Hanging on for dear life?

There is a story about catching monkeys using a coconut. Heard it?  A hole is cut in the side of the coconut which is then hollowed out. Food is placed inside and the coconut is then left where a monkey can explore it. Finding food inside, the monkey inserts a hand, grabs hold making a fist, which prevents the animal from pulling its hand from the coconut. I do not know about monkeys, but I know many people who hang onto things so tightly that they become enslaved to them!  We do like to own ‘stuff,’ don’t we? In all honesty, I enjoy my comfortable home, a warm shower in the morning, and the conveniences that make life easier. It is not my intent to praise poverty.

Here is the challenge – how can we own things without becoming trapped by them?
Will we recognize when we are loving our stuff more than our God?
Will we allow sin to take us captive while we hang onto the things we have come to love too much?

Think deeply about this story about Jesus’ encounter with a rich young man. "As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’ ”

“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:17-23, NLT)  The main lesson here is not universal poverty! Jesus is not telling all of us to sell all of our possessions. This young man, though very moral, had a core issue with how he defined himself. He thought his life was defined by what he owned, so he needed a radical cure. In order to find God, he had to lose it all.  For some of us, that may be the case, too. 

Wealth makes it possible for us to control much of how we live. Very few of us really grasp what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray, “Give us our daily bread!” We have frigs and freezers full of food and jobs that provide a regular flow of income. And, there is nothing bad about that if we know that our ultimate supply comes from the Lord. But, when we begin to be anxious about the future, when we look at our car, home, clothes, or job and believe that those things make us who we are – there is a real spiritual problem.

Jesus confronts our American ideals. “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” (Luke 12:15) A fire burned rapidly through much of a California town yesterday.  I watched so many residents on camera who were stunned, all that they had, lost in a few moments. One man stood in front of what had been a warehouse full of collectible items, irreplaceable things. Now he looked at a ruin, piles of ashes. But, he was still who he was before his things were lost. Yes, of course, there is sadness about those things, but he can still love and laugh and worship. But, many of those people, confusing having things with having life, will go through major times of crisis and even depression.

Want to stay free of the coconut’s trap? Practice the spiritual discipline of generosity. No, you don’t earn points with God by giving a buck to beggar! That is not the point. You learn to put what is in your care in the right place.  Make a first line choice to give, generously, regularly, and from the first, not the last, part of what you have.  For my entire adult life I have made tithing (giving 10% of my income) a regular practice. In times of little this remained my choice. Why? Because writing a check to my church (for the work of God), giving to missions, supporting charitable endeavors, is a practical way to wean myself from undue attachment to the stuff of life. There is joy in giving and blessings received from the Lord of it all – not just in larger stores, but in spiritual health. Make that choice and learn to live fully!

Jesus told a teaching story that we need to process and internalize. It may be familiar to you, but read it again, prayerfully. Here is a word from the Word.

“The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’ “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’

“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” He continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. " (Luke 12:16-24, The Message)

_______________

A rainbow and a child-like heart

While riding with a friend last week we were treated to a double rainbow after a rainstorm. I joked, “It must be a sign. What is God saying to us?”  Then, just as quickly, laughing I said, “Sure, it is just sunlight refracted through moisture in the atmosphere.”  Well, yes, that is the explanation of rainbows but why not take the gift that it is, a beautiful splash of color in a storm-darkened sky?  At our Vacation Bible School each year, we teach the children to do “God-sightings.”  We encourage them to look at life and see where God is at work.  The responses are often simple. “My cat climbed on my lap.”  “My Mom made me cookies.” “I found a pretty rock next to the sidewalk.”  God or just life? You decide!

Here’s my point this Monday morning. As we rush off to work let’s not just see what is right in front of our face, let’s pray for eyes to see the Lord at work. We do not have to become gullible or foolish, but we do need the heart of a child.  Here is how Jesus spoke to this. "One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:13-15, NLT)  We can become so ‘adult’ that the Spirit of God can pass by and we will miss the moment.

Does God only show up in rainbows, butterflies, in the church sanctuary, or in a baby’s giggles? You know the answer to that.  He is also found in the face of a homeless man, present in our greatest sorrows, and at work in our moments of trials. God is Omnipresent, but not always perceived!  He is working in the world and in us but sometimes outside of our vision because we simply do not look up, take it in, and become a part of what He is doing. I have one huge regret from the first 40 years of my life- an obsession with checking off the tasks on the urgent list of  'to do’s' caused me to miss out on so many of life's miracles. My face was often so close to the task, I was oblivious to the wonder happening around me.

With this realization, I am becoming less eager to 'finish a job' and instead I desire to know what God is doing, to understand the stories that are waiting to be discovered, to see God at work in the lives of people with whom I work and live and love. In learning to be a little more flexible, I am finding more wonder, greater joy. And I confess that old habits die hard! I still can get so goal-oriented I forget the joy of the journey.  God teach us to wait on you!

John tells us about some people committed to their pre-conceptions, gripped by their ideas about what God wanted. They were blind to the ‘kingdom of God’ however! They missed a miracle that happened right in front of their eyes. 

"Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed— lay on the porches.

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him and knew how long he had been ill, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I am trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your sleeping mat, and walk!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking! What an amazing development, a cause for celebration and rejoicing, right?   After 38 years a man is walking, whole, on his feet!  You would think that everybody who saw him would be infected with his joy, overcome with his excitement.  And, you would be wrong!    Read on -  

“But this miracle happened on the Sabbath day. So the Jewish leaders objected.

They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! It’s illegal to carry that sleeping mat!”

He replied, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Pick up your sleeping mat and walk.’ ”

“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”" (John 5:2-14, NLT)

I am just blown away by their myopia, their fixation with the rules, that robbed them of the wonder.   They didn't see a man just healed after 38 years of being crippled.  They only saw a man carrying his bedroll in violation of their religious traditions!   That was not the only time in Jesus' life when He ran into people who missed the miracle. In the 12th chapter of Matthew, we are told that he healed a man with a deformed hand.   There, too, the Pharisees only saw that He did it on the Sabbath, in violation of their prohibition against doing 'work,' so instead of rejoicing that a man was healed, they "discussed plan to kill Jesus."   

Yes, that is how easy it is to miss the miracle when we're consumed by our own pre-conceived ideas. I've missed my share of miracles, too, because I was focused on my plans, my ideas, my needs and unwilling to enter into the experience of another person in a way that let me feel their wonder, share their joy (or sorrow),  or see what God was really doing in and/or through them.

Today, the God of wonder is at work!  And He will be working in your neighborhood, and mine, too. The question is, will we perceive His work? Will we rejoice with those in whom He is working?

Here's a word from the Word.  It is Jesus' own words of frustration with those who could not, would not, see what He was doing.   Let these words challenge you to celebrate the wonder, to open your eyes to the miracles of the hand of God who is here, now!  

 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida!
If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around." (Matthew 11:16-23, The Message)

This Monday morning, keep an open heart to the Spirit.
Listen for the blowing of the Wind.

Look for the hand of God.

God-sightings! Let’s see and live in the Kingdom (under the rule) of God!
_____________________

Lord of all creation-

Of water, earth, and sky;

Heavens are your tabernacle,

Glory to the Lord on high!

Early in the morning,

I will celebrate the Light. 

When I stumble in the darkness,

I will call Your name by night.

God of wonders beyond our galaxy,

You are holy, holy!

The universe declares your majesty,

You are holy, holy!

Lord of heaven and earth!

Lord of heaven and earth!

God Of Wonders

Steve Hindalong

New Spring Publishing© 2000

CCLI License No. 810055

I saw that!

Occasionally I receive notes from people thanking me for helping them find their way. They usually go something like this - "Your teaching has changed me. I value the example I see in you."  I am encouraged by notes like that. But honestly, those notes are also like a cup of cold water in my face. They bring a sober reminder that someone is always watching.  Can I stand that pressure? I make no secret of my desire to be an authentic disciple of Christ. I’ll never pretend perfection. There are moments when my sinful nature rises up in all its ugliness. Thank God for His faithfulness! I am able to stand only when I realize that it is not me, but Christ IN ME, that makes the difference.

Disciple, have you gone public with your faith? We must, but when we do, we must know that others will be watching.   Jesus said our influence in the world is like the quiet life locked in a seed. "What is God's kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world. But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32, CEV) 

God’s Spirit works in us with life like a growing seed!  Jesus spoke of a tiny seed that grew into a huge plant; quietly, persistently, over time, drawing energy from sources outside of itself.  Are you drawing on the power of the Spirit, growing in Christ and His character, so that there will be fruit and shade offered to others through you?  We have a tremendous privilege, disciples:  we are called and equipped to be world-changers!   We fulfill this high calling in quietly influential ways; loving someone, praying with and for someone, being a person of integrity consistently.... and so much more.   What a calling.

Are you fearful of declaring, “Jesus is Lord” because you worry about falling down? 

Here is a great passage, one of my favorites from Paul. He writes of his assurance and he reminds us that it is not all up to us. Jesus is working through with the Holy Spirit.  Be encouraged to say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”   "But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?" (2 Corinthians 2:14-16, NLT)  

Who is up to the job? Here is a word from the Word that gives the answer!  "We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:4-6, NLT)

____________

Change my heart, O God.Make it ever true.Change my heart, O God.May I be like You.

 You are the Potter, I am the clay,Mold me and make me,This is what I pray. 

• Copied

 CoffeeBreak will be back next Monday. 
Taking a break to renew and refresh. Thanks for your prayers.

Let it SHINE!

A beautiful young woman in the prime of her life was murdered by a predator, her death brutal and ugly. To that horrible man, she was not a person, she was a ‘thing’ to be used and discarded in the most evil sense! The words of a young man on social media tore at me as he referred to women in language far too raw to repeat here. He did not see people, he saw objects. The news reported more bombings and attacks with dry statistics that objectified the actions obscuring the fact that people died, horribly.  And, I found myself in a moment of anger, thinking of another with less than blessed thoughts. In the moment, I forgot that he was a person to be loved.  

Oh the darkness that sin brings which hides the image of the Creator. Genesis tells the story of the jealous rage of Cain who killed his brother, Abel. And, so it has been since the dawn of human history and will be until the Kingdom of God is fully revealed. Fighting, killing, warfare, making people in objects; it’s what humans do and the demons dance! Christian we cannot shrug it off, excuse it away, or accept these things as ‘just the way the world is right now.’   We must be changed by our God into people that love, in the most profound way, and work to change the world by restoring what evil stole- value to each and every person. Jesus said “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matthew 5:14-15, NIV)

Light always dispels darkness! The oppressive gloom of a large room can be broken by the flicker of a candle. The fear that comes with the blackness of midnight gives way when the switch is thrown and light shows the way ahead. Are you, Christian, a light in this world? Are you committed to living the truth, bringing people together, resisting the prejudice and hatred that diminish the value of people God loves? We are people of the Light, filled with Light, and that Light spills from us. Ours is a high calling with powerful results. The light of just one can change the direction of an entire family, the tone of a whole workplace, the atmosphere in a school classroom.  Remember a humble little woman who served the dying in the streets of Calcutta? Mother Theresa started with a few people doing work in a place where her efforts were like a raindrop in the ocean. But, her witness shed light and her influence spread across the globe. 

Be a light. Will all admire you? (good place for a knowing chuckle) Of course not. Darkness hates light. Jesus said, “Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.” (John 3:20, Message)  Admired or reviled, His call remains - "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." (Ephesians 5:8-11, NIV)

Here is the word from the Word. Claim the promise and go let the light shine. 
"The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, 
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. 
But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. 
They have no idea what they are stumbling over." (Proverbs 4:18-19, NLT)

______________

This little light of mine 
I'm gonna let it shineThis little light of mine 
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine 
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Hide it under a bushel, no
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel, no
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel, no
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Public domain