What’s your idea of a good way to unwind after a busy day? Watch some TV? Listen to music? Read a good book? A hot bath? How about an early morning prayer vigil? (Yes, you read that right). This might not be the first idea that would come to mind, but it’s worth considering.
“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” (Mark 1:35)
It is significant in itself that Jesus chose to rise early and retreat to a secluded area for communion with His Father in prayer, but this action takes on even greater significance when we consider the previous day’s activities.
It was a Sabbath,and Jesus began the day by teaching in a synagogue (Mark 1:21). While He was there He healed a man, which attracted considerable attention. From there, He and His disciples retreated to the home of two of His disciples, where Jesus healed Peter’s sick mother-in-law. When evening came, as bedtime approached, a large crowd gathered at the home bringing many sick people to be healed.
Following these hectic and exhausting activities, we read of Jesus’ decision to rise early for focused prayer. Fully entitled to a good night’s sleep, He chose instead an early-morning prayer retreat, which brought redirection to His work. The next morning He announced, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” (Mark 1:38).
Few passages reveal the heart and priority of Jesus as does this one in Mark 1. Amidst meaningful activity and popularity, He did not allow His main purpose of declaring and demonstrating the message of the Kingdom of God to the cities throughout Israel to be jeopardized. Retreating in prayer at a time when sleep was most appealing, He regained focus and energy.
Prayer is often the first response in times of crisis and need, but it most often loses urgency and priority in times of ease and well-being. And yet, these are the times when the priority is greatest. Spiritual seeds of destruction are often sown amidst success.
Perhaps you are overdue for some extended time in secluded prayer with your Father. Such times are the only guarantee that we find and rediscover our true focus and purpose, and remain faithful.
This is an appointment important enough to schedule.
Steve
All that glitters is not gold, although in this case it was. The brilliant reflection of the sun off of the precious metal image may have illuminated its surroundings, but there was a pervading darkness amidst it all that was cause for great concern.
The trouble began with a delay. Things took longer than it seemed they should have, so the popular opinion was that is was time to take things into their own hands.
“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1)
In short order, a finely-crafted golden calf was created, a new object of worship made from pilfered Egyptian gold. A lewd party follows the inaugural worship celebration, stirring the wrath of God and the hasty return of an angry Moses. What follows is punishment, death, and destruction. All because of misunderstanding the delay of God in His dealings with His people.
Is this not where trouble often begins in our own lives? The delays of God are misinterpreted as denials, and idolatrous, self-directed decisions are made. We want a swift and decisive vending-machine God, and anything less fuels a desire to create a god in our own image. We’re far too sophisticated to create anything so crude as a golden calf, but our impulsive and misguided choices share the same footing with Aaron’s golden masterpiece.
God’s delays are His design, intended to produce faith and patience – qualities more essential than the intended goal of our pursuit. Our restless efforts in creating our personal golden calves effectively thwart His greater purpose in His delays.
Are there specific areas in your life where God’s delays seem agonizingly slow? Remember that His priority is the process, whereas ours is often the goal. His focus is on the development of character; ours is a specific objective that we seek.
God’s delays must never divert us to selfish idolatry, but rather to faith and dependency. “Wait for the LORD ; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14)
Steve
It was darkness so thick it could be felt; darkness so deep that it literally swallowed light. Difficult as that deep, dark night was, it lasted on until the day, and for two more days and nights as well.
“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. ” (Exodus 10:21-23)
The next-to-the-last plague unleashed on Egypt because of a hard-hearted ruler is a fitting picture of the reality of this present age. This present evil age is enveloped in thick, pervading, darkness so strong that it can be felt. But, like the Israelites in Egypt, there is light in the dwellings of God’s people; there is divine brightness with the children of light.
One of the great plagues listed in the book of Revelation parallels this Egyptian plague: “Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:10-11). Great darkness encroaches upon an evil world as the end of time approaches.
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)
Light shines brightest amidst the greatest darkness. As the curtain begins to fall on this present age, and as the darkness of evil and sin increases, the people of God, illuminated by the truth of God, shine brightly as beacons of hope.
We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). May the integrity of our lives and the intense brightness of our hope pierce the darkness and guide those lost in darkness to the brilliance of the King and the coming Kingdom.
Steve
He found God at the job site. That’s the last place most people would expect God to appear, but it happened one life-changing day. He was busy with the mundane routine that characterized his daily life, when IT happened; that extraordinary breakthrough that literally changed everything.
“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.” (Exodus 3:1-2)
In an instant, Moses’ life was dramatically transformed from shepherd of sheep to shepherd of the people of God though a miraculous encounter with the Eternal One. But, this future mighty man of God was anything but ready at the moment of his divine encounter. After all, who was around to witness and verify the heavenly revelation? How could anyone be certain that it wasn’t just the creative imagination of someone too long in the sun with only a herd of sheep for company and conversation?
Moses’ initial question was entirely logical: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13). Specific information was necessary if the learned Jewish men were to be convinced of the validity of Moses’ encounter and call.
God’s answer was critically important then as now: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” (Exodus 3:14). The great I AM, Yahweh, creator of all and Lord of all, was the God who had revealed Himself to Moses. The ancient memorial name of the One True God would be recognized and revered by those whose heritage stemmed from Abraham, the man of faith who knew and called upon the God whose name is Yahweh.
It might not be reasonable to expect a burning bush to appear at your job site today, but an encounter with the God whose name is Yahweh is not unexpected. It’s just like Him to appear in the most unlikely places, such as your school, workplace, home, sick bed, gym, and automobile, and transform those ordinary places into something extraordinary.
I pray that this be the day of a dramatic encounter.
Steve
We’ve been given a cloning mandate. In case you don’t know what cloning is, it is the scientific process of producing genetically identical individuals. Now, if you think that cloning is far beyond your limited scientific abilities, consider these words:
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
The call to make disciples can be considered “spiritual cloning” – producing identical spiritual individuals – and the scope of this mandate sounds overwhelming, to say the least. Our disciple-making efforts encompass “all the nations”, and involve “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you”. Both aspects of this mandate would seem utterly overwhelming if it weren’t for two important qualifiers – “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”, and, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. His mandate carries His full, God-given authority, and is supported by His constant, enduring presence.
To “clone”, or make disciples, implies that we are disciples. From Jesus’ words we can deduce that a disciple is: (1) one committed to following Jesus; (2) one who has been baptized; (3) one who is committed to learning and practicing all the teachings of Jesus; and, (4) one who is reliant on His authority and presence. These essential qualities must be characteristic of our lives as we seek to replicate, or “clone” them, into the lives of others.
Challenging as Jesus’ Great Commission is, it is not an optional priority. Fortunately, it is not as overwhelming as it might sound either. It’s like the old adage about how you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Making disciples, in the most basic sense, involves: (a) becoming one; and, (b) finding one person to disciple.
If we view the entire magnitude and scope of the task we’ll be overwhelmed, but if we reduce it to one step of being and making a disciple today, it will be far more manageable. In fact, viewing it as a daily process instead an overwhelming task is perfectly consistent with what Jesus had in mind anyway.
Seeking to make the process my priority today,
Steve
Complicated tax forms are intimidating. It’s little wonder that tax preparation services are big business. If it were only as simple as the humorous basic tax form with only two lines: (1) how much did you make? (2) send it in. On second thought, that’s too painfully simple.
Perhaps we similarly complicate the road to the Kingdom of God. If someone were to ask, “how do I enter the Kingdom?”, answers might include church attendance, financial giving, character integrity, and doctrinal grasp. And, while these are important areas, perhaps the best answer of all is this:
“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
Could it really be that simple? Are the pursuits that we equate with spiritual maturity in radical opposition to Jesus’ basic statement about child-likeness?
Let’s preface an answer with the child-like qualities Jesus apparently had in mind. The following verse holds an important clue:
“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4)
Humility is clearly a prized quality: “Blessed are the gentle (meek; humble), for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5). “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).
Humility is coupled with another quality that Jesus alludes to in the following verses in Matthew eighteen: forgiveness. A humble person is easily forgiving; a proud person can be harshly unforgiving.
Growth and maturity are essential on the road to the kingdom (Hebrews 5:12,13), but unless humility and forgiveness permeate our character, our growth is unproductive. These vital qualities are the bedrock of love, from which all must spring (1 Corinthians 13).
Confusing as it might sound, the priority is to grow up and be like a child. Pursue knowledge and understanding, maturity and wisdom, but never lose humility and forgiveness. Grow up, but never away, from these essential qualities.
Steve
Simple stories with deep meaning. Scholars found them offensively simple, but the simple found them profoundly insightful. And that was the plan.
“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” (Matthew 13:11)
I remember the first time I heard two people in deep conversation about computers. I had no idea what DOS prompts and commands meant (this really dates me) . Since I had no idea as to the basic premise of their discussion, it all sounded like some foreign language I knew nothing about. Later, as I became more knowledgeable about computers, discussions such as this were enlightening rather than confusing.
Jesus’ parables are like that. If we don’t understand His basic premise, then the stories are nonsense; they are like jokes without a punch line. And, as a result, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE” (Matthew 13:14; cr. Isaiah 6:9)
Jesus has granted to the receptive the ability to understand “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”. A mystery is a revealed secret; something not previously understood. Growing seed in various kinds of soil, wheat and weeds, mustard seed, yeast in dough, treasure in a field, a priceless pearl, and a fishing net, all reveal “the mystery”. And the mystery really is unexpected; it is the truth of a realm not seen, but real nonetheless. The mystery explains that the Kingdom HAS come, but not fully. Its presence opens up unprecedented opportunities for the miraculous; for radically changed lives; for renewal of relationships; for permeating influence. The “mystery” explains that an event is also an era; that the kingdom is more than a point on a line; it IS the line.
Jesus’ simple stories offer insight to the simple, but also unfathomable depth to the scholar. Above all, they reveal both a realm and a hope that enrich our lives beyond measure.
May the mystery be clear and its implications powerfully motivating.
Pastor Steve
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ” (Matthew 6:25)
These sound like the words of a carefree spirit whose needs are met through a rich benefactor. If we weren’t certain of their source, we might attribute them to a wealth entrepreneur or investor. But, they are the words of a man who had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).
How is it possible to live life without a concern for food, drink, clothing, and shelter? Or, is that what Jesus truly meant?
The key word is “worry”, and it literally means “anxious, distracted care.” In other words, an obsession with daily needs such that we are distracted from other priorities. Concern, however, directs us to responsible work and planning so that daily needs are met. As we read in 2 Thessalonians, “Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.” (2 Thessalonians 3:12)
Jesus’ words not to worry are based on a previous statement: “For this reason”. This previous statement is that “No one can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. ” (Matthew 6:24). The real issue is concerning who and what owns us. If our heart is owned by the world, then we will have an anxious, distracted care for the things of the world. If our heart belongs to the Lord, our perspective will be that life is much more than these things that people of the world obsess over.
Few words are as challenging as these to those who live in an affluent society, as many, if not most of us do. Sophisticated advertizing and societal pressure assert that luxuries are to be deemed necessities, regardless of financial consequences. These tactics have effectively created the devastating economic circumstances we presently live with. We are a society, not so much driven by the pursuit of necessities, but rather luxuries. A sense of entitlement motivates far too many people to unswervingly pursue “the good life” to the detriment of spiritual values and priorities.
The absolute cure for misplaced material priorities is Jesus’ famous admonition to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33). Undue worry and concern for daily needs can only be abated through a redirected focus on the realm of the reign of God, who richly and freely supplies what many untiringly pursue.
May the Kingdom priority override our daily worries and concerns.
Steve
Through a series of seemingly unfortunate events, this guy wound up in prison as an innocent man. While there, he heard and interpreted the dreams of two men. Everything happened exactly according to the interpretation – the one man was was executed, while the other man was restored to his former position. But this man quickly forgot what had happened as he resumed his former duties. And that’s where the story picks up …
“Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of my own offenses. Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.” Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 41:9-14)
In one day Joseph was elevated for innocent prisoner to second-in-command of a powerful government. Few promotions are as dramatic as this, and few people are capable of handling such lofty elevation. From all that we read, Joseph remained a man of impeccable character, never corrupted or tainted by his high office and status.
Unlikely as it might seem in the present economy, how well prepared are you to handle a promotion? If society’s spotlight were to suddenly shine upon you, would you be able to retain character and integrity? Would humility characterize you, or would pride overwhelm you in the midst of fame and power?
It’s been said that many people can endure the test of adversity, but few can survive the test of prosperity. Perhaps so, but the real measure is the ability to accept either and remain strong spiritually. As the apostle Paul said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need” (Philippians 4:11-12)
Challenging as this truth might be to accept, the true measure is not our circumstances, but our character in the midst of them. May godly character shine forth in whichever you find yourself in at this moment.
Steve
Was it a dream or a nightmare? It ultimately came true, but the journey was anything but painless.
“Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I have had; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Then his brothers said to him, “Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” (Genesis 37:5-9)
Dreams are prominent in the record of the Bible. Quite often Yahweh God revealed His plans and will to His people through dreams and visions. Were it not for this medium, we would not have the last and perhaps most intriguing book of the Bible, the Revelation.
Dreams and visions are intrinsically bound to the work of Holy Spirit in our era, as indicated in Acts 2:16-18. This Spirit era is the age of dreams and visions, but, not every dream is a Spirit-inspired revelation – some dreams are merely the mysterious and vivid activity of the subconscious mind. The source of some dreams may be more directly attributed to a late-night snack or meal than God’s Holy Spirit.
How do we sort God’s revelation from mental imagination? How do we know when God is truly speaking to us in a dream? This much is certain: God will never present anything contrary to what He has already revealed in His written word. If He truly speaks to us through dreams, it will be to clarify that which He has already revealed in the record of Scripture. He will only add revelation to those who diligently study His written revelation. Dreams and visions are no substitute for meticulous and faithful study of the Bible.
Joseph endured severe hardship on the road to fulfillment of his God-inspired dreams. And perhaps these vivid dreams sustained him in his darkest hours. The dreams were eventually fulfilled, Joseph was vindicated, his brothers saw truth validated, and God ultimately was praised and glorified.
If God has given you a dream, search for its confirmation in His written word, ponder its significance in your heart, and faithfully follow the dream to fulfillment, regardless of the hardships during the journey. If it is the dream of human imagination it will become clear; if is the dream of His Spirit, it will prevail!
Steve
