God Rested and Was Refreshed

God rested and was refreshed? I read this the other day in Exodus 31 as it described how God created the world in 6 days and then on the 7th day rested and was refreshed.  I was taken back by the idea that God was refreshed.  This God that does not grow weary rested and was refreshed.  My first thought was doesn't the idea of being refreshed indicate one has become tired?  I mean, I can't begin to imagine how exhausting it would be to create the entire universe.  I get exhausted just trying to manage my little world.  God's never ending galactic frontier is anything but little and I cannot fathom the energy it took to bring it all into existence.  I know, He's God and there wasn't a need for the latest sports drink to replenish all the electrolytes He lost over the course of those 6 days, but hey this was still a huge undertaking.  "...for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:17).

I know I'm going to date myself here, but when I think of the concept of being refreshed, images of the old Nestea commercials with the people doing the Nestea plunge race through my head. For those who have no clue what I'm talking about, those commercials showed people sweating from a hard days work drinking a glass of iced Nestea plunging backward into a swimming pool.  The idea was this glass of ice tea was a great refreshing break from hard work.  I love southern sweet iced tea as much as anybody, but somehow this idea of God being refreshed has got to be a bit more than taking a sip of instant ice tea.

At least that's what I thought.  But the word refreshed here means to breath.  To sit down, take a break, and just breath.  It paints a picture of one ceasing from work and taking a break so that they can be breathed on or into.  This reminds me of how God breathed into Adam the breath of life and He came alive.  Also, when Jesus breathed on the disciples giving them "new life."  In His resting on the 7th day, God shows us a key to living in which we circumvent exhaustion, burnout, and weariness. He shows us that the breath of life or refreshing comes from a place of rest.

God rested and the world He had created didn't come crashing to the ground.  Jupiter did not bump into Mars and this planet in which we live did not quit spinning.  The world managed to make it through His day of rest.  If you're like me, you struggle to take time to just rest.  Truly rest.  Sure, you may get a day off of work, but then there's all the work to do around the house.  Our to-do lists are way too long and they never get done.  There are tons of voices screaming for our attention and too often the urgent takes priority over the important and necessary.  In the middle of all those voices is one distinct voice and its pleading for us to sit down and breath.  To take a break from the madness and refresh.  This voice comes with a promise to bless both our rest and our work.  Yet, too often we neglect that voice and plow through until we are long past the point of needing to just be refreshed. I'm wondering how prideful and arrogant it is of us to see God's design for how to do life and refuse to do life that way?  It's as if we are saying to Him, "I know a better way."

God rested and was refreshed.  His refreshing comes no other way.  We have to simply come to the place where we trust that if we take our hands off of our world for a day, all will be ok.  It's learning to trust that God's got this and that His ways work better than our ways. Weariness comes from our refusal to submit to His way of doing life.  He's waiting for each of us to simply sit down at His feet so that He can breath life into us.  Want to be refreshed?  Trust me, Nestea is not the answer.  Not only does it not come with a swimming pool, take it from me a southern sweet tea connoisseur, instant tea tastes horrible.  But come taste and see that the Lord is good!!!       

Good Friday???

In a few weeks we'll celebrate Good Friday.  I know it seems a bit strange to label the day Jesus was brutally beaten and killed as "good." After all, it was a moment that Jesus asked the Father to spare Him from if it was at all possible. Of course, it was the only way to redeem lost man, so Jesus followed through with the plan. A plan that would require an innocent man to be arrested, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, abused, whipped, nailed to a cross, and ultimately killed. And we call that "good."

Good, because we know what it all meant. At least what it all meant for us. The "good" was what it meant for us. Redemption, restoration, salvation, and much more. It was a moment in time where the mercy, grace, and love of God met at the same point with the justice, and judgment of God. We being the recipients of His mercy, grace, and love and Jesus being the recipient of His justice, judgment, and wrath. Its the point where God poured out the punishment for sin and Jesus agreed to take that punishment for us.

Scripture tells us that He became our sin. Is it any wonder, God had to turn His back on Him? Jesus became the very thing God hated. Think about that for a minute. Jesus, who is God, became the very thing God hates. God, Himself, became something He hates in order to rescue what He loves. We've all seen Hollywood try to illustrate what happened that day, and I believe none of their attempts come close. Sure, Mel Gibson's, "Passion of the Christ," probably is the closest, but even with all its detail of the crucifixion, it still falls short. There is so much going on at this point in time besides a crucifixion. Our sin, all of it, was carried to that cross that day. From Hitler's inhumanity, to our little white lies. Every murderer, adulterer, pedophile, liar, thief, gossip, or drunk. Every abusive parent, rebellious child, or uncompassionate, unloving, selfish person. Jesus became that sin! Ponder that for a moment. Jesus became all of that sin. It brings a great deal more understanding as to why God the Father, couldn't stand to look at Him.

The wages of sin is death. The payment, punishment, and judgement of sin is death. All of us have sinned. Every single one of us fit into that category of deserving death. But God stepped in with His grace, mercy, and love. He came in the flesh and became sin so that He himself could take on our punishment of death. Isaiah tells us that, it pleased the Father to bruise Him. It pleased God for Jesus to be crucified. That's sounds a bit odd, without knowing the whole story, but when you know what all was going on that day, you understand very well why it pleased the Father. Redemption, restoration, and salvation was made available to us all that day, because of what Jesus did. Because, Jesus, who is God, submitted his eternal, immortal self to death as a man, mankind could once again have the eternal life he was designed to have.

I'm sure the disciples thought that crucifixion day was anything but "good." But on that resurrection day can you imagine what type of emotions stirred in them all? Every doubt, every question, every tear was gone in an instant as they realized it was all true. Everything He said he was and everything He said he would do, had to have come racing back to them as they stood at the door of that empty tomb. That sin he took on Himself, He shed, having never sinned himself, and in an instant God raised Him from the dead. For the disciples, all the pieces of the puzzle came together that day, as they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the man they had dropped everything to follow, had dropped everything to save each one of them. He was indeed the Messiah the world had long awaited for and His salvation was available to all.

It was at that very moment, I think they all realized how "good" that crucifixion day really was. We have grown up celebrating this day as "Good Friday!" Many workers just see it as another day off, while many retailers see it as another day to make some money. For the believer though, who understands what happened on that day some 2000 years ago, he/she sees it for what it really is...."Good Friday!"

Father, Make Us One

As I read through the book of Acts, unity seems to be a theme throughout the entirety of this written account of the early church.  They were in "one mind and one accord", "continued in one accord", "together in one accord," are phrases used to describe this group of early believers.  Then, we see supernatural works occurring among them on a regular basis.  I can't help but draw a connection between the two.  It appears certain to me that unity was a catalyst to an empowered church.
     
The church is a global entity today.  I'm wondering what possibilities there are should this global body of believers truly learn how to walk in unity?  What kind of force could we be in the earth today?  Of course, the first step would be to get the local body of believers to learn how to do this.  Let's face it, community is hard.  Afterall, in any gathering of people there are those that we find easy to get along with and others we would rather just smile and wave to from across the room.  Some you might enjoy going on vacation with and others you need to go on vacation to get away from.  And dare I say it, there are those individuals who you will cry at their funerals and those you will struggle to find something good to say when they die.  So, how in the world do you manage to be in unity when this is the case?  Perhaps one approach would be to just kick those out of the community we don't get along with.  Or, you could just go start a new community of people who you can get along with.  Now, surrounded with only people you find it easy to like you can finally be at peace and arrive at this goal of unity.  Somehow I'm thinking that's not God's idea of how we are to accomplish this unity thing.

Have you ever been double minded?  Have you ever wanted one thing one day and something different the next day?  Have you ever been conflicted when it comes to what you want?  The truth is we all encounter these moments in life.  Times when we are less than decisive.  And then when we make a decision we waver between whether or not we made the right decision. Let's face it, we struggle to be at one with ourselves, no wonder we struggle when we add more people to the mix.  Yet, the early church figured out how to do this.  They figured out how to walk in unity with one another and God blessed them and He moved mightily among them.     

Jesus, just prior to His arrest and crucifixion, prayed for His followers.  He prayed that they would be one. He also prayed for us:

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. - (John 17:20-23)

Notice that the world's ability to recognize that Jesus was sent by God hinges on the church's determination to walk in unity. "That the world may believe that You sent Me."  Hmm....I'm wondering if the enemy understands this?  It would definitely seem so as he is so great at stirring up stuff in the church in order to keep us from walking in unity.  

God puts us in community with one another with the intent on teaching us to unconditionally love one another.  In that community, He places people of all sorts, from different backgrounds, with different personalities.  He puts intellectuals next to simple thinkers.  He puts those who have and those who need together.  He puts sports fanatics with those who hate sports.  He puts artistic types with those who don't get artistic types at all.  He puts those who have a family full of children in community with those who don't want any children.  He puts old, young, and middle aged people together who have little in common with one another.  He places those who have been set free with those who need freedom, those who are hurting with those who have been healed, and those who are new at this Christian journey with those who have been in it for 50 years.  He places those who are struggling with depression with those full of joy.  He puts those who are stoic with those who are animated.  He places those who are shy next to those who are outgoing.  He places the white collar worker with the blue collar worker. He puts stay-at-home moms with career women.  He puts liberal voters in the same community as conservative voters. He puts the bold and confident in community with the insecure.  

As I think about this, I can't help but think how in the natural this seems like a design destined for complete and utter failure. If anyone was looking to create a community that walked in unity this would not be the model.  Certainly God can see this will never result in a group of people walking in unity, right? On the surface this seems like a stage set for offense, division, and destruction.  But isn't that the whole point?  I mean, if this group can walk in unity, doesn't God have to be at work among them?  You and I both know that there is no way in the natural any group of people made up  with this kind of diversity could ever find a way to discover how to walk in unity.  It would take an act of God.  And that's exactly what Jesus was asking for when He prayed that God would make us one!  He was asking for an act of God.  The kind of miracle that would have those on the outside scratching their head. The unity that God longs for us to walk in is a unity made possible only by Him. 

Do you struggle to love someone that is difficult to love? Then you are in a prime position for God to move in your life.  Do you struggle to get along with that person across the room?  Then you are in the right place for an act of God. God can help you walk in unity.  With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  You can walk in unity with those you cannot stand, but you will never do it on your own. Jesus understood that the key to walking in unity was prayer.  It is no different for you and I. To walk in unity with one another, we must petition God to help us. The choice to walk in unity begins when we humble ourselves and ask God for help.  Too often times we would rather just dismiss those we struggle with as idiots, unlovable, or messengers from satan sent to torment us.  So we run off looking for another community because certainly there is one with people I can stand to be around.  All the while God is longing for us to grow in our ability to have authentic relationships with people who just might drive us up the wall.  

The early church was as diverse as we are today.  I'm sure there were some hiccups when Matthew the tax collector joined Christ's circle of 12.  Paul was an educated man, while Peter, Andrew, James and John were simple fishermen. Stephen spoke with boldness like a prophet, Thomas struggled to believe, Lydia was a Greek who sold purple cloth, Timothy was young, Onesimus was a slave, Cornelius was a Gentile, Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers, Philip was an evangelist, Rhoda was a young girl, and Mary was an older woman.  In that early church were former Pharisees, a former sorcerer, a former harlot, a jailer, a eunuch, a judge, soldiers, widows, etc. Yet, with all their diversity, it is said of these early believers that they were in one accord.  Oh, that it would be said of the church today that we are of one mind and one accord.  Perhaps when that happens, we'll see the kind of results the early church experienced.  I for one will be joining with the prayer of Jesus. Father, make us one!!!   

 

My Encounter With A 92 Year Old Prophetess

We have a ministry team that goes to a local assisted living home each month to minister to the residents there.  I was asked to accompany them this month and to share the Christmas story.  We had sung several Christmas songs and I was getting ready to do my thing.  Then from out of nowhere another preacher took center stage.  For the next several minutes we all listened as so eloquently this 92 year old lady named Hazel spoke the Word of God. 

I was a bit dumbfounded to say the least.  Just moments earlier, I observed her frantically looking for her husband.  She seemed confused and worried.  She seemed to have zoned out for a moment or two, then with clarity she began to speak the oracles of God.  She didn't skip a beat. She quoted Scripture and this precious lady to whom we had come to minister to became the minister. On this particular day, the Word of the Lord came forth from a 92 year old lady in a nursing home that Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you.  Hmm...I'm wondering who knows this truth better than a 92 year old woman who has been placed in a nursing home?     

I sat there thinking to myself, "this lady's faith is not a synthetic faith."  It wasn't born from a ritualistic approach to religion. I knew nothing about her, but in just a few moments I could tell beyond the shadow of a doubt that she had been with Jesus.  She wasn't simply spewing vain, religious, jargon, but was speaking the Word of God dripping with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Her's was a faith that was real, not theological positions or doctrinal beliefs void of real life application.  It was clear to see that she knew this Jesus who she spoke about.  Before she finished, she looked at me and declared, "I think you could be called to preach."  She echoed that declaration as she looked at a young man with our team.  I thought am I sitting at the feet of a prophetess? 

I can't help but think how often people like Hazel are put away in homes like these and forgotten about.  Afterall, what does a 92 year old have to offer us any longer, right?  How foolish of us.  How utterly foolish it is to not respect, honor, and value what the elderly sages still bring to the table.  I'm convinced if we would shut-up for a moment or two, we could learn valuable lessons from the Hazels that we encounter in life.

I would go on to share the story of Christ's birth with those gathered round but to be honest, Hazel needed me to add nothing on this day.  I was there to remind them that Jesus, had come.  Hazel was there to testify that yes, indeed He had come but equally important was the truth that He has not left us alone. She knows all too well that He is truly Immanuel, God with us!!! 

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me or does it seem like this world has fallen into a pit of absolute and complete insanity? I mean, it seems like everyday I wake up and there is another thing that leaves me scratching my head.  I'm often left thinking what in the world is going on?  This cannot be real!!!  The unfortunate truth is that I have not somehow been swept away into a crazy world of make believe and it is in fact all very, very, real. 

While I would love to stick my head in the sand and pretend its not all happening, somehow that approach seems as crazy as the events I see playing out all around me.  Of course, I could fall into freak-a-zoidal mode (a Tim-ism for the state of being extremely freaked out).  This mode is often characterized by emotional instability, stress, worry, anxiety, utter hopelessness, and rash decisions.  Thinking that isn't the proper approach either.

This freak-a-zoidal approach reminds me a bit of the disciples in the boat in the middle of a storm. I picture in my head guys holding on for dear life, screaming, making deals with God, and saying, "I love you, man," to each other as they prepared to go down with the ship.  In their minds, they've resolved that this is how it all ends.  In the middle of all the madness though someone has the wherewithal to go to Jesus for help.  Go figure.  I don't know how long they were in freak-a-zoidal mode before they approached Jesus, but one would think having witnessed all that this Man had done, approaching Him would have been at the top of the list.  Jesus, of course, comes to the rescue and saves the day.  Imagine that!

After saving the day, Jesus rebukes his disciples a bit for not trusting God.  Jesus asks, “Why are you so afraid? Why do you have no faith?" Jesus was snoring through all of this.  He was "at rest" while all these guys were in freak-a-zoidal mode.  It's as if Jesus didn't need the world around Him to be at peace in order for Him to be at peace.  Yet, aren't we like the disciples most of the time?  We don't really want to be confronted with storms.  God forbid life get just a tad uncomfortable for us.  After all, we're His children and He would never allow anything to come our way to make life a bit uncomfortable, right?  Can I be a bit frank with you?  Those who proclaim that message from the pulpit are feeding us a line of bull.  Jesus promised us that in this world we would have tribulation or trouble.  Those who don't believe that are those who choose to stick their heads in the sand. Life has it's challenges.  Life comes with storms and those storms don't imply God is mad at us or punishing us.  Life just has moments that present us with the opportunity to either trust God or not.  Our ability to trust God is not proven in times of peace but in times when the storms are raging.  If we must have peace surrounding us in order for us to be at peace, then that's a hint that we struggle to truly trust God.  

Is it possible to trust God in the storms?  It sure seems like that was the expectation that Jesus had placed on the disciples.  Rather than calming the storm, Jesus' rebuke seems to imply He would have rather the disciples be at peace in the middle of the storm.  

I don't think its just me.  I think ours is a culture with some winds starting to blow a bit.  Are you at peace?  Can you remain at peace if the winds blow a bit harder?  Whenever the winds start to pick up, we have a choice.  We can go full freak-a-zoidal or we can trust God.  I'm thinking its time for the church to prove it really trusts God by determining to be at peace regardless of how much the boat is getting hammered.  Or, we can go freak-a-zoidal once again communicating to the world around us that we don't really trust in the God we're trying to convince them to trust in. 

It's Too Exhausting Trying To Be Him

I was on a "Daddy/Son Adventure" with my oldest Benjamin when the phone rang.  On the other end of the phone was my wife Lori who was in panic mode.  "The house is on fire! The house is full of smoke!"  She was at home alone with my youngest, Josiah, who was a toddler at the time.  She had put him down for a nap and as so often is the case, mommy takes every opportunity to sleep when the little one is asleep.  There was a candle burning in the bathroom and somehow it started a small fire.  Lori awakened to a house full of smoke with the fire between her and our baby.  She quickly grabbed him and got out of the house.

Fortunately, our house did not burn down and there was very little damage.  Lori and Josiah were safe.  Still, on the other end of the phone there I sat feeling completely helpless.  The reality was, there was nothing I could do to help.  I wasn't there.  I couldn't be the hero.  I couldn't fix the situation.  And therein lies the real issue.  I wasn't in control.

Oh, how I hated that!  I liked control.  Yep, I was a complete control freak and I struggled when I was not in control.  I struggled to trust that God could take care of my little world.  I knew in my head that He's got this, but in my heart its obvious I struggled to really believe it.  I mean, I wasn't even there with the fire and the smoke and the baby in the other room, but I'm pretty sure if you were able to measure our panic levels, mine would have been astronomically higher than my wife's. I sat there thinking of how if I was there everything would be alright.  The reality was that my Heavenly Father was there and everything was alright.  Lori was awakened.  She grabbed Josiah and got him out of the house.  The fire extinguished itself.  Hmmm.....kind of sounds like everything I thought I was needed for, God took care of Himself.  Imagine that!

That's been several years ago, and although I've grown in my ability to trust God, still I struggle at times.  Perhaps, you've got this thing down and that's great, but I'm still on the journey.  I still struggle to completely trust that He's capable of keeping my world from falling apart.  Yet, day after day, He holds it all together without my help.  Still there I am attempting to carry the weight of my world on my shoulders.  All the while He's calling me to lay it down and allow Him to carry it.  His shoulders were built for this.

The truth is God is able!  God is able to keep all that I have committed to Him (II Tim 1:12).  Everything that I trust Him with, He can take care of it.  He can take care of it all.  He can carry the weight of our little world.  He is capable of holding it all together.  God is able!  I think I'll take this weight off my shoulders and let Him carry it.  It's just way too exhausting trying to be Him.

Exhortation For The Church

On Friday morning, there was no vote in Heaven. Regarding the definition of marriage, God did not stop to ask the opinion of 9 black robed justices. Their opinions, as well as our opinions are irrelevant. All the chatter and all the noise, changes nothing in regards to what God has established. God declares a thing and it is. God says it, that settles it. How arrogant of man to think he could ever redefine what God Himself has already defined. To attempt to do so is nothing more than an exercise in futility.

The Supreme Court stepped into an arena once again that is far above their pay grade. Re-defining marriage? Really? How utterly ludicrous!!! Their ruling regarding gay marriage isn't worth the paper its written on.

Oh, of course it becomes the "law of the land" but don't think for one minute that all of heaven is fretting over having to do a dictionary re-write. Heaven's dictionary doesn't change because the Supreme Court took a vote. Marriage as God defines it is no different today than it was when He established it in the beginning. The Kingdom of Heaven which was, is, and is to come isn't shaking in its boots because some inferior, temporal kingdom set itself in opposition to it. Throughout history, kingdoms have risen and fallen, yet one kingdom still remains.

It remains because its foundation is unchanging and unshakable. Its a Kingdom built upon a Rock. A Rock that doesn’t move or change because of a shift in public approval. It’s foundation is a King above all kings, a Lord above all Lords. We, as believers, would do well to remember that above and beyond anything else, we are citizens of that kingdom. And not just citizens but members of the Royal Family. Sons and daughters of the King. Let us not forget that while we may occupy space here, we are not of this world. We are in it, but not of it. Our loyalty and our allegiance first belongs to the only One truly worthy to be our King. We are not here to pick sides, or to engage in petty debates. We are ambassadors of heaven and our mandate does not change because somebody took a vote. We are the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. We will not run, we will not hide, we will not be silenced. We will not relent! Where there is darkness, we will be light! As representatives of His Kingdom, we offer hope to the hopeless, healing to the wounded, sight to the blind, and freedom to the captives. We offer love to the unlovable, acceptance to the rejected, and family to the lonely. We will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus because it is the power of God unto salvation!

We will not play the victim. We will not be shaken. We will not cower to the spirit of fear or intimidation. We will not retreat inside the four walls of the church. We are marching forward. We will not be overcome with evil, but we will overcome evil with good. It was our King who declared that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. So we march onward with confidence in the promise of the King we serve. We will not shrink in fear of the giants that we face, for we serve a God who is able. A King who has all power and all authority. A King who has overcome. A King who cannot be defeated or overthrown.

Let’s be clear, we do not war against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. So, let me declare, its game on!!! The battle lines are drawn and we will not be defeated. We, the church, we aren’t going anywhere. We aren’t looking for a place to hide. Like David, we are picking up our rocks.  Spiritual stones for spiritual battle.  Giants will fall. Strongholds will be broken. We are taking back what the enemy has stolen. We are taking territory for the Kingdom, because:

"The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein
For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters."

"Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory." (Psalm 24:1-2, 7-10 NKJV)