Things Are Not Always What They Seem

 Over the years, I have seen the result when someone believes they know truth about a situation and the result leads them into complete disconnect from another person because of what seemed to them was a forgone conclusion. The sad reality of the situation was the person never sought out the truth from the source they disconnected from. They simply took the misguided information as truth and through speculation saw things that were happening as if they were within reason, when in fact the things that were happening were not what they seemed in light of what was said from only one side. In fact, if this person would have taken the time to seek out the truth from the person they had disconnected from, then things would have made more sense. Things that seemed logical in the misguided light, would have been seen as clearly illogical and senseless. Thus, we get the phrase things are not always what they seem.  

In the Passion of the Christ as Jesus is hanging on the cross, it would seem as if Jesus is helpless and at a point where all is lost. The mockers in the crowd even mock Jesus with utterances such as, “He saved others, but He can’t even save Himself”.  It seems Jesus is at the brink of defeat. Herein lies the phrase at its fullest – things are not always as they seem. You see, Jesus clearly knows that not only is He about to save Himself and conquer the grave, but He is about to continue to provide a way to save others. The way to get there is accomplished in this overwhelming love He has for us and in that love – love is sacrifice. Sometimes love is sacrifice.

In the story above what the person committing the disconnect doesn’t realize is the sacrifice made for them to have as normal of a life as they could have in a situation that they didn’t create. In that situation, the one who was disconnected from had to sacrifice their rights, their relationships, and even their time to be connected in order to allow for the disconnected person to have a life free of turmoil as a relational pawn in a system that negates love with legality. This would mean the one giving up their rights would have to keep a low profile, all the while knowing their love for the other was still as deep as ever.

Despite sharing that love with the other person over the years, the misguided information led to a disconnect and today the one who sacrificed is still being shunned. The only real way to reconnect and restore the relationship is to go to the source and seek out the truth. The same is true with Jesus. Many of us have had misguided information and happenings in our life and so we disconnect from the one who loves us unconditionally. The only real way to unite with Him is to go to the source, and He will welcome us with open arms. Just like the person in the story, Jesus loves you and has sacrificed all for you. Perhaps it is time to seek the truth and stop holding out on what may simply be misguided information because – things are not always what they seem.

Paul and Governing Officials

 

My mind has been constantly stirring with the wonder of why professing Christians continue to rebut the leaders of the country and the states in which they live in. I have witnessed this from leadership as well as laity and it has caused me to wonder where and when this was deemed acceptable practice as a beneficial witness for the Kingdom. I try to see where it might be rooted in love, but I have a challenging time seeing love in this kind of action. Jesus-love – Agape’ love – is defined first as a selfless love. It would appear in these retaliatory actions that defy governing authorities due to a difference in viewpoints, the driving force of these actions is in fact the self. I have also seen professing Christian authority figures cast judgment on others that do not choose to join in these factions. Bible verses are used to defend their position and to some may seem convincing. Yet may I remind us that the Bible, if taken out of context, can be used to defend any argument if we so choose. Satan used the Bible when tempting Jesus, but Jesus righted it and put it back into context and Satan would be gone.

 

In the early days of the Church of Rome this same thing was happening. The early church had taken what Paul had said in Romans 12:1-2 and had become troublesome to the governing authorities. Paul had instructed them not to conform to the ways of this world, but to be transformed into a new person. The Church, (that would be the people today as well) took that as meaning not to put up with their government officials because they were not Christians. They began to cause trouble for the governing officials and that prompted Paul to write his next letter to them in Romans 13 to try and clarify what was truth about governing officials of the land. It reads.

 

Romans 13:1-2 (NLT2) says:
¹ Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

 

What the people needed to remember – as do we – is that these governing officials are instituted by the Lord God. This started as far back as the prophets and judges that led the people, but furthermore with their request of a king. From the time of King Saul, who was their first governing official, instituted by God, the people have had governing officials instituted by God. God is sovereign and yet we know that not all governing officials are those that lead with the will of God in their hearts. We see that from the beginning as well with King Saul as God says at one point, I wish I had never made you King. Yet here is a notable example of respect for governing authority even when we know it isn’t deserved. David – who has already been instituted (anointed) to be the next governing authority after Saul has not one, but two chances to take Saul’s life. David refused to do so because Saul was the instituted (anointed) by God governing authority. As a God-fearing believer it was not his – David’s – position to do such a thing. God would deal with Saul when God saw the time for it. When proof-texting to gain support for our rebellious actions against authority and using Romans 12:2, if we put it into context and read the rest of the chapter, we see that Paul also says in verse 17 never to pay back evil for evil but do everything in such a way that is honorable. Verse 18 tells us to live in peace with everyone. And verse 19 tells us God will take care of the paybacks when the time is right.

 

So, if God has instituted the governing authorities – IE the governor – and we rebel against the things they are putting into place, then according to what Paul writes in Romans 13 we are we not rebelling against God and run the risk of bringing Godly punishment on ourselves? This incites an inward type of fear in those who rebel, whether we want to admit it or not. There is that unconscious fear of what the ramifications will be because of our rebellion. Will we suffer fines, loss of employment, health issues, or possibly all of the aforementioned? Paul writes in the same chapter if we do what is right and do not rebel because we realize these governing authorities are instituted by the Lord God Himself, we can live without fear, (verse 3) and in verse 5 Paul writes we can keep a clear conscience. The ultimate mindset in this is found in verse 10. Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of GOD’S law.

Which brings me to the picture of perfect love as illustrated by the Son of God. I am reminded of how Jesus stood before Pilate in John 19. As Pilate has Jesus flogged and then parades Jesus in front of people Jesus simply stands there. Pilate pleads with Jesus to speak to him and says to Jesus – don’t you realize I have the power to set you free. Pilate was the governing authority and Jesus was not rebelling even though HE was the So of God. When Pilate tried to show his authority to the authority of all authority Jesus still did not rebel, He simply reminds Pilate in verse 11, that he would have no power at all except that which has been given him from above. That very phrase and the action or lack thereof is loaded with information. As Paul writes in Romans that all authority comes from God, and Jesus just reveals this to Pilate as well, we see at this point why Pilate does what he does. Pilate could have set Jesus free, but since his authority is from God and that was not the plan, Pilate could not override the authority that comes from God and therefore Barabbas was set free. We can see in verse 12 Pilate tried to release Jesus, but it wasn’t happening. This was not of God’s authority as Jesus was on a mission for all of us. The one thing Jesus and the Father have is unity. The authority of authorities was in complete unity with the Father and saw no reason to rebel against the governing authority because Jesus – through His unity with the Father – knew that Pilate had no power but that which was given him from above. To put it simple, Pilate’s authority comes from God, and he was placed in the position he was holding by God. What if Pilate didn’t listen to the people and Jesus was set free? What if Pilate didn’t pay attention to his own conscience – the Holy Spirit prompting – and set Jesus free? What Pilate did unbeknownst to him was for the greater good of the world. But God knew. Even as Jesus appears to be captive, He in fact is free because He would in fact overcome all that was before Him. Jesus was totally committed to the cause and when we are totally committed to Jesus, just as He was we too are free despite what it may seem. John 16:33, Jesus tells us in these situations to take heart for He has overcome the world. That same power is ours if we are totally committed just as He was/is through the cross.

 

When we rebel against authority today it tends to bring into question our authentic unity with the Father. If we made the realization Jesus did in regard to authority and had the same perfect unity with the Father through Jesus, would that change our views on items such as mask mandates, and vaccines? Would we view people differently regardless of the choices they make in these areas? Jesus did not rebel against governing authority even when He could have. Jesus’ unity with the Father identified the reality that in fact there was no need to rebel because Jesus knew He would accomplish ALL things the Father sent Him to do. This includes the resurrection. As mentioned before Romans 13:3 (NLT2) says,
³ For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. This would seem to imply to me that we who rebel bring on our own fears primarily because we are rebelling governing authority in the first place. Perhaps deep down inside the real root of the fear is knowing we are rebelling against God. This is what potentially strikes fear in us. What makes this more concerning is when this is prompted by church leadership. Jesus said for us to love each other as I have loved you and prayed in John 17 that we would have the same unity that He and the Father have. If we truly have this love and unity, it behooves me why we as church leadership would feel it is “our right” to challenge – rebel – against the governing officials simply because it is not what we want for ourselves. As we know in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus would have liked His cup of the cross to pass from Him. He sweat drops of blood as He cried out to the Father. Yet for the greater good of all mankind, and because He is love, Jesus also prayed those words I love so much – YET not my will but thine be done. Perhaps His will is for us to reveal His love even when we too may sweat a little. Perhaps we are to be like Jesus with our governing officials and remember who really is in control while avoiding a rebellious mindset to let God’s glory be revealed because we know He has overcome the world. What picture would Jesus have painted for us if He would have rebelled? If Jesus the authority of authorities would have put up a fuss about the way, they were treating Him what would they say about the words He had spoken to us previously? The words about loving each other, turning the other cheek, carrying their shirt a second mile, and being non-confrontational primarily would have been tainted. So, if that is the case if leaders of the church and professing Christians are openly rebelling against governing authorities, what picture does that paint for those observing such behavior? Biblically speaking are we not then rebelling against God according to the scripture. This mindset reminds me of Jeremiah 36 when king Jehoiakim is being read the scroll – God’s Word – and he cuts off what he doesn’t like and burns it in the fire. Essentially are we not doing the same? Something to think about. How do you respond to governing authority? Remember, love does no wrong to others, including governing authorities.

 

Shalom.

 

Moses and Community

January 24, 2019

Today as I read the first month after the Exodus as Moses leads the people of Israel in the wilderness, I am made aware of a few things from then that are a reality still today. It starts with the battle of the Amalekites. This tribe is from the descendants of Esau, and the Lord was going to see to it that they were no more. In this battle it is Joshua’s first battle as a free man after leaving the Egyptian oppression. Already Joshua is being set up as a mighty warrior, with the Lord’s help.  It is in Chapter 17 where we see Moses climbing a nearby hill and raising his staff towards the heavens which enables Joshua the upper hand in the battle. Moses being the chosen deliverer of the people is raising the same tool that split the Red Sea, turned into a snake before Pharaoh, and is essentially his direct connect to the Lord. In a sense the entire time it is raised it is like hands raised to heaven in prayer. After all, his hand is raised, and most likely Moses is praying something.  The Word goes on to point out that the entire time Moses hands were lifted (plural) Joshua had the upper hand in the battle. Anytime Moses hands would fall Joshua would lose ground and the enemy would gain control. To me this is a clear indicator to us we need to be as Paul says, in constant prayer to the Father.  When we let our guard down the enemy gains control. Paul also said do not let the enemy get a foothold so if we can pray without ceasing then we too will have the advantage in this battle that is not of flesh and blood.  Yet so many of us get tired and like Moses need someone to hold our arms up for us. Once again this is a clear indicator of community. We need each other to help each other in those times where we can just lift the arms up of our weary brothers and sisters to help them be victorious in their battles. We can’t do that if we avoid community. Can you imagine what would have happened or could have happened if Moses would have just let his arms drop and said I am too tired. What if Jesus said in the Garden, Lord this cup is too much for me, I am too weary, I can’t do it? Your church community is vital to your spiritual walk, and the Lord wants you to be a part of it. The Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 10:25 let us not give up meeting together like others do, so we can keep each other’s arms lifted up and encourage each other in their battles. (paraphrased).

I once was at a meeting for clergy. It was a meeting to encourage and lift each other up in their ministries just as the Hebrew writer confirms.  One of the pastors there felt a moving of the Holy Spirit and felt we should pray for each other holding the arms of the one we were praying over up while we anointed them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The rush of the Spirit was overwhelming and each of us there left encouraged and empowered feeling victorious over the battles we had been engaged in.  Only in community can we help each other to this degree. God created us to be a community and it was revealed from the very beginning. Where do you find your support? I implore you to be a part of a local church community and see God move. See how much the Father's love lavishes for you through community.

Blessings

Prayer and the Backburner

Prayer and the Backburner

As I study this Advent season and engage in prayer with the Lord and through the National prayer chain with Pastor Corey Jones, it becomes more and more apparent of the need for us never to give up in prayer. I know of, and continue to hear stories of pastors that cease to have prayer meetings due to the lack of participants. Prayer is becoming less and less of a time where we cry out to Jesus engaging in the Spirit, and seems to be giving way to a more ritualistic style of prayer. We pray to open a service, to bless the offering, to close a service. We pray for the various given prayer requests and these things are needed and should be done, yet the Word tells us to pray in the Spirit. To do this we need to set aside a time where we can simply come into a non-restricted, untimed, moment where we can be one with Christ and simply give of ourselves completely in prayer. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8 their prayers were answered because they first gave of themselves to God. Perhaps if we could avoid the scripted and scheduled moments of timed events in prayer and give fully of ourselves in the Spirit to the One True God, we could truly hear Him; chance becoming Gracefully Broken, and once again see the glory of God back in our churches.

In my studies I ran across something that gave me hope. I believe we often do get tired, when our prayers and prayer attempts seem to go unanswered. People seem to become disinterested and seemingly distance themselves from this important relationship enhancer with Christ. Yet as we look in Luke 1, and the story of the coming Messiah, we see in Zechariah’s story our prayers to the Father, are always heard even when we think perhaps the Lord has other plans for these prayers. Zechariah is in the sanctuary of the temple praying. It was his job to pray and intercede for the people; we can believe at this point he was praying for the people as it was the ritualistic duty of the appointed priest for that time period. It would appear he was doing his ritualistic duty, when the Angel of the Lord Gabriel appears to him at the right side of the altar with a message. I think it is important to note that it is the right side. The right side is designated in Matthew 25, as the place the sheep will be placed on the final day of judgment. It is the right side where Zechariah is told his prayer has been heard. (The right side seems to indicate throughout scripture something good is about to happen.) I am sure the Lord has heard his prayer for the people, but I believe there is more. It would seem plausible that Zechariah has accepted at this point in his life that he and Elizabeth will be without child. I believe while Zechariah may have prayed for a child many times in his lifetime, that particular prayer has probably been one he has accepted, to this point, as one that God probably has other plans for. While Zechariah has accepted the fact that he and Elizabeth have up to this very old age been barren and without child, it remains to some degree a heartfelt request – a wish, or request – that they would have or could have their own child. I believe that despite this prayer being placed on the backburner and perhaps not being one Zechariah may bring up every day now that he is old and has accepted where they are in this stage of life, God still hears the prayer of his heart. It is this prayer of the heart the Holy Spirit knows and is in groaning with us as we pray, and I believe this is the prayer the Angel Gabriel is speaking of when he announces the coming birth of Zechariah’s own son.

What this says to me is to never give up. We all have backburner prayers that we have prayed for a great deal of time. If we are honest with ourselves, we know in some respects these backburner prayers we have not prayed openly about for many days, months, or perhaps years. Yet the blessing and encouragement we can take from this story of Zechariah during this Advent season is no matter how long it has been God knows the prayer of our hearts and He hears them. This puts an enormous emphasis on the need to continue to pray in the Spirit, so we can engage with the prayers of the Holy Spirit. Just as Zechariah and Elizabeth had gone years in barrenness but now are the product of answered prayers, know the Lord hears your prayers. Be assured that the time of barrenness you may experience in your situation will come to an end in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Despite the fact we may have left the audible, or thoughtful mention of these prayers in our prayer encounters, should they remain the prayer of our heart, be assured the Lord hears your prayer, just as He did Zechariah and Elizabeth’s. The key to this is to continue praying in the Spirit while holding these prayers in our heart and being fully committed to the Lord in all things. We must “pray without ceasing”, and never lose hope. Then we too will hear those words; “God has heard your prayer”.

Immanuel, and have a great Advent Season.

This I Declare!

It was a crisp clear morning and the temperatures outside were comfortable. As we walked through the doors of the Mills Breast Cancer Institute anxiety began to well up inside me to the point I could feel it in my throat. The smell of a medical facility was all around us. The inside was plush and made to be as comfortable as possible. It was apparent all efforts were being made to help people comfortably cope with the effects of this life-changing disease we know as cancer. I could see men sitting in various waiting areas taking in the sun’s rays through the sparkling clean glass. The red-vested Carle auxiliary employees were all about assisting people with added amenities offered to ease the uncertainty of the wait. On a balcony overlooking the main waiting area was what appeared to be a small café with televisions to pass the time during longer waiting periods. The aroma of coffee had infiltrated this small area mixing it in with the familiar smell of a medical facility. I tried to remain strong and held onto the verse of the day as I kept repeating it to myself. Before we left I checked my daily verse app on my smart phone and I once again could tell the Lord was looking over us. It was from Psalms 91:2 which says, “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” A refuge is a place to take shelter, and at that time I needed to be sheltered in His protective arms. My wife needed to be sheltered in His protective arms. We had prayed for His healing touch and we put our entire trust in Him. As I uttered those words to myself the anxiety was suppressed and the sweat in my eyes (our son Ben’s way of expressing crying) was dried. Karen was checked in and we were given a place to sit and wait for her to be called back. My first thought was thankfulness; now we can just take a moment and say a prayer and just spend some time alone. Little did I know in this place the wait is minimal. The noise of the settling of the seat chair had not even finished when out of the evaluation area came a kind-spirited woman calling my wife’s name. I immediately got up with her, and asked if it was ok if I accompany her to the area in which she was going. They assured me it was acceptable and there was a special waiting area for me close to the procedural area my wife was going to be in. I smiled and said thank you, and quickly walked back with them to prepare myself for this two hours of extreme testing to potentially rule out the word we have all grown to fear – cancer. We entered into a dimly lit area with many rooms and no visual paths to the outside. I was escorted to a small waiting room with a few seats and a love seat with a television next to a wide corridor. As they whisked my wife away to prepare for her procedures, I bowed my head and began to pray. Just as Daniel continued to do, I thanked the Lord for what He had already done, and yet I asked the Lord for His help as well. I needed help to ward of Satan and his attacks on my uncertainty. I have seen the Lord do great things in this area alone and I knew God would not give me such a gift only to take it prematurely, yet Satan has a way to work our weakest points, so I prayed. I also prayed that the moving of the Lord in this would be so evident that perhaps we wouldn’t have to be there for two hours. It wasn’t a time issue, but a real, without a doubt, healing from the Lord moment that would be a testament to others in how Great our God is. I prayed that if the Lord saw fit, that the specialists would see nothing and what they once saw would now be clear and they would tell my wife there is no need for any further testing and that she could go home. Yet in all this I also prayed as Jesus did that God prepare us for His will and not ours. After nearly fifteen minutes Karen came back out. She had just finished her first set of procedures. Once again I knew this was only the beginning and I could feel the angst beginning to well up in me again. I pulled my phone out and shared the verse from Psalms with Karen. She smiled and simply said, “yep” and I swallowed the angst right back down and we waited for what was next. Soon another very nice and compassionate lady came out and called Karen to follow her. She told us she needed more images that were more precise. I was not sure how to take that, but I knew from my history in medicine that that meant they were looking in one certain area of interest. The concern once again began to rise in me and once again I began to pray with no special requests, but simply that the Lord make it clear to them what they need to see and protect my gift. Karen was not away for long this time and soon she was back sitting with me in the little waiting area. It had now been about twenty minutes since the procedural process started and we both prepared for a potentially long day. Up to now we had not told anyone of this issue, except for a few pastor friends. We did not tell our children because we did not want to upset them with the unknown. I must confess however, when Karen was taken back the first time to begin the procedures I did reach out to a friend I was texting at the time to just pray for her. It is great to have people in places at times of need that will drop and pray right then. It had now been approximately twenty-five minutes of being in the procedural portion of the Mills Breast Cancer Institute. We were preparing for the possibility of two more hours with the specialists on hand, when the little lady with the kind and compassionate disposition came bouncing into the small waiting area and sat on the edge of the seat next to Karen with her hands folded across her lap. I could feel a huge lump well up in my throat as I prepared for the announcement and my eyes began to sweat. As she looked Karen directly in the eye, and with a smile I will never forget, she spoke the words we longed to hear. She told Karen she was free to go, that everything was clear and Karen was totally fine, there was no need for concern. My eyes began to sweat profusely, but this time with thanksgiving, and I thanked the Lord right there. I held it together quite well, yet the inside of me was in total jubilation as our God reigns. Not only had God healed and without question cleared her of any cancer questions, He made it so clear that we did not have to go through the two hours of testing. God is so good. God had shut the mouths of the lions’ and rescued my queen from the grip of a disease that is devastating. Like Daniel in the lions’ den, she had been protected and now we will live to tell the story. I could only think of the disciple John in John 21 after fishing all night. Peter, James, and John have caught no fishes but then Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side. They do so, yet it is during a time when fishing is usually at its worst. Yet through the miracles of Jesus the nets are full, and John realizes “It’s the Lord”. When my wife was cleared all I could say was “It’s the Lord”. One cannot deny the love and amazing power and grace of our creator. Good things come to those who love the Lord and are called according to His holy purposes. We truly are called to be His hands and feet and we are truly blessed for this day; another day yet not promised. Our hope is our experience through this ordeal can affect others just like Daniel’s experience affected the king. It says in Daniel 6:25-28 that the king was so moved by the presence of the Lord in Daniel’s situation, the king made a decree claiming the Sovereign Lord to be the One True God. It would appear that king Darius had his own encounter as a result of Daniel’s testimony of faith in this precarious situation. Karen and I want to be the witness to the awesome grace and power of the One True God, and hopefully help other’s see how a life with Christ is one you can depend on. We know we must be dependent on Him, as He has never failed us. He can and will do the same for anyone who so chooses Him and experiences their own personal encounter with Jesus. With Christ all things are possible and life will never be the same; This I declare.

Certainty in Times of Uncertainty

I remember the day, while driving home after a shift at the ER at Covenant Medical Center, when the Lord audibly spoke to me about my would-be wife. I worked in the ER on my days off from the ambulance as a Paramedic, and I had broken up with my – now wife Karen – because I basically felt we were too close, and due to past failed experiences I was truthfully simply afraid. I was afraid of going through the pains of failed relationships again. I was afraid of how it would affect me, and my children. In reality though, I was afraid of how it would affect me. I will have to admit, when it comes to complications in life, I am weak, and do not like them. So for me it was easier to just avoid them, so I had convinced myself, despite the fact Karen had been so faithful and honest with me in all things, that I just could not allow myself to trust a female to the point of vulnerability ever again. When we love someone with everything and trust them entirely there is some vulnerability that goes along with that. Yet to truly let go and trust one must enter that realm and say it is ok to enter the realm of vulnerability because you truly do trust that individual. In real God centered love, it is built on trust. The Bible tells us to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, and that in itself says become vulnerable, because you won’t fully understand it, but He will never fail you. A Christ – centered marriage will not fail you because God and God – centered trust is what it is built on, and that is when God spoke to me that day on Kinch street in Urbana, Illinois. As I was driving southbound on Kinch preparing to turn to the east on Rainbow View to go to my little humble duplex, (of which Karen helped me get) it was as if God knocked me upside the head to get my attention. I remember it well as I remember looking around the car as if to see if someone was in there I had missed. It was then I heard Him say so clearly to me, “I give you the best thing in your life, and you throw it away! When are you going to listen to Me?” I knew immediately what the Lord was saying to me and tears began to well up in my eyes. As I pulled into my driveway, I ran inside and called Karen who was working at the 911 center. My first words to her came in the form of a question. I asked her if I could grovel at her feet. I told her I was wrong, and I knew it. I asked if I could meet her when she finished her shift to talk, and she hesitantly obliged. From there the rest is history, but the first thing we did was dedicate our lives first and foremost to Christ, knowing if we did that, our relationship would always be solid. That was nearly twenty years ago, and God has seen us through a great deal of life’s adventures along the way. Now my known gift from God – my wife Karen – faces another of life’s battles. As she lives daily with the chronic pain and life changing results from being struck by a city bus on the driver’s side of our then new van, we now face the uncertainty of further testing from a mammogram that revealed inconsistencies from a previous mammogram. The inconsistencies were significant enough that she will be put through two hours of testing with all the specialists at her side and an immediate diagnosis will be made after all the testing is finished. What makes this a greater test of faith is the time lapse from the notification of the need for testing and the actual date of testing. There has been over a week between these dates and in these dates a lot can happen to the wandering minds of the weak, however we know our God is greater, our God is stronger, our God is higher than any other. My first thought was that of denial, as I suppose it would be for most people. I wanted to push it off as some of the unethical practices that occur in the medical field in today’s world. Yet one cannot take for granted the necessity of being sure this is not one of those instances. Soon after coming to grips with the situation, I felt the still small voice of God telling me, “remember she is your gift from Me”. The voice of God gives me comfort and still does today, and then I read Daniel 6. In Daniel 6, Daniel is facing a life-threatening battle of his own. Because of his beliefs in the one true God he is going to be thrown into the Lion’s Den. We know that God rescues Him as we believe God has and is already rescuing Karen from this situation and I will be glad to write about it when we have that testimony. Yet what Daniel does before being put in the Lion’s Den, is what speaks to me. It is the waiting period at times that often causes our faith to dwindle. If you remember as the people of Israel are led out of Egypt after years of oppression, any time they have to wait upon the Lord, they do things that are less than favorable. Yet in Daniel’s case his faith never seems to waiver. He doesn’t seem to get caught up in those potential faith destroying schemes of others. Instead it says in Daniel 6:10-11, when Daniel heard things were going to get tough, he simply kept praying to God giving God thanks, and asking Him for help. So often we get into the realm of the unknown and rather than continuing in the direction of dependency on God, we revert back to the very things that inject fear and uncertainty into our situation. Had Daniel felt uncertain about his God, he may have decided to pray in a closet, or shut the windows, but instead it says he prayed as he always did and gave God thanks all the while asking God for help. Perhaps if we quit letting fear and worry invade us through an avenue that Satan finds usable in most people of the flesh, then we too would be able to shut the mouths of the lions. Often times, we instead give way to worry, Satan fills us with uncertainty and we tend to forget the dependability factor of the one we need to depend on the most in God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. With God all thing are possible even the closing of the lions’ mouth; the disinterested and unfounded non-life threatening life taking man eaters have lost their desire for flesh and similarly when we do as Daniel did we can shut the mouths of the enemy in situations that otherwise would consume us and hold us captive in fear. Remember it is a spiritual battle we are in not to mention the physical battles we engage in simultaneously, thus the need for the Sovereign Lord. It was this truth of God’s Living Word that brought me to the realization that with Him we have nothing to fear. Just as Daniel kept on praying we too have continued praying giving God thanks for what He is doing, about to do, and has done. We are asking God for help in keeping our minds from drifting from the truth that our God is bigger than any other, and it is in His hands. It is with this truth we have been living daily knowing God has already taken care of this the way He intends to take care of this. In whatever way He views necessary, we know we will be a testament to the awesome power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We may not know about tomorrow, but WE do know who holds OUR hand. Just as Daniel was able to walk out of that lions’ den unscathed it is our belief as a witness of two, that God will see us through this and the lions’ mouths will be shut once more and my gift – my bride – will be delivered again. We have seen God do great miracles before and we know He is able to do abundantly more through His great power that dwells within us.

How Do You Love?

An expert in religious law once asked Jesus what the greatest commandment in the Law of Moses was. Jesus responded with one must love the Lord their God with all of their heart, all of their soul, and all of their mind. (Matthew 22:36-37) This thought process often brings about a great deal of wonder, as well as question. As this presumed and professing “expert” asks the question, he must find himself in a quandary from the perplexity of the answer. As an “expert” in religious law, he most likely was awaiting an answer much more complex, yet he receives the simplest of quests – or so it would seem. The wonder of loving as a commandment seems effortless, but then the twist comes as Jesus adds in the “all” factor. Quickly what would appear to be a cynical expression of ease becomes a question as he wonders if this commandment is even possible? One can almost feel the facial expressions of the “expert” in religious law, (someone who seemingly “loves” what he does more than anything in this world), become sullen in his moment of query. Yet if we take Jesus at His Word, it is then we find the real “strength” mentioned in Deuteronomy 6:5 to know what real love truly is. It is not uncommon for those in relationships of any kind to feel surprised when they are told they must love God more than anyone, or anything including their spouse, spouse-to-be, or their children. Many times there is a response of betrayal should one even approach admission of loving God to such heights. Yet this should never be as it is commanded of us to love the Lord “our” God with ALL of our hearts, soul, and mind, and in Deuteronomy strength as well. What seems to cause such a huge moment of surprise for most is the assumption of a great divide. Often times it is seen that to love God more is to love those who are most precious to us less. Many times there is this great divide envisioned that God is elevated to the highest of highs which is great, but then we put our loved ones way down on a fleshly scale that has a divide the size of Mt. Kilimanjaro. When in fact if we truly love God more than anything, then we begin to discover what real Christ-centered love is, and we begin to love those in our life more as well. The divide is narrowed and loved-ones become closer to us than before because God is number one in our life. If we use the fingers on our hand for an example our middle finger, which is the center of our life stands taller. Many people misuse this for other reasons and many misuse the name of God as well. When it is misused all the other digits are out of sight and reduced to a meaningless amenity, as is our life when we continually distance ourselves from the Lord. But if we hold our hand upright as if to wave or give someone a clap – gimme five – then we see the rest of the digits alongside the center figure finger. While they may not be as tall as that finger, they are right their next to it and well represented as part of the body of the hand. With Christ as the center of our lives and being the one we love the most He will be the one who stands out most in our love for others. Yet they will be right there alongside Him in our relationship of love for others and they will appreciate the love we share with them through the central figure of Christ. Perhaps this is why Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. My wife and I desire for each other to love God more than anything including ourselves. We know that if we keep the proper order of love, our love for each other will be the way God intended it to be and our love for each other will be stronger every day. When Jesus said, “may that which God has joined together let no man put asunder”, His premise was on a life centered on this greatest commandment. How can I be sure of this? 1 John 4:16 says this: We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. So you see, if you love God with all you have, He lives in you, and you will love like He loves and those around you will benefit from it. Everyone is blessed. There really isn’t a divide. There is a closeness that is like nothing you have ever experienced before, because God is in it! How do you love?