I was really looking forward to getting to my reading today. . . that’s really nice because honestly, I have not felt genuinely excited about reading my Bible lately.

Matthew 3:4 – John the Baptist was out there . . . . bold, brave, loud and lived a very “weird” lifestyle – locusts and honey while wearing camel hair. . . if we haven’t gotten it yet, yes. . . . God can use everyone!

3:17 – God the Father says “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” – not a lot of direct quotes in the Bible – Father to Son, but those words resonate with this Dad. . . I can almost hear it because I have said it many times myself.

Luke 3:5 – valleys being filled and mountains leveled. . . Jesus is the great equalizer – He puts everyone on the same level.

3:10-13 – people are freaking out because John is going OFF on the religious leaders, and the people ask “what shall we do” – here are John’s responses:

     – to the people – give to the poor, and feed the hungry

    – to the tax collector – don’t take extra money – i.e., live with honesty and integrity

   – to the soldier – don’t lie, don’t take extra money, and be content - i.e., embrace truth, integrity, and be content.

You know, I do believe that though there are standards that we should all live by, I do think that those of us with authority and power have MORE responsibilities to bring glory to God. . . things like - living with integrity, not abusing our power, not being money-hungry, and living with gratefulness/contentment.  

3:19,20 – John could not help but proclaim truth, even though it got him thrown in jail. . . and eventually his death later on.

John 3:17 – my favorite verse! It is a constant reminder to me that if Jesus did not come into the world to judge it, why would I ever DARE to? Someday there will be a judgement day, but it is very clear that my job (and the job of Christ Followers) is to love people and show them Jesus – not judge them.

3:27-end – John’s disciples are a little upset that Jesus is hogging more of the baptisms. . . I think they lost site of the big picture – we’re all on the same team. My question though is why was John still baptizing people? He clearly understood that Jesus was greater than he, and that Jesus was baptizing with the Holy Spirit, and so why did John just not refer everyone to Jesus, and likewise, why did Jesus not tell John to stop?? I am not sure of the answer, but I am thinking that God knows we all are at different stages of our faith journey, some Jews might have only been “ready” for water from John, while others were fully committed, and wanted to be with Jesus. I know that God is a God of choices. . . this might have been one of the first choices He gave to people after Jesus’ started His ministry.

—- I love reading about John the Baptist because here’s a guy who grew up knowing Jesus (they were relatives), and yet did not doubt God’s anointing of Jesus when the time came (unlike the rest of the people who previously knew Jesus, including much of his own town, and family). I love his boldness in the face of religious leaders, and his humble acknowledgement of not being worthy to even carry Jesus’ sandals. What would it be like to have your entire purpose in life to come to fruition in one day, and in that fulfillment you would began to lose your own fame, popularity, and power. I respect John – he followed through with his assignment. I know there are some doubts that come later, but he really came through on “game day” – he prepared the way of the LORD and then. . . . got out of the way – that is a true servant showing true commitment and humility.

Mathew 2: 1-12 – we do not know (but presumably not) whether or not these wise men were Jews, and yet God used them in a tremendous way to encourage Mary and Joseph and bring glory to Jesus and the Father. God also personally spoke with them. . . let us never underestimate God’s ability to use people outside of our beliefs – He is not limited in any way. Let us also never underestimate God’s desire to bring ALL people to Him. . . shepherds and wise men were summoned long before any of the “faithful” came.

2:16 – satan has no limits to his destruction as Herod, with a word, kills all boys in Bethelemham 2 years and younger.

2:22-23 – It seems as though Joseph had little knowledge of the “prophets” since he did not know where to go back to in the land of Israel – though it had been fortold that the Messiah would be a Nazarene (i.e., from Nazareth). . . God can use you regardless of the level of your knowledge.

Luke 2:8 – have you ever wondered who these shepherds were?? They were no ordinary shepherds because the particular sheep that they protected were no ordinary sheep – read below:

excerpt from bible.org

Now admittedly, the sheep around Bethlehem were the exception, not the rule. But these were no ordinary sheep. They were sacrificial lambs. In the early spring they would be slaughtered at the Passover.

And God first revealed the Messiah’s birth to these shepherds–shepherds who protected harmless lambs which would soon die on behalf of sinful men. Whey they saw the baby, could they have known? Might they have whispered in their hearts what John the Baptist later thundered, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

2:15 – it is no coincidence that the honor of to be the first visitors of Jesus were outsiders (wise men) and nobodies (shepherds). Furthermore, it was no coincidence that both groups were called to leave their comfort zone, their stability, their job/home to find Jesus. . . . He is still waiting for us, just outside of our comfort zones.

2:19 - but Mary kept all these things in her hear and thought about them often – what a relevant comment to any parent. There are many days or moments that I need to remind myself about all the wonderful things about my children and the great things to come. . . why? . . . because in those moments – they’re not being that great! I am sure that Jesus still had poopy diapers at inapportune times, fussed when he was teething, didn’t like certain foods, and all the other “normal” things that are not sins, but not appreciated either in the moment. Mary could always think to herself. . . yeah, but he is the savior of the world, and remember those angels, shepherds and wise men. . . - which probably helped in those moments!

2:25-40 – Story of Simeon and Anna - a couple things stand out. First, God loves the elderly just as much as everyone else. . . I wish our culture did the same. Second, in verses 34 and 35 – the clear declaration of opposition to Jesus and also that a sword will peirce your [Mary's] very soul. . . . that had to be tough to hear (only 8 days after giving birth).

2:48 – doesn’t get any more real than this – Mary and Joseph have been panicking for 3 days looking for Jesus, and they phrase their comments in aggravation towards their child (like many of us parents do) – assuming he has done this on purpose (another assumption we as parents often make): “Son”, his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your Father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

2:52 – Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people - my daily prayer for my children.

John 2:3 – ok. .. seriously, Mary had to have seen Jesus do some crazy stuff in the past for her to simply tell him “they have no more wine” and Jesus to read that comment as asking Him to do something about it. .. . I love it! It’s like an inside joke between mom and son . . . and then even though Jesus says no, Mary still tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do – lol, ha! I love it. . . . this is not her first rodeo – she’s seen stuff before. . . I can’t wait to hear the stories someday

2:6 – ok, 180 more gallons of wine. . . .this is after all the other wine had been consumed. I love how Jesus’ first miracle is so couldn’t-see-this-one-coming type of deal. . . I think it sets up his revolutionary 3 years pretty well – many things that none of us will completely understand or predict. Why? I’m not completely sure but I do know a few things from this miracle:

   1. Only the servants got to actually see the water turn to wine. . . everyone else just saw the results - serving Jesus opens your eyes to miraculous things.

   2. Jesus chose a celebration to first reveal His glory, and a marriage no doubt. . . the union that symbolizes the trinity moreso than any other . . . Jesus wants us to be able to celebrate in our lives.

   3. Who was this bridegroom that he would be honored with such a blessing?. . . . but I suspect. . . he was a “nobody” – Jesus seemed to like those types of people a lot. Somebody or nobody. . . doesn’t seem to matter to Jesus that much. . . why does it matter so much to us?

2:13-16 – Jesus throws down in the temple. I love this passage because it surprises me. Not because this is one of the few times that we see Jesus get overtly angry, but because it says he “made a whip“. I don’t know about you, but when did my savior learn how to MAKE a whip? – He did not buy one, have someone else do it for him, or find a whip. . . he MADE one, and then goes on to use it effectly to drive out people and cattle. . . you have to know what you are doing to do that – and that takes a lot of practice. Last time I checked, there’s not a lot of uses for a whip in carpentry?? Obviously this was a hobby in His past somewhere, and for some reason. . . that makes Him more human to me, because I just think that’s awesome – I would love to learn how to use a whip! . . and maybe he had the exact same thought when he was a young man.

2:24-25 – I always tell my classes that this is the passage that proves Jesus was a psychologist – But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like. I don’t think he was taught this in school or in carpentry, and so my guess is. . . . He learned this the way that most people do in their lives, through betrayal of friendships, miscommunication and misunderstandings, watching the effects of lies and sin in others. . . . make no mistake, Jesus knew what real life and real relationships entailed – a lot of pain.

I have never completed a bible reading plan for at least thirty days straight. . . there, I said it. . . . my confession of failure. There is no ONE reason that prevents this - it changes based on what is happening around me. However, I have discovered through my time in India and a dear friend of mine’s death last week that. . . it is time to take intentional steps to be the person I want to be – there is no time to waste. As stated by Mark Beeson this past weekend, – READ MY BIBLE – simple, not easy.

I’ve never done it, . . . but I’m going to try it again. I always say that I want to get closer to Jesus, and yet in the area of scripture, there is little evidence that I really desire that. As I told my students this morning in class, if you truly want something, you WILL make time for it.   It is time to test how badly I really want to know Jesus and follow Him. It is time to stop talking about it. . . . . it is time for real, practical, daily steps towards my goal.

I found a great 30 day reading plan through the gospels today on youversion.com - so I downloaded the app. I know this journey will guarentee several things:

- It WILL be inconvenient most if not all the time

- It WILL loom over my head some days as I struggle to get other things done

- It WILL get me closer to Jesus

- It WILL help me place scripture into its proper place of authority, priority, and influence in my life

-It WILL help me be a better husband, father, teacher, and friend

-It WILL cut me deeply – cutting away parts of me that are me. . . and not yet like Jesus.

-It WILL bring God glory

Time to begin. . . . I have so much other stuff I SHOULD be doing right now, but it is time to read my bible. . . I have no evidence that I will see this through till completion. I have started out strong many times before. . . we’ll see

Mathew 1, Luke 1, John 1

Thoughts:

Mathew 1:6 – I am always amazed that Bathsheba – the sign of David’s worst hour – is in the blood line of Jesus. She is the mother of Solomon. . . I love God’s incessant need to turn the worst into the best – it’s what He does!

1:25 – I love how the Bible mentions that Joseph did not have sex with Mary until after the baby was born. . . was that really necessary to mention that? God is not ignorant to the fact that Sex is a powerful force – for good or evil – moreover, Joe’s resistence provides great evidence that he really did believe Mary and the Angel (just ask any guy to justify this. . .). Btw. . . I also think this is one reason why churches never use this passage during the Christmas season – just because they don’t want to say sex. My thought is – if the enemy is spending so much time and energy trying to downplay the importance and “specialness” of sex, maybe that should clue us into how much we should be talking about it??

Luke 1:3 – The scientist in me loves the scientist in Luke!

1:7 – how many years of agony did Zechariah and Elizabeth face without having children, and yet they were faithful (verse 6). Faithfulness is not proven during good times, but during difficult times.

1:17 – I love the fact that one of the powerful things that John is going to do according to the Angel of the LORD is “Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children” – guess they had that problem too. . . wish that change would have stuck.

- Both Zechariah and Mary questioneg Gabriel’s message, but Zechariah doubted its truthfulness – whether or not it would happen; whereas, Mary questioned “how” it would happen.

1:61 – from day 1 John was different. . . “there is no one in all your family by that name” – he was breaking social norms before he could even sit up. . . maybe that was part of the preparation he was doing for Jesus!

1:78-79 – I just love this line – Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. So, what is the morning light (i.e., Jesus) going to do? It looks like first on the list is to bring light to those who are in darkness or death. . . and #2 to guide all of us to peace.  Don’t really hear lot of wealth, ease, or long-life in there. Maybe I should be having those as my top two priorities as well??

John 1:4-9 – alot more talk about Jesus being the “light” – how am I a light?

John the Baptist was bold, honest, and humble . . . what great characteristics for a man of God.

1:35 – 51 – it is always amazing to me that the first 4 disciples were gathered by just a brother or a friend shoulder tapping the other one, and saying “you gotta see this!” . . . . if personal invitation was good enough for the disciples then maybe I should be doing more it??

- I think people are afraid to do so for one of two reasons:

1. They don’t really believe that Jesus or their church will live up to the hype that they are expressing.

2.  They are afraid to push people away, and “scare the off”. This is why it is so critical that you have a relationship with people that can handle any trust issues that surround such an invitation.

WOW – does our culture ever live for surprises – in fact I believe one of the foundations of entertainment in this country is SURPRISE. We tune into reality shows because they are unpredictable. . . it is the fact that we don’t know what is going to happen. . . that drives us to see what actually happens. Whether it is the mind bending movie of Inception or the twisted trail traveled in Lost – Americans live for surprises in stories, in fact we wait in suspense all week – reading blogs, tweets, and facebook updates from others- just anticipating the possible storylines that could occur in the next episode. In essence, the amount of surprise and unpredictability is directly related to how interesting something is. . . . and quantities of interest is the currency of entertainment.

Does this concern anyone?? It does me for several reasons, but I will only focus on one right now.

Flat out. . . when was the last time the Bible surprised you?? I mean. . . . many of us already know the stories. . . we know what is going to happen. . . there is always a rainbow after the flood. Many times I feel like the church focuses so much on memorizing that they forget to help feed the desire that we all have for surprises. . . . they forget to remind us that the Bible is the living Word. . . capable of being fresh and new every day! 

I have been really affected recently about how many Christians are no longer surprised by what they read in the Bible – as if already knowing the story limits God’s ability to speak to them in a fresh and new way. So whether they are teens or adults – of course they are going to think that the Bible is boring, stale, and not relevant.  But, they are missing out, and we need to tell them of the surprises, help them become more interested - For example, John 2:15 really surprises me – and not because Jesus is getting really mad and clearing the temple (though surprising to some who never heard this – I already knew the story!), but in the details of story that I had never realized before. . . . . Jesus made a whip . . . . He did not borrow a whip. He did not buy a whip. No. . . . He made a whip. Since when did my savior know how to make a whip. . . . remember He was a carpenter – not a lot of need for whip making.

Not only did He make a whip – he obviously made one that was in good quality (considering He used it quite extensively), and He had to have made it quickly (since He was already mad, and had not cooled off yet – we all do things very quickly when we are this upset). In addition, HE KNEW HOW TO USE A WHIP – - – - have you ever tried to move a cow?? yeah, not easy – much less countless numbers of people doing their normal business, but the scripture says that he drove everything from cattle to merchants out of the temple courtyard – translation. . . . He was using a mean whip. WOW – Jesus had to have had practiced all of these things – from whip making to knowing how to use it. . . . . well, I just had never pictured Jesus doing that . . . . I guess we know one thing that He did before His ministry started at 30. 

As I sat in my chair thinking about all of this – it just really surprised me, and in that “didn’t see that coming” thought. . . . Jesus became more real to me. . . a new point of human connection. . . I always wanted to be able to play with a whip ever since I first saw Indiana Jones!!!  What a surprise, and I wanted more – - – interested?? Try this - I want to encourage all of us to pray “God surprise me” before reading scripture in the next few days. This process has really encouraged me as of late, and so I wanted to pass it along to you.

go . . . live. . . and be surprised by the God who created surprises!

Yes, I know that we have all heard most of the stories about David in the Bible, he killed a lot of people (Philistines in particular) and certain wild animals with tremendous courage and fortitude as the ultimate underdog with strange weaponry. He reigned over God’s people, committed aldutery and murder, was the father of Soloman and Jesus Christ was born from his lineage. I do not want to down play any of those things – for they are an entire sermon series/books in an of themselves. . . . but I have been surprised recently by some new twists in his story that have spoken to me:

no chance right

- http://yankeerev.wordpress.com

1. Opportunities to kill giants in your life usually come when you are focused on some other task and seemingly “unprepared”: this just makes sense, the enemy is going to try and attack you when you are distracted and don’t have what you think you need (i.e.bringing food to your brothers at the front lines. . .without armor or a sword) – but in that moment. . .  our task-oriented focus MUST ALWAYS be vulnerable to the opportunities of God almighty.

2. You can defeat the giants in your life with what you already know how to do: Do you are do you not trust that God will never forsake you (Heb 13:5). If so then live believing that God’s work in your life IS THE PREPARATION for the giants. It may have only been a sling and 5 stones, but David knew how to use them . . . . what do you already know how to do that can help defeat your giant(s) – thanks Rob Wegner for this insight recently.  

3. If you truly believe then run: Simply put. . . David KNEW victory was at hand – so he ran (1 Samuel 18:48) towards Goliath. Seriously, if we trust that God is good all the time and is always with us then why hesitate – NO – let’s get off our butts and run into battle. . . no excuses. . . victory is not waiting on God. . . it is waiting on us!

4. If you ever think you have workplace drama/issues as well as in-law issues?  Read 1 Samuel 18,19 – Boss/King/Father-in-law trying to murder (literally) David many times. . . . . and what did David do? What should all of us do? He trusted God more than he hated the situation - remained obedient to God amidst the confusion/stress/anxiety. . . he did not quit on God.

5. God could have put anyone in the lineage of Jesus His son. . . anyone – who did he pick? David of course. . . .but also, Bathsheba (Mathew 1). . . this is our God - He took one of the most shameful acts in all of Israel’s history, and redeemed it. . . it is simply who He is – it’s called grace and it blows me away! Have you ever had someone that you have associated/and put trust in fail you?? yeah . . . pretty rough. . . . what’s even more difficult sometimes is to follow in God’s footsteps – claim and redeem their willing heart.

Shane is continuing to blog for me, and here are his thoughts from the 3rd session:

 This session Jill used the symbol of water. She told us different ways water was used as a symbol in the Bible.

 - His (God’s) part is to give us soul fulfilling water…our job is to give Him permission!

 - Is your teaching refreshing the people? Is it water?

 - Are you a well watered garden? That people see and want to walk through with you?

 - Without water people cannot survive, the Spirit is like an artesian well.

 - The devil wants to dump a whole lot of muck down our wells.

 - TV/movies – you invite into your living room people that you would never let in your front door.

 - Some of you are totally out of touch with God and you think nobody knows! You have perfected the Jesus smile

 - There is ether self power or God power.

 - no one ever said that all the blessing were just for the people on the front row

  After hearing the story by Jill about when she was exhausted and disconnected,  and a man made a statement about her Jesus Smile that woke her up a bit; I wondered how many of us are like this? How many times have I been like this? Is this YOU?

 To summarize Jill’s message today and using the Symbol of water we need to know this. Gods job, the thing that he is in our lives to do, is to fill us up with “Soul fulfilling water,”  but this requires something from us as well. . . . Our job is to let him in, to open our heart, mind, and soul, and give him permission to pour into us.  When we allow God to pour into us and water our garden of life we are able to refresh others to teach others with the fruits that grow from us.  Are you a well watered garden. . . am I? Or are we like a dried up tumble weed, a skeleton of a living, vibrantly colored bush? Sink your roots deep into the Spirit of God! Be nourished by living water that can only come from him. Don’t let the devil fill up the well that God is pouring into, with muck and garbage! Without water there is no life.

So, in the Fall here at Bethel we have a series of talks over the course of 3 days that we call the Deeper Life Conference. The guest speaker for these days is Jill Briscoe .

I wanted to give some highlights of this journey over the next few days starting with today’s talk:

- There is no such thing as an ordinary day when it comes to the Holy Spirit

- You don’t learn error/lies by studying error/lies, you learn it by studying the Truth

- When you feel overwhelmed remember that you are over-shadowed by the Holy-Spirit, who has overcome all things!

She encouraged us to do an exercise in learning about the Holy Spirit. She said to go through John 16 and make a list of all the “work of the spirit”
1. He is a Counselor
2. He will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgement
3. He is the Spirit of Truth
4. He will guide you into all truth
5. He will tell you about the future
6. He will bring Glory by revealing to you what He receives from Jesus and the Father

The question then I have for all of us. . . Are these things happening in our lives? How would we know??

I know this may be a reminder for you, but it was one that I needed recently – As one is able to determine the health of a tree by the quality of its fruit, so it is with us, we know by the fruit that we are (or are NOT) producing. . . here is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23):

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self-control

Fruit happens . . . . . . . let’s make sure it’s the good stuff people!

So, at 7:30 this morning in prayer chapel at Bethel College, I participated in a little 20 minute, Ash Wednesday ceremony. Let me tell you why. . . and a little more about what it means to me

First some history – where does this all come from anyways?? (Dr. Richard P. Bucher – http://www.orlutheran.com/html/ash.html)

Ash Wednesday, originally called dies cinerum (day of ashes) is mentioned in the earliest copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary, and probably dates from at least the 8th Century. One of the earliest descriptions of Ash Wednesday is found in the writings of the Anglo-Saxon abbot Aelfric (955-1020). In his Lives of the Saints, he writes, “We read in the books both in the Old Law and in the New that the men who repented of their sins bestrewed themselves with ashes and clothed their bodies with sackcloth. Now let us do this little at the beginning of our Lent that we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast.” Aelfric then proceeds to tell the tale of a man who refused to go to church for the ashes and was accidentally killed several days later in a boar hunt! Throughout the Middle Ages ashes were sprinkled on the head, rather than anointed on the forehead as in our day.

As Aelfric suggests, the pouring of ashes on one’s body (and dressing in sackcloth, a very rough material) as an outer manifestation of inner repentance or mourning is an ancient practice. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. What is probably the earliest occurrence is found at the very end of the book of Job. Job, having been rebuked by God, confesses, “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Other examples are found in 2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1,3, Isaiah 61:3, Jeremiah 6:26, Ezekiel 27:30, and Daniel 9:3. In the New Testament, Jesus alludes to the practice in Matthew 11:21: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

 - So, I received the ash cross on my forehead as the leader said to me “From dust you came and to dust you shall return” – (Genesis 3:19) – This is what God said to Adam and Eve after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. I do not have a lot of ancient rituals in my lifestyle, but they can be powerful to partake in.

It is not for show – in fact one of the traditional readings for Ash Weds. includes statements about not being boastful! (Matthew 6:16-18)

If anything it is a public proclamation that I have surrendered my life. In other words, I am telling the world that in order to be who I was created to be – I cannot operate on my own strength, wisdom, or reasoning. . . I have sinned, and though there is great joy in my salvation, sometimes the joy of freedom cannot fully be experienced without reflection on my personal dissappointment, mistakes, weaknesses, and failures. . . . . all the things that, apart from Jesus, hold me captive.

You see. . . sometimes I forget that I am called to a higher standard. I look around and have a sense consciously or unconsciously that I am doing alright – you know. . . . compared to a lot of other people.  I am faithful in marriage, I love my wife and children well, I have integrity at work, I have friends that I care for and pray for, I even have non-christian friends that I care for deeply, I give back to my community, I volunteer, I am slow to anger, I keep my body in shape, yada yada yada. . . . . . it’s easy isn’t it. . . .to compare ourselves to others to see “how we are doing”. . . . . NOT TODAY.

Today is a day to look at the distance I have yet to travel, to be reminded of where I have fallen short – not in the world’s eyes. . . but in God’s eyes.  Today (and really Lent in general) is where I have the opportunity to contemplate soberly what I have done so as to prepare myself to appreciate even more deeply what Jesus has done for me, and the hope that I and the whole world have . . . not in my strength, wisdom, and perseverance. . . but in Christ’s.

Some of the things that we recited this morning were:

We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind and strength

We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves

We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as Christ has served us

We have not been true to the mind of Christ

We have grieved your Holy Spirit

- — and then we went on to pray for our forgiveness, for God’s mercy and grace to cleanse us. . .

This cross today on my forehead represents a choice for me. . . I am choosing to be dependent on God and to accept the full life He has for me (John 10:10) over my freedom to be independent. 

In case you forget what this choice looks like – check out 2 Corinthians 6:3-13 – I added the bold for my emphasis today

³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,^[a] and by our sincere love. ⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸ We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

Wow – what a crazy few weeks – sorry for the lapse in posts; I should be getting back on track soon .

These words and song by Brandon Heath really have come alive to me these past two weeks as I have thought/experienced a few things:

- a valentines weekend with three little miracles, and my wonderful bride

- the pain of revisiting the tragedies of bonded slave labor, infanticide, and seti in India as I prepared and gave a Colloquium on my Justice trip to India with Jack Magruder (more of that coming BTW – later post)

- as I contemplate the value of greenLockers to impoverished people here. . . and around the world

- hearing about the trajedgy of a family member’s death in my student’s prayer requests this week. . . in 3 different families

- that God truly loving others through me - requires my sacrifice . . . of something – time, money, resources, convenience, comfort, etc…. but, it is worth it!

- as thousands of people lose their jobs

- watching the ultrasound of my next child. . . Dane Justice. . . and being so proud of my wife!

- as I revisit the revolutionary idea of loving other people first. . . before judging them

God’s love NEVER fails. . . it is a promise. . . and one that I desperately need to be reminded of sometimes.

Here are the words by Brandon Heath:

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

Here is him singing it

Today, I woke up feeling exhausted. . . . the grind of this week and the last has been difficult, and I think some things are catching up to me.  I am usually able to shake this off fairly easily. I typically do this by reminding myself of all the blessings that I do have (i.e., great wife, kids, etc….), how much worse off other people have it (and yet they pick themselves up and work tirelessly!), how much incredible work God has for me to do today, or what an honor it is do be able to be a professor and have the influence that I have – just to name a few.

This morning though. . . . it wasn’t happening. . . . I couldn’t shake it. Do you ever have those mornings? . . . What helps you through it?. . .For me today, I looked down on my left thumb, and was reminded of something very important. You see, my wife’s Christmas present to me this past year was a thumb ring that has engraved on it “Armor of God Ephesians 6:11” – I went ahead and read the whole passage (below) – that is just what I needed today to kick me back onto mission. . . . . God has already outfitted me for today in every way. . . there is nothing to fear. . . nothing to dread. . . time to once again engage the battle.

Just in case you needed the reminder that I received today-

Ephesians 6: 10-18 (NLT)

 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we^[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.^[d] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.^[e] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.^[f]

There is a verse that I have been thinking about lately, and I wanted to get your thoughts. . .

- SO, what does this verse mean to you? . . . to us as the Church? . . . and what DOESN’T it mean?

Matthew 9:11-13 (New International Version)
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

- the footnote is Hosea 6:6 (NIV) -  6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
       and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

- SO. . . .

So, my partner in crime (the professor that I co-teach with) with our block class of students is a great man, Scott Johnson. He brought up an interesting topic in class yesterday that got me thinking on a few things.

He brought up that there is an interesting paradox in the Bible between us “taking up/picking up” vs. “letting go”, in that we are told to do both. . . . . . so let’s look at this more closely to try and get some clarity

So, we are instructed by Jesus in Luke 9:23:

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  So what does this mean, . . . well,. . . we learn from other parts of Jesus’ ministry in the Bible that this would include things like – loving others outrageously, feeding the hungry, comforting the hurting, being close to the broken-hearted, loving other’s first . . . before judging them, showing up at places you “should” never be at – or being around those people and loving them – maybe when no one else will. . . ., our cross can include many very difficult things that we do as God’s loving and merciful hands and feet. . . . . . which leads me at times to wonder about Matthew 11:30
“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” . . . . . . yeah right!!! – sure doesn’t seem like it from my above description  -

But . . . . . be honest with me for a second. . . . . what is it that really burdens you day in and day out? . . . . because for me. . . . it is none of these things. . . sure, these things may drain a little of my physical energy, break my heart (some emotional energy), stretch my comfort zone, and use up some of my time,. . . . but that is nothing compared to what truly weighs me down. . . . . my thoughts!  

See, for me it is thoughts. . . . my mind. . . that really burdens me. . . . reminders of past shame and guilt, times that I have failed, given up, or really disappointed someone. . . . the countless “what if’s”  . . . . the hours of second guessing . . . .  leading to doubts about my potential in the future - am I good enough?, am I going to screw this up . . . again?. . .am I strong enough to resist it this time?. . . . and then dread kicks in. . . . .about upcoming events, performances, opportunites – either because I know what is coming – like the knawing of a constant temptation. . . or the opposite. . . I have no idea what is coming!!!! – I can’t predict it. . . and then you throw in trying to plan for the future. . . .you know. . . so you’re not in debt, so your kids can go to college, so you can get good grades, so you can retire, so you can get a good job someday, so you can keep your job, so you can go out with him/her, so you will not be tempted, so you will be good a good wife/husband, so you can put food on the table, so you can travel someday, so you can. . . . . . . . . .

Do you see it? . . . . . have you figured it out? . . . .

What is common about the things involved in taking up our cross?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the difficulty and the opportunity is all held within the word “daily” . . . . . effort for, energy for, provision for, stress for . . . today. – and God says that is plenty for me and you to deal with (Matthew 6:34). Each day has enough trouble of its own. - so, . . . He makes a deal with us. . . . . if you let go of the past and the future Ted. . . . . you know, all of those thoughts that stress you out, overwhelm you, and generally render you incapable of operating at your max capacity. . . if you let go of that. . . . . . I’ll take care of it, . . . . seriously, . . . I know you might have heard me say this before. . . but, I want you to really believe it . . . right now, . . . today . . . . – - your past shame/doubt/guilt – gone and forgotten, . . . your future. . . . you’re worth soooooo much more to me than the birds of the air and flowers of the field. . . . . . . I got your back. . . I got you. . . trust me. . . . again - . . . remember the promises I have made to you, . . . . . the only way I can catch you . . . . . is if you let go . . . . . . .

I was flipping through my bible again this morning in my quiet time, and I thought I would share a second dose of some things I have jotted down (Earlier post on 9/17), this time from the book of Joshua:

- God is interested more in growing children then us getting somewhere fast. . . that is why we wait on Him

- Joshua = Hebrew name for Jesus

- The walls of Jericho were 80 feet tall. . . that’s a big wall. . . what insurmountable wall in my life needs to come down?

- We don’t risk/be patient/commit because we fear that God will be unfaithful

- How many days into God’s plan do I usually give up? . . . would I have made the full 7 days marching aroung Jericho

- 22:5. . . Love the LORD your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, be faithful to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul

- 24:22 “You are accountable for this decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the LORD.”

I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to march on in the plans that God has set before you in your life – break down the walls that this world has set against the love of Christ!

I went to a memorial celebration of colleague yesterday, Dr. Liz Hossler, and it was very well done – I was able to grieve joyfully at her life and influence over the years. . . . What an amazing woman of God! One of the things done in the ceremony was to read some of the notes that she had jotted down in the margins of her bible. . . . . so, I thought it would be a good time to review my own notes today. . .

Here are just a few thoughts that I have jotted down over the years. . . . most of them I have heard from other people – whose names I did NOT jot down -

1. Whatever you want people to become. . . . you become first!

2. Only strong character can sustain large ministry

3. God gave us a guide, NOT a map

4. A commitment to the Father is a commitment to The Family

5. God uses crisis to grow us

6. Go beyond being challenged. . . . . . be changed

7. We all want to be accepted, and yet we reject everyone else

8. Within two years of becoming a christian most teens no longer have “non-christian” friends – - seems to be dangerously missing the point.

9.To effectively reach culture. . . . you can’t hide from it

10. What am I going to do. . . . . . to make space for God’s WONDER  in my life?

Thanks God for your constant reminders