Not Blind

On November 26, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 9: 25

The man responded, “I don’t know if he’s a sinner or not. But I do know one thing. I used to be blind, but now I can see.”

Jesus healed a blind man. Of course, the Pharisees’ response was to scoff at them both, even accusing Jesus of being a sinner. “Well,” said the blind man, “that may or may not be but this I know, he healed me.” Of course, that was a paraphrase the point being, the blind man, now the seeing man, was not interested in the Pharisees’ theology or judgments. He was interested in the reality of having been blind from birth but given his sight by Jesus. That is the fruit of God’s theology, setting people free.

In this story, the man was literally blind, but it can be equally applied to all who are figuratively blind for which we all qualify at one time or another. Sometimes we are blind to a certain issue or person, but it doesn’t matter because Jesus came to give us sight in every aspect of life.

This is part of Jesus’ lordship. He intends to have an active role in our lives, daily. One function of his role is to lead us into increasing knowledge, awareness and revelation. He does not intend that being Lord means that he sits upon a throne and awaits servants who will bow and kowtow. He doesn’t need or want that. It isn’t all about worship. That may sound outlandish to you. We are to worship our Lord, sure, but not because he is a weak self-esteemed ego maniac. He doesn’t need our worship. We do. And it is just and proper for he has certainly earned much praise. What he longs for, though, is the day by day partnership. Every time something blinds you, he wants to step in right then and remove the shingles. He cannot though. He is bound by your will so he must await an invitation. He will attempt to speak to you, but he will not invade your space. He is not allowed and wouldn’t violate it under any circumstance.

We have to redefine the idea of Jesus’ lordship in our generation. The story of the former blind man shows us he way. We needn’t be hung up on theology or religion. All that is needful is a simple request. Lord, show me my blind side. Enlighten me and lead me daily as my lord and best friend. Amen.

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Remember

On November 25, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 78: 20 – 11        TPT

They didn’t really believe the promises of God; they refused to trust him and move forward in faith. They forgot his wonderful works and the miracles of the past.

Asaph delivers a history of the Israelites in the psalm. He recounts their exodus with its miracles and challenges in making the point that it is important to remember our history and, significantly, to teach it to the next generation. Failing to keep God’s blessings fresh in our minds and hearts leads to our own failure.

Each generation goes through this challenge. When we experience and remember the miracles of God, especially in our own lives, our faith soars. When they become distant or we forget, then our ability to stand on God’s promises falters. Today’s verse could speak equally convincingly about any generation. As a group, and even individually, we go through times of strong faith, and times of doubt or at least marginalized faith. It is easy to forget all the times God has come through for His children or even shown His kindness in our own lives. When that happens, we become weak. In those times, we must stir up our own minds and spirits to recall the great things He has done for us. As we remember it is helpful to try to recall how those experiences made us feel. When you pair the memory with the emotion, it is as if the experience is new and happening in this moment. It is in those moments when you again believe the promises of God and trust Him. Then you can move forward in faith.

Most Christians don’t seem to actually believe the promises of God but that is something that can change overnight. We need to know what He has promised and then we stir ourselves towards belief. If God ever made a promise, it is a promise to us today because He hasn’t changed. Take His promises into your heart and own them for yourself. Make yourself a believer by meditating on those promises. Let Him be a big God in your life like He was in days of old. You are His chosen people, His inheritance. Let us remember and move forward in faith.

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Presentation

On November 22, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 12: 1

Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Yoga can be a very contemplative time and yesterday was one of those quiet, pensive times. Thoughts about my body as a temple came to me and that is what I pondered the rest of the day which brought this verse to mind.

I have heard this verse preached and I have read it, both many times. Most of the time when anyone referenced this verse the language took on the tone of the law. I, too, want to say present your bodies to God as an act of your spiritual devotion but I have never preached on this verse for the very reason that it almost always comes out sounding like a pronouncement of law. As I enjoyed my yoga class, I felt the shift within me as relates to this verse.

After class, the instructor and I had a short conversation. In those moments she remarked how we are taking our health seriously and proactively engaging in those things which support health and wellness. I find myself thinking that first, we actually have health and fitness goals. Possibly many people do not. Then, we are pursuing those goals through diet and exercise, as well as quiet meditation time in which we can receive Father’s instruction. There is a nuance about devoting our bodies to God which does not cause us to succumb to legal mandates but rather becomes a cooperative with God. It almost becomes a praise exercise but definitely a time in His presence.

As we present our bodies to God, it is an offering. Therefore, the presentation is not all about what we have done, are doing, or need to do right. This verse doesn’t have to mean, EAT RIGHT, EXERCISE, etc. It can, instead, be a time of thanksgiving and submission when He can teach us and lead us into the things which are good for us.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for the magnificent work of art and mechanics that our bodies are. I thank you that you are not only the creator of this miracle of life but also the healer. You created this wonderful machine and know how to keep it functioning and how to repair it. Lead us, Dear One, in how to get the maximum enjoyment and function out of our bodies. We present ourselves to you, Lord, as an offering. Please receive our offering and anoint it with your grace and wisdom. We thank you for it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Loose Him

On November 21, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 11: 43 – 44

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The story of Lazarus is a good metaphor for the Christian experience. Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, from death, yet Lazarus was still bound hand and foot.

A few sentences earlier Jesus told Martha, “I am . . . the life,” (v. 25). In Jesus is the very essence of the life force that runs this planet, so he was well able to restore Lazarus to life. It is the same way with us. We were dead in our sins. We had the appearance of being alive but truthfully, we were dead bones walking around waiting for redemption. Jesus came. He called out to us as he did to Lazarus and Eureka! We were born again; born from death to life. His life was given to us.

When Lazarus came out of the tomb, he was bound hand and foot and had a veil over his face. That is the very picture of us. We were given new life; restored and redeemed, but still bound hand and foot and blind from the veil covering our eyes.

It takes another act of grace to loose us from that which binds us. There are needful steps to remove the veil so that we might see. Being restored to life is not the end of the story, as we can see from today’s passage. Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go.” This is the message he speaks to all the pastors of the world today. After being born again begins the work of removing all those things which bind people. If the veil is not removed then we still see the world around us as the world does instead of as Jesus sees it.

It’s great when people get saved and born again but if they (we) do not take the important next step then they are not free. Jesus wants us out from under every bondage. He wants the veil removed from our face so that we might see. As Christians, this is our task for our lives in Christ. He did not restore us to life so that we remain blind slaves to our old bondage. It was for freedom that Jesus set us free (Galatians 5: 1). Therefore, let us no longer be bound by all the things which entangle those without Jesus’ victory flowing through their bodies. Be free of the blindfold and the ties. They only serve to hold you back.

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The End

On November 20, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 77: 12 – 13          TPT

I ponder all you’ve done, Lord, musing on all your miracles. It’s here in your presence, in your sanctuary, where I learn more of your ways. For holiness is revealed in everything you do.

The End of all things is to learn where your power center is, and this is it. God is the source of all good. Asaph understood that when all was said, all was done, it comes back to the meditation in God’s presence. You don’t have to be in the sanctuary of the church because Jesus made us all tabernacles of God. We are His resting place. That means we need to commune with Him within our own hearts because that is His temple, His abode.

Asaph went into the sanctuary and pondered all that God has done. He mused, thought, and considered the miracles of the Lord. When he did, he learned. That quiet time in the presence of the Lord is when the miracles are formed. It is where and how we learn. If the church is weak, it will be weak when we do not spend time in the tabernacle with God, meaning we do not get alone with God and ponder His ways. It is in His presence that we are renewed and our thoughts are renewed.

God’s personality is revealed in everything He does, and everything He says. So, when we get quiet in His presence we learn of Him and He reveals His essence. In that space of calm reflection and communication is also where we are most likely to receive the idea that changes our lives or the answer to a perplexing question. Asaph learned that the answer to his dilemma was in the contemplative time with God, time in His actual presence. I bet your answer is too!

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Changed Heart?

On November 19, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 77: 10       TPT

Lord, what wounds me most is that it’s somehow my fault that you’ve changed your heart toward me and I no longer see the years of the Mighty One and your right hand of power.

Yesterday we saw the angst of Asaph. He groaned at the mere thought of the Lord because He felt that he had lost favor with God. What he felt was real chagrin. It pained him to think about where he stood with God and this verse explains why that thought pained him so. In his heart of hearts, he suspected that God’s coldness towards him was his own fault. I think we can all relate.

There are times when we feel very close to God and times we don’t. There are times I know He is with me in a very real sense and other times when it seems He is in heaven looking down on me. I would much rather have Him with me as I know you would too.

If you once enjoyed the power of God in your life, then the absence of it makes life mundane. If you have ever tasted the glory of God, then an existence without it loses its luster. Worst of all, deep down, we know that something in our lives has changed which is impeding those moves of God and even, as in Asaph’s case, God’s very presence. Knowing this truth grieves the heart but, it also empowers us because it means that we have power to affect change and I like that. If I am the problem, then I can seriously impact the outcome. I can change me and the best part of that is that God will help me. He is always waiting to bring us back into closer fellowship. Ain’t that great?

Asaph made an important declaration above and he made it to the right person. He shared his heart and misgivings with God. Once you get to the point where you can share your heart with God, the problem is all but rectified. Expressing those tender emotions, doubts, fear, and even thoughts is the gateway to resolution. Once you get that out, especially when articulated directly to Yahweh, He can move in and begin to help you. “Dad, I might not be where I want to be but I know you are the one who can help me.” With that, the hard work is done. Really!!

If you are not enjoying all the presence of God you wish to, then tell Him your thoughts and desires. Invite Him to help you grow closer to Him. Then listen to the quiet thoughts of your heart. You are going to be so surprised and how quickly He responds and some of the lovely thoughts He has.

And, have fun drawing closer, and closer to Him.

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Angst

On November 18, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 77: 3 – 9           NIV

I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

Asaph penned this psalm several thousand years ago, yet he captures the torment of our souls today. This is what I might call an “everyperson” passage, meaning most of us, throughout history, have felt this same anguish. Why is God not listening to me? Why are my prayers unanswered? Where is the fulfillment of God’s promise? Is God angry with me and in His anger has He turned His face from me? Where is God’s unfailing love?

When Asaph’s mind turned to thoughts of God, his spirit seized within his breast. His meditations on God made his spirit faint within him. How can this be? He was so troubled, so worried that sleep evaded him. This version says he was so distressed that he couldn’t even speak. The Passion Translation breaks it down a bit further. So heavy was the suffering that he couldn’t even pray.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been so stressed, so exhausted and worried that words eluded you? Was there not enough breath in your lungs to utter even a simple prayer? It’s actually true that when people are stressed, they tend to breath shallowly and actually deprive their bodies of necessary oxygen making it tedious even to speak.

Today’s passage read from the Passion Translation is very insightful too, “My mind wandered, thinking of days gone by – the years long since passed. Then I remembered the worship songs I used to sing in the night seasons, and my heart began to fill again with thoughts of you. So my spirit went out once more in search of you. Would you really walk off and leave me forever, my Lord God? Won’t you show me your kind favor, delighting in me again? Has your well of sweet mercy dried up? Will your promises never come true? Have you somehow forgotten to show me love? Are you so angry that you’ve closed your heart of compassion toward me?” How does that translation make your heart feel? It is interesting to note that this passage ends with “Selah” which means to pause in the Lord’s presence and consider what has just been sung. Stop and think on this for a moment. The message is not only in the words but in the meditation the words foster. The real message is delivered, not to your ears, but to your heart.

Tomorrow we will see what answers Asaph found for himself. Stay tuned! (Or read ahead).

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