“Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9
Jesus
Rollercoasters
As a former rollercoaster enthusiast, I travelled to several states to experience the thrill of the coaster. The higher and faster, the better. I would wait in line for hours for a 3 minute ride.
You will find those who are mere amateurs in the ways of thrill rides clinging to the bars or harnesses through the whole ride, as if their grip in some way makes them more secure. But those who are more experienced defy the danger and hold their hands up, thus boldly making the declaration “I am not afraid.”
I haven’t been on a rollercoaster in a few years. Except the one that I’m living. I have become somewhat more experienced in this ride than I would have liked. But what my experience has taught me is that throughout the duration of this ride I MUST cling.
Jesus is my protection during this ride. He keeps me safe and keeps me from falling. I must cling tightly. And the more tightly I cling, the more firmly I can proclaim “I am not afraid.”
There are some rides we would rather not get on. But if we must ride, let us also cling.
“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.” Psalm 73:28
I can’t hear You, God
“So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.” Exodus 6:9
To get the total context of this you’ll need to start at the beginning of this chapter, but in the previous 8 verses the Lord has made some wonderful promises to Israel. Promises of deliverance and relationship with Himself. He hasn’t asked them to do anything, but states over and over – I will, I will, I will.
Moses brings this word to the people, a word that should have brought hope and encouragement, but they could not receive it.
Why? They were overpowered by the anguish of their spirit and the difficulty of their situation. To be fair, they were in great difficulty. Slavery is bad enough, but their affliction had only increased since Moses’ arrival. They were tired and discouraged and their spiritual condition and unfavorable circumstances prevented them from heeding what God had spoken through Moses.
I have this problem sometimes too. I have a friend at work who can tell when I’m stressed almost beyond my limit. At those times, she’ll look at me so compassionately and say, “It’s gonna be alright. Jesus is coming.”
That never fails to make me smile. Because He IS coming. He has promised to “come again and receive me to Himself” (John 14:3). But in the midst of my struggles, that promise doesn’t always resound so clearly in my heart.
I am thankful for the many ways He sends reminders to me. He always finds a way to help me hear Him.
Oh my brethren, let us pray
For the homeless widowed woman
Living on the streets today
Hoping just to find a meal
Oh my brethren, we must pray
For the lonely single mother
Living in despair and pain
Wondering if there’s something better
Oh my brethren, we must pray
For those bound by vile addictions
Trapped in a life that’s dark and vain
Damaged by the life they’ve chosen
Oh my brethren, we must pray
For the lost, who soon approach
The throne of God on judgment day
Unprepared, they’re doomed to hell
Oh my brethren, we must pray
For our own cold, calloused hearts
That see such things and walk away
Grieving Jesus by our hardness
Oh my brethren, we must pray
With tears and groanings, let us come
And seek the Lord without delay
With humbled hearts now drawing near
Oh my brethren, we must pray
Oh please Father, help us pray
Epaphroditus – a risk taker
“because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.” Philippians 2:30
Epaphroditus was sent to Paul by the Philippians. Perhaps he was bringing an offering of love from the beloved Philippians believers. But at some point in his journey Epaphroditus became sick. So sick that he almost died. Paul says of this man that he did not regard his life because of the work of Christ. He risked it all.
This reminds me of the words of the Saviour in Mark 8:35, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” This is what Epaphroditus did.
The apostle Paul’s instructions to the Philippians regarding Epaphroditus are as follows: “Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem” (v. 29). There is something very admirable and praiseworthy in risking it all for Jesus.
John Piper has written a book titled “Don’t Waste Your Life.” It sits on my bookshelf and every time I see the title I feel rebuked. What a comfortable life I have. How little I risk for Jesus.
Safe? Yes. But isn’t there more to this life than being safe and comfortable? Isn’t there more than being liked and respected?
My heart aches to make an impact in this world for Jesus Christ. Why do I continue to cling to comfort, security and safety? What will it take for me to throw it all on the altar?
These questions are uncomfortable. They are haunting. But they must be answered.
These are my questions to God.
A lesson from Ghana – the life of a believer
I have a friend who is a math tutor. Several years ago she tutored a high school girl named Canita. Canita not only learned math from my friend, but she also learned Christ. Canita entered college as a strong believer. Her studies in International Health included a research project in Ghana. This is a portion of one of the emails Canita sent during her four month stay in Ghana. It has affected me so deeply that I wanted to share it.
“Waiting is definitely something I’ve gotten a stronger appreciation for since being here. My prayer life has catapulted to new heights, causing my craving for the Father to become so much deeper. Given my surroundings, I’ve had no other choice but to grow. See, the believers I hang out with in Ghana aren’t your typical Christians. They give the word “radical” new meaning and truly embody our old school description of a “Jesus freak.” I have friends here whose daily routines look something like this (look closely): 8:00am-4pm: work, 6:30pm-8:30pm: church, 12am-3am: personal prayer time, 3am-5am: personal bible study, 5am-6:30am: morning physical exercise. No, this is not an embellishment! When do they sleep you ask?! My friend, they don’t. Aside from the couple of hours they are able to squeeze in here or there, rarely do they sleep. When I first discovered this, I was astonished. As a student of International Health, I was initially very concerned for their physical well-being. This, I thought, can not be healthy. Yet, when I see each of them every day they always seem to have three times more energy than I do. They’re never tired, never irritable, and never ill. Like Paul, these men and women literally put their bodies under the subjection of the Holy Spirit daily (2 Corinthians 9:27). They fast weekly, pray constantly, and truly re-present Christ in this part of the world. As you could imagine, there’s no way I can live among such a humble, surrendered group of believers and not be moved. More than anything, they’ve taught me the art of sacrificial waiting. I’ve found that something happens in the spirit when we sacrificially give of our time, our sleep, our food, and our comfort to seek the heartbeat of God.”
The God who comes near
And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the land of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Exodus 3:7-8
I have seen
I have heard
I know
I have come
One of the most captivating truths of Christianity is that we do not serve some far off, uninvolved God who is indifferent to us. Consider this gospel truth – “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Eph 2:13
He created the entire universe and died on the cross for my sins.
He rules the whole world each moment and hears every word that I pray.
He is enthroned in heaven and yet He is with me daily.
The voice of the Lord thunders from heaven and whispers to my heart.
In 10,000 different ways He displays His love to those who are His.
He sees
He hears
He knows
He has come
Oh, how I love Him.
His Bigger Plan
Little one don’t be afraid
For no temptation comes
But what has passed through My hand first
Sifted through My love
I seek not to destroy you
Nor to make you strong
But to teach you how to lean on Me
Is why this trial’s prolonged
If I had rescued you at once
When your first cries began
You may have been happier
But Mine’s a bigger plan
It’s required that you be broken
For My glory to shine through
And isn’t this what you’ve cried out
For Me to do for you?
Rest in My hand, my little one
Trust me to do this task
Conforming you into my image
Just like you have asked
And the little one responds:
Who am I to struggle
Against my Lord and King?
I’ve trusted my soul to You
I trust You in this thing
And though I beg You stay Your hand
Hear not my feeble cries
For I’ll never know the glory
Until I first have died
So let the flesh then gasp and wail
And take its final breath
As glorious resurrection follows
Hard upon this death
He is my Delight 