The Biggest Spring in The World

 The Biggest Spring in The World

To embrace Jesus as the living water, providing all we need

Scripture John 7: 32-44

“The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about Jesus, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent guards to arrest him. Therefore, Jesus said, “I’m still with you for a little while before I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you won’t find me, and where I am you can’t come.” The Jewish opposition asked each other, “Where does he intend to go that we can’t find him? Surely he doesn’t intend to go where our people have been scattered and are living among the Greeks! He isn’t going to teach the Greeks, is he? What does he mean when he says, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me, and where I am you can’t come’?” On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “All who are thirsty should come to me! All who believe in me should drink! As the scriptures said concerning me, Rivers of living water will flow out from within him. ” Jesus said this concerning the Spirit. Those who believed in him would soon receive the Spirit, but they hadn’t experienced the Spirit yet since Jesus hadn’t yet been glorified. When some in the crowd heard these words, they said, “This man is truly the prophet.” Others said, “He’s the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ can’t come from Galilee, can he? Didn’t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s family and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So the crowd was divided over Jesus. Some wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him.”

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Jesusn used living water to indicate eternal life.  Here he used the term to refer to the Holy Spirit.  The two go together.  Wherever the Holy Spirit is accepted , she brings eternal life.  Jesus teaches more about the Holy Spirit in John 14-16.  The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus’ followers at Pentecost and has since been available to all who believe in Jesus as Savior.  Jesus’ words come and drink alluded to the theme of many Bible passages that talk about the Messiah life-giving blessings.  In promising to give the Holy Spirit to all who believe in him, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, for that was something only the Messiah could do.  Jesus extends this open invitation to everyone today.  Come to him and accept his deeply satisfying love for you.  The crowd was asking questions about Jesus.  Some believed in him, others were hostile and others disqualified him in their minds as the Messiah because he was from Nazareth, not Bethlehem.  But he actually was from Bethlehem because he was born there.  Most of his childhood years were spent in Nazareth.  He may have had a pronounced Galilean accent if they had looked more carefully, they would not have jumped to the wrong conclusion. When you search for God’s truth, make sure you look carefully and thoughtfully at the Bible with an open heart and mind.  Don’t jump to conclusions before thoroughly investigating what the Bible says.  

Jesus is speaking to a large group of people in Jerusalem during the Feast of Booths.  In the book of John we have 3 scenes.  Today we are on scene 3.  We see confusion as to the origins and identity of Jesus.  We see there are people who are drawn to Jesus and those who reject him.  There are attempts to arrest him which are unsuccessful.  During the raucous (raw kuhs) environment surrounding Jesus, he stands up and says: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

We see all of the division and differing opinions among the various groups in this chapter.  That is the way the world is.  The world has all sorts of assumptions that it makes for who Jesus is and that is what we see in this passage.  There are those who are asking if he could be the Christ.  There are those who are trying to explain why Jesus can’t be who he claims to be.  You have those who are outwardly hostile to Jesus and his claims.  We have these same groups today.  

When Jesus gets up and speaks, he isn’t calling people to have it all figured out and then come to him.  We don’t have to be theologians, have all of our ducks in a row morally and then come to  him.  He isn’t giving an exhaustive explanation of the Old Testament and why he is  the Christ and should be worshiped and praised.  Regardless of the arguments for or against Jesus, no matter what a person thinks about Jesus or what the world tells about Jesus, we are invited to come to the living water.  Jesus invites the Spiritually thirsty to come to him and to drink the water that he offers.

Water is essential for life.  It quenches our physical thirst.  We rely on water for bathing, cleaning, growing plants and preparing food.  Water provides recreational opportunities: swimming, wadding, boating etc., spending time on the beach.  Those who were listening to Jesus lived in desert, barren and dry landscape.  They feared the water in the sea because they believed it led to the underworld.  They couldn’t drink salt water.  They needed fresh water that bubbled from the springs and flowed in streams to survive.  

This living water that flows from Jesus quenches our spiritual thirst and sustains us in our spiritual lives.  Jesus extends this invitation to everyone.  Imagine a spring of living water bubbling up inside you, a spring that flows from Christ.  

How does this water quench your spiritual thirst and sustain your life in Christ?  I imagine crystal-clear water washing away sin, guilt, and regret.  I imagine the refreshing water of forgiveness.  I imagine abundant water that overflows from my life and touches the lives of others, inviting them to faith in Christ.  Imagine energizing water that motivates me to service.  I imagine the water as God’s love bubbling up and living within me.

Some people miss out on opportunities to enjoy the water because they are afraid of it.  Have you ever wondered why some people do not accept Jesus’ invitation?  Have they been hurt by a bad experience with a church or religion?  Have they not been convinced by the lives of Christians

 that they know that placing their faith in God will make a positive, life-changing difference in their lives?  The water Jesus offers leads to life!

Verse 38 is the focal passage and has been interpreted 2 ways: 1) is that the living water flows out from within Christ.  2) is that the living water flows out from believers.  This isn’t an either or but both.  

When Jesus stood and spoke, all were surprised.  Wide-eyed children and toothless grandparents paused.  They knew this man.  Some had heard him preach in the Hebrew hills: others, in the city streets.  Two and a half years had passed since he’d emerged from the Jordan waters.  The crowd had seen this carpenter before.  But had they seen him this intense?  He stood up and shouted.  The traditional rabbinic (ruh bin ik) teaching posture was sitting and speaking.  But Jesus stood up and shouted out.  The blind man shouted, appealing for sight, the sinking Peter shouted begging for help and the demon possessed man shouted, pleading for mercy.  John uses the same Greek verb to portray the volume of Jesus’ voice.  Forget a kind clearing of the throat.  God was pounding his gavel on heaven’s bench.  Christ demanded attention.  He shouted because his time was short.  The sand in the neck of his hourglass was down to measurable grains.  In six months he would be dragging a cross through these streets,  and these people?  The people thirsted.  They needed water, not for their throats, but for their hearts.  So Jesus invited all to come, and drink.  Are your insides starting to shrivel?  Drink me.  

Does Jesus have a slot in your schedule?  Do you plan our day around your time with him or does he get whatever time is left?  Your spiritual life will dry up if you don’t come to Jesus to drink the water of life.  Give Jesus priority by praying often and by making decisions you believe he would make.          

  

   

The Realities of Human Kingship

 Solomon: The Realities of Human Kingship

Purpose - To Think about the forces in our lives that pull us away from our commitment to the Lord and how to deal with them

Scripture: 1 Kings 11: 1-13

“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon (ah- mun), Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth (ash- tu-reth), the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done. On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh (kee-mosh), the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods. The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command. So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.””

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Our scripture today we find King Solomon violating God’s commands for a king.  God prohibited these actions because He knew how they would hurt the nation both politically and spiritually.  Solomon forgot God and allowed idolatrous influences to enter his court through his foreign wives, thus accelerating the spiritual corruption of the nation.  God gave Solomon instructions to not marry foreign wives.  Solomon had a total of 1000 wives.  We are told he loved them all.  Can you imagine 1000 wives wanting their own way.  Solomon faced pressure from them and at first he resisted, maintaining his faith.  Then he began to tolerate a more widespread practice of idolatry and even did idolatrous worship himself.  Solomon didn’t turn away from God all at once or in a brief moment.  His ultimate spiritual coldness began with what he might have assumed was a justifiable departure from God’s laws.  This sin encouraged the waning of his commitment to God and his laws.  Over time that half hearted commitment petered out into no commitment at all and resulted in Solomon’s downfall.  It all happened one sin at a time.  Every sin is a step in turning away from God.  It isn’t the sins we know about but the sins we excuse that cause us the greatest trouble.  We must never let a sin go unchallenged because an unchallenged sin spreads like a deadly cancer.  Don’t excuse sin but confess your sin.  Solomon’s powerful and glorious kingdom could have been blessed for all time.  Instead it was approaching its end.  Solomon had God’s promises, guidance, and answer to prayer, yet he allowed sin to remain all around him.  It corrupted him until he was no longer interested in God.  In order to build our lives on God’s foundation we must remain faithful to God to the end.  God must be in control of our lives from start to finish. 

Originally the book of Kings was one book.  During the second century before Christ it was divided into two books.  The books of kings describe recurring disasters due to disobeying God.

God’s Kingdom is much more widespread today than when Solomon was king.  We gentiles are now included through the work of Jesus Christ.  Yet still much remains the same today.  Solomon fell prey and began worshiping  other gods and many do today.  God’s first commandment that you shall have no other gods before me.  This still applies today.  Those who worship God through the Son and the Holy Spirit will be part of god’s future Kingdom, whereas the same cannot be proclaimed for those who worship other gods.  This is the contemporary message for Christians today.  

Solomon did not wake up one day and all of the sudden for no particular reason, he stopped walking with God.  He became distracted.  Our purpose statement said to think about the forces in our lives that pull us away from our commitment to the Lord and how to deal with them.  Distractions!!!!

If we aren’t careful we will allow the things we enjoy to become idols.  They can be very harmful because we don’t even realize they are turning us away from God’s love.  Solomon’s distractions were his obsessions.  Not all of the things in life are bad, but even the best things in life can be bad when we allow them to take over first place in our lives.  The downfall begins with distraction which leads to disobedience.  Disobedience leads to division which is a separation from God. 

I googled modern day idols and found a list of ten:  Identity, Money/Material things, Jobs/Status, Physical Appearance, Entertainment, Sex, Comfort, Phones/Technology, Family/Children, Influence/Fame.  So how do we identify modern day idols in our lives?  Idol worship is still present and active, but we just don’t recognize them for what they are.  The list I just read isn’t a list of things to avoid or a list we should use to beat ourselves down or ammo to shoot at others.  This is a list of things that can take the place of God in our lives.  When a good thing becomes an ultimate thing, ultimately it becomes a destructive thing in our lives.  That is idolatry, idol worship.  We need to prayerfully evaluate our lives and make sure nothing has become more important than God.  Use this list as a guide to help you identify the idols in your life: Where do I spend my time; where do I spend my money, where do I get my joy, what is always on my mind?

I read this in my devotional today.   It fits right in with our purpose statement: 

Run to Jesus, not Social Media.
Run to Jesus, not money seeking.
Run to Jesus, not status seeking.
Run to Jesus, not cheap sex.
Run to Jesus, not drugs.
Run to Jesus, not alcohol.

Run to God because He has healing, acceptance, security, identity and purpose in His presence. 

In the midst of so many distractions and deceitful desires, it is important to remain sensitive to the Spirit of God. It can be so easy to miss out on the beauty of total satisfaction that only comes from our loving Heavenly Father. We have all felt drained due to the results of vain pursuits in our lives. Celebrating about things God hates and Jesus, the things God loves. We are all guilty of it. But I can promise you, if you commit yourself to Jesus, and practicing God's presence today, you will be so blessed for it. 

 God is never far from you. His presence is with you 

always, in all ways. He longs to make himself known. Simply rest in the truth of his nearness and allow him to reveal himself to you today.

Prayer 

Father,

You are never far from us.  You are present with us always, and in all ways.  Simply help us rest in the truth of your nearness and help us allow you to reveal yourself to us today.  No one or anything deserves our praise but you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

 

The Gift of True Wisdom

 The Gift of True Wisdom

To explain the difference between wisdom from above and earthbound wisdom and to affirm that all true wisdom is a gift from God

Scripture: 

Job 28:12-18 & James 3:13-18

““But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea. It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver. It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir (oh-fear), greater than precious onyx or lapis (lap -is) lazuli(laz-uh-Lee). Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies.”

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“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

I know I have shared before that for my New Year Resolution I let Abba   give me a word to work on.  This year my word was wisdom.  What an eye opener it has been.  I thought I was very wise, but discovered I was very lacking in spiritual wisdom.  

Have you heard the claim that we use only 10% of our brains?  Technology: has proved this to be a myth.  Over a day period we use just about every part of our brain.  James talks about wisdom from above and one from below (earthbound).  So we can choose to be single-minded or double-minded.  

Eugene Peterson said in the Message: Wisdom is the way we live not the way we talk.  Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom, twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.  It is the furthest thing from wisdom - it is animal cunning, devilish conniving .  When we try to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats. Real wisdom is God’s wisdom / spiritual wisdom.  It is gentle, reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings.  God wants us to do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

Have you heard the statement that Christians are people who are “in” the world but not “of” the world.  James 4:4 tells us we should avoid developing a friendship with the world.  So what then does it mean to be in the world but not of the world?  We physically live in this world.  Our feet are planted on the soil of this earth and so are the people who hate God.  We live here and work here.  The answer is: we are to live in this world without embracing its beliefs or its values.  We are to conduct ourselves according to its laws without breaking the laws of God.  We are to enjoy the culture and do what we can by God’s grace and power to transform it but we must be diligent not to let this culture shape our ideas, aspirations, desires and conduct.    Paul says in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”  The tiny preposition “of” means that we do not draw upon its energy to live, that we do not derive our motivation from the spirit of the world, that we do not identify with it in such a way that its power serves to drive and sustain us.  Our Power, energy, motivation, and values are from the Kingdom of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.  We are undoubtedly “in” this world until we die or Jesus returns, but we are never “of” it.  This world claims nothing from us, it doesn’t own us, it doesn’t dictate how we believe or live or govern the decisions we make.  We are confronted with the unmistakable and decisive contrast between what this world prizes and approves and what followers of Jesus prize and approve.

The world insists that God doesn’t exist.  We as christians know God called the world into being.  God governs everything in human affairs including the will and actions of humans.  History is providentially (proh-vi-dent -aul-ly) under the direction of a loving and all–wise God who will bring everything to its proper consummation in such a way that Jesus Christ will be seen and honored and glorified as Lord of all.   We believe that what God says is good, is good; and what God says is evil, is evil.  He is the deciding factor.

In our scripture today James assesses wisdom.  He says three things about earthly wisdom.  

1. If it is earthly -  what we want is the measure of what matters.  What we enjoy is the measure of what is good.  The revelation of God is Scripture simply plays no part in forming this person’s worldview or value system.

2. It’ll it is natural.  There isn’t much difference between earthly and natural.  Both are the mental and emotional energy that gives direction to life and need look no farther than the depraved and self-serving interests of a fallen and corrupt heart.

3. If it is demonic.  Wisdom, it leads to bitter envy and selfish ambition and arrogant boasting,  

These types of wisdom lead to disorder, every vile practice.  It gives the right to do what feels good, to pursue your pleasure in whatever way fits your fancy.  Nothing is under control and everything is permissible.  Such is the fruit of the wisdom of this world.

Now let’s look at the Wisdom from Above / Spiritual wisdom.  What is the wisdom that comes from God, the wisdom of heaven?  James describes it in ten ways:

1. If you are filled with Godly Wisdom your conduct will show it.  The will of God is carefully and meticulously obeyed.Your conduct will exhibit joy, peace, a sense of freedom and satisfaction.  Wisdom embraces that humility is more like Christ.

2. It reflects God’s value system and embraces God’s purposes for this world and your life is pure and morally blameless.  Yes we will miss the mark, and sin but an instant conviction will occur, and we will  confess with a heart-felt repentance.

3. It is peaceful.  God’s wisdom hates conflict, unless it is in defense of the truth.  James encourages us to turn our energy toward unity and conciliation rather than division and alienation. 

4. It is gentle.

5. It is open to reason.  It produces a heart that is considerate and respectful that says to those who disagree with him, let’s talk and listen to each other.

6. It is full of mercy.

7. It is good fruits.

8. It is impartial.

9. It is sincere

10. It is a harvest of righteousness.

It doesn’t mean we never pass judgment or lack discernment or the backbone to stand on what we believe is true.  It simply means we base whatever judgments are drawn on the principles of God’s Word.

How do we recognize a person with spiritual wisdom?  By the tangible beauty in the way they treat others and go about serving without so much as a twinge of envy or selfish ambition.  Their lives are unmistakably pure.  No one has accused them of immorality.  They have a gentle spirit.  They always listen to the opposing side.  They are full of mercy and overflowing with the good fruit of the Holy Spirit.  They are not  prejudiced and truly love others.

Spiritual Wisdom comes from God.   Anyone who seeks it can attain it.  The Holy Spirit can guide and inform anyone at any given moment in order to accomplish God’s plan.  Biblical Wisdom says we should give all we can and take care of the weakest among us. God’s wisdom always leads us to a place of justice and peace.  To be genuine means to act and speak with no falsehoods, agendas, pretensions or be fake.  These qualities describe  a wise person who has received the pure gift of wisdom from God.  

Proverbs 24: 13-14

My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.”

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The saying - “This too shall pass.” It’s meant to be both a comfort and a warning.  Hang on! It will pass. Nothing lasts forever.   All physical things do pass away.  all our achievements, possessions, youth, beauty, strength—none of it can last because nothing earthly lasts forever.  But that isn’t the ultimate truth. Some things do last forever. God’s wisdom is one; finding it gives you a future and hope.  God’s Word is another. It’s sweeter than honey, more precious than gold. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”

Prayer:  Father, Help us to understand the wisdom you give us.  Especially to love you and love others.  May we be doers of humble deeds as we offer you to  the world in ways that are peaceable, gentle, obedient, merciful, fair and genuine; in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

  

Sabbath as a Palace

 Sabbath as a Palace

Purpose is to relax into the peace of sabbath

Scripture Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows;  he leads me beside peaceful streams.  He renews my strength.  He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley,  I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.   You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,  and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” 

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There are places in Scripture that are powerful, so deep, that to recite them is to experience them.  Psalm 23 is one of those places.  As one scholar said, “The Psalm itself is green pasture; it is still water; and it does restore my soul”.  Psalm 23 is very personal.  There are no references to “we” or “us” or “they”, but only “my” and “me” and “I” and “you”.  This is David’s testimony, his personal experience with God.  This Psalm is preached at many funerals.  It is precious to us, a blam to our wounded souls.  And what makes this a constant friend is that it covers all of life.  With simple beauty, it speaks of green pastures and still waters as well as dark valleys and enemies and (ad ver si ties).  

What comforts us the most is the psalm’s confidence.  David really believes and knows this is true about God. He has experienced God in these ways, heard His voice, followed His lead, felt His care.  Beneath the beauty of his words there are solid convictions, formed in the crucible (kroo-suh-buhl) of crisis.

Dr. Charles Allen, a Methodist minister, said a friend came to see him.  He told the pastor the doctor told him to talk to his pastor.  He was nervous, tense and he had literally worried himself sick.  They talked for a while then Pastor Allen took a pad of paper from his desk drawer.   Doctor’s write prescriptions so he said this is what I want you to do.  Follow the directions exactly as I have written them: 5 times a day for 7 days read prayerfully and carefully the 23rd psalm.  When you wake up before each meal and at bedtime, read psalm 23.  A week later when the man returned he was literally a different person.  The power of the Shepherd’s psalm is a prescription for the problems and pressures of our day.  One of the things that we certainly need if we are going to have a life worth living is a faith in something that is big enough for life.  The psalmist begins where we always need to begin. . . .with a God worth serving.

 

Sheep are not intelligent animals.  They are defenseless and dependent and they live by faith in the Shepherd.  David, who wrote or whose life inspired the psalm, is saying that in our anxious, nervous world we, too, live in dependence on our Shepherd.  

A family traveling on a vacation to Washington D.C. got lost.  The kids said “Daddy don’t you think we should stop and ask somebody how to get there.”  Mom said, “Listen, daddy knows the way.  Trust him”.  An hour later, greatly humbled dad stopped and asked for directions.  Pride sometimes keeps us from admitting our need for direction.   David knew the pain of trying to chart his own course.  The prophet Nathan confronted him with his sin, and that moment of brokenness, the shepherd-king saw his need for divine direction.  The Lord Is My Shepherd!

Through psalm 23 we see how God tenderly takes care to provide, guide, and protect us.  David, now a king, was looking back at his time as a shepherd to paint a picture of how God cares for our needs.  A shepherd represents a more close and intimate relationship.  Whereas a king might do what is best for the majority, a shepherd knows each one of his sheep.   Luke 15: 4 says, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 

This is how God cares for us.  He knows each of our comings and goings, he knows every hair on our heads, he knows when even one of us is lost and has made every provision to find us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Now if the Lord is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep.  Prone to wander.  Entirely and always reliant on our Shepherd, whether we realize it or not.  We need to open our eyes to the fact  that we need God for everything.  He makes all the provisions in our lives.  When we lie to ourselves that we can do things on our own we wander and drift away from our true source, looking for satisfaction in artificial places.  So when David says “I shall not want” he is acknowledging how completely reliant he is on one God as his Shepherd.  God my good shepherd will ensure I have everything I need.  God is my personal shepherd.  God is going to provide for all our physical needs and He will fulfill me.  The word “want” in today’s text means to lack, decrease, empty, or run dry.  What David is telling us: 1) there are areas in our lives that only God can fulfill and He will fulfill them. 2) we need to make a decision not to desire anything outside of the scope of what God wants for us.

David boldly declares “I shall now want” then we come walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  To me this is telling us that our shepherd provides no matter what.  It is not conditional.  The Lord is my Shepherd, and we will lack nothing, PERIOD!    It is human nature to constantly think about our what if in life:  didn’t have, didn’t achieve, etc. God is enough.  An empty cup can not refill itself.  A sheep can not lead itself.  We can not truly be truly fulfilled without God.  

We can trust God has put us here at this moment for a reason.  That we will be equipped and empowered, our needs met.  In Joyful moments, sad moments, and trials He is always there by our side.  He created a pathway through Jesus so we can be forgiven, healed and made whole.  Jesus left us a helper, The Holy Spirit.  We are never left unattended.

In all of Psalm 23 the word sabbath is not mentioned, so what does it have to do with sabbath:  4 things

1. Feeling content with what we have,

2. Finding rest and restoration in nature,

3. Living without fear,

4. Having more than enough of what we need.

What changes could you begin to implement in your life this very week to start moving toward the possibility of experiencing sabbath not just one day but everyday?  Our Faith!  Faith is our place of rest.  Proverbs 3: 5-6,  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take.

Re-read the scripture

Scripture Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd;(Relationship) I have all that I need. (Supply) He lets me rest in green meadows; (Rest) he leads me beside peaceful streams. (Refreshment) He renews my strength. (Healing) He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. (Purpose) Even when I walk through the darkest valley, (Testing) I will not be afraid, (Protection) for you are close beside me. (Faithfulness) Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Discipline)  You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. (Hope) You honor me by anointing my head with oil. (Consecration) My cup overflows with blessings. (Abundance) Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, (Blessings) and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Security & Eternity)

Prayer

Father, I am so grateful for your love, grace and mercy.  We come before you today with a joyful heart knowing you will provide for our needs and throw a few wants in along the way.  What peace and comfort we experience knowing if we fall off the path you will search until you find us and bring us back home.  Father let us find our rest in you; in Jesus’s name we pray. Amen     

Resurrection Turns Everything Downside Up

 Resurrection Turns Everything Downside Up

To wonder at how the resurrection of Jesus has altered our lives

Scripture Matthew 28: 1-15

“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today. Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” 

The early disciples witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  They could not forget the open tomb and His pierced hands and wounded side.  The living Christ had a powerful profound effect on them.  The people who went to the tomb on that first Easter morning testify to the power of the resurrection.  They were in awe and wonder.  This lesson reminds us to revisit the empty tomb each Sunday and remember the wonder of it all.

When I was researching for this lesson I came across Jacob Needleman.  He was comparing his personal experience of the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975 with Easter.  It was a night launch and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket to launch.

The countdown came, and then the launch.  The thing you see is the extraordinary orange light, which is just as the limit of what you can bear to look at.  Everything is illuminated with this light.  Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence, because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across.  You hear WOOOOOSH! 

You can practically hear jaws dropping.  The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place, as this thing goes up and up.  The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame.  It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it.  And then there’s total silence.  

What do you think it would have been like to observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave?  What if someone had understood when Jesus said that he would rise from the dead?  What if he sought an opportunity to make some money off this spectacular event?  What if he set some bleachers in front of the tomb and charged people admission for watching? What if he advertised in the Jerusalem Chronicle and a huge crowd showed up to watch?  

I suspect they would have experienced something similar to what Jacob Needleman experienced at the Apollo 17 launch.  I am sure some would have arrived cynical, casual, and callused.  But when the splendid light followed by momentary silence before a deafening noise, Jesus would have stepped forth from the grave alive, I suspect that the onlookers eyes would have been as big as saucers.  Their jaws would have dropped.  A sense of wonder and ecstasy would have filled everyone watching.  The feelings would never be forgotten.  The resurrection of Jesus itself is never described anywhere in Scripture, presumably because no one saw Jesus exit the tomb.  Not a single person beheld the moment when Jlelsus burst forth from the grave on that first Easter morning.  No one witnessed the resurrection, but many have experienced it.  No one can explain the resurrection, but many feel its effects.

The earth felt the effects.  Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, It shook, it reeled and rocked.  The ground quaked, rocks erupted, the earth cracked, the olive trees in the garden waved their twisted limbs.  Nature was aroused,  the earth trembled in sorrow at the crucifixion, but it leaped for joy at the resurrection.  The quake attests to the cosmic significance of the event.  

The angel felt the effects.  The angel descended from heaven and approached the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning and his robe was as white as snow.  Like an action hero on a Saturday - morning cartoon, shafts of lightning blade from the angel with its clothes shimmering like new-fallen snow.  He rolled away the stone not to let Jesus out but to let the women in.  The angel sat on the rock that had been rolled away indicating the triumph of the completed work.

The guards felt the effects.  The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.  They stood as corpses.  They shook, in their sandals, longer than the ground shook.  The ones keeping watch over the dead became like dead.  They were scared stiff.

The women felt the effects.  As the Sabbath was dawning Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.  They came to anoint Jesus’ body with spices to give him a more appropriate embalming.  En route they were concerned about who would move the stone for them.  On seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb and hearing the angel proclaim that Jesus was not present, that He had been raised. They were filled with wonder and joy.  The good news of His resurrection became their message to share.  Everyone present that day felt the effect of the resurrection.  The WHOOOOSH went right through them.

Does the resurrection move you?  Can we celebrate Easter and not be moved?  Can we still have the world as it were yesterday?  We want to come to church on Easter, sing some soul-stirring hymns, eat lunch with our family and friends, hunt eggs with our children, and still have our world unrocked by the resurrection.  We are amazingly well adjusted to the same old world.  

Luke records Easter as a meal on Sunday evening with the risen Christ, John records the encounter of Mary Magdalene in the garden.  So what about Matthew?  What is significant in his story?  It was a ruckus, dead people walking in the streets, a sudden earthquake, an angel descending from heaven and rolling the stone away and sitting on it. 

Have you ever been in an earthquake?  I have not.  But we have family members who live  in Oklahoma that experience them frequently.  They are minor but they are strong enough to feel your house shake.  Easter’s  earthquake shook the whole world.  It got everyone’s attention.

On the cross, the world did all it could to Jesus.  At Easter, God did all he could to the world.  And the earth shook.  You don’t explain that, you experience it.  You feel it, it goes right through you.

In the 1950s there was a devastating earthquake in China that caused a huge boulder to dislodge and revealed a great cache of wonderful artifacts from a thousand years ago.  A new world became visible.  When the stone was rolled away that entombed Jesus, and the earth shook, we got our first glimpse of a new world.  A world where death doesn’t  have the last word, where injustice is made right, and innocent suffering is vindicated by the intrusion of a powerful God.  Does it have an effect on you?  If not, maybe you need to check your spiritual pulse.  We don’t want to get caught between the time of Good Friday and Easter.  We need to move forward to the resurrection, let God shake our world, allow God to move the stone away so our hearts will be filled with the love and power of Jesus Christ.  Easter is a time to remember how much Our Father loved and still loves us that through Jesus a pathway was created so we can be forgiven, healed and have our sanctification.

Prayer

Father, 

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  May we always feel the surprise of the resurrection and eagerly share the Good News:  Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.  In Jesus name. Amen

 

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