"We Would See Jesus"

It's a small brass plaque, sort of like this one, that's followed me from Juliette GA to Valparaiso, FL. Given to me at the beginning of my ministry as a pastor, it has been placed in front of me on every pulpit I've preached behind. The idea behind it is sobering - to remind the preacher that no one should be coming to hear his words. People should be drawn to Jesus.

"We would see Jesus" John 12:21 (KJV) Is what's written on it.

We don't use the pulpit here at New Hope anymore, preferring to try to give the congregation an unencumbered shot at the preacher. :) Actually, since I don't use notes very often, and space is at a premium, we chose to remove it. I was walking by it yesterday and removed the plaque. But I'll never remove the instruction from my mind and heart.

When I stand up in front of the congregation, I do so believing that the Holy Spirit has breathed words into my mind that He will use to exalt Jesus and draw people to Him. As much as possible, I prepare by studying the texts, looking at the contexts, searching for the most illuminating commentaries and illustrations in order to file in my mind the material that could persuade sinners like me to step out of the status quo and into the life giving flow of the Spirit.

The best preparation I do though, is pursuing Jesus - personally and searching for more of Him just as "those certain Greeks" did. I want to see Jesus, too.

Pray for all of us who are given the honor of preaching the Word this weekend. Ask that our Father might be glorified as the Son is lifted up and people are drawn into the Kingdom of God.

Are You Afraid of Jesus?

Sitting here in my home office getting ready for a very busy Wednesday night at New Hope. They are a blur of activity from every angle - worship practice, fellowship meal, kids, youth, and adult study and prayer. Over the last few weeks I've been praying over and through every step we take each week, asking God to be known to us and for Him to use our imperfect efforts for His perfect will.

We have to go into every gathering not wanting "a good service" or "a good small group" or whatever, but wanting God to be glorified and Jesus exalted. Praying that today and realized just how dangerous a prayer it is. You see we make plans. On a normal Wednesday we have several servant leaders who work very hard to prepare to lead their areas of ministry. Hopefully they are wanting the Kingdom advancement I pray for too.

So what if it happens? What if Jesus shows up and does more than we'd expect Him to? What if He changes things we never even hoped or prayed would change because we thought it wasn't very likely. What would our reaction be?

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41 (NLT)

They've seen Him heal dozens - lepers, paralytics, whoever came forward to Him with a need. No one had ever done that in the history of Israel. And yet, when circumstances changed, they panicked and forgot all that - forgot everything. Desperately they asked Him to do something.

He did something. Something beyond anything they'd ever thought to ask for.

And it scared them more than the prospect of imminent death

Here's my question.

Are we afraid of Jesus - of what He could do if we prayed without restrictions or reservations, believing fully in His power and authority over everything in this life and beyond?


Think about it. Pray about it.


"Do you still have no faith?"

 A Little bird told me....

Bunny and I are wishing Spring forward with everything we've got. After last week's arctic weather here, we've stepped our efforts up even more. We look for every possible sign of progress toward the wonder that is Spring. Just last evening we noticed that it wasn't dark when we left the church whereas it had been in December. The tree trimmers are at work pruning in preparation too. Good signs.

We need it. Darkness and cold weather can really discourage folks who live for the light and warmth of summertime like us. Add a dash of tiredness, a little grief, and sprinkle a pinch of worry and you have yourself a real discouragement casserole.

What do you do when you get discouraged?

Do you sink back into the gloom?
Pretend you're not?
Or do you look hopefully for signs that no matter what you see, God sees you?

For some reason this old song popped into my head while I prayed this afternoon. I wonder how many people it has helped over the years to remember - If God is for us, who can stand against us?

Why should I feel discouraged
and why should the shadows come
why should my heart feel lonely
and long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion
a constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches over me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches me

29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin*? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

God is good. All the time.

Grace and peace,

David

Family... Matters

God brought me here going on eleven years ago to pastor a church named New Hope. My dream was to come and live among a group of people for the rest of my ministry. To stay here long enough, and to go through life together enough for Bunny, me, and Sean to be adopted into the family of believers that were already here. That happened a few years back, and since then we've grown together as family. We're an average sized church for the Southern Baptist Convention. Students of church growth would identify us as a "family-sized" congregation which carries the idea that we know each other well enough to know when one of us is missing or hurting. Doesn't mean we're all related by blood.

But then again, it does.

All of us are sinners who were saved through grace thanks to the blood of a sinless Savior shed for us.

I love my family fiercely. Whatever the time day or night, I am there for them, offering my heart and whatever else I can bring to the point of need. They have done the same for us. Didn't come immediately upon my arrival here, though I had the position of pastor right away. But as I have seen them hurt, seen them laugh, seen their tears, shared their joy, helped with their trials and shared life - New Hope is my family.

Was reading Shaun Groves' blog today. Shaun's got a great heart for the least of these and mad skills as a singer songwriter and ambassador for Compassion. He captured what being part of a church family like New Hope is all about.

Around Jesus that day was a ragtag group of followers who shared a common purse. Judas was the treasurer. Money went in. Money was shared. But more than cash, the group shared life – dust filled walks with the Rabbi, fish for breakfast on a lake’s shore, narrow escapes from angry mobs, blind men seeing.

They shared it all.

Jesus didn’t ask the rich official to give all and then live a lonely miserable life. He asked the man to give all and join a community that would give him all of themselves.

“Then come, follow me.”

That kind of intimacy can't be "programmed" or ordered from the latest Outreach catalog. You can't download it from Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll or the like. It acknowledges needs, flaws, and failures - and embraces them in a way that redeems them. It always hopes for and believes the best for each other, but doesn't run away when things go bad. It stays and prays - stays and works - stays in anticipation of what God is going to do next through us.

All it asks for - is all of you. Just as you are. Not the "let me clean up and put on my happy church face" you. The one that has doubts and fears. The one with the kid problems, marriage issues, that struggles with finances and relationships. The needy, sinful, everyday - you. And I can not imagine living life any other way.

For me, family matters.

Recap - Sunday 24 January 2010 @ New Hope

It's so good to be able to gather with friends to worship the Lord at New Hope. It was awesome to see Bill and Harriet Standifer back from their holiday travels as well as others who were visiting. I shared with the congregation just how grateful I was for the  blessing of worship today.

We had rehearsed four songs which is a lot for us. We usually only do three in the set, but we did all four today plus the commitment song.

Better Is One Day
God With Us
In Christ Alone
I Will Rise
My Jesus I Love Thee

We did pretty well I thought with them, but I didn't like the way they didn't flow together (or feel like it, anyway.) I'm praying about how we can find a "zone" in worship where we just let God be God and exalt His name in praise. Sometimes it all just seems so "this is the part when we sing", and now "here's the preaching." Really going to spend some time praying through it this week. Pray with me.

We continued the focus on going deeper with a look at the parable of the soils in Mark 4. There's so much information and contextual depth that it's a real challenge to preach. I opened with a video of world famous violinist Joshua Bell playing in the Washington DC metro station as commuters just stream by without stopping to listen. Bell sells out performances all over the world, performing with his priceless Stradivarious. But in that context, with those people, very few heard him. The music and the messenger were the same that had sold out the theater the night before. The problem was the listeners didn't "have ears to hear."



Then I began the message. The powerpoint is below.



It's hard to gauge response after sermons like today's. Having been here for over ten years now, I know a lot about the "back stories" some of us come to worship having lived. The personalities and struggles of some are known as well. But for me, my hope is that I teach the truth in a way that lets the Holy Spirit do the convicting and not the pastor's words. My prayer today is that some who found themselves as one of the three "soils" who were not growing to become what God had planned for them will decide to change.

If they don't, it's not because the Word failed them.

He who has ears to hear let him hear.

No Greater Love

No one has greater love than the one who gives his life for his friends.


The apostle John knew what love looks like first hand. He saw in the life of Jesus someone who would go into places to rescue people when no one else would. Jesus deliberately went to those who were in the grip of sin that would lead to death, and rescued them. That came to mind in a vivid way this week.


Friday morning I was honored to be invited to the graduation of 1 Lt. John Vandivere from the Explosive Ordinance School which is based on Eglin AFB. While I was there, I kept looking past the line of men and women that were graduating to the wall behind them. The EOD school is unique in that it's the only school in the military that brings all four services together to train them. It's a demanding school with a high failure (wash-out) rate. We're so proud of Jon for making it through.


The ceremony was held at the EOD memorial, and the wall held strips of brass under the seal of each service. On each strip was the name of someone who had paid the ultimate price for the love they had for their friends.  There were so many. All I could think of was that each one on that wall made decision after decision to give their life away.


EOD deals with the most wicked and dangerous weapons in the enemy's arsenal. The devices they see can be hidden, booby trapped, remote detonated, even hidden in children's toys. If as the office in command said only 6% of Americans volunteer to serve through the military, the percentage of people who then say "I'd like to run toward explosive devices when everyone runs away" must be a sliver of a percent.


The danger is obvious. The reward, less so to many. And yet the wall and the line of people of Jon's class and the ones before and after it will give testimony that some do get it.


Friend, true love always runs to the needs of others and usually regardless of the personal cost. C.S. Lewis said "To love at all is to be vulnerable..." - that is, open to be hurt. In a sense, every person who follows Jesus has to be ready to go and to give everything to see others rescued by Christ's love. Love is action. Following Jesus is to go where He leads and just so you'll know, it isn't always to the easy places with "nice" people.


What have you risked for the love of Jesus and His love for all the world?


Pray about that. Then Do Something!


And Jon...

Our prayers go with you as you serve our Lord and our nation. Godspeed, brother.

Deeper Into the Parables

Image via Wikipedia

The overarching theme I feel God is leading us by this year is to press forward for greater intimacy with Christ through study of and transformation by His Word. Our outreach and ministry plans are far beyond our earthly ability to do. We need God to do what only He can do or we'll fail. And so we want to dive deep into the Scriptures.

Mark's Gospel Chapter 4 is one of those passages that can take us there. We'll be examining it and being examined by it Sunday. The parables found there will force us to think about the Kingdom of God and how it works. We want to know.

Unlike what the author of one of my favorite books wrote as a prologue.

NOTICE

PERSONS attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.

BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR, Per G.G., Chief of Ordnance.

So start reading Mark 4 again and again, and allow the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do.

What? Who? When? Now what?

Been prepping all week not just on tomorrow's message but looking at the calendar and trying to plan the weeks up to Easter. Having had a church conference last week where we sketched out where we are headed this year in ministry and outreach, I got some understanding of what God is calling us to do. I LOVE being in those situations where the people of God get together and listening to the Holy Spirit, we come together with a shared sense of His call to all of us.

We've challenged ourselves, that's for sure. But it's God's call on our lives and we'll go forward trusting in Our Father to guide and to provide.

We're going to drill a well in Africa with the Water Project. The girls in Child2Child worked with them last year. 53 people will have clean water for ten years as a result. But with a deep well, thousands will benefit over the same period. It'll cost $4500. That's insane for New Hope to take on. And yet, I believe if you ask anyone who was at the conference, they will tell you it will happen because it is God's will for us to be the conduit His resources flow through to the least of these.

We're going to do it by telling the story of what God has done in us and through us to as many people as we possibly can. We'll have a booth at the Saturday in the Park here in Valparaiso and we hope to build on the success we had with our Advent Conspiracy store to help us fund the well while also helping other ministries fund their work.

We're going to help our friends at Relay for Life twice again this year.

We're going to show movies in the local parks at least twice to give back to the community and also to give them the opportunity to bless others.

We'll do the "Rice and Beans" event again to benefit the Amazima ministry in Uganda. God blessed amazingly last year through New Hope and we want to see that happen again.

And there's more. VBS, mission trips...

Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Beach Baptism, Thanksgiving and Christmas ministries and whatever else God sends our way.

If ever there was a church that could give a follower of Jesus something to do that would make a difference, it is New Hope Baptist in Valparaiso Florida.

Lord God, let us see You gathering workers and resources and scattering both in the dry places. Multiply New Hope's people and her impact.

Found!

After two days trapped in the rubble of his own home, toddler Claude Redjeson was running out of time. But in the aftermath of the destruction, rescuers from around the world have and are converging on Haiti with one mission in mind - save lives. Ordinary people from around the world with an extraordinary passion for saving lives.

A team that had been in Spain the day before, and arrived in darkness amid devastation, defied the dangers and pulled Claude from the jaws of death. Félix del Amo, a Spanish mountain rescuer and diver, along with Óscar Vega Carrera, a Spanish firemen, succeeded in getting Redjeson out of the rubble.

Look at the picture of Claude as he's presented to his mother. Awesome!!!

He was lost, but now he's found.

I know how that feels.

A rescuer came for me one day and pulled me out of death's grip. Forever. His name was Jesus, and all I had to do to be rescued was acknowledge my need, His ability, and accept His leadership over my life. I chose faith in Jesus.

It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. 9 Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. 10 With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!" Romans 10:8-10 (MSG)

Do you know someone who is trapped?

Bring them to Jesus. Or bring Jesus to them. But go!

Are you trapped? Pick up a Bible and read it. Spend some time asking Jesus to reveal His love for you. Decide to follow Jesus.

You should see the look on HIS face when you do.

Grace and peace,

David
Visit with me at my blog:
http://itslikeherdingcats.blogspot.com/

Visit with Bunny at her blog:
http://henleythegreatdane.blogspot.com/

Or visit New Hope!
http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Reading Through The New Testament - Mark 7

Just to refresh your memory, I'm using the Discipleship Journal's reading plan to journey through the NT this year in my devotional reading. The plan has you reading a chapter a day 5 days in a row with a two day break for reflection. I've kept the pace in reading but journalling here - not so much. I'll try to catch up.

One of the challenges for me is not pulling out the tools I use when preparing to teach and just reading for the purpose of allowing the text to work on me. So if the comments seem to be "top of mind" and not theologically deep or particularly precise - that's by intention. I'm determined to let the Word work in my heart without my "help."

So, Mark Chapter 7

- Rituals and traditions and traditional people. Apparently Jesus didn't go through all the ritualistic washing of hands that the professional religious people did. And His disciples picked that up from him, or perhaps there was a big disconnect between what the common people did in practice and what the priests and those like them did. Always one of the biggest sources for friction in churches - one person or group decides what everyone should do/follow.
- They called out Jesus on it and He was having none of it. "Hypocrites!" Then He played the prophet card and quoted Isaiah.
8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.
Mark 7:8-9 (NLT)
- and He gave examples. This confrontation was sharp and personal. And Jesus kept giving example after example and said there were "many more." No doubt the Pharisees were furious.
- Then He called the crowd over and let them know what the specific problem with substituting man made tradition for God's way is - you live the wrong way - valuing the wrong things and not relying on God in everything.
- Then He left and went into a home to get some peace and the disciples pressed Him for more information. He tried to help them understand that following God wasn't about food or traditions but about how you lived in response to God's grace. Your actions - not what you ate or drank - helped you see where you are with God and determined whether you could count yourself as His.
- Then a curious episode with a gentile woman follows. Given the mess with traditional Jews just prior, this seems especially harsh on one end and especially Jew-centric as well. Given Jesus' response though, I think He was testing the woman to see if she had heresay faith in what Jesus could do, or faith in Him for Who He is.
- The chapter closes with a trip north to Tyre and Sidon where the crowds were warm and Jesus healed a deaf man in a way He never had done. Perhaps there was some regional belief that method played into - don't know as I read this. But the man was healed and miraculously was able to hear and to speak plainly.
37 They were completely amazed and said again and again, “Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak.”
Mark 7:37 (NLT)

Reading Through the New Testament - Mark 6

Picking up again in my journaling through the New testament.

- 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any mighty miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.6 And he was amazed at their unbelief
Mark 6:5-6 (NLT)
- Well, two things here "he couldn't because..." and "he was amazed..." So what happened here to limit God's work and amaze the Lord of the Universe?
- Is unbelief "kryptonite" to God's work? And again - to "amaze" God's Son? makes me wonder if the people there were so sold out to their own beliefs of what God could do that they acted as if they had never considered the possibility that God cared or could care about them.

Then the disciples (including Judas) were sent out...
- sent out - with the bare minimum and forced to contact and persuade the people they met to support their mission, even if only by simple hospitality.
- what must it have felt like to those disciples to have the power of God flow through them and do what they knew they could not have done?
- is there actually a "dust off your feet" action today?
Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.
Mark 6:20 (NLT)
- wonder how many of my friends who are preachers know the feeling that some of the people looking back at you on Sunday have some of the same traits - appreciate you for what you are - but are disturbed by what they hear and still keep coming back.

37 But Jesus said, “You feed them.” Mark 6:37 (NLT)

-I keep reading the account of the feeding of the 5,000 and always stop right here. Jesus was a miracle worker for sure, but there's usually a human connection and in this case it is especially strong. He has the disciples do everything THEY can and then He does what only HE can. Following Jesus has always been that way.
They were totally amazed,52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. Mark 6:51-52 (NLT)

- "They" and "their" here are the disciples. If they still don't get it after all they have seen and heard by this point, I wonder what the average person today needs to cross the line to faith in Jesus. Are we artificially compressing the timeline when it actually might take years.

Great? Awesome? - Not Us - Him

We're coming off the most successful year in the history of New Hope Baptist Church and yet Bunny and I had a very in-depth conversation recently about where we are as a church. And the consensus was that we really have some areas that need improvement. There are places where we are doing all we can do that need improvement and some that we could benefit from some help. Nothing new, but something to pray about and work through as we go into the new year. Some things need to change.

Sitting here praying/thinking about that conversation. "Best year ever!" still echoing.

If you take a look at what happened through the people of New Hope in 2009, then went back and took a roll call of how many we are I think you'd come away from a strictly human perspective and say "I don't know how they did all that."

Most of you have probably had the experience of having someone bring up in conversation how great their church is and how glad they are that they go there. "We have awesome _________ ." Our ________ is great!" They have a story to tell about some part of their church that they see as excellent and carry that belief into action by sharing it.

What I could tell people about New Hope is that we have a great God, loving people, and a passion for seeing the Kingdom of God draw near. But we're not great.

We have people who love God and serve people both within the church family and far, far outside the walls. I love them deeply. Bunny and I have poured our lives out here and walked down some hard roads with our friends at New Hope and also experienced many many joys in the journey. Our teachers are devoted to God and to their classes. Our worship team seeks to lift Jesus and help the rest of our gathering do the same. My heart's cry every Sunday is that when I bring the Word of God to the people that they would find that the Holy Spirit is at work here.

We're a small church with holes. We're not great, or awesome.

God is.

If we as a church accomplish everything we planned to do the other night in church conference, and even more besides, it won't mean that we've turned the corner and are great.

It will mean that God chose us for His glory.

And that what happened was only possible because He was in it. 

We'll keep working to improve, but I never want to lose the wonder and amazement of looking back at what happened and knowing that it was impossible for us to do.

God is great. God is awesome.

We're not.

"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? 5 When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, 6 and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' 7 Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.
Luke 15:4-7 (MSG)

Saturday I came up to the church to do some work that I normally do on Sunday morning. My thought was that it would be a lot warmer then. Actually the difference between anything below 40 degrees seems to be irrelevant to my body, but I digress. :)

Some of our young people were up here playing their Star Wars RPG and came walking over to the office followed by a cute dog. "Brother David, this dog just showed up and we don't know where he came from." The dog didn't have a collar or any identification and I didn't recognize it. But I told them I'd figure out what to do with it.

It was a really cute pekinese type dog, with beautiful fur and was very friendly. Yes, it was a little unsure of all the strangers, but when I picked him up his shivering quickly ceased. Still, it was so cold I could not see leaving the dog to find it's way home. The picture of that puppy outside later when darkness fell was unacceptable.

I saw Jim, Mary, and Ka'rin Quinnell over in the fellowship hall and walked over to ask them what they thought I should do. They agreed that the pup was too well kept to be homeless and probably belonged to someone nearby. They suggested I call the Valparaiso Police and ask them if they had any reports of lost dogs. So I did. You get an idea of how small Valparaiso is by the dispatch operator's offer to send a police car to pick up the dog. I told her that since I had to pass the city hall on the way home, I'd drop it off, but first I wanted to drive through the neighborhood and see if anyone had lost him.

So I started praying that God would help me find the owner and that this little one would be able to be in the arms of someone who loved him. I walked over to the Honda dog-mobile and we drove away from the church. 50 feet past the first corner, I saw a couple of women loading up an SUV. I had the dog in my lap and it went off into vibrate mode and they lit up like the sun.

"Kiki! Where have you been?" And the celebration began. :)

Mission accomplished.

As I drove on home, I couldn't help but think of what it must look like in heaven when God's children are "found". I know that the good people who are part of our churches need care, need instruction, need everything we can reasonably give. But my heart tells me that God's heart for the lost should be our heart too.

It's an awesome feeling to be a part of getting someone (or some dog) "found". I hope we get more opportunities to experience that here at New Hope in 2010.

Grace and peace,

David Wilson

It's Christmas - Again!

Franklin the postman just left me a Christmas present that Bunny had ordered for me but which couldn't be delivered until after Christmas. It's a T shirt that is just COOL looking and the proceeds from it go to help the Dixon family adopt a child from Africa. Their website is here. Go Seek Love

The Dubois family produced the shirts originally to help fund their own adoption, but now are helping others.

Awesome that the Body of Christ is finding new ways to reach out and to draw closer.

Thanks to my beloved, it's Merry Christmas!  for me today and for the Dixon family and their hoped for child later.

2009 Recap

What a year!

Stand Firm!

Was reading earlier about the some of the darkest times in history. Moments in time when it looked as though all was lost  - and would have been if it wasn't for some individuals that said "I will stand firm."

Christopher Columbus was under great pressure the last few weeks of his journey to find the New World. His crew was threatening mutiny, but he kept telling them, just a little while longer. In the face of opposition that would have robbed him of the fulfillment of his mission, he stood firm.

George Washington, if he had been pragmatic about the army he commanded at Valley Forge, would have seen only the army of that winter, not the renewed and strengthened one he saw in Spring. He looked ahead and stood firm.

Winston Churchill looked across the Atlantic where Germany had consolidated its conquests by kicking the last British troops into the sea at Dunkirk and went before the English people and told them not to quit - that this would be their finest hour.

They held onto hope until things changed. They stood firm. What's the secret to doing that?

The great British General Wellington, when asked after Waterloo the difference between his victorious troops and the beaten French said this "My men are not braver than the enemy. They are just brave 5 minutes longer."

If we can learn from history, we can certainly hear and learn from God's Word right?

3 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.14 And do everything with love1 Cor 16:13-14 (NLT)

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.2  Thess 2:15 (NLT)

There are far too many times people quit when if they had just held on a little longer they would have realized what they longed for.

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.
1 Peter 5:12 (NLT)

Peter - biggest failure there was, who once He experienced the risen Christ became the Rock Jesus saw he could be.

Rocks stand firm. Peter did once he let his love for and faith in Christ rule His life and overcome his fears..

There's still time to decide that your future is not going to depend on your goodness but on God's grace. Still time to rely on the strength of God in you rather than your own strength. Still time to retrace your steps back to where you stepped out of God's will. Go back and decide that the next time you are tested, you'll stand firm.

Grace and peace,

David

Was reading earlier about the some of the darkest times in history. Moments in time when it looked as though all was lost  - and would have been if it wasn't for some individuals that said "I will stand firm."

Christopher Columbus was under great pressure the last few weeks of his journey to find the New World. His crew was threatening mutiny, but he kept telling them, just a little while longer. In the face of opposition that would have robbed him of the fulfillment of his mission, he stood firm.

George Washington, if he had been pragmatic about the army he commanded at Valley Forge, would have seen only the army of that winter, not the renewed and strengthened one he saw in Spring. He looked ahead and stood firm.

Winston Churchill looked across the Atlantic where Germany had consolidated its conquests by kicking the last British troops into the sea at Dunkirk and went before the English people and told them not to quit - that this would be their finest hour.

They held onto hope until things changed. They stood firm. What's the secret to doing that?

The great British General Wellington, when asked after Waterloo the difference between his victorious troops and the beaten French said this "My men are not braver than the enemy. They are just brave 5 minutes longer."

If we can learn from history, we can certainly hear and learn from God's Word right?

3 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.14 And do everything with love1 Cor 16:13-14 (NLT)

15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.2  Thess 2:15 (NLT)

There are far too many times people quit when if they had just held on a little longer they would have realized what they longed for.

My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.
1 Peter 5:12 (NLT)

Peter - biggest failure there was, who once He experienced the risen Christ became the Rock Jesus saw he could be.

Rocks stand firm. Peter did once he let his love for and faith in Christ rule His life and overcome his fears..

There's still time to decide that your future is not going to depend on your goodness but on God's grace. Still time to rely on the strength of God in you rather than your own strength. Still time to retrace your steps back to where you stepped out of God's will. Go back and decide that the next time you are tested, you'll stand firm.

Grace and peace,

David

Follow up to Mark 5 -

MAN OF THE TOMBS
Bob Bennett
© 1989 Matters Of The Heart Music (ASCAP)

Man of the tombs
He lives in a place where no one goes
And he tears at himself
And lives with a pain that no one knows
He counts himself dead among the living
He knows no mercy and no forgiving
Deep in the night he's driven to cry out loud
Can you hear him cry out loud?

Man of the tombs
Possessed by an unseen enemy
He breaks every chain
And mistakes his freedom for being free
Shame and shamelessness equally there
Like a random toss of a coin in the air
Man of the tombs, he's driven to cry out loud

   Underneath this thing that I've become
   A fading memory of flesh and blood
   I curse the womb, I bless the grave
   I've lost my heart, I cannot be saved
   Like those who fear me, I'm afraid
   Like those I've hurt, I can feel pain
   Naked now before my sin
   And these stones that cut against my skin
   Some try to touch me, but no one can
   For man of the tombs I am

Down at the shoreline
Two sets of footprints meet
One voice is screaming
Other voice begins to speak
In only a moment and only a word
The evil departs like a thundering herd
Man of the tombs, he hears this cry out loud

   Underneath this thing that you've become
   I see a man of flesh and blood
   I give you life beyond the grave
   I heal your heart, I come to save
   No need to fear, be not afraid
   This Man of sorrows knows your pain
   I come to take away your sin
   And bear it's marks upon My skin
   When no one can touch you, still I can
   For Son of God I am

Dressed now and seated
Clean in spirit and healthy of mind
Man of the tombs
He begs to follow, but must stay behind
He'll return to has family with stories to tell
Of mercy and madness, of heaven and hell
Man of the tombs, soon he will cry out loud

   Underneath this thing that I once was
   Now I'm a man of flesh and blood
   I have a life beyond the grave
   I found my heart, I can now be saved
   No need to fear, I am not afraid
   This Man of sorrows took my pain
   He comes to take away our sin
   And bear it's marks upon His skin
   I'm telling you this story because
   Man of the tombs I was

Reading Through the New Testament - Mark 5

- The demon-possessed man - always reminds me of the Billy Crockett song about this event. Very moving.
- So this crazy guy runs up to Jesus and his followers and "bows low before Him." The picture I get is of Jack Nicholson in the Shining. Had be to kind of spooky.
- Looking at the way it plays out, Jesus apparently noticed him at a distance and called to the spirit to come out of him before the man ran up to him.
- Then Jesus demanded that he give his name.
- Poor pigs.
- "And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone."
- So He left.
- But the picture of the man, now in his right mind wanting to go with Jesus seems very tender. "No, go home to your family and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."
- All the way home the man told everyone he met.
- How tiring must it have been for Jesus to be constantly around needy people - giving.
- The Jairus encounter is moving on several levels. A father's desperate plea - a woman's last chance - and Jesus once again noticing people in need.
- "daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over."
- So the man with the daughter is standing there - what is he thinking? is he charitable about the woman's need being met, or is he thinking "my daughter is dying."?
- And now the news comes that she is dead. They told the father directly but Jesus overheard. The father's heart must have broken at the news, but Jesus said "Don't be afraid. Just have faith." I cannot imagine the range of emotions in the father's heart.
- The crowd was already beginning to react to the news and Jesus stopped them and made sure He took only those He wanted with Him to the home.
- The wailers and mourners already had begun their work when Jesus arrived. "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead; she is only asleep."
- The crowd laughed AT HIM. Not sure that's going to be something they wanted to answer for later in judgment.
- But maybe by the force of His personality or sheer force of will He forced them to leave.
- Jesus then took the girl's mom and daddy and the three disciples and went upstairs and taking her hand in His said to her "Little girl, get up." How many times have we done that with the boys when they were little, smiles on our faces anticipating another day of joy. Jesus gave this girl many more days of joy.
- Everyone was blown away by what happened and it seems that they had trouble getting a grip until Jesus spoke again and told them not to spread the news of what happened and to get the girl something to eat.

Baffles me how much the disciples saw during Jesus' ministry and still seemed to harbor doubts about Him. Just how many times did they need?

Reading Through the New Testament - Mark 4

The last chapter really was packed with events and repercussions. This one begins with Jesus back near the water, teaching. I decided to pick up the Message to try and take some of my tendency to bullet point away.

- He taught by using stories. Parables. I like the way Eugene Peterson's Message paraphrase has Jesus asking "Listen, what do you make of this?" at the beginning of the story, then again "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
- then it became for the disciples about how to understand the stories and what the stories were for more than what the stories said.
- "There are people - whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, whose ears are open but don't understand a word, who avoid making an about face and getting forgiven." (MSG)
- "There is such shallow soul of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it." I've certainly seen that happen in the lives of people over the years. When everything's wonderful, God is good. But when trials come they wonder where He went.
- I love the picture of the ones who "hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams." To embrace the Word is in a sense to embrace the One Who gave it.
- "Are you listening? Really listening?"
- I have to think back over the years to all the sermons I have heard and spoken. How often did anyone really hear? How often did I embrace the Word and go out to produce fruit?
- "Giving, not getting is the way."
- "God's Kingdom is like..." When I hear that, I think of someone trying to explain to another what a place they have lived is like. It's hard to really capture the sights and sounds of anywhere, isn't it?
- So Jesus tells another story that the people who are listening can relate to. Peterson writes "He was never without a story when He spoke."
- "When He was with the disciples, He went over everything, sorting out the tangles and untying the knots."
- Then Mark presents an event where Jesus showed His power over nature and the disciples showed their lack of faith. "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we are going down?" seems hurtful to me. To presume Jesus didn't care just is jarringly wrong. The reprimand that follows is harsh but deserved.
- "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?" I think for most of us though there are times when if we aren't careful, we are overwhelmed with the situation we are in and forget Whose hands we are in. If His eye is on the sparrow, I know He's watching me.
- "They were in absolute awe." - seems to me to be the absolute best response to everything Jesus did and is doing right now.

Lord, I pray that my faith will stand the storms and that I will never doubt Your concern or Your care.