One of the most remarkable things in the life of Christ is that He uninhibitedly touched people.
He touched the decaying flesh of lepers and bounced children on His knees. He touched the dead who were brought back to life. This is the same God centuries earlier who descended on a mountain wrapped in dark clouds, peals of ear splitting thunder and holy fire. No one was to approach the mountain or they would die (Exodus 19:12).
Now in human flesh the Son of God who is without sin touched fallen humanity.
But only a few people touched Him in the deepest way. Take the woman who had an issue of blood whose trembling finger tips reached for the hem of His garment. Her thread bare faith pulled His power out of Him so that she was healed. It says, "And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?" (Luke 8:45, KJV).
Peter's natural mind missed it. Jesus was not talking about the the crowds of people with their hands tightly pressed against Him, jostling and elbowing one another for God's healing touch. There is a touch that will always move the heart of God. Song of Solomon 4:9 tells us that God is ravished by a single glance at our eye. Beloved, when we touch His heart there follows a full revelation of His glorious face! We have captured His attention.
All it takes is a crumb of understanding God's mercy like the woman who pleaded for her daughter. Her response is remarkable after Jesus was silent only to describe children's bread being tossed to dogs (Matthew 15:21-28). She said, "Just one crumb from the Master's table - You are My Master - it will be enough for me! You are the Bread of Life. Not one crumb of Your bread though broken and tossed to the ground will ever lose it's power!"
We must press past the voices that try to lock us out of His Presence. Why would He heal you after what you did to your body? Don't you know God hates divorce so why are you asking Him to be remarried? You spend your money so foolishly so what makes you think He'll give you a promotion?
There was another woman who touched the heart of God. She passed through a room full of religious crust-harden men. She broke a box of costly perfume and poured it over Christ's head. There at His feet she wept and dried them with her hair. It says the glory of a woman is her hair (I Corinthians 11:5}. Her glory was fallen and ruined but she understood His glory was mercy (Matthew 9:13). The men hissed and vexed her by saying, "What waste!" Yes, the perfume was spilled out but her act became a memorial for all time where ever the gospel is preached.
Many want Jesus to touch their lives but few have truly touched Him. Beloved, take a moment with Jesus and rehearse His promises in His hearing. Faith in His promises in a God who is bound by His word to perform it since He can not lie will always moves His heart. This is the touch that causes the Lord to turn and say, "You touched Me."
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Why Do You Seek The Living Among The Dead?
The women came to the tomb bringing spices for Christ were confronted by angels who asked, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" (Luke 24:5). They came to see a dead Christ not a living, resurrected Savior even though He told them He would rise from the dead.
How often do we find ourselves returning to the grave of ruined things and places in our lives? We find ourselves searching for something we can't quite understand that might give us some hope of a better life. Yes, we know the Scripture tells us that all things - bad and good - work together as He purposes but our expectation is very much the same. How can anything good come out of this mess?
We think of the wasted and lost years spent foolishly on selfish pursuits. Those precious moments like sand slipped through our finger tips. In its wake are broken relationships that seem beyond repair, even redemption. The consequences for our selfish and sinful choices left much of our lives in a smoldering ruin of decay and rubble.
Beloved, the question the angels asked is one that God ask us today. Why are you going back and rooting among the ruin of your past looking for some resemblance of a life you wanted? God brought down Jericho, a type of stronghold, when the Israelites entered the Promise Land. He warned them not to take anything from Jericho but one man disobeyed. Israel was defeated when trying to capture another city. In the end, the man and his family along with his possessions were destroyed. When we are fixated by the past, the luster of fool's gold will only lead to death.
When we first repented and confess, His blood blotted out our sins. It's under the blood! Don't recall or root among the ruins! I'll say it again. It's under the blood! He does not remember them. God does not live in a grave yard of sinful dead man or woman's bones. We are new creatures in Christ quickened and brought from death into life. So why would the living seek life among those things that are dead?
Beloved, the enemy will use every means to have you reconsider the past as something that was not that bad (compared to what?) and something to be desired. He wants to keep your expectations low and narrow that a full resurrected life is beyond your reach. To this we can say to every wicked power what Christ said to a dead man who heard his name being called: "Lazarus come forth!" (Luke 11:43). God calls us out of the grave and into abundant life.
Listen and move toward Him.
Don't look or go back (Luke 17:32).
How often do we find ourselves returning to the grave of ruined things and places in our lives? We find ourselves searching for something we can't quite understand that might give us some hope of a better life. Yes, we know the Scripture tells us that all things - bad and good - work together as He purposes but our expectation is very much the same. How can anything good come out of this mess?
We think of the wasted and lost years spent foolishly on selfish pursuits. Those precious moments like sand slipped through our finger tips. In its wake are broken relationships that seem beyond repair, even redemption. The consequences for our selfish and sinful choices left much of our lives in a smoldering ruin of decay and rubble.
Beloved, the question the angels asked is one that God ask us today. Why are you going back and rooting among the ruin of your past looking for some resemblance of a life you wanted? God brought down Jericho, a type of stronghold, when the Israelites entered the Promise Land. He warned them not to take anything from Jericho but one man disobeyed. Israel was defeated when trying to capture another city. In the end, the man and his family along with his possessions were destroyed. When we are fixated by the past, the luster of fool's gold will only lead to death.
When we first repented and confess, His blood blotted out our sins. It's under the blood! Don't recall or root among the ruins! I'll say it again. It's under the blood! He does not remember them. God does not live in a grave yard of sinful dead man or woman's bones. We are new creatures in Christ quickened and brought from death into life. So why would the living seek life among those things that are dead?
Beloved, the enemy will use every means to have you reconsider the past as something that was not that bad (compared to what?) and something to be desired. He wants to keep your expectations low and narrow that a full resurrected life is beyond your reach. To this we can say to every wicked power what Christ said to a dead man who heard his name being called: "Lazarus come forth!" (Luke 11:43). God calls us out of the grave and into abundant life.
Listen and move toward Him.
Don't look or go back (Luke 17:32).
Saturday, June 14, 2014
When The Music Plays
At the sound of music, King Nebuchadnezzar order everyone to bow to his golden image or be thrown into a blazing furnace (Daniel 3:4-6). The king represents the spirit of this age that threatens unbelievers and believers alike to bow to his ruling influence.
Only those who have allowed the separating work of the the Holy Spirit will be able to resist such threats and intimidation. There is no mixture, pollution or worldly hold in their hearts that causes them to compromise or yield. Such were the three Hebrew men who refused the king's order. They were thrown into the furnace heated seven times (verse 19). But God was present and walked among the tongues of fire that did not consume them.
So too God will be with us in times of testing and difficulty to bring about a testimony of His sustaining power to keep us. God will do much more than deliver us. He will break any stronghold in our lives that keep us bound. The ropes that bound the men melted like wax enabling them to walk freely with Christ!
Right now you may be going through a difficult time. Bills are stacking up with little money left for food. Your rent is overdue and you wince when opening the mail box. Any day the eviction notice may arrive. Or you are falling behind at work with the heavy demands and responsibilities. Soon the boss will call you into the office to give you a warning. Your health is not doing well. Recovery from what was a simple cold has turned into something worse and you fear the outcome.
In these times, we must not bow to the spirit of this world that tells us to compromise or give up on following Christ. As if abandoning Him to follow in the way of the world will make life any easier! No beloved, let the king or spirit of this world play their songs and bow to their mute, deaf and impotent gold-plastered god.
We hear a different song - yes, a song in the night - that cheers our hearts and causes us to follow the Lord right into the furnace. We have this promise in Isaiah 43:2, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (KJV). So we say, "Lead on, King Jesus, lead on!"
Be encouraged beloved. One day when this life has passed with all its pain, trials, heart aches and dark seasons, we will look upon His lovely face. It says, "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" (Revelation 5:9, KJV).
There in that heavenly place when the music plays, we bow to the King of Kings who has walked through fire and the raging rivers of death to bring us home.
Only those who have allowed the separating work of the the Holy Spirit will be able to resist such threats and intimidation. There is no mixture, pollution or worldly hold in their hearts that causes them to compromise or yield. Such were the three Hebrew men who refused the king's order. They were thrown into the furnace heated seven times (verse 19). But God was present and walked among the tongues of fire that did not consume them.
So too God will be with us in times of testing and difficulty to bring about a testimony of His sustaining power to keep us. God will do much more than deliver us. He will break any stronghold in our lives that keep us bound. The ropes that bound the men melted like wax enabling them to walk freely with Christ!
Right now you may be going through a difficult time. Bills are stacking up with little money left for food. Your rent is overdue and you wince when opening the mail box. Any day the eviction notice may arrive. Or you are falling behind at work with the heavy demands and responsibilities. Soon the boss will call you into the office to give you a warning. Your health is not doing well. Recovery from what was a simple cold has turned into something worse and you fear the outcome.
In these times, we must not bow to the spirit of this world that tells us to compromise or give up on following Christ. As if abandoning Him to follow in the way of the world will make life any easier! No beloved, let the king or spirit of this world play their songs and bow to their mute, deaf and impotent gold-plastered god.
We hear a different song - yes, a song in the night - that cheers our hearts and causes us to follow the Lord right into the furnace. We have this promise in Isaiah 43:2, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (KJV). So we say, "Lead on, King Jesus, lead on!"
Be encouraged beloved. One day when this life has passed with all its pain, trials, heart aches and dark seasons, we will look upon His lovely face. It says, "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" (Revelation 5:9, KJV).
There in that heavenly place when the music plays, we bow to the King of Kings who has walked through fire and the raging rivers of death to bring us home.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
The Blessing of Happiness
Today I recalled a favorite hymn entitled Trust and Obey by John H. Sammis. The chorus is thought provoking. Trust and obey, For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
During my childhood it was easy to trust my parents. It took no effort to trust they will provide shelter, food and clothing. Of course, obedience proved difficult as I was willful and woefully stubborn. My parents taught me to trust and respect those in authority like police, teachers and pastors who were looking out for my safety and protection be it spiritually or physically. But as the years rolled on, I became increasingly aware not everyone was to be trusted or believed. People said and did hurtful things. Some abused their authority to subjugate using threats and various forms of punishments.
Sadly, some of these experiences questioned trusting God though He never gave cause not to be trusted. He will always remains faithful and true.
If anything is lost in trusting Christ is the blessing of happiness. Psalms 146:5 says, Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God" (KJV). This happiness is not the world driven happenstance when circumstances goes their way or when they have a problem free day. I'd venture to say to some measure this substance of godly happiness is not even found in church gatherings with its emotionally charged worship or encouraging messages.
No, beloved, when we truly trust the Lord there is a peace and rest that floods our heart. Our source of happiness or joy is not dependent on our favorite worship songs or the pastor's encouraging sermon. It does not draw from a community of believers who may be upbeat and optimistic.
In other words, the Holy Spirit does a deep work in our hearts to help us mature in trust regarding His sovereign control in every area of our lives. In response, we experience a joy (a blessed happiness) that we are loved and from this place we are able to obey willingly.
In this world people want to see authentic happiness and they find it in the people of God who have learned that no matter the storms, the failures and violations of others, the difficulties and pain can still smile through the rain. They have learned to trust and obey Him which means bringing happiness to His heart.
And that is what matters the most.
Pleasing the heart of God who is happy to bless those who trust and obey Him.
During my childhood it was easy to trust my parents. It took no effort to trust they will provide shelter, food and clothing. Of course, obedience proved difficult as I was willful and woefully stubborn. My parents taught me to trust and respect those in authority like police, teachers and pastors who were looking out for my safety and protection be it spiritually or physically. But as the years rolled on, I became increasingly aware not everyone was to be trusted or believed. People said and did hurtful things. Some abused their authority to subjugate using threats and various forms of punishments.
Sadly, some of these experiences questioned trusting God though He never gave cause not to be trusted. He will always remains faithful and true.
If anything is lost in trusting Christ is the blessing of happiness. Psalms 146:5 says, Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God" (KJV). This happiness is not the world driven happenstance when circumstances goes their way or when they have a problem free day. I'd venture to say to some measure this substance of godly happiness is not even found in church gatherings with its emotionally charged worship or encouraging messages.
No, beloved, when we truly trust the Lord there is a peace and rest that floods our heart. Our source of happiness or joy is not dependent on our favorite worship songs or the pastor's encouraging sermon. It does not draw from a community of believers who may be upbeat and optimistic.
In other words, the Holy Spirit does a deep work in our hearts to help us mature in trust regarding His sovereign control in every area of our lives. In response, we experience a joy (a blessed happiness) that we are loved and from this place we are able to obey willingly.
In this world people want to see authentic happiness and they find it in the people of God who have learned that no matter the storms, the failures and violations of others, the difficulties and pain can still smile through the rain. They have learned to trust and obey Him which means bringing happiness to His heart.
And that is what matters the most.
Pleasing the heart of God who is happy to bless those who trust and obey Him.