us together with God. Only His grace can do that through Jesus’ death on the cross and our belief in Him. Because He did this, 2 Corinthians 5:15 says that we are called to live for Him and not for ourselves.

Think about if you would be able to love your spouse, parent, or child the same if they sinned against you every hour of every day? This is what we do to God, and He still loves us more than we could ever love another human being because His love in original Greek is “agape” which means unconditional love.

So now that God has given us this free gift of grace through Jesus, how can we not love Him immensely and feel called to give that same love and grace to our neighbors which He tells us to do in Mark 12:31? In Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus tells Peter that we are to forgive our neighbor over and over again, just as He does us. 1 John 14:9 says, “we love because He first loved us.”  I think it is very neat how John 3:16 that many know so well says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Then, 1 John 3:16 correlates with that and says, “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers (and sisters.)”

I’ve heard non-believers say that if going to Heaven is just about praising and worshipping God for eternity, then there is no way I want to go there. This makes my heart ache when I hear this because they do not know God’s love. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” I wish I could say that I connect with God’s love as deeply and as often as He wants and I should, but I don’t. However, there are moments in church when we are standing and praising God in song when I feel that connection and oneness with God and His love. I don’t want the song to ever end, and I think to myself, “if this is what Heaven will be like then I can’t wait to get there and spend forever like this.” His love fills me up and gives me peace like nothing I can describe in these moments.

My prayer this day for all of you and for myself is that we connect with and feel God’s love more today and every day and then that we share that love with others.

My close friends will laugh if they read this because they probably could have easily guessed that at some point, sooner rather than later, I would reference the lyrics of a song by my favorite band Sister Hazel. I don’t know if this song was written with Christ’s love in mind, but His love is what I think of when I hear it. Here are the lyrics below. Check it out on you tube…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azq8hqLrRnU

Or better yet..download it.

This Kind of Love

This kind of love makes me feel ten feet tall

It makes all my problems fall

And this kind of trust helps me to hold the line

I’ll be there every time

 

This kind of love it’s what I dreamed about

Yeah it fills me up

Baby it leaves no doubt

This kind of love it’s why I’m standing here

It’s something that we can share

I can’t enough of this kind of love

 

This kind of hope is what I try to find

And now I can’t deny I believe

And this kind of faith is so unshakeable

It’s unmistakable

It’s bigger than me

 

This kind of love it’s what I dreamed about

Yeah it fills me up

Baby it leaves no doubt

This kind of love it’s why I’m standing here

It’s something that we can share

I can’t enough of this kind of love

 

Your love can move a mountain

It makes my world go round

It’s always there to guide me

I’m so lucky that I found

 

This kind of love is what I dreamed about

Yeah it fills me up

Well baby it leaves no doubt

This kind of love it’s why I’m standing here

It’s something that we can share

I can’t get enough of this kind of love

This kind of love

 

The Fig Tree

For those of you who know me, you know I am a creature of habit. I like my daily routines. On Sundays, I take a break from exercise and work, however, I still have my daily routine. Coffee and the paper with the Today Show at 7am. Church at 8:30. Grocery store. Home to read ahead on our Bible Journal. Then, it depends, but I try to relax and unwind. Last Sunday, at the grocery store, we were looking for some different food to change it up and add some new healthy treats.  I went for some mangos and also grabbed a few figs. Little did I know when I started in on the Bible Journal and read ahead to my chapter in Mark that there would be the story of the Fig Tree. After I wrote my last post, I had already decided not to try to boil the ocean and cover every single topic in the chapter, but would choose one topic and right just on that portion. Thus, my story about Figs!

Did you know?:

  • Fig fruit is one of the popular fruits enjoyed since ancient times.
  • The fig tree is native to temperate regions of Asia Minor or Turkey, and today, grown as an important fruit of commerce in the eastern Mediterranean climates, USA, and Spain
  • Fig fruit is low in calories. 100 g fresh fruits carry only 74 calories.  However, they contain health benefiting soluble dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and pigment antioxidants that contribute immensely towards optimum health and wellness.
  • Dried figs are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. In fact, dried figs possess higher concentrations of energy, minerals, and vitamins. 100 g dried figs provide 249 calories.
  • Furthermore, research studies suggest that chlorogenic acid in the figs help lower blood sugar levels and control blood glucose levels in type-II diabetes mellitus (adult-onset) condition.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/fig-fruit.html if you want to learn more.

In Mark 11: 12-14, and also in Matthew 21: 18-22 Jesus sees the fig tree up ahead and was looking forward to tasting that sweet treat. He saw the leaves and assumes it will be bearing fruit, but once he arrived, he is disappointed. The tree was barren. Even though it was out of season, he was mad. He cursed the tree, which could be viewed by some as a show of his power. Typically he used his power to perform miracles, but this time, his power has the opposite result of harming a living thing. It was the only time he cursed something and it withered immediately.

We see Jesus use parables, miracles and teachings to make his disciples and followers think. We have to unpack his messages as they often have double meanings or can be interpreted differently. In this story, the fig tree has leaves, which outwardly shows growth, hopefully signifying fruit. We can liken this vision to people. People in Jesus’s time and also today, outwardly appearing to follow God, saying the right thing, going to church, but inside, the opposite is happening. They do not believe. Hypocrites. They may say they are Christians but deep down don’t live up to God’s word. Or what about the opposite; they have faith but don’t follow through. We have all heard the statement “Faith without good works is dead”.

Going back to the story of the Fig Tree, if I had been following Jesus and saw the Fig Tree wither, I would have shook with fear. Would Jesus now start performing this type of act or even take this type of approach with non-believers? What does he mean by this act?

So what do we take away from this story? What would he want us to do? Believe, have faith, follow, perform good works, follow the commandments. To me, it is about being a Christian through and through. Not faking it for appearance sake, but living the life day in and day out as a follower of Christ. As we continue to read through our daily posts, we all know it is not easy, but we have to keep trying. God does not want us to fake it and he also does not want us to wither away.

What will you think about the next time you taste a fig?

 

Let Them Come.

 

Do you ever catch yourself thinking that the Gospel is only for certain people, or only for people who act in a certain way?

It certainly is easy to forget that the Gospel is also equally available to the entire rest of the world, no matter what. It does not matter what their personality is, what their age is, or even how they come to Jesus… He loves us all deeply.

In Mark 10, it certainly seems that even Jesus’ disciples got caught up in this very same struggle. Look at this passage with me…

13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

It was simple: All the little children wanted was to touch Jesus. Isn’t that us, sometimes? At some moments in our life, we just plain don’t have the flowery and perfect words to say, the happy perspectives to view life with, the perfectly balanced life to display, and so on. Sometimes, we’re so broken and so tired that all we want is a little Jesus. We want to draw near to Him, we want to be reminded we are known by Him, and we want to simply touch Him. We feel that we are not enough, and in our

We want to draw near to Him, we want to be reminded we are known by Him, and we want to simply touch Him. We feel that we are not enough, just as we are, to come to Him. Yet, in our weakness, we turn to Him to be our “more” that fills our gaps. During these particular seasons in our lives, we most definitely do not have it together; our life isn’t in a pretty little bow, all shiny and polished. We’re broken, and our most desperate need is the only One who can satisfy us. Maybe that’s you today, or maybe you’ve been this person before. Regardless, I think we’d all shake our heads and say that the last thing we want in seasons like this is to be rebuked and told that we had to bring more than what we had, or that we had to be more than we are, first. This exactly what Jesus’ disciples did and said in Mark 10.

Yet, as Christians, we put an unspoken pressure on one another to bring something to the table or be something already when we come to Jesus. Whether this plays out in our friendships, our small group environments, our churches, or even in our own minds (guilty!), there often is an unmistakable pressure to be, to try, to do or to become BEFORE we come to touch and be near our Lord.

Let’s make it a point this week to remember this: Jesus wants us and loves us as we are. Sometimes, all we can do is to receive Him with open arms, just as the children did in Mark 10. During some seasons, we bring nothing to the table besides a simple desire to be with Him. And throughout some days, we will feel weary from our efforts to fix/do/change/be something before spending time with our God. Let us find joy today in those who receive the kingdom of God like those little children: humbly, with joy, and without reservation. Let us also remind ourselves that neither we, nor those in our lives, need to come to Jesus in any particular way. He loves us as we are.

And thank goodness for that.

Help My Unbelief

Mark 9

I am finding as I read through the New Testament this time, that the gospel chapters are jammed with so many stories and accounts of events, it is tough to choose one topic to focus on out of these chock full readings. So I read through Mark 9 again this morning and waited for God to draw me into one of the stories. I am a mom to three kids and as I read the story of the demon-possessed child my heart went out to the boy’s dad. As a parent I feel deeply the pain, fear, and frustration of this poor man. The Bible says that “since the boy was little” he has suffered with this possession so I think it’s fair to say that the dad has been watching his son fight for his life for years. Can you imagine living every day with your child not talking, being thrown violently to the ground, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, and becoming rigid? This dad says that the “spirit often throws the boy into the fire or into water, trying to kill him”. This dad’s heart must be broken knowing he is missing years of knowing his son’s personality, missing out on teaching his son a trade, and watching his son grow up probably without meaningful relationships outside his immediate family. How many years has the dad been hurting and dealing with this situation and completely without hope? As a dad, he is helpless to change the boy’s situation. To me this is the worst. The child you love, born full of promise and potential, and now all of that has changed. You can’t do anything to help him except to watch him like a hawk so you can retrieve him from the fire and the water when he goes in. This is desperation.

At some point this dad hears of Jesus and the miracles he is doing. Is it possible that these stories are true? Do I dare believe that Jesus can make things different for my child? Could this end if we can get to Jesus? So he seeks out Jesus and decides to see what He can do. After the dad answers Jesus’ questions, he says to Jesus, ” Have mercy on us and help us if you can”. (This is where I sense the dad’s desperation most.) “Jesus replies, “What do you mean, if I can?” Anything is possible if a person believes. The father instantly cried out, I do believe, but help my unbelief!”

Anything is possible if we believe. Such a powerful promise! The question is, do I have enough faith to believe that anything is possible? When I am honest, I realize more often than I want to, that I am in the exact same boat as the dad in this story. I do believe, I believe that God can do anything, but sometimes when I am in the mire of an overwhelming mess in my life, I have to cry out to God asking Him to help my unbelief because I can’t see how it is possible for Him to make a good outcome in the mess I am experiencing. I am human and so limited in my mind by humanness. Praise God that He is not human! He is not limited to our realm of thought. He is bigger, more powerful and all knowing. He can come up with, and accomplish plans that I can’t even recognize are His until after the fact. Thank you Lord for loving me so much that you are willing to help me believe and trust that there are no limits on your power!