Hanging By A Thread

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n my study, just next to my window, hangs a replica of a hot air balloon I purchased a several years ago.  When my mom and dad came out to Fort Worth to help me move into my house, mom got up on the stepladder and hung the balloon.  Her touch and opinion of where to place that balloon made all the difference in the world and ensured success!

When I opened the box and examined all the components, I found a long piece of thick transparent string.  It resembled fishing line and provided the means of hanging the balloon from the ceiling.  I went to one of the local home supply superstores in the area and purchased a hook, returned home.  When mom finished, the balloon hung from the hook and, unless you observed very closely, it seemed as if the balloon was suspended in thin air.

Even now, whenever I enter my study, I see that balloon.  Although it appears to float in mid air, I know it is hanging by a mere thread.  That thread, however, is strong enough to support the balloon’s weight, supporting and upholding it on constant and consistent basis.

The story of Job is familiar to most people, even if they are unfamiliar with the rest of the Scriptures.  Whenever we are having a bad day, whenever Murphy’s Law is in effect, or when everything seems to be stacked against us, we usually compare our plight with that of Job.  I am convinced, however, that we have no idea what Job endured and I am certainly not taking a number and waiting in line to find out!

It should come as no surprise to us that Job’s very life hung by a mere thread.  Most people would agree with that statement noting that Job’s faith in God was the very thread that kept him and sustained him during his trial.  While I agree that Job had incredible faith, I want to explore the possibility that Job’s faith was not the thread that held him.

In Job 1:12 and 2:6 we read the following statements, “The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."

God, himself, makes both of these statement in response to Satan’s accusation that God’s protection and blessing in Job’s life are the sole reasons Job follows the Lord.  His argument is that were those blessings and the protection lifted, Job would curse God to His face and no long worship Him.  Two words must jump out at us from God’s response.  The words occur in both verses.  Can you find them?  Can you find the thread that held and supported Job?  Yes!  The words are “Very well.”

In other words, God said to Satan, “Go ahead, do your worst, my servant will not fail me.” So it was not Job’s faith in God that sustained him; it was God’s faith in Job.  The words very well connect Job to his God and relate the faith God placed in Job.

Wherever you are today in your walk with the Lord, I pray you will take encouragement from this passage of scripture.  Sometimes life gets crazy; it seems everything is against us and we are hanging by a mere thread.  But if that thread is God, we have all we need to cling to.  That thread is all the strength we need and will support and sustain us both constantly and consistently.  It will never break, it will never come untied, and it will never let us go.  Hanging by a thread is sometimes the only place we experience the sustaining power of our God.  Are you hanging confidently by a thread today?

Are All These Heart Patients?

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 few years ago, I found myself sitting in the waiting room of Presbyterian Hospital in downtown Dallas.  I was there for a two-day stress test, just to see that everything under the hood was in working order.  For me, the real stress test had occurred prior to my arrival at the hospital.  After facing the traffic between Dallas and Fort Worth, especially during early morning rush hour, I figured any test they threw at me would be pretty much a cakewalk! 

My appointment on Thursday morning was set for 10:30. I arrived 45 minutes early, just to be on the safe side.  When I entered the waiting room, there were already several people occupying chairs and sofas, reading magazines or talking to family members, trying to pass the time until their name was called to see the doctor or go for testing.

About 30 minutes into my wait, an older gentleman entered with a younger man I took to be his son.  After completing the preliminary paperwork, they took a seat across the room from me.  As the gentleman sat down, he blurted out in a rather loud and somewhat surprised voice, “Are these all heart patients?” 

At first, I thought the question somewhat rhetorical since we were all waiting to see a cardiologist or to take different types of tests for our hearts.  But the more I thought about his words and the more they resounded in my ears, the more I began to think this man had made a statement that had profound implications.

The prophet Samuel learned firsthand that God is a cardiologist at heart (no pun intended).  When asked to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel saddles up his donkey and goes to Bethlehem to visit Jesse and to select one of his sons to rule Israel.  Upon his arrival, Samuel is very impressed with Jesse’s oldest son, Abinadab.  This young man is handsome, tall, well-built, and carries himself as a king should.  Samuel is ready to dump his horn of oil right then on Abinidab’s head when God calls him up short and teaches him a very important lesson; a lesson we need to hear again today!

1 Samuel 16:7 gives us God’s perspective on human nature: “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Talk about a stress test!  God wanted Samuel to know that outward appearances count for nothing; it is the inward attitude which God sees and the character of heart for which he searches.  Outwardly, Abinadab possessed all the desirable attributes, but inwardly something was lacking.  Abinidab’s baby brother, David, a young boy not so handsome, not so tall, not so well built, but one whose heart was right before the Lord possessed that something lacking in his older brother.

On that Thursday morning I learned this truth all over again.  The answer to that man’s question was, and is, a resounding yes.  All of us in the waiting room that day were heart patients.  In fact, as far as God is concerned all of us are heart patients.  God wants to change our hearts, to make them better, to cleanse them and restore them to a right relationship with Him.  This can only be done when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives.

How long has it been since you had your heart examined?  The stresses and strains of every-day life leave all of us in need of a checkup on a regular basis.  God wants to look into your heart, to examine it, and make whole.  Won’t you make an appointment today to have your heart examined and repaired by the Great Physician?  You’ll be glad you did!

A Slice of Humble Pie

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essons in humility are not fun and they never come at a convenient time in life!  The instruments used to teach these little gems are varied.  In fact, anything and anyone can be used to bring you to your knees.  Who among us hasn’t had the unpleasant experience of apologizing to someone because we wronged them or because we used them as a sounding board to air our frustrations even though they did nothing to cause our anger? 

During one Christmas holiday vacation, however, my lesson in humility came at the hands of my family’s dishwasher.  Yes, you read that correctly, the dishwasher, and oh what a lesson I learned!  Now you may be wondering how on earth a dishwasher could teach a lesson in humility.  Well, I’ll let you in on my lesson, a lesson about serving with humility that as a Christian, I should have learned by now.

When I am home, I like to help out around the house.  I vacuum, clean the kitchen, wash an occasional load of laundry, and run errands.  The thing is, I sometimes forget that I am in North Carolina instead of in Texas and that I am staying in my parents’ home and not am not in Fort Worth. 

One evening after supper, I cleaned the kitchen.  The first order of business was to empty the dishwasher so I could place our dirty dishes inside to be cleaned.  I began the process of placing the clean dishes back into the cabinets and drawers. For the most part, I knew where everything went.  However, when I encountered a pot or a utensil about which I was a little unsure, I “guesstimated” its placement.  This means that I looked around for a place that looked good and put the item away.  In no time, I had cleaned the dishwasher, loaded it again, finished the kitchen and joined my parents in the den to watch television.

The next morning, however, it was time for my humility lesson.  Unknown to me, my mom had been in the kitchen looking for a few things I had put away.  She had some things sitting on the counter that I knew I had put away the evening before.  When I asked about them she said I had misplaced them and she had had a difficult time trying to find them.  She continued by suggesting that I ask her when I was uncertain about putting something away.

At first, I was just a little upset.  I mean, after all, I had cleaned the kitchen and I had put away the dishes.  I had helped her out and I had given her an opportunity to relax and to rest.  How dare her point out my mistakes!!  How about all the dishes I had put away correctly?  What about them? Didn’t she care? Wasn’t she thankful?

As you can see, my focus was not on my mom; it was on myself. I really didn’t seem to care that I had not helped her out as much as I thought.  What I had done was make her task more difficult because she had to go behind me, discover my hiding places, and set everything back the way it was supposed to be.  I should have done things the way she wanted them done instead of how I thought they should be done.  This was the humility lesson I learned.

We’ve all been here, haven’t we?  We want people to appreciate what we’ve done for them and we want them to approve our work no matter what!  However, this is not the mark of servanthood that Jesus commanded in John 13:15-17, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

The example Jesus is speaking of is the washing of the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper.  All twelve, including Judas Iscariot, were in that room when Jesus removed his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waist, got on his hands and knees, and washed their dirty feet.  He washed each of the disciples’ feet but no one washed his!  When he finished, he told the disciples to follow his example.  He underscored the fact that no servant was greater than his master and if the master had washed feet, they should do the same in keeping with his example.  The result was blessings for them if they obeyed what Christ had commanded and if they did it in a manner consistent with his example.

This is the lesson of humility.  We are to do things in a manner that pleases God and God alone.  The one who is serving, the Christian, must do things according to the wishes of the one being served, God.  The servant cannot do things his way.  His will cannot enter into the process at all.  He is a servant, which means he follows and obeys the commands of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  Washing feet is not always fun but it is a good reminder that our will is not our own; we must seek to God’s will as we serve others.

This is the lesson Jesus expects us to learn and to follow.  It is a lesson we learn daily and sometimes on a moment-by-moment basis. True service for God means we do things the way he wants them done regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the person, and regardless of how we feel about the situation.  We don’t get it our way; we get it his way. Realizing this should drive us to our knees in humility before God’s throne.  Have you had a slice of humble pie today?

Contact!

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 few years ago I decided to make some changes in my life.  None of these was what you would call “earth-shattering” but nonetheless, they were changes.  The most dramatic of these was my decision to move from using prescription glasses to contact lenses.

For years I wore glasses.  They worked great, bringing everything in to sharp focus and helping me to see the minutest details.  They even helped me read the fine print on my mortgage but I’m not so sure I really appreciated knowing all those details.  However, they did have one set back.  No matter how good my vision, the frames restricted my peripheral vision.  This became problematic especially during driving sessions. I had to lower my glasses to see what, if anything was coming down the road.  Finally, I decided to switch to contacts.

My ophthalmologist explained to me the process of changing from frames to contacts and promised me I would enjoy the change but it would take time to find the right strength given the fact that both my eyes presented different challenges and would require two different lenses and prescriptions.  We tried all types of lenses and after three months, we finally found the right combination.

I distinctly remember the day we settled on the winning combination of lenses.  Everything was in clear focus and there was no impediment to my entire field of vision.  My peripheral vision was as good as the view straight ahead.  It was hard to believe that two small, round, flimsy pieces of film could make such a difference.  But as long as they are in direct contact with my eyes, my vision is great!

In Jesus’ day, corrective lenses, especially contacts, weren’t even a thought. Yet, just like today, there were people with vision problems. People either saw perfectly well, moderately well, or not at all.  But when Jesus met a man who was blind from birth, just the touch of his hand, changed everything from night to day!

In John 9:11 we read, “He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."  Here, the man is standing before Jewish rulers testifying about the miracle wrought by Jesus.  Everyone in the town knew the man from birth and knew he had been born blind.  Yet, here he stood with perfect vision.

Notice that Jesus made contact with this man. He made mud and placed it on the man’s eyes.  After washing, the man’s vision was restored.  There is a great lesson here for us today.  Spiritually speaking, we walk around in the darkness of our own blindness.  We don’t know which way to go and we can’t see around us.  We need someone to open our eyes, to make contact with us, and give us correct vision.  That is exactly what Jesus does for us.  He puts his hands on us, the hands that were nailed to the cross for our sins, and gives us sight.  He opens our eyes and our minds so that we may understand God’s word, his leading, and his direction for our lives.

When is the last time you had a spiritual eye exam?  Wouldn’t you like to make contact with Jesus today?  You will never see things in the same way again.

The Biggest Little Word

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f I had a million dollars…” “If I had more time…’  “If I had a bigger car…”  “If gasoline weren’t so high…” “If I had fewer bills…,” etc.  Does this scenario sound familiar?  Do you find yourself using this little word over and over again on a daily basis?  If we were honest, all of us would admit to overusing the little word, if, especially concerning the areas of our lives where we are the most dissatisfied.  We always want to change our situations.  If only that were possible!!

Please notice each of the foregoing statements creates a condition that has some type of result.  For example, “If I had a million dollars, I would buy a new house.”  The condition is having the million dollars and the result is the purchase of a new home.  But that little word if means I don’t have a million dollars and consequently I can’t buy a new home.  But if the condition were met, the result would follow.

The same holds true in our walk with God.  As we celebrate Independence Day this Saturday in the United States, it would do us well to review a passage of scripture that, although spoken toIsrael, has application for us today. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

There can be no clearer call to repentance than this!  God extends his hand and sets forth the conditions for a relationship with him.  Notice that he begins with the word if.  As we said before, that word indicates that the condition is not being met.  In other words, God’s people do not humble themselves, they do not seek his face, they do not turn from their wicked ways and as a result God does not hear from heaven, he does not forgive their sin, and their land is not healed.

Now wait just a minute, Blake.  Are you saying God does not forgive sin?   No, I did not say that.  That would be contrary to scripture.  However, unless we call upon God’s name and repent, our sins are not forgiven.  God will not commune with us nor have a relationship with us as long as we remain in our sins.  That is what the Bible teaches.

This is true for nations and for individuals as well.  As long as we refuse to humble ourselves before God, seek his face, and repent from our sins we can never have a deep, abiding, personal relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Nations are made up of individual people and if individuals refuse to meet the requirements of God’s conditions, it is no wonder that nations—ours in particular—are in such deep peril.

The lesson of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is applicable to all of us regardless of nationality.  As God’s people we must humble ourselves and seek him.  We must repent and turn from our wicked ways.  Then, God will hear us, he will walk with us, he will talk with us, and he will heal our land. If only we will do what he says!! 

Test Is A Four-letter Word

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est is a four-letter word, just ask any student.  The mere mention of the “T” word is enough to throw a class into shock and to offend the majority of the class members.  Whenever this word is uttered by a professor, it carries the same force as a strong expletive and is heard by everyone in the room.  You’d be surprised how silent a room can become with just the mention of this tiny, four-letter word. I’m here to tell you that it is possible to hear a pin hit the carpet in my classroom whenever I dare speak that “unmentionable” word.

Although I am well aware that my students experience severe stress and angst whenever I mention a test, their reaction in no way prevents me from preparing and administering them.  What kind of instructor would I be if I never gave my students an “opportunity” to demonstrate how much they know?  From the students’ perspective, I would be a very popular teacher but at best I would be ineffective.  Testing is good for both the student and the teacher.  For the student, the test indicates the degree to which knowledge has been mastered and for the instructor, the test is a good barometer of how knowledge has been delivered.

However, there is another side to testing which the student rarely, if ever, sees.  While the student is cramming that last bit of information into his brain, the instructor is wrestling with the same body of material, trying to present it in a manner that will be both challenging and beneficial to the student.  When the test is administered, the student takes it only once; the instructor, however, takes that test several times, once for each student in the class.

I often share this fact with my students but they rarely give me any sympathy.  I’m not surprised!  I didn’t give my professors much sympathy either when it came to tests.  I felt it was poetic justice since they had ruined my weekend!  In any event, the testing process can and does give us an interesting insight into the way God tests us and the way He understands His children.

In Hebrews 4:15 we read, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.” This is a very interesting passage of scripture and one we need to look at very carefully.  There are some insightful truths tucked away in this short statement.  We must understand that the writer here is speaking of Jesus as our great high priest.  According to the Mosaic Covenant, the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies once a year to atone for Israel’s sin.  He, himself, was just a man and the law required him to make a sacrifice for his own sins before he could make atonement for the people.  But in this chapter from Hebrews we see something completely different.

Jesus is our high priest and he makes atonement for us.  Like the High Priest, Jesus was fully man, but unlike him, he was also fully God.  I don’t understand how this can be but I believe it to be so.  This is the good part, so hang on!  Since Jesus was human, he experienced every temptation you and I experience.  That is what the passage says, read it again and you’ll see!  It is due to his humanity that Jesus is able to sympathize with us and to understand exactly what we face.

In other words, Jesus knows what it is like to take the tests we take in life, he’s already been there.  However, he did what we cannot do; he passed the test with flying colors.  We stumble and fall and we yield to the pressures of temptation around us.  These can be flagrant and aggressive or they can be subtle and approach by stealth.  But no matter what the temptation, our savior fully understands our plight. 

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So, the next time you are tested, and it may be today, remember that Jesus understands what you are facing.  Not only does he make out the tests you take; he has taken them himself as well.  There is nothing we face that he has not confronted and there is no situation we experience that is unfamiliar to him.  This should give us great assurance and peace.  We do have a great teacher, one that understands us, one who sympathizes with us, and one who knows the importance of passing through periods of testing.  Remember, a test shows us how much we know, it shows us how much we have learned, and it points us to lessons yet to be mastered.  Yes, test is a four-letter word, but it isn’t something we haven’t heard before and it is something we will hear again!

Do You Have Any Bread?

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ealtimes at our home were always wonderful.  My mom worked during the day but she always made sure there was a good, hot meal for us when suppertime came.  I can still hear her as she would call us from play to come home for supper.  It didn't matter where we were or what we were doing, as soon as we heard her call, we came running.

As we sat down to the table, my dad would always ask the same question, "Do you have any bread?"  It didn't matter what type of bread we had, whether homemade biscuits (my favorite), rolls, cornbread, or sandwich bread.  The fact was, the meal was not complete

without it. 

Since my boyhood, I have visited and lived in several different foreign countries and I have found my dad's question to be very common.  Whether in France, Australia, Germany, or Spain, the importance attached to bread is universal.  It seems we can't eat a meal without it and no table is complete until the bread is placed in its center.

There is, however, one great problem with bread.  It is filling but it is not satisfying.  Eating bread for one meal, only means we are ready for more bread at the next one.  Freshly baked biscuits, rolls, or loaves of bread meet an immediate need and desire; but provide no long lasting solution to our problem.  Hence, my father's repeated question at every one of our meals.  It is still his repeated question at the table today.

Jesus used this very idea to teach a great truth about himself and his ministry.  Our scripture reading for today occurs just after Jesus has fed the five thousand.  The people sought to make him king, so Jesus withdrew from them and went across the lake.  The next morning, the time of our scripture, finds the people coming to Jesus, searching for bread.  Essentially, they were interested in Jesus solely for what he could do for them.

Jesus' response is found in John 6:26-35.  Notice that Jesus confronts the people by saying, “The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign."Jesus always looks for the motives behind our actions.  Why are we following him?   Is it because we want to do his will and be a part of this work? Or, are we interested in coming to Jesus only when we need something? 

Those around him that day were only interested in getting something from Jesus. What they wanted was a quick fix to their hunger.  Moses, they said, had provided food for them in the wilderness.  If Jesus could perform a miracle, then they would believe him.  Doesn't this sound so much like us?  We come to God, asking for solutions to our problems and answers to our questions.    Rarely do we come to him just to relate or converse, yet this is what he wants from us, relationship.

Jesus corrected their misunderstanding by saying, "I assure you, Moses didn’t give them bread from heaven. My Father did." Like so many of us, they failed to recognize that everything in life comes from God's hand.  Moses provided them with nothing, God rained the manna down from heaven.  Jesus continued this thought by saying, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again".  This is what God is truly like.  He sees us in a hopeless situation, eating our fill, only to be hungry again.  His answer is always to surpass our need and give us the best he has, not only to sustain our lives, but to give us eternal life as well.  When we feed on Christ and his word we need never ask the question, "Do you have any bread?"  We have our fill.

The Cake Plate

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he metal container sitting on the counter told me all I needed to know about the up-coming Thanksgiving meal my mother was preparing.  I had seen the shiny metal object many times during my childhood.  Whenever the plate was sitting out, on the counter or on the table, it meant that mom was going to bake a cake.  It didn’t matter what type of cake it was, pound or German chocolate, the results would be the same, happy faces and full bellies!

On this particular occasion, the components for a Dream Sickle Cake (orange cake with coconut cream icing—three layers of it!) were awaiting assembly.  The metal cake plate sat on the counter, just a few feet from the assembly line where the cake would be made.  Once finished, mom would transfer he cake to the protective plate and place the whole thing in the refrigerator.  The cake had to remain covered and cool so it would not dry out before our Thanksgiving meal.

I took a few moments and looked that cake plate over.  It’s amazing what you notice when you take the time to really inspect something.   The cake plate was constructed of aluminum with a flat base and a domed top.  The top was held securely in place by a series of clips that were opened and closed by a lever in the base.  Once the cake was placed inside and the clips closed, it was safe.  The whole container could be moved without causing damage to the precious cargo inside.   At some point in the past, the cake plate had been hit and damaged.  A large dent near the top pointed to this fact. The interior, however, was intact and remained unaffected by the blow.  A cake was still safe and secure inside the cover.

A few days later as I was removing a piece of the cake from the cake plate, I thought of something I had never really considered before.  Our walk with Jesus directly parallels the relationship between the cake plate and the cake it contains.  As long as the cake remains inside its container, it is safe from exposure, it holds its shape, it does not dry out, and it safely goes wherever the plate is taken.  Any thing striking against the plate does not damage the cake inside.  The protective cover absorbs the blow and protects the cake from being marred or damaged.

This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was describing in Romans 8:1. In this passage Paul writes, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Please notice the last three words of this verse. Paul wants us to understand that when we are in Christ, we are no longer found guilty of our sins.  The condition for being found not guilty, however, is that we must belong to Christ and be placed in him.  This means we accept his sacrifice on Calvary as the only way to salvation.

The words, “in Christ,” appear 92 times in the NIV version of the Epistles. Paul uses this image over and over again in his writings to underline our position as believers.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God places us in Christ.  We are not separate from him but we are placed in him.  His love, his grace, his mercy, his sacrifice, and his peace are all around us.  They protect us and shield us from the dangers of sin.  Christ does not take us out of the world but he protects us while we are in it.

Without Christ, our lives resemble an uncovered cake.  The elements dry us out, we fall apart, we have no sweetness in our lives, and we offer no enjoyment to those around us.  Moreover, we are exposed and vulnerable to all the bumps, and knocks that life throws at us.  At any moment we can be crushed, cut, flattened, or tossed aside.  I don’t know about you, but I have gained a deeper respect and appreciation for that metal cake plate.  Just think how much more precious we are to God and how much more he shields us and protects us because we have accepted the gift of salvation through his son, Jesus Christ.

Change The Station

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t’s one of my favorite past times or worst habits—I can’t decide which! Every time I get in the car, I immediately start cruising through all the radio stations on the dial.  Sometimes I am lucky, finding wonderful music as soon as I turn on the radio.  Most often, however, I don’t like what’s currently playing, or there are too many commercials, or the announcer just doesn’t peak my interest.  Whatever the reason, I will push buttons until I find something I want to hear.

If you stop to think about it, the radio is quite an amazing piece of technology.  All around us, radio waves are dancing through the air carrying news, sports, commentaries, and music to all parts of our world.  At any given moment, the air surrounding us is chock full of information but we can neither see it nor hear it.  In order for us to understand and enjoy the contents of those wonderful little waves, we have to have a radio receiver.  But more importantly, even with the receiver we must tune-in to the exact frequency in order to receive and enjoy those signals carried by radio waves.

It might surprise you to discover that Jesus, himself, spoke of this very phenomenon.  Now I am not claiming that Jesus Christ was like a teenager in car casually flipping through stations looking for the latest musical hit!  However, I am saying that the principle of finding the right frequency is a biblical concept and one that Jesus spoke to on several occasions.

The best example of this is found in John 5:17-19, Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working. For this reason, the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."

We must understand the context of this passage if we are to glean anything of substance from what our Lord had to say.  Jesus had just healed a man who was an invalid for 38 years.  Jesus found him by the Pool of Bethesda and asked if he wanted to be healed.  The man said yes and Jesus healed him.  This took place on the Sabbath, a day in which no one could do any work.  

The religious leaders of the day chided the man for carrying his bed on the Sabbath and he explained that Jesus told him to “take up his bed and walk.”  The leaders were furious!!  They took no notice of the fact that the man stood before them healed of his disease.  Instead, they were indignant that the law of the Sabbath had been broken.  They seriously need to change the station and tune in to God’s work, didn’t they?

Now, let’s not be too hard on the Pharisees because we are just like them!!  I know that statement is hard to read because it was hard to write!  We get so involved with all types of activities.  We attend every service, we look for committees to join, we invent ways “to do God’s work,” and we are always changing stations, believing that one activity is more holy than the next.  Unfortunately, in the process of changing channels, we never tune-in to what God is saying and we completely miss all the wonderful things He sends our way on a moment-by-moment basis.

Notice in this passage that Jesus says God is always working.  God never rests; He is always busy, working in our lives to make us more like Jesus.  Like radio waves, God’s presence and work are all around us but we must set our dial to His frequency!  Far too often we want God to tune-in to our frequency and get on our agenda!  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it simply won’t happen this way!  Jesus continued in the verse by saying that the Son, meaning Jesus himself, can do nothing except what he observed the Father doing.  Furthermore, Jesus said that whatever the Father did, he did also!  Stop and let that sink in deep!!!!  Jesus knew not only the importance but also the necessity of tuning-in to God’s frequency.  If the Son of God tells us that he had to tune to the right frequency to have the correct relationship with God, I ask you, where does that leave us?

Look at the radio on your desk, in your home, or think about the one in your car!   Whatever you are listening to today is made possible only by the fact that your dial is tuned to the correct frequency.  If this is true in the physical world, how much more important is this truth applicable in our relationship with God?  I encourage you today to stop flipping through all the spiritual channels, selecting only the ones that make you “feel good.”  Instead, open God’s word and tune you heart to His frequency today.  You will never be disappointed and you will always receive the best of the best on this frequency.  So what are you waiting for?  Change the station!

A Car Wash Lesson

O

ne particular Saturday morning, the weather was perfect.  The sun was shining, there were no clouds in the sky, the temperature was very mild, and there was little humidity to speak of.  It was the perfect day to tend to some much-needed errands before jetting off to attend a wedding Saturday evening.  So I got up early, made a few phone calls, ate a late breakfast, dressed, and headed out the door to tackle the day ahead.

First stop, the car wash.  My car was in desperate need of a bath and I don’t mean a quick suds and rinse.  What it needed was more like a blast from a water canon in order to remove all the “little surprises” left by several flocks of birds passing through the area.  So I headed down the road to visit a brand new car wash that opened only a few weeks ago.  I had a coupon and figured it couldn’t hurt.  Anything would have been an improvement in the appearance of my car.

I arrived at the car wash, spoke with the attendant who explained the different levels of service offered, made my selection, and drove around to wait my turn in line.  Finally, I was given the go ahead to maneuver my car into position.  I approached the entrance very slowly until the attendant motioned for me to stop my vehicle.  I complied with his request and he immediately applied a thick coat of suds and gave my car a thorough hand washing.  He then instructed me to inch forward and place my front tires into an automatic conveyor system that would conduct my car through the remaining portion of the wash.  He was very clear with his instructions:  “Place the car in neutral.  Take your hands off the wheel.  Don’t apply the brakes until you reach the end of the line.”

It had been a long time since I remained in the car while the car wash machines did their thing.  I noticed that as the conveyor system took charge, the car moved forward on its own.  The steering wheel moved but the car maintained its steady, forward pace.  I was no longer in control.  A sudden noise jolted in my seat.  Strong water jets pummeled my car with pressurized streams removing all the dirt and grime caked on the outside.  Then I was under attack by several blue swirling brushes that scrubbed the dirt from the sides of my car.  The windshield was also a prime target as huge, soapy strips of material covered it, totally obscuring my view.  The car continued to inch forward in spite of the fact I didn’t know where I was going and could see nothing. Finally, I arrived at the end of the line where my car was dried by several strong automatic fans.  When I exited the car wash, my car was clean.

As I drove a way, however, I realized I had just experienced something the Apostle Paul spoke of over two thousand years ago. In his writings, Paul used the term “in Christ” on numerous occasions.  I use this term myself at the end of every Tidbit. But I wondered if I really had a true grasp of what Paul really meant.  After the car wash, I believe my understanding of that term has greatly deepened.

Like the car wash, being in Christ has certain elements that go along with it.  The first is relinquishing all control of our lives.  Jesus must take the wheel, steering us in the proper direction, even though we can’t see where we are going.  There will be sights and sounds along the way that frighten and worry us.  The path ahead may be completely obscured and at any moment the rough circumstances of life may brush against us, causing us pain and discomfort.  But none of these things can harm us as long as we are in Christ.  As long as I remained in my car, I didn’t get wet, I wasn’t’ beaten around by the brushes in the carwash, the killer soapy strips didn’t beat me about the head, and although I couldn’t see where I was going, the conveyer system had a firm grip on the car.  As long as I remained in the car, I was safe.  Although I was aware of all the commotion and the scrubbing action against my car outside, inside I was safe, comfortable, and dry.

In 1 Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes, “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”  This is such a comforting and revealing statement by the Apostle Paul to his readers.  Paul makes two wonderful observations in this sentence. Paul speaks of God’s grace and being in Christ in the same breath.  He rightly observes that we only receive God’s grace when we are in fact in Christ Jesus.  Being in Christ means that we have placed our lives in his hands and that we relinquish utter and total control to him. We go where he leads, when he leads, and obey his commands, trusting in him at all times.  When we place ourselves in Christ, he surrounds us and protects us from the things in life that would separate us from God.  This does not mean life will never be difficult.  It does not mean we will never be tempted again or that we will never have any trying circumstances in life.  But it does mean that we will never go through these times alone and it does mean we can and will come through them with God’s help.

On that Saturday, I did indeed learn a lesson about God’s grace and being in Christ.  Had it not been for the car, I would have been soaked, sprayed, scrubbed, soaped, and washed up.  However, inside the car, although aware of all the commotion on the outside, I was safe and calm on the inside.  The ride may not have been one I would have chosen on a daily basis, but I was able to sit back and enjoy it.  I was not upset by it because I knew that I was secure in the car and that nothing on the outside could penetrate its protection.  Keeping this in mind, we must ask ourselves one question:  Are we enjoying our ride down life’s highway today?  If we are in Christ, the answer is yes.  If not, help is just a prayer away!

From Deep Within

T

he first time I visited a museum I was in elementary school.  The museum was located in our county seat and boasted a rather nice display of plants, animals, and various exhibits about the different trees found in our area.  But the best part was a small black room which became my backyard as the lighted dome faded away into night and the stars came out.  Although it was the middle of the day outside, it was night inside as the stars rose and comets flashed across the dome. This first visit to a museum also introduced me to the planetarium, a place I love to visit to this day.

A few years later, my mom and dad took my brother and me to New England.  One of my uncles was in the navy and was stationed in Rhode Island.  I had never been north before so the idea of traveling “way up there” excited me.  On the way, there were several first experiences in my life.  It was the first time I had ever seen a tollbooth, it was the first time I had ever gone under a river in a tunnel, it was the first time I had ever crossed an expansion bridge, and it was the first time I had ever visited our nation’s capital.

One of the most exciting things on that trip was the Smithsonian Institute.  Yep, another museum!  But what a museum this turned out to be.  Whole buildings were dedicated to just one type of exhibit.  There was the Air and Space Museum, my personal favorite where I saw, not only the Wright Brother’s airplane that had flown in my home state of North Carolina, but also the command module for the Apollo 11 mission that put Neil Armstrong on the moon.  I watched the moon landing live so you can imagine how pumped I was to actually see the command module that took the astronauts there.

The next building we visited was the museum of natural science.  In this building were huge skeletons from dinosaurs and a huge Mastodon, complete with fur and tusks.  Just inside the door were headphones you could rent to learn more about the exhibits.  As I approached each exhibit, the headphones picked up a radio signal from deep inside the display and played the information directly into my ears.  What a neat toy this was!  The same thing happened when I approached a blue whale, and other exhibits in the museum.  The transmitter, embedded inside the animals, could not be seen but they could be heard.  From deep within the heart of the exhibits came the full explanation of what they were like.

Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus alluded to this very concept over two thousand years ago?  Long before the radio transmitter or the headset receiver, Jesus explained that by listening to a person, you knew exactly what he or she was like.  Let’s look at a brief passage of scripture that explains this important biblical truth.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  The last sentence in this passage is the truth Jesus wanted his listeners to understand. 

As with the Mastodon at the Smithsonian, I could only hear what the exhibit was transmitting to my ears.  In the same way, when we speak, and we can speak volumes, we communicate what we’ve stored in our hearts.  The essence of who we are, our character, is displayed for everyone to see.  So when people listen to us, what they hear is a direct link to our hearts and they know what we are filled with.  Jesus said the mouth speaks from the heart’s overflow.  In order for the heart to overflow, it must first be filled and the words we use and the actions we perform directly reflect the contents of our hearts.

This is a sobering thought, isn’t it?  As soon as our mouths are open, our hearts are revealed.  Even when we don’t speak, the decisions we make, the friends with whom we surround ourselves, and the actions we perform tell everyone around us what we believe, what and where our priorities are, and what we value most in life.  From deep within, our true character shines forth.  What message are you sending today?

Leg Cramps

T

here is nothing fun about waking up at 4:30 a.m. Early one morning, I was wrested from a peaceful sleep, not by an alarm clock, not by a bad dream, nor by an unexpected knock at the door.  Nope!  This particular morning, I woke up with a terrible pain in my lower left leg—cramps!

It doesn’t happen often but when cramps hit, they hit me extra hard!  I was just lying there, not bothering a soul, and suddenly all the muscles in my lower leg decided to head north!  It was a rude awakening.

At first, I thought the cramps would subside if I did nothing but this strategy proved to be a complete failure.  The cramps continued and increased in intensity.  What I needed to do was to stretch my legs but that would involve more pain as I forced my leg muscles to do a U turn in order to head in the opposite direction.

So, I gritted my teeth, counted to three, and began stretching my legs.  Yep, it hurt, but after a few minutes of stretching, the cramps subsided and my muscles returned to their normal positions.  By this time, the alarm clock had sounded and it was time to get out of bed. 

James, the brother of our Lord, knew a little about leg cramps.  In fact, Timothy understood that life just sometimes throws all sorts of things our way that are unpleasant.  But he understood that everything—including leg cramps—has a purpose.

In James 1:2-4 he writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Three things stand out in this brief passage from the Scriptures.  First of all, life is full of trials.  Isn’t this a comforting thought?  All of us know the little opportunities we have every day to experience this opening statement.  No matter what day it is, no matter where we are, and no matter the time of day, something always seems to crop up to test us.  But James says we are to embrace these little opportunities with open arms and welcome them for they have a purpose.

The second notion is that trials come to test our faith.  Can you feel the muscles cramping?  I don’t know about you, but when God tests my faith, there is always pain involved on my part.  Trials come when we least expect it, when everything is going well and we are in control of everything.  That’s when our spiritual muscles cramp and we must work them, even though working them is difficult.

The last point gives God’s reason for trying us.  He wants us to be complete, perfect (meaning whole), and lacking in nothing.  The only way we can achieve this is to put our faith to work and the only way we can exercise that faith is to be placed in uncomfortable situations where it must be stretched.

Are you experiencing cramps this morning?  Are your spiritual legs being tested?  If so, exercise them.  It is the only way to get moving down the road God has laid out for you today!

What Do You Want?

O

ne afternoon I arrived back in my dorm room to find an e-mail inviting me to attend a dinner in Irving, Texas, about twenty-five minutes away from the seminary.  I was to join a group of men who would serve the Boy Scouts of America as chaplains at Philmont Scout Ranch that summer. Now, being a seminarian, and not having many opportunities to attend fancy restaurants, I immediately notified the BSA to expect me for dinner!

I arrived a few minutes early and the others were not far behind.  After being seated, we were given menus and told to order whatever we wanted. I found it difficult to believe I could have whatever I wanted and immediately began to base my decisions on price. You know how it is, you make a decision but you are worried what others will think if you order a certain item. So, after much debate, I decided on my dinner entrée and promptly ordered. 

Why is it we spend an enormous amount of time talking or dreaming about what we would do if we could have whatever we wanted; but when faced with an opportunity to do so, we have a very difficult time making that decision?  Everywhere we are surrounded by get rich-quick schemes, sweepstakes entries, and lotto competitions. All of these things promise the possibility of fulfilling our wildest dreams but none of them offers true happiness.  Could it be that we really don't know what we want?

The book of 1 Kings provides great insight into the life of a man who literally could have had anything he wanted.  King Solomon is noted for his riches and his wisdom.  However, a close observation of how he obtained both of these provides a great lesson in how we should approach God when making requests of him.

1 Kings 3:5-14 records Solomon's response to God's question. Solomon's father, King David, has died and the responsibility of governing Israel has fallen to Solomon. In verse 5 God says to Solomon, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Wow!  Solomon could have anything his heart desired, and therein lies the great secret.  Solomon had rank and standing, after all he was the king.  He also had wealth and power. He could have asked to increase any or all of these things but instead, he makes a very uncommon request for someone in this position. Verse 7 records his answer, "Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties…So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong."

What was the desire of Solomon's heart?  It was to please God.  Notice that Solomon prayed, not out of his want, but out of his need.  This is the secret of effective prayer.  He recognized that the task to which God had called him was too big for him alone.  In addition, Solomon recognized that the people he had been called to govern were not his people but God's people.  This is what we, as God's people must do today.  We must realize that we are children, that we don't know right from wrong, that we can't effectively govern our lives without God's help.  Solomon asked for wisdom, not for himself, but for the task he had been assigned.

Let us follow his lead.  Whatever God has called you to do and wherever he has placed you, seek his guidance.  Ask for wisdom to know his will so that you may bring glory to him and be a blessing to the people you serve.  It has been said that when we get what we want, we rarely have what we need; but when we get what we need, we have what we want.  This is Solomon's testimony and because he asked of God wisely, he received the full extent of God's blessings.  So, what are you asking God for today?