Wonderful Jesus!

A Dad Worth Emulating!

Acts 10:1-2-There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Cornelius has always been a fascinating individual to me, and if you have followed me for any length of time, you will find him mentioned in several of my blogs. As a matter of fact, I was so impressed with Cornelius’ life that it caused me to want to marry a man who was a giver. As we celebrate fathers, I want to highlight Cornelius, the Italian centurion who caught God’s attention!

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

_{Acts 10:1-2 NKJV}

Cornelius is described as a centurion in the Italian regiment, meaning he is a Gentile. But Cornelius was not an ordinary centurion, he feared God. Not the gods of his ancestry, but the true and living God. We are not told how he came to know God just that he feared God. It kind of reminds me of what Jesus said:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

_{Matthew 5: 6 NKJV}

Italians were Romans, so I am sure that Cornelius was introduced to the multitude of gods that the Romans worshipped. Yet, somehow he discovered that there was only one true God and devoted his life to Him! Keener suggests that Cornelius was a sympathizer of Judaism, but possibly did not worship at the temple. He also argues that Cornelius was probably involved in cultic worship to the emperor, but allowed private worship of a god. Whatever caused his unwavering devotion, it shows that no matter our background, when we hunger and thirst for God, He reveals Himself to us!

Not only did Cornelius serve and fear God, but his entire household feared God. According to Roman tradition, Cornelius would not have been permitted to marry. He would have been allowed to have a concubine, but not a wife. However, he was devoted to God, so I assume that Cornelius had a wife, not a concubine. It’s impressive to see that his worship of God was reflected in his whole house because Luke wrote that his entire household (servants included) feared God. Sounds like he may have heard the words of Joshua:

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

_{Joshua 24:14-15 NKJV}

As a centurion, Cornelius was a man of influence who used it to lead others to the Lord. A good father knows it isn’t enough to send his kids to church, he must also attend church. It’s sufficient to tell them to read the Bible, he reads it with them! He leads by example in every area of life, causing his family to willingly follow him. I’m sure you have noticed how much I appreciate and respect my husband as the leader of our home. Having said that, it was very important to him to be at home and to lead our daughters into genuine worship and service to God. As young adults, they have chosen Jesus and have their own personal relationship with Him. They also actively serve Him! Fathers reproduce what they model in the home.

Cornelius was a giver. Alms refers to having compassion for others and meeting their needs. Cornelius took care of the people around him. We don’t know in what manner, but we know he was generous. He had the means to bless others and so he did. Good fathers are not only concerned about their families, they are also concerned about others. Many people see me as a giver, and the Lord knows I want to be seen in that manner. However, what they don’t know that I do know is that my husband initiates or supports my giving. I never just say, I’m going to do such and such. I run it by him, and there have been times when he has increased what I was thinking. As a result, the whole family believes in giving to others and our church!

Cornelius was a praying man. Luke wrote that he was always praying! He was doing all of these things and he hadn’t yet experienced Jesus! But these things got God’s attention. God saw something in Cornelius that was sincere, and although he was a Gentile, his devotion, his giving, and his prayer life caught God’s attention!

And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

_{Acts 10:4-6 NKJV}

Cornelius had a vision! He heard from God! Theologically, we recognize that this was a divinely inspired moment. First, it was symbolic, God opening His arms to bring the Gentiles into the fold. And secondly, it was a response to Cornelius’ giving and praying. Cornelius immediately calls the angel, Lord, recognizing he heard from God! Good fathers need to be able to hear from God, to recognize His voice!

In the vision, God gave him specific instructions to seek out Peter, who also had a vision where he received instructions about the Gentiles. Cornelius gets instructions from the Lord and immediately obeys them. Obedience to God’s word is a sign that a father is submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. As leader and head of the home, a dad needs to be able to hear from God, recognize His voice, and obey it!

And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

_{Acts 10:24 NKJV}

Again, we see Cornelius’ selfless actions. While waiting for Peter to arrive, he called family and close friends to come and hear this message from God. They trusted him enough to believe that he had truly heard from God. When Peter arrived they were ready. While he was teaching, the Holy Spirit fell on them. All of them! It is definitely apparent that Cornelius was more than a proselyte or sympathizer. He and his family had become believers and God wanted them to understand Jesus and the power of His resurrection!

Cornelius’ example is worth emulating. He was a praying man, something every father should want to be. He was a generous and compassionate man. He not only cared about his family, he cared about others. He was a devout and God-fearing man. And lastly, he was concerned about the spiritual warfare of his family and friends. These are qualities that every godly father should desire to have! Cornelius is a New Testament example of the father God expects to lead in His kingdom! And I believe that many fathers in the church are well on their way in leading their families in the kingdom of God! It is to each of you, and those who are still learning, that I wish a very happy Father’s day! Keep living for God, serving Him, and caring for the people He puts in your paths; especially your families! And one day, you may have a supernatural encounter with the Father who will say to you that He has seen your alms and heard your prayers! Wonderful Jesus!

The Bridge

Acts 1:1- The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. NKJV

The Gospels The Epistles

ACTS

In today’s post, I will begin a study of the book of Acts. The book is often called the Acts of the Apostles, but some refer to it as the Acts of the Holy Spirit, a title I agree with. I will use Dr. Craig Kenner’s commentary on Acts and the New King James Version of scriptures as I go through this study.

Luke, the physician, is the author of the book of Acts. In verse one, he makes a reference to the former account of Jesus that he has written to Theophilus. This is a reference to the gospel of Luke.

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

_{Luke 1: 1-4 NKJV}

From Luke’s description in his prologue to the gospel that bears his name, Luke infers several things about Theophilus: they know one another, Theophilus is a nobleman, and he is a believer in Jesus. Keener describes Theophilus as a Gentile believer who was definitely taught the doctrine of Jesus and had become a part of the church. He also notes that because Luke is writing to Theophilus, or dedicated both volumes of his writings to him, then Theophilus is probably Luke’s patron. A patron typically financed the individual’s “research” of a matter. In this case, Luke is investigating the claims of Jesus for Theophilus because he “had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first”.

The gospel of Luke focuses on the works and person of Jesus Christ. Luke ends his gospel with the ascension of Jesus:

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

_{Luke 24:50-53 NKJV}

I never paid attention to the fact that Jesus ascended to heaven from Bethany. I thought it was from Jerusalem because they waited in Jerusalem!

We are given a quick summary of the ascension at the end of the gospel; however, in Acts, Luke gives us a few more details. Luke reminds us that after the resurrection, Jesus was seen by many people, with many infallible proofs, and He stayed for 40 days before His ascension.

to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

_{Acts 1:3 NKJV}

Jesus focused on the kingdom of God throughout his ministry, and during the forty days before His ascension, He taught the same message on the kingdom of God. This message of the kingdom resonates throughout the Book of Acts.

Before Jesus ascended back to the Father, He left some important instructions for the disciples. Keener notes that Luke connects Jesus’ giving of commands by the Spirit of God, to His “impending empowerment” of the disciples with the Holy Spirit.

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

_{Acts 1:4-5 NKJV}

They are told to wait in Jerusalem until the Promise of the Father comes. This promise was none other than the Holy Spirit’s filling of the believers, a topic for later discussion. But the Promise was also mentioned by Luke, in his gospel:

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

_{Luke 24:49 NKJV}

Both in Luke & Acts, the disciples are told to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, which was the sending of the Holy Spirit. In Luke they are told that they will be endowed with power from on high. In Acts, they are told they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit! When the disciples went back to Jerusalem after watching Jesus ascend into the heavens, they went back expecting a visitation from the Holy Spirit. Since they had no point of reference for what this experience would look like, they simply waited in prayer together trusting they would recognize the experience when it happened.

I titled this introduction, The Bridge, because Acts is written by Luke who wrote a gospel bearing his name. Then he wrote the Book of Acts. Both volumes were written to Theophilus. Luke focuses on Jesus, while Acts focuses on the Holy Spirit’s involvement in the church. Acts bridges the gap between the gospels and the epistles, as well as transitioning from the life of Jesus to the works of the Holy Spirit.

As I go through this study, I am praying that God will help me identify the things I need to blog about this time around, and the things that can wait. I hope you will join me in this study and pray that we will learn from it and be encouraged in our relationship with the Father. Wonderful Jesus!

The Shout of Victory! Repost!

Psalm 95:1-2-Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. NKJV

There comes a time in all of our lives when things come that seem bigger than we are! That’s not always a bad place to be because that is when we can count on the One who is bigger than our circumstances. It’s not that He isn’t always there, because He is! But when things look their most challenging and there seems no way to victory, it’s a good time to shout to the Lord!

Joshua and the Israelites had wandered in the desert for forty years. I know you have heard the account of what happened, but for today’s blog, I need to review it! As they got to Jericho and saw the fortified walls, the hope of victory seemed slim indeed. But Joshua sought the Lord for a strategy. God told Joshua to gather the warriors and march around Jericho’s walls once a day for six days. But on the seventh day, they were to be given different instructions:

But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
Joshua 6:4b-5 NKJV

God told the people to rûa on the seventh day! Rûa means to raise a shout! This strategy to cause the walls to fall seems ridiculous to the intellectual mind, but archaeologists have found proof that the walls appeared to have fallen in a way that holds to the scriptural account of what happened. Not that I need their word, because I have God’s word that this is what happened! They raised a shout, a rûa, and the thickest wall ever built came down!

In Psalm 95, David wrote that we are to shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation! David said that as we enter into His presence with thanksgiving, we are to shout joyfully to the Lord. Both of these phrases, “shout joyfully,” are translated from the Hebrew word “rûa”! This is the same word God commanded Joshua and the Israelites to do at the walls of Jericho! Raise up a shout!

Rûa is a war cry! It was the cry of alarm for battle and the shout of victory! In other words, the same shout you give as a battle cry is the same shout you give to declare your victory!

For six days, the warriors of Israel walked around the walls of Jericho! Can you imagine what was going through the people’s minds inside the walls when they saw the Israelites? They probably had their battle array on, their weapons in their hands, and their minds made up to defend their city, but instead of an attack, the Israelites walked around the walls in silence and returned to their camps.

Jericho warrior 1: What in the world just happened here?

Jericho warrior 2: I have no idea! What kind of battle plan is that? They didn’t do anything! I thought they would attack!

Jericho warrior 1: Of course you did! We all did! I don’t know what they just did, but I believe they will return, and we have to stay ready because they are trying to catch us unprepared.

Jericho warrior 2: You are probably right! I’ll go back to my spot!

But the second day arrived with the same results. Until the sixth day!

Jericho warrior 1: This is ridiculous! What are they doing? What are they waiting for?

Jericho warrior 2: I don’t know! But it’s wreaking havoc on everybody’s nerves! We were already stretched thin with worry and fear; now, we add sleeplessness and terror to the mix. This is worst than fighting!

Jercho warrior 1: Yea! I have a bad feeling about this! A really bad feeling!

Then on the seventh day, the warriors of Israel returned again. After the first circuit around the walls, they walked again, and again, and again! Seven times in total. Except for the sound of the feet of the warriors, everyone else was still. Silently waiting for what was about to happen next. Then suddenly, the leader, a man called Joshua, said, “Rûa, for the Lord has given you the city!” And the people raised their voices, giving out the most deafening shout ever heard. A sound that traveled through the thick walls into every crevice of Jericho, causing fear to ricochet throughout the land!

Then another sound was heard. The sound of fear as the walls began to move and shake as if a mighty hand was pushing against them. The people of Jericho started screaming, adding their own shouts to the rûa of the people of God. They began to run and scramble around, looking for an escape plan. But suddenly, the warriors started entering the city, and the handwriting was on the walls. The city had been given to the people of God!

The Sons of Korah wrote a psalm that begins with these words:

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
Psalm 47:1-2 NKJV

Let’s make some noise for God!!! Clap your hands and shout to God with the voice of triumph! Rûa to the Lord Most High, for He is awesome and the great King over all the earth! In another psalm, it is written:

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises
Psalm 98:4 NKJV

Things are not looking too wholesome around the world today. Many things happening would make a strong man run and hide. But this is still the day the Lord has made, and we are to be glad and rejoice in it! This is not the time for hiding from the enemy. It’s time for shouting because we win! Irrespective of what we see, hear, or even experience at times, God always triumphs over the enemy!

God’s declaration to us is the same as it was to the children of Israel:

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God
Psalm 100:1-3 NKJV

Our shout isn’t because we are trying to frighten the devil! Our shout is to the great and awesome God, our heavenly Father! But I can easily imagine that when the people of God shout triumphantly before the Lord our God, Satan begins to shake in fear because he knows the power of the rûa! It’s a shout of war and the sound of victory! Even if you don’t see the victory and can’t feel it or know how it will come, rûa to the Lord your God, for He has given you the victory! Wonderful Jesus!

Creation Groans! Repost!

Romans 8:19- “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. NKJV

Recently my pastor preached from this text. It was the first time I heard a message similar to this post and I was truly blessed by it. It is because of his message that I am reposting this! This post was written as part of my study of the book of Romans. I plan to start blogging from the book of Acts this summer, but I am taking a much-needed rest because I am mentally exhausted and have recently finished my doctoral program.

If you have ever studied history or geography, you know that Earth boasts of different types of landscapes where people have learned to live, work, and play. One of my favorite pastimes is walking in my neighborhood, and as I do so, I often think of the Creator and thus creation. Birds are singing and flitting around; branches extend from their trees waving at passersby; the sun shines brightly and the wind blows softly, making the walk a pleasant experience. And in all of this beauty, Paul wrote that creation groans!

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 NKJV

Paul mentioned previously that if we suffer with Jesus, we shall also be glorified with Him. He is encouraging the believers in Rome, and every believer after them to remember that we are going to go through some things in this life. And as we go through, or suffer, these sufferings should be a reminder to us that we shall one day be glorified with Him. Paul argues that the sufferings we experience in this life do not compare to the glory that shall be revealed in us!

The writer of Hebrews spoke of the sufferings of Jesus in this manner:

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

Jesus understood persecution! He is the One who said:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV

Therefore, while He was being slandered, made fun of, spit upon, beaten, slapped, and nailed to the cross, His mind wasn’t on the suffering, the pain, or the shame! His mind was on the right hand of the throne of God! His mind was on every believer that would be freed from the kingdom of darkness and translated into His kingdom! His mind was upon us and the glory of reconciling us to the Father!

Paul also understood persecution! His life and ministry was not easy. Recently I heard a shocking statistic about ministers and pastors who are leaving the ministry in droves, or committing suicide. Paul would have encouraged them in the Lord, reminding them that although they were suffering, there’s glory on the other side! Have you heard the song, “After This”? There will be glory after this and Paul said it far outweighs the trials we are currently experiencing!

Yet, every believer will not suffer to the same degree that Paul and some other believers have experienced. We can live a life in Christ that isn’t a life of physical persecution. Persecution and suffering come in many degrees and variety. The devil tries to be creative! But be clear of this truth, there is persecution for every believer in Christ! If the devil isn’t bothering you, it could be because you are not bothering the devil!

Paul wrote that the glory of God shall be revealed in us. Since His glory was what He crowned man with at creation, it makes perfect sense that His glory will be revealed in us. I don’t know how all of that will translate in the end, but I believe that the day will come, maybe when we are changed from mortality to immortality, that God’s glory will be revealed in us!

Creation, Paul continues, is waiting with expectation, for the sons of God to be revealed. This is where it gets really interesting to me!

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Romans 8:19-22 NKJV

We know that when Jesus was born, angels burst forth from heaven and sang to the earth! We also know that when Jesus was crucified, the earth had a response. Luke wrote that the sun darkened (hid its face) for about three hours. Matthew included other details about that day: an earthquake, rocks split, graves opened! Creation groaning at the crucifixion of Jesus!

One thing I noted, was that God subjected creation, not willingly, but He did so in “hope” for His children. This seemed weird to me, except that I remember what God said to Adam after he sinned:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:17 -19 NKJV

In making sense of this, creation was taken from a state of peace to a state of discord, representative of the state of mankind. Creation was placed in bondage at the same time that man was placed in bondage! Creation was to see corruption, the same way that man was to see corruption. Life and death for all of His creation! Bondage for all of His creation! This is deep! When mankind is restored to sonship in all of its glory, the earth will be restored to its former glory.

Isaiah wrote what this would look like:

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11: 6-9 NKJV

Isn’t it something how the things in God’s word come together when you stop to think about it? Well, this may be a stretch for some of you, but it makes perfect sense to me. And when I heard my pastor preach on this topic, I realized that God had truly revealed this to me.

Creation groans! This explains the natural disasters that we hear about all over the world. God isn’t causing it! The devil isn’t really causing these things to happen! But when sin entered the world and God subdued creation until redemption was complete in mankind, the earth began to groan! I have absolutely never seen this before! Thank you, Lord!

Tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions, all fall under the banner of the earth groaning! And why is it groaning? Because it’s waiting with expectancy for the glory of God to be revealed in us when Jesus returns! This is exciting news!

The next time I hear of a natural disaster I know what will come to my mind! The earth is groaning again! Have a wonderful day with Jesus! Wonderful Jesus!

The Power of Praise! Repost!

Psalm 113:2-3-Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.

It is believed that Psalms 113 to 118 are the psalms that Jesus and His disciples sang during their last Passover together. Through these psalms, you will find words of praise to the Mighty God, who delivered His people out of bondage and led them to the Promised Land. As a part of the traditional Passover Feast, they ring with praise or “hālal” to the Great Deliverer!

Hālal is the Hebrew word from which we get our word “hallelujah,” and it literally means “Let us praise Yah!” Yah, of course, is a shortened version of the Hebrew name for God, which is Yahweh! Although I have a blog already addressing the word hālal, I realized that I had forgotten to make this point!

In our text, the psalmist declares that the name of the Lord is to be praised all day long! From sunrise to sunset! During their lifetime and during our lifetime! Any day and every day is a good day to give praise to the Lord. Whether we hālal, yādāh, tehillā, tôdāh, shabach, or barak the Lord, it is always a good time to offer praise to our God!

In the Old Testament, one of my favorite situations, where praise was used to bring a great deliverance, is found in the book of 2 Chronicles. It’s a familiar passage where we read of the three nations which decided to war against Jehoshaphat and the children of Judah. After praying and acknowledging their inability to handle this battle on their own, God sent them a word through a Levite, a son of Asaph. God told Jehosophat that they wouldn’t have to fight that battle because it belonged to Him!

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.
2 Chronicles 20:18 NKJV

The word for praise in this verse is hālal! The Levites that David had appointed to hālal the Lord, day and night and on special occasions, were still leading the people in praise to the God of Israel. The next day, when they arose to obey the word of God, Jehosophat appointed singers to praise the Lord. And this amazing thing happened next:

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
2 Chronicles 20:22-23 NKJV

Look at God! He hadn’t told them how He would win the battle, just that He would handle it! But when they began to hālal and tehillah before the Lord, He caused the very people who had come to destroy Judah, to turn and destroy each other! Hallelujah! There’s a lesson in here for us! I hope you caught it! Some battles we are going to have to praise our way through because they are too great for us! Then we are going to have to trust that God will step into that battle and defeat our enemies!

The New Testament also has a favorite incident of mine surrounding praise found in the book of Acts! Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer when a girl with a spirit of divination followed behind them, crying,

“These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
Acts 16:17 NKJV

She did this for several days, to the point of immensely annoying Paul. One day Paul turned around and rebuked that spirit out of her, and she was set free. Before you start shouting, remember that this was not good news to the men who made money off her bondage. (It’s a lesson for another day, but it’s pretty sad how many people profit from others being held in bondage and then they become angry when the people are set free!) They were so angry at what Paul had done that they dragged Paul and Silas to the magistrates and stirred up the people against them.

Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
Acts 16:22-23 NKJV

Paul and Silas were beaten by a mob and thrown into prison. This was not a few whacks to keep them in line, but it was mob action that was meant to be very painful, resulting in many wounds! You would think they would be so weak in their bodies and weary in their spirits that they would seek rest to maintain their strength. Luke, however, tells us a different story:

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
Acts 16:25-26 NKJV

I don’t know why I just thought of a book I once read to my students, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” by Judith Viorst! Alexander perceived he would have a terrible day because he went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair! We have no knowledge that Paul and Silas perceived their day would end the way it did, but things went south fast. From my point of view, it was a terrible day for Paul and Silas!

But when midnight came, they weren’t moaning and groaning. They weren’t complaining and pointing out their woes. They started praying and singing hymns to God! And did you see God move? He sent an earthquake that shook the prison’s foundations so much that all of the doors were opened, and everybody’s chains were loosed! Now that’s pretty amazing! Their praise caused an earthquake that brought their deliverance! Only God!

In both the Old and New Testaments, we can see that praise is powerful! Whether the attacks we face are physical or spiritual, praise is a weapon we can use to defeat the enemy. Although our praise is focused on the great God we serve, anything can happen when He steps into our praise!

David had this to say about praise:

I will bless (barak) the Lord at all times; His praise (tehilla) shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast (hālal)in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:1-3 NKJV

Wonderful, wonderful Jesus!

What’s In Your Hand?

Exodus 4:2-So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” NKJV

Many people are waiting around for God to use them? Me too! But I’ve recently heard that God is waiting around so that He can use us! That’s an interesting thought to have! In our text, God wanted to use Moses, but Moses felt unworthy and unqualified for service to God. But God asked Him a simple question: What’s in your hand?

God used many people throughout the scriptures with what they had in their hands. A favorite of most people would be David. In 1 Samuel 17, David sees the giant Goliath mocking the armies of the Lord. He decided that this was wrong on every level and someone should deal with Goliath. So he volunteered. Saul tries to give David a suit of armor, but David replies:

“I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

1 Samuel 17:39 NKJV

David didn’t know how to use the weaponry that Saul had learned to use and had mastered. Therefore, he used what was in his hand, a slingshot.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

1 Samuel 17:50 NKJV

David was willing to be used by God, but he had to use what was in his hands. When he twirled that sling, the power of God got behind that rock and caused it to hit its target with a force strong enough to immobilize Goliath! Then David chopped off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s own sword! The rest, as we say, is history! David killed Goliath and defeated the Philistines. Eventually, he learned to use the armor of warfare, but he started with what was in his hands.

Gideon wasn’t the bravest person in the city. Nor was he necessarily looking to be used by God. But God had an assignment for him to do. Just when God had convinced him to go along with the plan, God pulled back the security blanket. Gideon felt he could go against the Midianites because he had over 30,000 men with him; but, that wasn’t the plan.

And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

Judges 7:2 NKJV

God didn’t want Gideon and the Israelites to think they were the ones who had brought about deliverance to Israel, nor did He want them to take His glory. So Gideon went from 32,000 men to 300 men. Then, God sent Him to defeat the Midianites.

Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers.

Judges 7:16 NKJV

Those are some interesting weapons that God instructed Gideon to use: an empty pitcher with a torch inside and a trumpet. Not only did they have seemingly inferior weapons, they were outnumbered. But God had a plan!

When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Judges 7:22 NKJV

When they blew the trumpets, the Bible tells us that the Lord caused every man in the Midianite camp to take up his sword against his companion. They killed each other as if they had lost their minds! However God made it happen, God used what they had in their hands to defeat their enemies.

Let’s return to our key verse! When God asked Moses what was in his hand, Moses replied, “A rod.”

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

Exodus 4:3 NKJV

Moses’ rod was a stick! But when God got ahold of it, it became a serpent! God used that rod to lead the children of Israel out of bondage! Moses thought it was just a stick, but God caused it to become much more!

There was a woman who had a jar of oil. It was all she had, but God multiplied it so she could pay off her debtors and provide for her family. A young boy attended one of Jesus’ meetings with two fish and five loaves, but God used his lunch to feed the 5,000. Over and over again, we see God using what is already available to do great things.

I’ve been praying, asking God to use me in His kingdom! I want to preach to the masses, I said! Then He opened my understanding to see that He was already using me in His kingdom! By putting my computer to use, (something I already have), I can blog regularly and share the word of God. When I use my phone, I call people and encourage them or pray for them. I have a cell phone, and you probably have one, too! Sometimes when people ask me to pray for them I send them a voice memo of me praying for them. These are some simple ways God uses me to bless others in bigger ways!

Maybe you have been wondering if God could or would ever use you! Yes, He can! He is probably already doing it! But maybe, you can be open to other ways for Him to use what is in your hand! Can you cook a meal for a family or senior citizen? Can you cut someone’s lawn, or rake some leaves? There are all kinds of ways that we can use our hands, or what is in our hands, to bless others. These things help to push the kingdom forward because they bless the people of God! What’s in your hands that you can use to do something great and special for the Lord? It may seem small to you, but you never know how it will impact the recipient or the kingdom! Think about it, and then get busy! Wonderful Jesus!

You Still Don’t Know Me?

John 14:9-Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?

Philip was one of Jesus’ disciples. For more than three years, Philip watched Jesus as He performed miracles, listened to all of His sermons, and hung out with Him in His private time. Philip had a “front seat” in the life of Jesus. He knew Jesus! And yet, in our verse for today, Jesus says to Philip

“Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?

John 14:9 NKJV

Have you ever felt like Jesus? Have you ever talked with someone and they left you wondering if they even knew you? I can definitely say, “Yes, and amen!”

Jesus told the disciples that He was about to leave them, to go and prepare a place for them. He told them that where He was going, they would also be able to go because they knew where He was going and they knew the way. Yet, Thomas said that they not only didn’t know how to get where He was going, they were clueless as to where He was going!

If this wasn’t enough to prove that the disciples and Jesus weren’t on the same page, Jesus told them they knew the Father and had seen Him. Yet, Philip said to Him:

“Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
John 14:8 NKJV

Clearly, Jesus and the disciples were having a failure to communicate. From Jesus’ standpoint, He had been busy showing the disciples who He and the Father were, and they had totally missed it!

Jesus responds to Philip by asking him:

“Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?
John 14:9 NKJV

For some reason, this question has been echoing in my heart lately. Not so much about Jesus, but in general. It has caused me to stop and think about all the times and all the ways we could use this phrase with others, and be as perplexed with them as Jesus was with Philip!

For example, I was working at my job when my boss came in and threw an accusation at me. I was taken completely off guard because we had worked together long enough, had seen enough drama, and had even put out enough fires together for her to know my character. And yet, she accused me of something that was so totally not me. Have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me? It’s baffling! At this point in our relationship, I believed we knew each other so well that nothing like this could have ever happened. And yet, it did!

Can you imagine Jesus’ perplexity with His disciples at this point? I can! In this text, Jesus used the Hebrew word “ginōskō” which has several meanings, including perceived and understand. Philip thought he was having a “Moses” moment with Jesus. After all, Moses had asked God a similar question when he asked God to show him His glory (see Exodus 33:18). Only this didn’t produce the same results for Philip as it did for Moses because Jesus said:

“Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 14:9 NKJV

I believe Jesus had a two-fold assignment, or goal when He came to Earth. One was to bring reconciliation between man and God and the other was to give us a new awareness of God. In John 12, Jesus spoke these words before His disciples and others:

“He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.

John 12:44-45

In the Old Testament we are given opportunities to see God as He revealed Himself. We see Him as the Creator in the beginning. He reveals Himself to us through encounters with Noah, Moses, Abraham and his descendants. We discover Him to be a miracle worker, a healer, a provider, and a deliverer. We are shown His glory and we desire to know Him in a greater capacity; for ourselves, as David did.

Then Jesus comes on the scene. He walks in an authority that no other man has ever displayed. He demonstrates that He is a miracle worker, a healer, a provider, and a deliverer. When John the Baptist asked if He was the Messiah, He told John the blind see, the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed. He even said to Philip:

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

John 14:10-11 NKJV

In other words, “Let the works I’ve done speak for Me!”

If you think I’m baffled that those closest to me often leave me feeling as if they don’t know me, then you should know that I am still amazed that so many are unaware of who Jesus is!

I may not know Him as well as I should, but I have the basics figured out. I truly believe that Jesus is real and is the Son of God, and therefore He is God. I know Him to be my healer, deliverer, provider, and protector, to name a few. I trust His character even when I don’t agree with His decisions about my life. I trust His love for me even when He feels distant. I trust His word even when I don’t understand it. It is my heart to know Him better! Paul prayed this for each us:

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God

Colossian 1:9-10 NKJV

We are to live our lives to understand God. We should know Him better today than we did last year. Our desire should be to grow in our understanding of God more than anything else. If we believe that He would do anything to hurt us, then we don’t know Him. If we believe He could ever leave us alone, we don’t know Him. If we believe that He doesn’t care about us, we don’t know Him yet! Keep working at it! He’ll reveal Himself!

I started this blog two weeks ago and it ended up in my drafts. I tried to move on to another post, but I couldn’t move past this one. Without knowing my struggle, my husband came to me this week with this very same puzzlement from his quiet time with the Lord. He thought the discourse between Jesus and His disciples in John 14 was disconcerting. I knew then I needed to go back to this draft.

None of us will ever be able to grasp the totality of the Person of Jesus with our finite minds! Hopefully, we are gaining in our knowledge of Him regularly! Wherever we are in our journey with Him, we don’t want to be in a position where we He asks us, “Have we been together this long and you still don’t know me?” Wonderful Jesus!

Learning to Lean!

Matthew 8:24-And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. NKJV

God is so amazing, and I am grateful to be a part of His kingdom. After decades of serving Him, I have found that I can lean on Him because He never leaves me nor does He forsake me. This morning, I was reminded of a song we sang when I was much younger, “Learning to Lean on Jesus!” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the song, here are the words to the chorus:

Learning to lean, learning to lean, I’m learning to lean on Jesus. Finding more power than I’ve ever dreamed, I’m learning to lean on Jesus.
Learning to Lean on Jesus Lyrics, Pastor John Stallings, 1977

One day, with all of the wisdom of a teenager, I thought, “When will we be able to sing “I’ve learned to lean on Jesus instead of I’m learning to lean on Jesus?” Well, today I would like to talk to my younger self and invite you along for the conversation.

Jesus has a way of making Himself known to us. Peter’s life was forever changed after He met Jesus. He and his partners had been out fishing all night. As they were cleaning their nets from an unfruitful fishing trip, Jesus walked up and asked to use Peter’s boat to preach from. We aren’t told why Peter allows Jesus to do this, just that he does. After He finished teaching He said:

“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:4 NKJV

Peter told Jesus that he had already gone fishing and had caught nothing. But at His word, he would go back out. I believe that Peter listened to the words that Jesus spoke that morning and was captivated by Him and the way He taught. So, at His word, Peter responded and caught so many fish that the boat began to sink.

It seems that when we first meet Jesus, our prayers are easily answered, so we think we have some special gift of praying, or that we are special. But what is more likely, is that Jesus is teaching us to trust Him. So in the beginning, it’s easy to lean on Him. Also, Peter didn’t have much to lose at this level of faith, so if nothing happened, he had already had a fruitless night.

As we spend time with Jesus, the challenges and difficulties of life may increase, and we may begin to feel that He doesn’t care. Such was the case with Peter and the other disciples:

And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
Matthew 8:24-25 NKJV

Jesus was with the disciples, but He was asleep. The waters were calm, and suddenly, the disciples were in a great storm. Have you ever been there? One minute, it is well with your soul, and the next minute, the storm is raging. Peter and the disciples had enough sense to recognize that the storm they were experiencing required Jesus, but He was sleeping! Peacefully! But the disciples were freaking out. They went to Jesus and woke Him up, telling Him they were perishing. In another account of this event, the author wrote that the disciples asked Jesus if He cared that they were perishing!

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:24 NKJV

Don’t judge the disciples because they were still learning to lean on Jesus! They found during the storm, He was able to bring peace! He may have been sleeping, but they woke Him and He calmed the sea! If we are honest, we probably think that sometimes Jesus is asleep as we are experiencing our personal storms. However, He isn’t sleep, He’s teaching you to trust Him, to lean on Him! The more we realize that He is faithful, the more we can trust His faithfulness!

And yet, another storm arose!

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
Matthew 14:23-24 NKJV

That’s the thing about both natural and spiritual storms! You may survive your current storm, but another one will come along if you live long enough! Such was the case with the disciples! As a matter of fact, several of these disciples were fishermen and made their living on the water. It’s surprising that now they are so fearful of the storms. As people, we are not strangers to storms, but for some reason, as Christians, we think the storms of life should not come our way. But God said it rains on the just and the unjust! We just have greater protection from the storm!

The disciples were in the boat when the storm came. This was the major form of transportation, besides walking, so there was no getting around being on the water. Yet, they are faced with another storm while on the water. Only this time it is worse than before! Jesus is not around! He’s not on the boat, He’s not sleeping in the boat, He’s not even around, and they are being tossed by the waves.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
Matthew 14:25 NKJV

The very thing that had the disciples in an uproar, Jesus was walking on! No one had ever walked on water before, but Jesus was walking on water amid a storm that was tossing the boat around. And He was perfectly calm about the situation. Can you visualize high waves, strong winds, a vessel being tossed around like a toy, and then the Savior walking out on the water as if it is the most natural thing to do, and the sun is shining bright? That’s the picture here!

Faith in God means to trust Him no matter what is going on around us! In the first example, Jesus gave Peter a word that was easy to understand and easy to perform, so at His word, Peter trusted Him. Then, Jesus was near the disciples, asleep in the boat, when the storm came, and they had easy access to Him, so they ran to Him for help. In the last example, Jesus was nowhere to be found, and yet He arrived on the scene, completely in control, and brought deliverance to them.

Where are you in the storm? Where do you believe Jesus is during this storm? I can answer that last question, He is right there with you! So, what would I tell my younger self about learning to lean on Jesus, I would say, you’ll be learning to lean on Him all of your days, just not in the same way. Trials and tribulations come in different degrees and in every area of life. You may have learned to lean on Him for your finances, but you may have to learn to lean on Him for your health. And that’s okay because He is there to instruct us no matter where we are in our journey of faith, and we’ll be able to sing that wonderful course with conviction, “finding more power than I’ve ever dreamed, I’m learning to lean on Jesus”! Wonderful Jesus!

Alone With God!

Matthew 14:23-And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. NKJV

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com

Life gets busy! Whether we are busy with children, keeping a house, running a company, or running a ministry, the cares of this world have a way of pulling on us.

In Matthew 14, we see that Jesus had a lot going on in His life. First, He was told that His cousin, John the Baptist had been beheaded. Can you imagine the grief He must have felt?

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
Matthew 14:13

Matthew wrote that when Jesus heard about John, He got in a boat and went to a deserted place to be alone. However, that didn’t work out too well for Him. When the people heard that Jesus had slipped out on them, they went to look for Him. He didn’t get much time to grieve John. Ministry was calling!

Have you been there yet? Have you had so much going on in your life that you didn’t even have time to grieve a loved one? Jesus did! And yet, when the people found Him, His compassion compelled Him to heal the sick.

If that wasn’t enough, the large crowd needed nourishment, and the disciples wanted to send them away, but Jesus said no. So He multiplied what was available and fed them all; more than 5,000 people were present. When everyone was satisfied, and things were cleaned up, Jesus sent them all away, including His disciples. Then He went up the mountain to pray.

Think about it for a second. Jesus is obviously grief-stricken over the death of John the Baptist. He wanted to spend time alone in His sorrow and talk to His Father about it. Because we have a tendency to forget that Jesus was human and divine, at the same time, we may not realize that the news broke his heart. Could He have wanted to resurrect John? Could He have wished John had not suffered such a terrible fate? Possibly! We don’t know! But we do know He wanted to get alone to pray.

Sometimes in my life, I just want to be alone with Jesus. I want to pull away from it all. When those times press upon me, I make it happen! I may have some detours on the way, just as Jesus had, but I eventually get there. And when I do, it’s such a blessed relief to fall into His arms or to engage with Him in prayer.

Because my uncle passed away, this scripture resonated with me tonight. I was at work when I got the call and I wanted to be alone with God. I made some calls, sent some texts, and had a few conversations, and then I was alone with Him.

His peace came over me and I knew I was in the right place. Just as I am sure Jesus felt the overwhelming comfort and love of God that night He went on the mountain to pray after John’s death. I didn’t walk on water afterward, like He did; but I felt a lot better and His peace has been my shield.

I started this blog by stating the obvious, life gets busy! But sometimes it also gets messy, painful, and hard. That is the absolute best time to pull away and spend time with Jesus! Nothing will be of more value to you than getting with Him. For it is in the secret place of the Most High God that we find the peace, strength, and comfort that we seek. Be blessed! Wonderful Jesus!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Mark 6:16-But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.

He is risen, like He said!

Isn’t it wonderful to know we serve a risen Savior? I rejoice today in Him and all He has done for me and my family. Reconciling us to God, forgiving us of our sins, cleansing us from unrighteousness, making us brand new, and a host of other amazing benefits we have all because He is risen! My prayer for you during this holy season is that you and your family will continue to enjoy His benefits if you are already His, and if not, that you will come to know Him. There is truly no one like Him. I am including one of my favorite songs for this time of year. Be encouraged in your life with Him knowing He has given us everything we need to navigate through it! Wonderful Jesus!