Miracles

 

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 1 Corinthians 2:4

Thomas Jefferson is one of the least impressive American Presidents in my view. He had personal failings, such as his hypocrisy on the subject of slavery. But one thing that disappoints me with him is how he removed the power and miracles of Jesus from his 84 page booklet of “The Gospel Without Miracles” selection of scripture he put together. Like many foolish people before and after him, Jefferson wanted to merely make Jesus appear as a great moral teacher and nothing more. Devoid of His power and the miracles that proved who He was–Jesus is just another good guy and nothing else. How blind and short-sighted and false is that view of our Lord.

A while back I was talking to a guy who proclaimed that he had never seen a miracle. I went on to tell him many instances when I had seen God’s miracles in my own life and the lives of others.

If you have had Jesus in your life as long as myself and have never seen a miracle, you have either not been paying attention or need to ask the Lord why.

I have seen explicit miracles, indirect miracles, and have seen the Lord use me to work a miracle for others.

When I was a young man I wanted to do something special for the Lord. He showed me what I could do. I had a dream that at the Berea onramp in Kentucky I could pick up a black man who was waiting there hitchhiking. I was taking my sister to college in the mid 1980s and would be getting back onto the Interstate at that exit. I remember saying to the Lord that if the man was there I would indeed pick up the hitchhiker and give him a ride.

I could only laugh when I was getting onto the onramp in Berea Kentucky and not one, but two young black men were hitchhiking at the onramp. I picked them up and took them quite a way up the Interstate before letting them off at their exit. That day I was their miracle by the grace of God.

I could go on to explain how God healed me of a terrible skin ulcer. An area without surface skin on my stomach that was as big as a half dollar and so strange to doctors that they shuffled in 8-10 medical students to see it. Talk about feeling like an animal in a zoo. It took awhile, but God helped me find the right doctor to bring healing of that awful wound. Then there was the birth of our daughter. The doctors were wringing their hands not sure what to do as our daughter was too far down for a C-Section and not coming out. My wife was in agony. I stepped into the restroom for a quick, desperate prayer to God, and a few minutes later our daughter was coming out so fast they had to rush my wife into the delivery room. Then there was the arthritis God healed me of very quickly. I had been to the family physician, and he was setting me up to go to a specialist. I hurt so bad in my joints I could hardly get off of the couch. My fingers had swollen knots on them. I prayed to the Lord and reminded Him that He said He would not let more come upon us than we could bear, and this was the one thing too much for me on top of my other health issues. The arthritis disappeared before my visit to the specialist.

I know God does not always work miracles in every situation. Sometimes He takes people home to be with Him–which is better than any miracle. At other times we struggle through life with challenges and illnesses. But there are times when Jesus works miracles and we should not only be open to them and ask for them, but allow Him to use us to be someone else’s miracle when we can do so.

How about you, have you ever seen or experienced a miracle?

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for giving us the grace to endure so many things in life. But Thank You as well for Your miracle working power that is still evident on this earth. Amen.

The Most Important Question

 

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 (NIV)

There is one thing that you can bet your life on. That one thing is your death. Unless the Lord returns first, there is a 100% chance of your death. We are all mortal and just as we were born on this earth, we will one day leave it.

So what is the most important question? It is what will happen to you when you die. 

For the unbeliever, the best hope they have is that they will cease to exist. Any other outcome is unthinkable to them. Some might hope in reincarnation, or that maybe they will “go on to a better place”, but the general atheist consensus is that when you die there is nothing left of you.

What a sad lack of hope and depressing theory to live by. All of the pain, suffering, and endless tragedy that occurs on this earth leaves unbelievers nothing but a nihilistic attitude. And you can find that attitude infecting many areas of life today coming from those with no hope in God. Why be good, or kind, or generous, or ever have any hope or belief in anything if you think there is no future after your short life is over?

Thankfully, for those who have put their trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives we are not hopeless, but have every reason to hope. All the pain, misery, and suffering in the here and now will have meaning over there. There will be recompense for those who have trusted in Jesus and endured so much pain and suffering on this earth. 

Even if your life has not been filled with pain and misery, having hope in Christ adds meaning and purpose to a life that could otherwise be filled with self-centeredness and dangerous behaviors that rob the human soul of its worth.

At the end of his life Edgar Allan Poe was in a wretched state. A physician at his bedside reported that his final words were: “Lord help my poor soul”. While no one knows Mr. Poe’s exact religious beliefs at the time of his death, he had a background of being taught religion in his youth and had some religious sentiments in his writing. Yet it is sad to think of a life ending in misery and only then calling upon the Lord for help, yet better late than never.

If you are willing to put your hope in Jesus as your Savior, you need never go through this life alone and without hope. Through good times and bad, when you put your soul into the hands of Jesus He will walk at your side, blessing you and aiding you whatever your circumstances. We are people filled with hope. That hope is firmly placed in the sacrifice and Person Jesus Christ.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Corinthians 5:1 (NIV)

Put your eternity into the hands of Jesus. Set that hope firmly before you and live it out day by day. You have an answer for what will happen to you when you die, about where you will go.

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, at the end of life we will be shocked at how quickly it all passed by, the shortness of life is a reality we will all one day feel. Thank You that we have a confident hope that when our days are through we will have a home in heaven with You Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Searchers

 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The Rock Band Kansas was a favorite of mine when I was a teenager and I still enjoy listening to them today.

Terry Livgren was a founding member, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter for the band. I heard his testimony about when he was a boy and three family members died one after the other. It profoundly affected him. He later delved into philosophy and religion, but he was not a fan of Christianity. He tried to find every way to God except the Christian faith, but finally he said he wanted the truth even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. A Christian musician from another band debated Terry about who Jesus was and finally was able, using the Bible, to convince Terry Livgren to become a Christian.

The early Kansas albums very much reflect the longing of a spiritual searcher. I think that is what makes the band’s music relatable. We have all been spiritual searchers like Terry. Thankfully, Mr. Livgren found his way to Jesus and discovered peace and spiritual satisfaction by doing so.

It is the same with us. Nothing else on this earth can satisfy us spiritually. Only a relationship with Jesus can fill the longings of our soul and spirit.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself to us spiritual searchers. Open the eyes of those seeking, but who have not yet discovered You so that they too can find the only true spiritual path. Amen. 

Be Still And Wait For The Lord

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

Some of the hardest times of my life have involved waiting. Particularly waiting to recover from a flareup of an illness, but also any problem that created fear or worry. Waiting for difficult situations to be resolved isn’t easy. Very often I find myself in a holding pattern waiting for God to work things out. Occasionally a problem is resolved quickly, and that is such a blessing. But not infrequently a problem takes much longer than I would like for it to be resolved.

Too often waiting is not the only challenge, but “being still”. I become like my youngest grandchild who is two years old and can’t sit still for any length of time but has to be moving and doing something. I often feel like I must be “doing something” to fix the problem even after saying to the Lord that I’m trusting Him with the outcome. Having to sit still and wait for the Lord is often a struggle.

How many times have we asked the Lord to solve something for us, only to immediately take the situation into our own hands and try to solve it ourselves? Too often we waste lots of effort trying to solve issues that are beyond us and that can only be worked out by Jesus. Our futile attempts to fix problems bigger than us leave us worn and exhausted and even more worried about the situation.

There are times when God will direct us to take certain actions. But even then, we need to trust the outcome to Him. Yet, more often than not, God wants us to be still and wait upon Him. He always has a plan and solution that is much better than anything we could have imagined.

Trust the Lord with the problems and difficulties that come your way. And with His help: Be Still and Wait for the Lord.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Forgive our futile efforts to fix problems bigger than we are instead of trusting them to You. Sitting still and waiting for You to work things out is difficult for us, but often it is the very thing required for a problem to be solved. Thank You Lord for working out all of our problems in Your own timing and in Your own way. Amen.

Strength In Numbers

Though one may be overpowered,

    two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)

We had a nice dinner and conversation at my favorite local restaurant. My brother from Tennessee and his friend Tony had stopped by to visit with me on their way back from Canada. After the meal Tony said he wanted to pray for me as we stood outside of the restaurant before getting into our cars to leave. Tony took my right hand and had his other hand on my arm. My brother had his hand on my right shoulder. As we prayed I suddenly felt a hand on my left shoulder. The prayer continued and as it ended I looked to my left and saw a young man standing there. He had been on his way into the restaurant with a group of people and stopped to join in the prayer. He said he noticed something was going on and joined in. I thanked him and told him I appreciated it.

There is power in numbers. 

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

Thinking back on that experience and the courage the young man had shown in being willing to join in a prayer for a stranger it encourages me to be bolder in joining in to help and encourage others who may be strangers. We need courage and boldness and a willingness to step out in faith to meet the needs of others.

I also could not help thinking about that experience regarding a fourth man joining us in prayer, of the book of Daniel where the three men were joined in the fire by a fourth man who showed up out of nowhere in the flames with them. God is with us when we join together giving us great strength in numbers.

Christians were never meant to “go it alone”. We come together in church and in small groups and with just a few friends, and with the talk and focus turning to Jesus He joins the group whether just two or more. What a blessing that is and a revelation we should keep in mind. We are never just a few in number, but a majority when Jesus takes center stage.

I encourage you to reach out to other Christians for strength and support, and be willing to be reached by other Christians who may need your strength and support. At some time in our life we will be the one in need, and the one who can reach those in need. And when our numbers grow, strength, power, and answered prayer by the Lord is sure to follow.

Gather together this week with other Christians, whether at your local church or simply to share a meal with one another. And invite the Lord to join you.

Prayer: Dear Lord, be with us in our gatherings whether large or small. And help us to help others who need You in their midst. Bless You and Thank You for being our Savior, Friend, and Ever Present Help in all of our needs. Amen.

Tendency Toward Anxiety

 

Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will also help you,

I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10 NASB

We can become anxious about all sorts of things. We worry about future events, we fear dreadful outcomes, and anxiety grows like weeds in our hearts and minds choking out hope, faith, courage, and trust in a future that is in God’s hands.

There is the run of the mill anxiety described above, then there is a chemical, biological anxiety that is driven from something within us. This latter type of anxiety runs in my family. I have one relative whose doctor told them that they were the most nervous person the doctor had ever met in his life. I’ve noticed that depending upon the state of my physical health my anxiety increases or decreases. The type of anxiety I experience is not tied to anything in particular, but is “free-floating”. It is anxiety looking for a place to land, something to latch onto. This generalized anxiety is a constant challenge. I have to guard against it and recognize it for what it is and not let it carry me away when circumstances are ideal for it to thrive in my thinking.

But we all experience anxiety. And we all can face it with courage with God’s help and guidance.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 NASB

I wish that I had a list of all the things that I have been anxious about throughout my life. I guarantee you that 99% of the things I have been anxious about either never came to fruition, or worked out ultimately to my benefit. I’m sure you could say the same thing. In the end, anxiety producing events in our life work to our good as we overcome obstacles and watch again and again how God takes our anxious events and turns them to our good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB

Everyday brings opportunities for good along with challenges our way. We can give in to fear and anxiety when problems and difficulties arise, or we can trust that God will bring us through with victory over our hardships and leave blessings in the wake of all our worry. 

We live with one thing always within our power: choice. We can choose to believe and trust God, or we can allow anxiety to have its way with us and make us miserable. Let’s choose faith and trust over fear and anxiety.

We may not be able to help how we feel. But we need not let feelings drive our choices and decisions and attitudes. For if we will only remember a fraction of the times God has taken care of our events and circumstances we can go forward with confidence knowing that God is not limited by our weaknesses. We are lifted up by His strength as we rely upon Him in faith trusting all outcomes to the Lord’s will for us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, anxiety abounds in this world, and we are prone to it, nevertheless as we give our fear and anxiety to You we can trust that our outcomes will be good no matter the circumstances each day brings our way. Thank You Lord for giving us help and strength in time of our need. Amen.

What's So Good About Good Friday?

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Luke 23:33

One tradition says that Good Friday got its name from “God’s Friday”. When I think of Good Friday I think about Jesus’s suffering and death and at first glance there seems nothing good about it for our Lord.  Yet because of Him and what He endured on that cross for us it was definitely our Good Friday.

There are portions of the Bible that are difficult to read. The endless genealogies in the Old Testament, and all the detailed rules for setting up the temple with its numerous regulations. Yet for me, the hardest part of the Bible to read is about the suffering, humiliation, and undeserved death of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

I remember when Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ movie was first released. Every Christian felt almost duty bound to go and see it. The movie was probably the most accurate representation of our Savior’s crucifixion ever to be seen on the big screen. It was detailed, and absolutely horrible and painful to watch. To this day I have only watched it a couple of times because of how it represents our Lord’s suffering and death with such painful attention to detail regarding what Jesus endured.

The suffering and crucifixion of Jesus would be horrible to read about and think about if not for the fact it took His death on that cross to cleanse us of our sins and make a pathway for our entry into heaven. We have the hope of our own resurrection thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thank God that the story of Jesus did not end with a horrible death on a cross but with an empty tomb and a Risen Lord sitting at God’s right hand in heaven. He paved the way for our redemption through the horrible things He suffered on our behalf.

While we feel grief remembering that terrible death on a cross, out of what seemed a tragic event came something good beyond words. Life Everlasting was granted to us by the sacrificial death of Jesus. The Good News in its essence is that Jesus died for us so that we can be Saved through His loving sacrifice. Without Him we would be left in darkness to pay for our own sins and without that Good Friday we have nothing good to hope in or look forward to. The darkness that covered the land on the day of His death would have been an eternal darkness for us without Him.  Yes, Good Friday is Good.  It is Good because of all that it encompasses, including everything that came afterward.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, it will take an eternity of praising You for all that You have done for us. It is almost beyond our comprehension to take in all that You suffered and endured for our salvation. While it is painful to think about Your suffering and death for us, we are so grateful that You were willing to go to the cross to save us. We praise You for it Lord, and forever will do so. Amen.