Look at your own bubbles

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment


Today I was blowing bubbles for both my girls in our backyard. They absolutely love it! I will shower each  of them one at a time in a barrage of bubbles as they try to pop them before they hit the ground. As the fun went on both of my daughters kept starring off at the bubbles that I blew for the other. Because they kept looking at their sister’s bubbles they would miss their own. 

I couldn’t help but to catch the picture of what was happening and think of how most people, no matter the age, can be guilty of the very same thing. As we get older we look at things a lot different than bubbles but the problem is the same. We can so easily miss the great things right in front of us because we are too busy looking at what others have. 

Today I’m going to take the time to be thankful for all the people and things in my life. Most of all, I’m going to be thankful no matter the bubbles that others have because I have Jesus and nothing could ever beat that! God bless my brothers and sisters and may you see all the beautiful bubbles in your life.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain,”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Punished NOT Abandoned 

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment


I’ve had to punished my girls and I can tell you that it is one of my least favorite things to do in life. It may be necessary and right to do, but it is so hard sometimes. And even when I punish them, I have no intentions of ever leaving them. When correction is needed in their lives, and they have to face the realities of consequences, I want them to know that my love for them will never diminish. I imagine God looks at us in the same way only with greater intensity.

In the middle of pain, especially the self induced kind, it’s easy to assume God is nowhere to be found. After all, it’s my own fault i’m in this mess so why would He be here? I sinned and disobeyed Him so why would He want to be with me? I’ve committed this same old offense once more so now He really must have given up on me. How could I blame Him if He was absent in my consequences? 

The life of Moses is a captivating one to say the least. He narrowly escaped being murdered by Egyptians when he was a baby, he was raised by both his mother and pharaoh’s household, he killed an Egyptian while standing up for a fellow Hebrew, he fled into exile for 40 years, then he’s called by God (out of a burning bush!) to tell the most powerful nation in the world to release its slave labor force, he’s put in charge of a nation of people while on an exodus over hundreds of miles, and constantly has to mediate between a Holy God and an ungrateful people. No doubt that he must have been an amazing man. But even as incredible as Moses was, he still suffered from the same ailment as all of humanity: sin. One such sin caused a major consequence. In the book of Numbers, chapter 20, Moses and Aaron have to deal with a bit of a water shortage. To sum it up, Moses and Aaron don’t follow God’s instructions and end up taking the glory for bringing water from a rock rather than giving God the glory for it. The effect from that would be denied entry into the promised land. Ouch! But that’s not the point of this story. Moses screwed up and so do we. No need to remind everyone of that. What I want to point out came at the end of all this, when Moses is facing up to the consequences, at what would be the end of his life.

“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land…And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭34:1,4-6‬ ‭

Moses had to miss out on walking in the promise land but he got something so much better. The Lord went up the mountain with him. The Lord showed him a glimpse out of grace. The Lord buried him where only He knows. Despite Moses’ disobedience the Lord never left him. Once chosen by God, Moses was His forever. That didn’t exclude Moses from the consequences of his sin but it did keep him in grace. And that is no consolation prize.

I heard a story once of a little boy who was placed in timeout by his mom. He begged and begged to be let out but his mom stayed firm. Along came grandpa and the little boy pleaded with him to take him out even though his mom had said no. Instead of taking the boy out, the grandpa sat with the boy in time out until his time had been served. God is much like the grandpa. He may not excuse us from the hurt and pain that our actions create, but He’ll be right there with us. Keep in mind that God is no stranger to punishment. He chose the most excruciating crucifixion for our sake and He didn’t deserve it. If He’ll hang on a cross out of love for us and you can be sure He’ll be with us in our time outs, our pain, our breakups, our divorces, our failing health, and all our sufferings. 

Believer, our sin will reap consequences in this life, for us and others. There may be no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but that does not exclude us from pain. On the other hand it also does not forfeit us from God’s grace. Where we have to be concerned is if there is no desire to repent of sin. Moses repented and continued to pursue God all the way to the end. If God has chosen you then He’ll be right there with you even as you battle your way through the wake of your sin. 

Our mistakes are not the end of our story just like it wasn’t for Moses. After all, Moses did enter the promise land one day. And who took him there? It was the Lord.

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The desperate heart has only one place to look, and that’s up. Think God has left you? Not a chance. Screwed up royally? God is still at the door knocking. Whether you’re a Believer or not, God is in pursuit of you. Our ugliness doesn’t drive Him away. If it did, He never would’ve gone to the cross for us in the first place. 

Pharaoh or Sheep?

~ ForCommonGround ~ 5 Comments

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” 

Exodus‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are so many ways that people challenge the authority of the Lord. No one is immune from it. Every human in existence has rejected the sovereign rule of God. Pharaoh shunned God’s commands because he did not know Him, nor did he want to. Those of us who put off reading the Bible, make things up as we go, try to conform God to our image, follow false religions, or outright refuse to live how Jesus called us to live are doing the very same thing. We do all of those things because we don’t know God nor do we want to.

Pharaoh is a picture of the human condition. We don’t like to be told what to do, even by the One who made us. It’s dirty stinking pride that rots the soul. It’s the same sickness that plagued the Pharisees and Saducees who fought so hard to dispel Christ. To accept the Messiah meant to give up their control of religion and of the people who they manipulated. It’s the same reason why the Catholic Church refused to allow bibles to be printed and distributed to the masses for so long. They wanted to be on the throne of people’s lives. The throne is never a place for us to occupy. Not in our own life and especially not in the lives of others. 

God answered Pharaoh’s question with ten devastating plagues that shattered their false gods. And every time we ask that question, whether by word or action, we are stating that we too have false gods whom have our heart’s allegiance. But we don’t have to play Pharaoh any longer. In John 10 Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”‭‭ It’s simply a matter of choosing who you’ll be: pharaoh or a sheep. One gets life while the other…well, just read Exodus 7-12 to see for yourself. 

Be encouraged by brothers and sisters because He is calling and He has made Himself known. 

God bless!

Do you really want to be made whole?

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment

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After this there was a Jewish feast, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem there is a pool by the sheep gate, called Bethzatha in Aramaic, which has five porches. In these a crowd of invalids was lying around—blind, lame, disabled.

Now a certain man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. Seeing him lying there and knowing he had been that way a long time, Yeshua said to him, “Do you want to get well?”

The invalid answered Him, “Sir, I have nobody to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I’m trying to get in, somebody else steps down before me!”

Yeshua tells him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”

Immediately, the man was healed! He took up his mat and started walking around. Now that day was Shabbat, so Judean leaders were saying to the man who was healed, “It’s Shabbat! It’s not permitted for you to carry your mat.”

But he answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” But the man who had been healed didn’t know who it was, for Yeshua had slipped away into the crowd in that place.

Afterwards, Yeshua finds him in the Temple. He said to him, “Look, you’ve been healed! Stop sinning, so nothing worse happens to you.” The man left and told the Judean leaders that it was Yeshua who had made him well.

John 5:1-15 (TLV) [my emphasis]

 Do you want to get well? The only thing that stands in our way of being freed from addiction, anger, depression, lust, and the like, is whether or not we want to be free of it. Jesus offers wholeness to everyone but not everyone will choose it. It seems ridiculous that someone would choose to not be whole. But sin is a choice that people make. Staying in sin is no different. The man’s desire to be made well is what brought him to the pool time after time. His desire to be made whole is what put him in the place to meet Jesus and experience His liberation. But if someone doesn’t really want to be made whole, to give up that addiction, to experience freedom, then they won’t. Jesus has never forced someone to choose freedom and wholeness. But He offers it freely to all who are willing.

Get up! To live in freedom takes action on our part. Once Jesus speaks healing over us we can’t lay by the pool any longer. We need to move. This man couldn’t walk for over three decades. Then Jesus said, “get up!” When Jesus replaces our anxieties with peace, we walk in that peace. We don’t go back to the pool of anxious thoughts. When Jesus crushes the chains of addiction, we walk as though we are no longer addicts. 

Immediately, the man was healed! Sure, healing can take time. But wholeness can also come in an instance. To say otherwise is to say that Jesus’ power was great enough to make a lame man walk but not give me joy in the place of my anger. It’s saying Jesus can create the world in 6 days but He cannot replace my depression with hope. If we want to be well, we can be with one word from His mouth. 

 “It’s Shabbat! It’s not permitted for you to carry your mat.” The path to our being made well will often be met with resistance from people around us, sometimes from those closest to us. When I made the decision to no longer drink alcohol seven years ago, I had several people try to talk me out it. People often attack what they don’t understand or what may even make them feel conviction. But we can never let the words of people unravel in our hearts what Jesus has already spoken over us. 

“Look, you’ve been healed! Stop sinning, so nothing worse happens to you.” We hold the key to the longevity of our wholeness. I admit I’ve been set free only to walk back into the filth again. When Jesus makes us new, He makes us white as snow. He doesn’t wash us clean so that we can go back to playing in the mud. 

I too am the crippled man at the pool. I want to be the healed man who takes up his mat in the newness of life. I have heard my savior say, “get up and walk my child.” I am so thankful that He came to meet me at my pool of Bethzatha (Bethesda) which happens to mean the pool of mercy. Be encouraged my brothers and sisters because He has come to meet you in your hurt and struggles as well. His question is the same to all of us: “do you want to be well?”

Don’t be Selfish with Grace

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

grace

If someone in your life did something wrong, would you be a person they’d want to come to? What if they had done something to you personally? Grace is not ours to withhold. Doing so communicates a message about Jesus that He is enough to forgive my sin but not enough for me to forgive yours.  The power to forgive, found in Christ, can be applied to all situations. To argue the contrary is to say that our hurt is worth more than the souls of humanity. Christ died for our souls in the face of our hate and rebellion and sin. What do we have to do in order to forgive someone of their debt? We certainly don’t have to be beaten, have nails driven through our wrists and feet, or hang to death on a cross. Jesus endured all that so that those who choose Him can have every wrong erased permanently. I’m not saying that grace is always easy, but it is necessary. No one could ever wrong us more than we’ve wronged God. To show grace is to show others a glimpse of God. To show grace is tell others that Jesus’ sacrifice is real and powerful and life-changing.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)

 

Dishonoring Grace

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment


Jonah was a prophet, called to proclaim God’s pending judgement on sin in a place called Nineveh. They were the worst of the worst in the world. They were comparable to the likes of Atilla the Hun or the Third Reich of Nazi Germany. They were bad bad bad. Once Jonah actually showed up to deliver the message here was their response: 

The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 3:6-10 ESV

Why don’t we repent as fiercely as the Ninevites? Have we lost touch with the weight of our sin? Have we forgotten what it cost to purchase our forgiveness? Have we reduced repentance to a simple prayer? Have we refused to allow repentance to cost us something? Forgiveness may be free, but repentance should cost us much!  

Following King David’s major screw ups, a plague was falling on Israel. This was happening because of David’s sin. It was in the wake of sin that David wrote the heartfelt words of Psalm 51. Its more of a plea on behalf of a man who knows he has sinned against God and knows how severe that is. As part of David’s acts of repentance, he goes to build an altar to the Lord and make sacrifices. The owner of the land that King David is meant to build the altar on offers to give the king the land for free. Here is David’s response:

“But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭24:24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The king knew that his repentance should cost him and so should ours. Repentance is not feeling ashamed of what we’ve done and asking for forgiveness. Repentance is a brokenness that can only be put back together after the broken pottery (us) have surrendered themselves to the Master Potter (God). Repentance is an end of one thing and the beginning of a whole new thing. That new beginning can’t come until the broken see the need to be fixed. No one can really repent of something they don’t think is sin. And no one will think that sin is that bad if they forget the excruciating pain that Yeshua went through for the cause of our redemption. Sin tore His skin with the lashes, drove the nails through the wrists and feet, and pressed the crown of thorns into our Savior’s skull. How could we ever treat our sin so lightly? To do so dishonors the grace we’ve been shown by God. 

Jesus, what are you thinking?

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

mind-of-christ-pic

I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy, acceptable to God—which is your spiritual service. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2 (TLV)

Have you ever wondered, “If only I could see into their thoughts” about someone you know? If you’ve ever dated or are married then I guarantee you’ve wanted to know what the other person is thinking. Occasionally, as a conversation starter, my wife and I will ask each other, “what are you thinking about?” We do this more than just to break the silence. We do this because we genuinely care what preoccupies the mind of one another. What if we could ask Jesus the same question? What if we could see into His thoughts? Well…we can!

In Philippians chapter two, we’re told to have the same mind as Christ. This would be an impossible task if we didn’t know what His mind was like. But He has helped us out with that one. He has told us His thoughts and His motives!

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)

His thoughts are described through His actions, just like ours are. Not only did Christ create us (read Colossians 1) but He also doesn’t stop thinking about us. That is a fact that should overwhelm us with humility! The way He displayed His love for us should bewilder the mind. Why would God want to be in human form? Why would God want to go through and excruciating death for our sake? Because we are His beautiful handcrafted masterpiece!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

You are unique! You are special! You are a one-of-a-kind, full of purpose! And so is everyone else in the world. We all have God’s hand print on us. And He thinks about His workmanship continually. Because His thoughts are on us, ours don’t have to be. What is Jesus thinking about…?

1-Others

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)

Much of our life is filled with vein pursuit because we think about ourselves way too much. If Jesus’ concern was for His comfort and well-being, He never would’ve gone to the cross. If He wasn’t over come with a compassion for humanity, He never would’ve volunteered to take out place. If our concern is mostly for ourselves, then we will never fulfill the command to love our neighbor like we are supposed to.

2-Pure and Holy things

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

How much of our mind do we literally pollute with toxic images, posts, articles, videos, and much more? It doesn’t even have to be inherently bad things either. I can sit and read NFL news and updates on Star Wars movies for a long time. Those aren’t evil but they certainly are a waste of time when I could be thinking about how to meet the needs of my wife, my kids, my students, the homeless, and children in poverty around the world. They are definitely a waste of time when I could be thinking about Jesus! They are a waste of time if I can’t even remember that devotion I read, or the last sermon I heard, or the last passage out of the bible that I studied. I can’t remember them because I stopped thinking about them and focused on less important things instead.

3-Mission

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Luke 2:49 (NKJV)

At 12 years old, Jesus was teaching and preaching! That’s because He came to earth with a mission and that purpose consumed His thoughts. Since we follow Him, we have the same purpose…to be about our Father’s business, testifying of the truth. And that truth should consume our thoughts.

4-The Lost

…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 19:10 (NKJV)

How much do you really think about the salvation of others? I don’t mean the genuineness of a believer’s heart. Only Jesus Himself can know that with 100 percent certainty. I’m talking about all those ‘good people’ who openly deny Christ. How about the adulterers, the rapists, murderers, and terrorists? How about all of those who believe in other religions? They’re all in the same category as far as salvation is concerned. Does your heart ache for them? I for one will admit that I don’t think about them enough and I am without excuse.

The greatest influence on what we do in life, will be what we think about during our lifetime. The mind of Christ is key to living how He lives. To  live like Christ is to think like Christ.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…

Philippians 2:5a (ESV)

 

Lessons About Jesus From Star Wars

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

big_1469580654_image

I was watching Star Wars: the Force Awakens about a week ago and the Holy Spirit rocked my world. You read that right…I had a Holy Spirit encounter while watching Star Wars. It goes to show that His reach is without limits right? The scene: Han Solo encounters his son, Kylo Ren, on the surface of the StarKiller Base created by the First Order. If you’re not a Star Wars fan then I may have lost you. Just know this…Kylo Ren has been taken by the dark side of the force, and Han Solo (his father) has never given up hope that he can become good once again. This scene is one of the most powerful in the entire movie.  At the beginning of this scene, Han Solo has a choice to make, escape the planet unharmed, or risk his life to confront his son. Han’s love for his son made that no real choice at all. It drew him out onto the breezeway where Han called to his son, and he immediately stopped and turned around. Han walked out to him until they were face to face. Here is the dialogue that ensues:

Han Solo: Ben!

Kylo Ren: Han Solo. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.

Han Solo: Take off that mask. You don’t need it.

Kylo Ren: What do you think you’ll see if I do?

Han Solo: The face of my son.

Kylo Ren: Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father, so I destroyed him.

Han Solo: That’s what Snoke wants you to believe, but it’s not true. My son is alive.

Kylo Ren: No. The Supreme Leader is wise.

Han Solo: Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he’ll crush you. You know it’s true.

Kylo Ren: It’s too late.

Han Solo: No, it’s not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you.

Kylo Ren: I’m being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?

Han Solo: Yes. Anything.

The moment that comes next was heartbreaking! Kylo Ren kills his own father with his lightsaber. The moment that shook me came next and it’s pictured in the image at the beginning of this post. In his last seconds of life, Han Solo reaches up and caresses his son’s face while gazing endearingly into his eyes. It was as if Han Solo’s only thought at that moment was that he got to see his son one last time, look into his eyes, and touch his face. The look on Han’s face showed no sign that he was focused on his own eminent death.  Kylo’s cruel act could do nothing to destroy his father’s love for him.

So how do I see Jesus in all of this? The love of Christ is so great that it is unshakable, even when our sin was killing Him nearly 2000 years ago. When He created us, knowing our fallibility, knowing His blood was needed to cover our mistakes, Jesus loved us. Even as the crowds stood in the courts and yelled for His blood, Jesus must have been overwhelmed with His love for them, for us, for me. With each stroke of the lashes that tore the skin on His back, the love of Jesus held true. When the nails were driven into His body, securing Him to the cross, the love of Jesus was prevailing. When the voices shouted out in mocking fashion while He hung on the cross, His heart was moved with compassion for them. If it were possible, I’m sure Jesus would have embraced all of His executioners.

We so greatly underestimate the love of Christ. We acknowledge His great sacrifice, but rarely do we allow His motivation of love to break and reshape our hearts.  I believe that Jesus would have extended His hands to each of those Roman soldiers and hate-filled Pharisees, had His arms not been fastened to the tree.  If you haven’t, try to think of it this way and see if it doesn’t move you to tears. Even if it were you that drove the nails into His body, He’d still love you. Even if it were you that whipped Him, mocked Him, or forced a crown of thorns on His head, He’d still love you. The reality is, that you and me did do all of those things. Our sin necessitated His suffering. But in the midst of His blood splattered face were eyes, filled with love, gazing back at His betrayers…His murderers…at us…wanting to make us sons and daughters. And while it must have physically pained Him more than I can imagine, He did it with joy.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

The choice is laid out for all of humanity. We can continue in the life of darkness, disregarding this incomprehensible sacrifice and love, or we can allow His love to prevail in our hearts.  His love never gives up on us. His love sees no limits. His love makes it possible for anyone to be saved. Why anyone would walk away from a love like this, i’ll never know. Jesus has proven that He’d do anything to save humanity…to save you and me. Be encouraged my brothers and sisters. We are so fiercely loved!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)

Where are you going Jesus?

~ ForCommonGround ~ 4 Comments

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As a follower of Jesus, it would only make sense that I go in the same direction He is. Have you ever stopped to wonder where exactly that is? Have you ever asked, where is God leading me? I certainly have. Some of the specifics can vary for each person, no doubt about that. But there are consistencies for all of us following the Leader.

Do you know which direction Jesus is going? That might seem like a silly question. It may not even make sense to you. So allow me to explain. Jesus is not dead. I know that’s not a breaking news headline. Yes, He was crucified, and buried in a tomb, but as the story goes, He did not stay there. He is alive, and will remain that way forever. I gave that little gospel refresher so that I can say this: we aren’t following a figure of the past. We are actively following a person who is actively leading. We aren’t emulating a dead hero. We are pursuing a trailblazing Savior.

Let’s look at where He went in the past so we can know where He is still going today.

1- To Church

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I know what you may be thinking: this is a lecture that we all need to be in church if we’re Christians. You’re right…it is. The synagogues were the churches of the day. But church is more than just a building. Church is the gathering of believers. Why is it so important to be in community? Because there is power in numbers! Praying power, encouraging power, financial power, learning power, and so much more. Where is Jesus going? He’s going to be wih His people and so should we.

2- Beyond His borders

“but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:43‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus didn’t stay put. He moved all over the region. He was active in spreading the message to the most amount of people. He didn’t stay pint up in a cozy home after a day of work. He didn’t stay solely within the four walls of church. Jesus was and is on the move. He going to every nation and every group of people. His Spirit has no borders.

3- To the Unclean

“On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭17:11-16‬ ‭ESV

They had two strikes against them in the eyes of society: they were lepers, and they were Samaritans. Both of those things would have made them unclean in the sight of others. Our world is full of ‘unclean’ and outcast people. It’s important for us to remember that we are one of them apart from Christ. We might as well put ourselves in the place of the lepers in this story because that is exactly how we were before Him. His mercy on us is our only hope just as it is for all those who remain shunned by the world.

4- To the Hated

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

Luke 19:1-5 ESV

The tax collectors were among the most despised of Jesus’ time because they worked for the evil occupiers of the region (the Roman Empire) and often times exploited the people and took more than what they were supposed to. But Jesus didn’t hate them. Jesus doesn’t hate anyone! On top of going to Zacchaeus’ home, He also called Matthew, another tax collector, as one of His disciples. Jesus didn’t minister to the favorable. He didn’t just go to those who were safe. Jesus even went to those who society either didn’t think would ever be saved, or who society didn’t want to be saved.

5- To Seclusion to Pray

 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Luke 5:16

Jesus never neglected the act of praying. Without prayer, we can’t remain connected to our power source. Prayer is the cord that plugs us into the power inlet. That’s why we’re told to never cease praying, and sometimes that means getting alone, away from the distractions. Jesus wants to draw us into these secluded places for a refreshing.

Jesus is alive and active. He is going far more places and to far more people than just these. His Spirit is both in us, and moving throughout the entire world. Are you willing to follow? Am I?

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

The Trees in your Garden

~ ForCommonGround ~ 7 Comments

14-10-13-michael-berg-in-the-middle-of-the-garden-of-eden

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)

There is something innate in all of us that wants the one thing we can’t have. We don’t have to look any further than the Garden of Eden to know that humanity lacks thankfulness on an epic scale. For that is what leads to seeking that which we do not have. We can have the world, and all the goodness therein, and yet be lured into wanting the one thing that leads to our destruction.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul said to be thankful in ALL things (5:18). That has to be a typo right? How can I be thankful when my car breaks down? Well, considering that only 55% of those living in Russia, 35% in Mexico, and 6% in India own a car, I think I can find thankfulness in even owning a car. Or how about when a loved one passes away? If they were a believer in Christ, it was the best thing that could have ever happened for them! How about losing a job? That happened to me too. It turned out to be a sweet divine redirection in my life. I had my whole life mapped out, problem was, it was not the path the Lord knew was best for me. Thank you Lord for not allowing me to walk of course! How about that crippling physical injury that derails your life? Check! I have battled a near debilitating back injury for near 20 years now. It ended my competitive sports career and plagues even the most menial activities in my life today. Could it be worse? Absolutely! No matter the curve balls in life, we can find thankfulness in them all.

What causes ‘want’ in the human spirit? Being discontent. I know people who are never happy no matter the job they have, the person they’re with, the amount of money they make, the place they live, etc…I’m certain they would unhappy living in the Garden of Eden. I think most all of us would be. Why? Because we don’t know the art of being thankful in ALL things. We have lost touch with the garden that God has placed us in. If you know thankfulness in all things, bless you! It is definitely possible to have but hard to grasp. Until we can be happy with little or nothing, we will never be happy with plenty. No matter our abundance, it won’t be enough. Even if we had the whole world, and all the goodness therein, we would want more.

Adam and Eve had the best this world had to offer, before corruption existed. After God created it all, He said that it was good. Two people, with dominion over the entire Earth, full of goodness, still fell into the trap of wanting what they did not possess. I have an amazing wife, wonderful children, and live in one of the most affluent nations in the world. My garden is lush. Yet at times, I find myself wanting that which I don’t have. It can be subtle and it can be blatantly obvious. But it only happens when I am not as thankful as I should be. When I’m not being thankful, I complain, I want what I don’t have, I stress, I get worn down, and I don’t treat others as I should. With a picture like that its fair to say that the unthankful person is not a pleasant one to be around. I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.

In the book of James it says that godliness with contentment is great gain. That’s because contentment exist in those who are thankful and it is the thankful person that can carry out his/her mission of loving others and loving God well.  The thankful person does no wrong to another. The thankful person cannot covet. The thankful person won’t steal. The thankful person would dare not murder. The thankful person loves the sovereignty of God in all it’s outcomes and would wish no different. If there are trees in his garden, that God says don’t touch, the thankful person praises the Lord for making the danger known, and joyously avoids them.

Our enemy is after our joy. He wants to point out all the things God is ‘withholding’ from us as if God doesn’t love us enough to let us have them. He wants to keep us striving for more, wanting different, looking for those greener pastures. Satan never wants us to forget about those trees in our garden. And our gardens will go unnoticed by us if all we see are the forbidden trees. We all have different decks that we’ve been dealt in this life, all of which we should be thankful for because God allowed it to be so. I know that will rub some the wrong way because really hard things happen in life, but it is still true. In his book, Holiness day by day, Jerry Bridges makes the suggestion that our faith is measured best by our level of thankfulness towards God.  I think that’s a fair assessment. After all, how can we claim to believe in a holy, good, just, and loving God who would go to the lengths of dying for us on a cross and not be thankful for all He allows in our lives.

We can feel pain in thankfulness. We can suffer tears and maintain a thankful heart. Three years ago, the Lord took my father home after he suffered a traumatic stroke. That hurt to go through! Bad! But I am so thankful God did not allow him to suffer through the remainder of his life without the use of half of his body. And I am so thankful that my dad is enjoying the fruits of his salvation in Christ. Are you hurting? Are you battling fear and doubt? Are you discontent? I challenge you my brothers and sisters: find the good in all that you’re going through. The silver lining always exists because God really does work ALL things to the good for those who love Him and live for Him like the book of Romans assures us. Our God is sovereign over us and He is good. He has a love for us that we cannot fully understand. He made us, He died for us, He’s walked with us through our lives, and He has prepared a home unlike anything we can possibly imagine. For the sake of all those things, we can be thankful in everything. Bless you brothers and sisters!

…I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)