You are a priest!

One of the privileges that a Pastor enjoys is being part of the emotional moments, the crises of life, that happen to those he shepherds. A baby is born and we celebrate. A death occurs and we comfort. Marriage gets stormy and we counsel. Disappointment comes and we console. We share life and connect those we love with the One who loves them most. That is what Jesus modeled for us in His ministry! He did not run from people's needs. He shared their lives, stepped into the fears and tears and storms and joy and pain. His Presence made a difference and it still does!
In Mark, there are two stories of His compassion that show me the depth of His care.

• In chapter 5, we meet a woman sick for years who is too fearful to face Jesus so she just tries to touch Him. When she succeeded, her faith allowed her to experience healing. Jesus sensed the touch and when she came out of the crowd trembling with fear, He gently called her "Daughter!" and then told her that her faith was rewarded.
• Wrapped around that little drama, we meet a desperate father whose daughter lay dying. Jairus pressed Jesus to come to his home, but the delay on the way brought word she died. Jesus' words are so tender and challenging - "Don't be afraid, just believe!" And he saw his daughter restored.

An important part of being a shepherd of God's people is remembering that it's not about me, but rather about becoming a priest that connects people with the grace, peace, and wisdom of God. It's all about Jesus Christ! Never forget that, disciple. Don't get in the way of what the Lord wants to do through you, by thinking it's about you. Serving Christ and becoming a minister (and every Believer is a minister!) is not about giving you or me a sense of importance; it's not about providing a way to gain affirmation; and it's not about creating a list of wins and losses. It's about letting the Presence of Jesus Christ be known as we share life with others. The Word says, "The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less." (Colossians 1:27-28, The Message)

As you walk through this day, let yourself be touched! Take an active interest in the people you among whom you live and work. Connect them with Jesus and stand amazed at what He does for them.

Here's a word from the Word. I pray it challenges you to a renewed sense of ministry. ". . . for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9-10, NLT)
________________________

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds,
In a believer's ear;
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds
And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded Spirit whole
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul
And to the weary, rest.

Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With ev'ry fleeting breath;
And may the music of Thy name
Refresh my soul in death.

How Sweet the Name
John Newton © Public Domain

Wrinkles and Wisdom

I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror this morning and wondered who that old guy staring back at me was! Grandpa Scott- that's me! All grown-up, just starting the last quarter in this game of life. Aging is inevitable, but not maturity! Some men die of old age while still thinking and acting like a teenage boy. I don't want to be one of them.
Maturity gives a person the freedom to choose to master his impulses because he understands that he won't 'just die' if he doesn't get what he thinks he needs or wants.
Maturity clarifies the truly important from the merely urgent. Maturity refocuses the man from image-building to authenticity. It allows a person to live 'now' instead of waiting for some ideal set of circumstances to develop so that he can really live.
Maturity brings acceptance (not apathy!) of spiritual gifts, opportunities, and yes -even limitations - and in that acceptance is found the fertile soil in which real effectiveness grows a rich crop of spiritual and relational fruit. Instead of striving to become somebody's ideal, the mature man is content to be the best at who he is.

The Word urges us to grow up. "No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd." (Ephesians 4:14-17, The Message)

For the disciple, maturity develops from two things: Commitment to the Truth and a Radical obedience to Christ.

We will not mature as long as we hide from the truth - about ourselves, about life, about what we've done or who we are. Jesus said it simply: "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Truth can be devastating. Admitting that we sin and fail, letting the Spirit of God and/or those He brings into our lives tell us the the truth, won't always be much fun, but if we face it, God will give us grace to deal with it as necessary.

James, that practical teacher, reminds us of the importance of acting on the truth. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25, NIV)

We will not mature if we let discipleship remain an idea that is separate from 'real life.' James tells us to 'do what the Word says!' By way of illustration, he goes on to say, "Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world." (James 1:26-27, The Message)

Disciple, it's time to grow on. You're going to get older and there's not a thing you can do about that. Match aging with maturity and then you will be able to enjoy the blessings of being all grown up.
____________________

I am Thine O Lord; I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me.
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord,
By the power of grace divine.
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord.
To Thy precious bleeding side.
I Am Thine, O Lord
Fanny Crosby © Public Domain

Who going to pay for it?

I encouraged dreaming yesterday. I hope you didn't take that as permission to get lost in silly fantasies. With a child-like faith, allow yourself to think about how God wants you to go against the flow, how He is asking you to apply yourself to make a difference for the Kingdom. Somebody asked me, "And just where do I get the resources I need to make that dream into a reality?" With confidence I can say, "If your dream is inspired by God, and if you're willing to work hard and think 'out of the box,' He will provide!" A story from Genesis makes that point.

"Dad, we have the flint and the wood for our sacrifices, but where is the sheep for the offering?" Abraham and Isaac were on their way to Moriah. Both are filled with questions. One of them is wonders where the lamb is and the other is trying to understand what God is doing and why! The account of the testing of Abraham in Genesis 22, wraps up with a Hebrew proverb.... "When you get to the mountain, God will provide." That was how Abraham responded to his son's question. "Isaac, God will see to it that there is a sheep for the offering." In other words, "we will just keep going and see how He works it out."

Is God calling you to some sacrifice, has He pointed you down a road filled with challenges that you have NO IDEA how to overcome? "When you get to the mountain, God will provide." If you're at all like me, you prefer that He show you the plan BEFORE you get to the mountain. Being the planning type, I rest better when the route is laid out, the provisions set aside, and the outcome is assured. There's nothing wrong with purpose and planning, but God reserves the right to CHANGE our plans and not to tell us what He's doing. That is why faith is a basic requirement for living out His dreams in our lives. "It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, NLT)

When He calls us to take up His challenges, He is not cruel nor is He impulsive. He wants us to know that it is His doing, not ours. He is leading us into new revelations of Himself. Deeper vision; greater dreams!

The text of Genesis 22 gives us no insight into Abraham's emotions on that three day journey to Moriah. What is underscored is that he was obedient and trusting -- even though everything he had built his life around -- God's covenant, the life of his beloved son -- was on the line. It appeared that God had kicked the legs out from underneath him, that God was a deceiver who gave with one hand and took away with the other. But Abraham did not accuse God, rebel against God, or even resist. After receiving the Word of the LORD, the Bible says, 'early the next morning, he got up and saddled his donkey' to go and obey!

I think he must have kept repeating to himself, "God will see to it. God will provide" over and over and over. What would God do? The writer in Hebrews says that Abraham considered that God could raise his son from the dead if necessary!

You know the story. As he raised the knife to slay his son, God spoke. "Enough! I have seen the depth of your love." The Message translation concludes the story like this: "Abraham looked up. He saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Abraham took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. He named that place GOD-Yireh (God-Sees-to-it!). That's where we get the saying, "On the mountain of GOD, he sees to it."

Live obediently today.
Keep moving toward the mountain trusting that when you get there, GOD-Yireh, the One who sufficient and able, will 'see to it' giving you just what you need at that time! He will because He is faithful.

Jehovah Jireh, my provider,
His grace is sufficient for me, for me, for me.
Jehovah Jireh, my provider,
His grace is sufficient for me.

My God shall supply all my needs,
According to His riches in glory.
He will give His angels charge over me.
Jehovah Jireh careth for me, for me, for me.
Jehovah Jireh careth for me.


© 1974 Sound III, Inc. (Admin. by MCA Music Publishing) / Universal -MCA Music PublishingCCLI License No. 810055.

What of those dreams?

Dreams can be so sweet, fun, even hilarious. Our dreams are woven out of the experiences, images, and ideas stored in our brain. They are, in part anyway, our hopes and fears amplified, played out on the stage of our imagination. I often dream of family gatherings, of my children and grandchildren. The fact that they all live at a distance means nothing in my dreams. My brain gathers them all 'round the table as I sleep! In my dreams, I can be a child again; or I can journey to places far away; or I can overcome limitations that life imposes on me. Sometimes dreams turn dark. I have awakened from those nightmares with my heart pounding, only to realize that the man or beast that was chasing me existed only in my brain, much to my relief! More than once, I come to consciousness much relieved that things said or done were confined to my brain, only the stuff of dreams!!

Dreams can be useful, a place to work through life's challenges. More than once, in a dream I have solved some problem, or gained some insight. How does that happen? I believe that when our minds are freed from the limits imposed by our consciousness, there is an opportunity for the creative work of the Spirit of God to be accomplished in us. The Bible speaks repeatedly of God using dreams to reveal His will or His purposes. In the book of Genesis, we are told that Joseph saw the outlines of his future in a teenage dream that stayed with him through decades of slavery and imprisonment until he came into prominence in Egypt. His brothers mocked his dreams. Later, friends forget his dreams. But, those God-given dreams made Joseph the man who saved his people. Jesus' earthly Dad, another man named Joseph, learned of God's amazing plan for Mary and himself in a dream. "After he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:20, NIV)

We also speak of dreams in another way. We say that a future goal is our dream. Those who inspire others to reach higher are called dreamers or visionaries. These people can be hard to live with because they are possessed by a discontent with things as they are. They are compelled to stir things up, to make others uncomfortable in pursuit of that which only they can see. A person who loses the ability to dream, or whose disappointments brings about the death of his dream, becomes the captive of his circumstances, a drone who just exists, dragging himself to work, then home to watch more TV, fall asleep, and do it all again the next day. The Proverb reminds us of the power of dreams saying, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18, KJV) The Message gives a deeper insight into that verse: "If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed." (Proverbs 29:18, The Message)

Let me ask you two things today:
Do you dream godly, good, and inspired dreams?
Are you submitting your dreams to the Lord, asking Him to whisper of His purposes and plans to you?

In these difficult days, when sin increases, challenges multiply, and many situations are overwhelming - a new vision is much needed. Ponder this promise of inspiration! Invite the Spirit to make these words true in you.
Here's the word from His Word.
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." {my note - They will become God's spokesmen in this world!}
(Acts 2:17-18, NIV)

______________________________

Father, teach me to dream again.
Yes, I pray you will keep me from empty and escapist fantasies!
Protect my heart and mind from the sinful impulses of Self.

Holy Spirit, work deeply in me today,
giving me a vision for the way You want me to live.
Let me 'see' what You're doing,
hear what You're saying,
so that I will lead the way to the kind of world You desire.
I ask this confidently in Jesus' holy Name. Amen.

Who needs Heaven?

Heaven! That future home has been on my mind more these days.
Isaiah caught a glimpse of Heaven and it changed his life. When the Lord allowed him to see the wonders of the Throne Room of God and the angels that worship God perpetually, he was overcome by the realization of his sinfulness and cried, "I am doomed because I am a filthy man!" (Isaiah 6) And, in response to his confession, God made him clean, fit for holy service.

Paul tells of being lifted up to Heaven, seeing visions that were too holy to describe. Those visions sustained his faith through a life of unbelievable difficulties in his ministry and near the end of his earthly journey allowed him to face his pending execution with this hope: "now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return." (2 Timothy 4:8, NLT)

John, in that book of unveiling, The Revelation, tries to describe other worldly visions with this world's language. He gives us language that shapes Heaven for most Believers, including such ideas as streets of gold, gates of pearl, and streams of pure water. Who can really fully understand all that John means with statements like these? God "took me away in the Spirit to an enormous, high mountain and showed me Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God, resplendent in the bright glory of God. The City shimmered like a precious gem, light-filled, pulsing light. ... The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate a single pearl. The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass." (Revelation 21:10-11, 21 The Message)

While I anticipate the amazing beauty of the City of God, the best part of Heaven is the promise that says, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4, NIV) Oh, what joy! The Lord I love now only in part, I will then love with no distance. The hand of Jesus will dry my tears and I'll never cry again, ever. No regret, no pain, no disappointment, no longing for what cannot be, no loneliness exists where God, in all His Fullness, holds us close and banishes sin. "After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." (Revelation 19:1, NIV)

Does all this talk of Heaven strike you as irrelevant, just the musing of someone who is trying to escape the pressures of this present life? That's how I once thought, too. I had little time for Heaven for I said, "there's just too much living right here and right now to 'waste' time thinking about Eternity. I'll enjoy it when I get there!" What a foolish boy I was. Heaven is for now. A Christian who does not have Heaven in view on the horizon of life will wander, become distracted by earth's pleasures, and even lose heart when the questions outrun his answers.

A firm grasp on the promise of Heaven and the disciple's assurance of eternal life is what keeps him on track, holy and wholly committed to a godly life. The Word says, "We have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth." (Colossians 1:3-6, NIV) In The Message that passage reads thus: "We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. It’s the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you’ve been hungry for more." Isn't that rich?

Plant your heart in Heaven. Invest yourself in God's work, as Jesus said, "laying up treasure" that is beyond the reach of decay, rust, or thieves! Let the hope of your Eternal Home keep the lines of purpose taut!
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O, heaven is in my heart, O, heaven is in my heart.
The kingdom of our God is here, Heaven is in my heart.
The presence of His majesty, Heaven is in my heart.
And in His presence joy abounds, Heaven is in my heart.
The light of holiness surrounds, Heaven is in my heart.

His precious life on me He spent, Heaven is in my heart.
To give me life without an end, Heaven is in my heart.
In Christ is all my confidence, Heaven is in my heart.
The hope of my inheritance, Heaven is in my heart.

We are a temple for His throne, Heaven is in my heart.
And Christ is the foundation stone, Heaven is in my heart.
He will return to take us home, Heaven is in my heart.
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Heaven is in my heart.

Heaven is in My Heart
Graham Kendrick
© 1991 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)

CCLI License No. 810055