Hope in the Storms

It has been said that we are at one of four points in life: Either between storms, going into a storm, being in the middle of a storm, or coming out of a storm.

In Matt 8, as well as in Mark 4 and Luke 8,  we find a story of the complete cycle.  Let’s look at Matthew 8 beginning with verse 23.

Matt. 8:23    Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. ²⁴ Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Matt. 8:26    Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

Matt. 8:27    The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!””(Matthew 8:23–27 NLT-SE)

Now let’s read it again in  Mark 4.  

Mark 4:35    As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Mark 4:38    Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

Mark 4:39    When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:41    The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

 

Did you notice the subtle differences in Mark?  Especially in the cry and attitudes of the disciples.  Keep in mind, that the book of Mark is the recorded stories of Peter as written by John Mark.  So you start to see a little bit of the personality and memories of the different disciples and what they were thinking at the time.  We’ll come back to that in moment.

To round out our picture, let’s go to Luke 8.  

Luke 8:22    One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. ²³ As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

Luke 8:24    The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”   When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm.

²⁵ Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”  The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

So now that we have three versions of the story, let’s piece them together and see if we get a little bit more understanding on this passage, and perhaps something that can help us today.

The disciples were peacefully going across the lake.  Jesus is exhausted so He lays down in the back of the boat and goes to sleep.  Suddenly, without any real warning, the storm breaks.  And this is a storm to beat all storms.

They are struggling against the oars, they are bailing like mad and they are panicked out of their minds. Those hardy fishermen had spent their lives on the lake, and had guided their boats through many a storm; but against this storm, their strength and skill are worthless.  They are helpless in the face of this tempest and their hope began to fade as their boat began filling with water.

Absorbed in their efforts to save themselves, they had forgotten that Jesus was on board.  Sound like anyone you know?  Not until they came to the end of their strength and they could see death staring them in the face, did they remember that somewhere in the boat was the One who could help them.  They call out for Him, but they hear no answer.  Just more wind and more waves to the face.  

And now, doubt jumps on top of fear and rides deep into their souls. Had Jesus forgotten them?  Was the One who had healed diseases and opened blinded eyes not able to help His own disciples now?  Have you noticed that we often do the same?  In God’s silence, we often listen to our doubts.

The book Desire of Ages says that a flash of lightning revealed the sleeping Savior and they are incredulous.  How can He sleep through this?  So they woke Him by screaming above the tempest, as recorded in Mark 4:38 (and remember, this is Peter’s version of the story)   “Teacher, Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”   

Now, I have put this question in the category “stupid questions asked by the disciples”.   Do you think Jesus cared if they drowned?  Of course He did.  Because these men were to be the ones that carried His message to the world.  Of course He cared, but, as we said earlier, in God’s silence, we often listen to our doubts.  

First, forgetting Jesus was in the boat, and then, secondly, not hearing anything from God, they instantly jumped to the conclusion that God didn’t care.  Some things never change do they?  Ever done that? 

So they cry out to Jesus… “Don’t YOU CARE that we’re going to drown???”  Notice…to their reality, this is a foregone conclusion.  They had fully assessed the situation and decided that it was hopeless AND that somehow God didn’t care one whit about them.

There is no indication from either Matthew, Mark or Luke’s account that they wanted Him to do anything more than start rowing or bailing—but I believe they also knew that HE was where their hope lay.  Mathew’s account says that they screamed, “Lord save us: we’re going to drown!”  And I like what the book Desire of Ages says on page 335 “Never did a soul utter that cry unheeded.”  

Let’s go back to our text in Matthew 8.  V. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”(Matthew 8:25–27 NLT-SE)

I love this story for a lot of reasons. First, it reminds us that no matter what storm we are going through, Jesus is still in the boat with us, and He has the power to control everything. Check this out-as fearful as the disciples were in the middle of the storm, they were even more fearful and amazed that the elements that they had feared only moments before, were totally at the beck and call of this man with whom they traveled.

Second, He is a God of surprises. When the disciples shouted out 

“Lord, save us!”, I’m sure the last solution on their minds was that He would simply get up and rebuke the storm and it would cease. They were probably hoping for the supernatural, to be sure...but they were not expecting that. 

Third, Jesus left them with more questions than answers. “Who IS this Man???” We were afraid of the storm before...but THIS Man is GREATER than the storm! That storm was NO MATCH for Him. We thought we were stuck in the clenches of the power of the storm...but the storm was nothing...compared to HIM. 

But as cool as this story is, it occurred to me that this story could either increase our faith or Satan could use it to defeat our faith. What? Let me explain. 

On the one hand, we can see a God who has absolute control of the elements...yet seems to let us down when it comes to OUR current crisis at hand. I had faith...didn’t I? And we focus in on the question Jesus asked them, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” And we squint harder and repeat, “I believe, help my unbelief!!” 

We forget that it was not the disciples faith that caused Jesus to act. It was His goodness and grace, seeking to teach them that He could be trusted in the days and weeks ahead. 

We don’t stop to think that maybe there were other nights on the lake where the storms surrounded them and Jesus DIDN’T calm the storm...but allowed them to go through it. 

Their faith was not the answer to the problem. It was only the answer to the peace that was to be had as they faced the problem. Faith isn’t always about getting the outcome you want. Faith is about trusting that the outcome you receive will better prepare you for the way ahead. Faith is about trusting that one way, or the other, God will get you through the storm and you can be at peace in the middle of it because you trust that God has got you. 

Yes...Jesus CAN bring you the miracle, the healing, the whatever your prayer is...and sometimes He does. To quote singer/songwriter Scott Krippayne, “Sometimes He calms the storm, and other times he calms His child.” 

Sometimes He allows us to face the hard stuff so that we can learn that it is NOT our desired outcomes He is most concerned with, so much as our relationship and our trust in Him for the Journey ahead. 

That storm you are in...will you trust Him with it just now? He’s the God of surprises...so who knows how He will answer...but it will always be a way that can make you stronger and growing closer to Him if you let it. 

I pray peace for your daily journey.

Who Filters YOUR Air?

So I changed my a/c filter the other day and it was filthy. I couldn't believe all of that stuff would have gone through my a/c unit if not for the filter. And then I began to think of all of the filters on all of the A/C units in the Western part of the US in recent weeks, working hard to filter out all of the smoke from the forest fires, leaving people able to breathe much better than if they were out and about with nothing to filter the air in their environments. It was then I came to a brilliant conclusion on the matter: Filters are good things.

It's true in the spiritual realm too. By spending time in God's Word, you allow God to put filters in your mind that will help you screen out a lot of the noise and the peace-wrecking static. God-filters can give you perspective that filters out the minutia that destroys the bigger picture that lets us know that God is in control even if things appear bad. When we run the noise of the world through God-filters, a lot of the junk just won't go through, which leaves us breathing healthy, purified and peaceful spiritual air. You don't have to be subject to every wind of fear that blows through. You can live a life of peace by breathing the air from God's life-giving filter.

But the devil has filters too. He will filter out the good and cause you to believe the worst of others. He will create suspicions and angst and cause you to be short of temper and long on criticism. He will only let you see what causes you to despair. His filter system will lead to panic attacks, heavy heartedness and a loss of focus as he gets you to hone in on hearing all of the wrong voices. Worse yet, the devil specifically filters out the calming, peace-giving voice of God leaving you with spiritual air that is as toxic as smoke over the Western US during forest fires. You can't live on it long without succumbing and going down.

In this age of where the news blows in rancid, toxic air on an hourly basis, and where people have breathed hate-filled, or despair-filled or conspiracy-filled air for so long that they have become increasingly polarized on issues and many are now ardently defending things that they once said they detested and abhorred.

See, without a God-filtered perspective, the devil can twist our minds and bend them to accept logically-based conclusions that only make sense if there is no God. And it doesn't matter whether you say you believe in God or not, as long as the devil can filter your spiritual air, he can lead you to a functional atheism that concludes, "well, if that's the case, then..." without ever questioning whether that indeed IS the case.

What if Daniel had only accepted the devil's filtered air when told he could only pray to the king? "Well if that's the case, it's only for 30 days." (And some of us have gone longer than that without going back to God to breathe His air.)

What if Joseph had said, "Well she IS my owner's wife, therefore, also my owner...so I guess I have to do what she says."?

What if Moses had said, "Well, that's it folks...it was a good 3 days while we had it...but looks like we are trapped between the sea and the mountains now."?

Each of these was able to keep their perspective, because they filtered their circumstances through a better, bigger filter! The filter of God's life-giving, life-saving, peace-filled, redemption-based reality.

Question: Who filters what is currently going through your mind? Not sure? Look at the air on the other side? Is it peaceful, focused and calming or are you given more to fear, anxiety, and suspicion? If you aren't getting the results you desire, change filters.

Exhausted, Overwhelmed and Anxious? 5 Tips to Living at Peace

As the days of isolation roll on during this time of Covid-19, I find that working from home has both a relaxing and yet, draining effect.  I have actively been seeking ways to be supportive of youth pastors and local youth and young adult leaders and trying to give ideas on how ministry can be done during this crisis to lots of pastors, and just realized this morning...I'm exhausted.

And as I listen to people going through all that we are going through right now from all different perspectives, with all sorts of circumstances, many way worse than mine, I can hear exhaustion in their voice and on the Zoom calls I've been on, I can see anxiety on many faces.  And day after day of that type of drain can quickly lead someone to feeling overwhelmed...especially in light of the 24 hour news cycle which keeps it ever before our eyes.  So how do we deal?  How do we take care of ourselves so that we can continue to be useful to others?

I think first, we have to return to our faith.  I know some of you may have been away from your faith for awhile and may even have a running anger fest at God, but maybe now is the time to let that go.

Recognize that faith is not faith without the possibility of doubt.  To have faith in anything is not to remove all doubts, but to believe that there is enough evidence to believe in and then grow it from there.  For with faith, come a host of promises from God that will help you through the crisis at hand.

First, understand that Jesus never said that this life would be pain free and a smooth ride for the believer.  In fact, he said just the opposite.  In John 16:33 Jesus was speaking and he told His disciples this:  I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. (emphasis mine) But take heart!  I have over come the world."

Even before He tells us about the trouble, He informs us that in Him we can have peace.  Suddenly, with the eyes of faith, I can gain a different perspective on the grim outlook.  I can let go of some of the anxiety and I can surrender the feelings of being overwhelmed by recognizing that the arrival of the Coronavirus and Covid-19, did not shock God off the throne.  It didn't take Him by surprise.

Did He cause it?  No.  I believe it was caused by living in a sinful world and the fact that the devil is looking to find anyway he can to sweep millions into an early grave.  Can God use it for His ultimate good?  I believe He already is!

In my own life, it is amazing how much more focused I've gotten on the things in life that really matter.  My family.  The people I serve. Relationships.  And those things that I've been leaning on to keep me propped up, distracted and unfocused suddenly aren't that important anymore.  It's surprising how my priorities are coming back into focus!  And my realization of how much I (we) truly need God.  So I would say a return to faith in God and a settling into His promises can help alleviate the exhaustion, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed.  Here's a few more promises before we move on.

Psa. 55:22 Give your burdens to the LORD,

and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  NLT

Or how about this one.
1Pet. 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. NLT

The NIV even renders 1Peter 5:7 as: Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Secondly, I would say, take this time to catch up on your sleep.  I didn't realize how sleep-deprived I was until I started staying home and suddenly began getting more hours of sleep per night.  Just getting good sleep can help you begin to relax a little more.  As we adjust to this "new normal" it is easy to begin staying up later, binge watching TV and missing sleep.

Thirdly, establish a new routine so that you aren't just totally burning the hours on Facebook or Instagram or the news channels.  Don't stay in your PJ's all day.  Getting up and getting ready for the day can actually help you feel more productive and contribute to an overall feeling of well-being.  Choose one or two things that you want to try to accomplish by days end.  Organizing a room.  Cleaning out a closet.  Catching up on your around the house to-do list.  Anything that will call on your concentration on something besides the Coronavirus will help you begin to help you regain mental health ground.  And if you feel productive, you are less likely to slide into a depression.

Fourthly, Unplug for a given amount of time each day.  You don't have to be glued to the news cycle 24-7.  As a matter of fact, I can tell you that about 95% of it will be bad.  And right now...it will be ...are you ready for this...very bad.  More deaths.  New outbreaks.  More shortages.  More political posturing.  More anger.  More frustration.  More anxiety over what else the "experts" are predicting is to come.  And the fact is, all it does is keep invoking your "fight or flight" mechanism and dumps large quantities of adrenalin into your system and simply causes your fear factor to rise.

Unplug from social media as well. Constantly checking your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or whatever feeds, will only show more of the same you have on the news.  I'm not saying to never check them, but I am saying take some hours each day and unplug from it all to allow your anxiety and adrenaline levels to fall.  Keeping them on a knife edge all the time will only lead to exhaustion and the lowering of your body's immune system.

Here's a few questions to consider:  Are you already doing what you can do to keep you and your family safe?  Will knowing the absolute latest as soon as it hits keep you any safer?  If you are already doing everything you know, then go ahead and unplug and do something productive and let your energies be channeled towards that.  Let your focus be absorbed by that and you will find your anxiety levels beginning to drop.

And last...seek to get in some form of exercise every day.  If you have a nearby park and can still get outdoors,  try to get a walk in-of course, keeping social distancing rules in play, if not, maybe use the old treadmill and exercise equipment you've had rotting in a room for a while.  But move your body some every day.  This will boost your immune system, and help get rid of the excess adrenaline your body has been pumping out, and leave you more relaxed and able to sleep better.

Let me leave you with this: Quite a few years back, I watched a Mark Lowry video as he shared his "favorite verse."  He then quoted. "And it came to pass..."  He stopped and smiled...then continued.  "Do you get it?  It didn't come to stay!  It came to pass."  So with a nod to Mark, here is my take on his "favorite verse".

Whatever you are facing today--just know that it will pass. Corona Virus...As hard as it is to believe...It will pass! On the flip side...are you having a great day? Enjoy it! It will pass. Facing tough stuff? Endure it. It will pass. It came...to pass.

God never leaves us stuck. Time moves on and it will pass. Focus on that and these little tips and you can come into a "new normal" soon.  And 

Will You Trust Me...Even Here?

The disciples were in a storm...a bad one. So bad that they felt they were going to drown, and despaired of life itself. Sound familiar? Feel like you're going to drown in the mass hysteria of the Covid-19 Pandemic? Getting so nervous and panicky you are despairing of life itself? Feel like "we're going in and this is it"? Many are despairing, but you don't have to. Read on.

Jesus had been teaching all day and He was exhausted! So exhausted that He told the disciples to push off and head across the Sea of Galilee. Let's pick up the whole story in Mark. It happens in 6 short verses. Mark 4:35-41 (New Living Translation)

Mark 4:35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Mark 4:38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

Mark 4:39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

These people had seen Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, turn water into wine...in short...they had seen Him do the impossible! But when the storm came up, their faith went down. THEY FORGOT HE WAS IN THE BOAT WITH THEM!!! (Have you?)

And then, when they did remember, they asked Him an almost insane question! Look back at verse 38..."Teacher...Don't you care if we drown?" Of course He cared! These guys were a vital part of His mission to save the world! They would be the ones spreading the message! (And so are YOU!)

And then Jesus woke up. He didn't ream them out. He didn't scold them. He simply rebuked the wind and the waves...He said "Be Still!" and they were! Then He asked them a question. It's the same question I believe He is asking us even now. "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Put another way, I think this is the question that we, as Christians, have to answer every day. See, I believe that things come along to help us realize that we don't have the control we would like to think that we have. The fact is, we never really have had control of anything... except our choices.

Life happens fast, and as a Christian we are constantly having to re-examine where we stand with Christ...and the question is always there. It's His way of re-focusing us. Of calling us back to the basics and helping us reassess where we truly stand in our walk with Him.

And now, in this time of crisis, it is even more important that we both face, and daily answer, the question that Christ puts before us. The question: Will you trust ME...even here?

Oh wait, Pastor Don...He could sleep because He was God. I mean...He KNEW He wasn't going down. He had all of the power on earth. I would beg to differ. If He were all about saving His own life, He never would have gone to the cross. It wasn't death He was thinking about.

In fact, one of my favorite Christian authors, Ellen White, in her book The Desire of Ages, paints the scene a little better for us.

When Jesus was awakened to meet the storm, He was in perfect peace. There was no trace of fear in word or look, for no fear was in His heart. But He rested not in the possession of almighty power. It was not as the “Master of earth and sea and sky” that He reposed in quiet. That power He had laid down, and He says, “I can of Mine own self do nothing.” John 5:30. He trusted in the Father’s might. It was in faith—faith in God’s love and care—that Jesus rested, and the power of that word which stilled the storm was the power of God. {DA 336.1}

So it isn't in our own power that we are expected to meet this thing. It is in faith--faith in God's love and care--that we can rest as well. And we can look up as we hear His question, "Will you trust Me even here?" And though our answer may at first be feeble, we can choose, by faith to answer yes. And we can continue to answer yes until every time it is asked of us, whether in good times or in crisis, we can respond with a resounding yes. That's what is called the Faith Walk.

By faith I say YES...and God leads me one more step. Then asks again, "Will you trust Me even here?" And I choose, again, to say YES! And He leads me another step. I don't have to know every step from beginning to end. If I hold on by faith, He will continue to walk me, with both peace and confidence, through whatever the world or the devil may throw at me.

Will it be trying? Yes! Faith destroying? It doesn't have to be!  So hold on my friends and trust!

To hold on is not so much about bravery or courage, but a learned response from a long obedience in the same direction. It’s about being confident in the One who has called you.
· Hold on to your faith.
· Hold on to your care for one another
· Hold on to Jesus.

Every day Jesus asks you the same question: Will you trust Me even here? And your answer is?

Don't Forget Compassion!

Have you noticed that the worst part of this coronavirus thing is the mental game. That's where the most agony lies, because let’s be honest…aside from not being able to find toilet paper on the shelves, for most of us, technically our lives haven’t actually been changed a whole lot.  Sure, our routines are changing daily from what we would “normally” do.  Normally, we wouldn’t be glued to a 24-hour news cycle while wringing our hands in anxious dread and hoping and praying that we don’t get the Covid-19 virus.

Normally, we don’t give a second thought to jumping in the car and heading to a place where hundreds or even thousands of people are gathered; a movie theater, a ball game, or the mall.  Now we have fewer options to choose from, amid the growing cry of social distancing.  And the more isolated we become, the more we are glued to our devices for news and more news—all bad—as we simply “wait it out.”

But in reality…most of us are still healthy.  Still have homes.  Still have family that love us.  Still have jobs.  That hasn’t changed for most of us…yet we are already living as if it had.  We are already acting like animals with a survival of the fittest mentality, making sure that we are the ones with the most stock-piled to last the longest.

Am I saying that we should act as if everything is fine?  No.  We should be cautious and do our due diligence.  But we have to guard the very epicenter of our souls if we are to come through this thing with our humanity intact, as well as our own mental health.

The wisest man who ever lived said this back in the day.  

NIV Prov. 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 

The New Living Translation even says it better.

Prov. 4:23    Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Great, Pastor Don…so what exactly does that mean?  It means that, as a human being, your life and actions will always be determined by what you harbor in your heart.

If you allow your heart to grow fearful, and you harbor anxiety and worry as a full-time companion, your ability to be totally human will begin to diminish, and acting towards others with graciousness and love will become extremely difficult.  

In fact, if you allow fear to dwell, you will succumb to a survival of the fittest mentality and you will do things that you currently despise in others.  When selfishness rules the day,  the heart shrivels to a hard callous, as the lives of others grow cheaper in comparison to the big “I”.  Without saying it, our lives broadcast the message, “You are not nearly so important as I, and I will do everything I can to make sure that I survive, even if you don’t!”

If you are a Christian, then recognize that this is the very mindset that Christ calls you away from…not just when times are easy and because you have compassion to spare, but precisely when times get difficult and the rest of the world has swept the shelves bare of everything to give them the best chance of survival.  Recognize that Christ is calling you to demonstrate the difference, not because it’s easy, but because it is hard and in fact, is counter-intuitive to what the world is doing. I believe it was for times like the ones we find ourselves living in that he said, in John 13:35 “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

There are some who would call that insane.  There are others who will sit up and take notice of the difference.  Christians through the ages have always waded into the mire to be difference makers.  To rescue others.  To lift up the discouraged.  To be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world that is dying without Him.  Not because it was easy, but because it was a hard thing, yet the right thing, to do.  It is the hard thing…but it is always the thing that makes us more human, more in the image of the God we claimed to be created by.

Again, I’m not saying be stupid. Be cautious, take precautions…but don’t lose your compassion.  Don’t allow fear to shrivel your heart.  Instead recognize that we can live this way because we have a different focus.  A different perspective.  We understand that this world is not all there is.  We know that we are just traveling through and that one day, sooner or later, we will all die here.  It all ends the same here, no matter the cause.  We die.  Car accidents, plane crashes, homicide, suicide, war casualty, heart attack, stroke, cancer or corona virus.  We can’t outrun death forever.  But even as we face death, we recognize that death simply doesn’t have the final word.  It’s only a temporary stop on the way to eternity.  

Our hope is not in this world and in the mess we have here.  Our hope is in a person, Jesus, and He is of another world and because of this fact, we recognize that it is far more important to be eternally safe than it is to be physically safe here.  So instead, we set our sights on a better world.  A better kingdom free of the junk we deal with down here.  

The book of Revelation describes it for us: Rev. 21:1   Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Rev. 21:3   I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.^a 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Rev. 21:5   And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

That’s what makes a difference in how I can live through the uncertainty of the next few weeks.  I’m not looking to just survive…but to thrive…for eternity.  I write this, not as a young, healthy, not-much-to-worry-about-from-this-virus person, but as one who has been identified as a high-risk, potential casualty should I contract it.  And yes, I’m taking the prescribed precautions, but I will not let a virus rob me of my humanity.  I will seek to reach out, even if it is from my keyboard to your screen.  I will seek to encourage you.  I will continue to pray for you. And I will seek to remind you that this world is not our home.  And I hope you do the same for me.

Heb. 12:1,2    Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.^a Because of the joy^b awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

The Roller Coaster...of Life.

Have you noticed that life is just like a roller coaster ride? You spend years notching up for it, anticipating, waiting, kind of knowing what’s in store because you’ve watched others go around on the coaster. As you get close to the top of the coaster, you start yelling, “Can’t turn back now boys!” and then you hang at the top for just a brief second and all of a sudden, you’re holding on for dear life! There are tons of twists and turns and rises and drops and you are moving so fast, you can only see what’s coming right in front of you, all the while anticipating the next big drop. Your blood pumps faster, adrenaline races and without really meaning to, you hear yourself screaming at the top of your lungs. And then, you come into another long climb.

Your heart slows down a bit, but now that you know what is in store, you realize that the climb is really only a catch your breath place. It’s a little relief before you go into part two of the ride. The ominous clack, clack, clack of the chain below you tells you that you’re in for another gut-wrenching series of twists and turns. You’re up and over the top, tossed to the left, then slammed to the right. Now your stomach is in your throat and now it’s in your toes and just as suddenly, it’s over. And when your body fully understands that you’ve actually survived, and a rush of adrenaline and relief washes over you, then you are suddenly free to enjoy the ride.

What a tragedy!   What a tragedy that we have to go all the way through life, anxious and worrying over every last thing only to look back and say, “that wasn’t so bad.” What if you could enjoy every part of the journey? You can.

Listen to what Jesus said: John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

There it is! Hold onto Jesus...and enjoy the ride!

What Should I Worry About Now?

Most of us spend our lives worrying, don’t we? We worry about how people will accept us. We worry about our clothes—are they nice enough or with it enough?. We worry about acne. We worry about our bodies—are we too fat or too skinny or too tall or too short or too ugly or somehow not acceptable. We worry about our social status. Will someone find us attractive or will they shun us? We worry about what the guy or girl on the other side of the classroom is thinking about us. We worry about school work—are we smart enough to handle it or will we come out failing? We worry about projects and papers and quizzes and tests. We worry about whether we can stay in school and pay the bill. We worry about our jobs—at least some of us do. Others haven’t gotten there yet as they joy ride around on the golf cart of life.

As we get older, we worry about our careers, and our income—will we make enough to pay the bills and survive in the lifestyle we’ve grown accustomed to? We worry about who we will marry, or if we will marry. We worry about whether we will be able to have kids, and once we have them, that gives us something totally new to worry about. How will we feed them and clothe them? How will we educate them? How can we get them through childhood in one piece when they continue to fall down and break bones or stick screwdrivers into electrical outlets, or jump off of swings when they are at their highest point? And how can we pay for the rising cost of Dr. bills when they do those things?

We worry that they won’t do good enough in school or that they get into too many fights or that they won’t be accepted or that they might fail and not only make themselves look bad, but make us as parents look bad too.

We worry about the perpetual cough that we can’t seem to stop or the fever of one of the kids or about our aging parents. We worry about the doctor’s report that says we have a tumor and we worry about cancer or strokes or high cholesterol and heart attacks. We worry about tornadoes and earthquakes and hurricanes and fires. We worry about our kids driving the highways at much too high a speed. We worry about the other people on the roads with our kids. Some of them we worry about because they might be drunk and could possibly hit one of our loved ones…and some we worry about because they happen to be on the road at the same time as our kid who just learned to drive—and they don’t yet know the lack of experience that our kid has. And so we worry, not only for our kid, but for the people our kid might hit.

We worry about divorce and our future. We worry about death and how to face it. We worry about hell and heaven. We worry about our family members that don’t know Jesus. We worry that we don’t know Jesus well enough. And we hate the question put to us—If you were to die right now, do you know where you would spend eternity? That worries us. We even worry when we find ourself NOT worrying, thinking that we must have forgotten something! In fact, have you noticed? We worry about just about everything.

And right in the middle of all of our worry, Jesus speaks. 

Matt. 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 

Matt. 6:28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 

Stop worrying! Take those things to Jesus...and rest...in Him.

Worry? Who Me?

Most of us spend our lives worrying, don’t we?  We worry about how people will accept us.  We worry about our clothes—are they nice enough or with it enough?. We worry about acne.  We worry about our bodies—are we too fat or too skinny or too tall or too short or too ugly or somehow not acceptable.  We worry about our social status.  Will someone find us attractive or will they shun us? We worry about what the guy or girl on the other side of the classroom is thinking about us. We worry about school work—are we smart enough to handle it or will we come out failing?  We worry about projects and papers and quizzes and tests.  We worry about whether we can stay in school and pay the bill.  We worry about our jobs—at least some of us do.  Others haven’t gotten there yet as they joy ride around on the golf cart of life.

As we get older, we worry about our careers, and our income—will we make enough to pay the bills and survive in the lifestyle we’ve grown accustomed to?  We worry about who we will marry, or if we will marry.  We worry about whether we will be able to have kids, and once we have them, that gives us something totally new to worry about.  How will we feed them and clothe them?  How will we educate them?  How can we get them through childhood in one piece when they continue to fall down and break bones or stick screwdrivers into electrical outlets, or jump off of swings when they are at their highest point?  And how can we pay for the rising cost of Dr. bills when they do those things?

We worry that they won’t do good enough in school or that they get into too many fights or that they won’t be accepted or that they might fail and not only make themselves look bad, but make us as parents look bad too.

We worry about the perpetual cough that we can’t seem to stop or the fever of one of the kids or about our aging parents.  We worry about the doctor’s report that says we have a tumor and we worry about cancer or strokes or high cholesterol and heart attacks.    We worry about tornadoes and earthquakes and hurricanes and fires.  We worry about our kids driving the highways at much too high a speed.  We worry about the other people on the roads with our kids.  Some of them we worry about because they might be drunk and could possibly hit one of our loved ones…and some we worry about because they happen to be on the road at the same time as our kid who just learned to drive—and they don’t yet know the lack of experience that our kid has.  And so we worry, not only for our kid, but for the people our kid might hit.

We worry about divorce and our future.  We worry about death and how to face it.  We worry about hell and heaven.  We worry about our family members that don’t know Jesus.  We worry that we don’t know Jesus well enough.  And we hate the question put to  us—If you were to die right now, do you know where you would spend eternity?  That worries us.  In fact, have you noticed?  We worry about just about everything.

And right in the middle of all of our worry, Jesus speaks.

Matt. 6:25 ¶  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Matt. 6:28 ¶  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying,  ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

That’s all well and good Jesus, but what do I do instead of worrying?  I mean, my life is eaten up with it.

And Jesus says, “I’m glad you asked!” Look at verse 33.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its’ own.

Do you hear God speaking to you this morning?  Don’t worry.  But Lord, I’m afraid that…and we continue our litany of worry.  And yet, over 200 times in the Scriptures, Jesus admonishes us to not be afraid.  And He adds His promises to help us realize why we don’t need to be afraid.  Ponder this.

John 14:1 ¶  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:25 ¶  “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Over and over God seeks to calm our fears.  Over and over He wants us to learn to rest our worries in the strength of His love for us.  Time and again, God calls us to stop worrying, start trusting and enjoy life.

Thankfulness as a way of Life

When bad things happen, we rarely challenge our own thoughts as to their rightness or wrongness.  We simply assume that if we thought them, they must be right.  We have the arrogance to believe that we are the final authority on what we see and we have little room for a change in perspective. We hold to our own opinions so tightly that we refuse to see any possibility that we just might be wrong.

A life of ingratitude is the result.  Nothing that happens around us can then be good enough to suit us.  Nothing is worthy of our lofty heights, and it is easy to dismiss it all with a sweep of the hand as being beneath us.  Then, when trouble comes, it is also very easy to fall into a victim’s role rather than a student’s role.

We complain and cry that life isn’t fair and that we don’t deserve all of this pain and often conclude that if there is a God, He must hate us to put us through all of this misery.  In short, our perspective has become our god.  And our perspective is what causes us to either make thankfulness a way of life or miss out on it.

Either we see things from a perspective of being grateful, or from a perspective that leaves us wanting more and feeling like we not only deserve it, but that we are getting ripped off it we don’t get it.

Many of us are growing past the material side of things.  That is, we’ve seen that more material possessions won’t make us any happier, but we still want more.  We never seem to be satisfied.  A new computer. A new car.  A new sofa. A new job.  A new house.  You may say, “Nope…I’m satisfied.  Don’t want any of that.”

What about more power?  More influence?  More skill?  More money for the job you are being asked to do?  Nope…not me.  I’m happy.  Well…maybe a little more money.  But really, I’m good.

More intimacy in my marriage.  More time for doing what I want.  More respect.  More love.  More appreciation from others.  Are we getting closer to home?

We spend our lives thinking if only we had more of something then we’d be happy.  And while we know that’s not necessarily true, the fact is, we are right.  We do need more of something.  The catch is having more… of the right stuff.

If we only had more of Jesus in our lives, we would be.  If we had more trust in Divine power and less trust in ourselves, we would be more settled.  If we had more belief that God really did love us and has our best interest in mind and less doubt, we could learn to relax in His care.  Again, it’s a matter of perspective.  And where do we get that perspective?  Let’s go to the Word.

Phil 4:6-7 NIV  6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil. 4:6-7 NLT    Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

I like the way that reads, don’t you?  It makes it readily understandable. Look at verse 6 again.   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. This is the part we looked at a few weeks ago when we were talking about worry.  Don’t worry, instead pray.  Now let’s look a little more closely at this last part of verse 6.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

It is not wrong to have needs.  God knows what you need—but He wants to hear from you.  He wants you to articulate what you need.  Not just what you want, but what your needs are.  See—we so often tell God what we want that we’ve often confused the two.  And there is nothing wrong with telling God what you want—but remember that He has only promised to supply what you need, though often He will go far beyond that to supply some of the wants as well.

Tell God what you need.  Do you really know what you need?  Is it truly more money?  Or is it a more trusting heart in God and a willingness to watch His provision?

Is it for your loved one to be healed?  Or is it for you to learn to yield yourself to the will of God?  Which do you want and which do you really need?

Is it for your kids to be kept safe physically or spiritually?  Sure we want our kids to be kept safe physically—but we need our kids to be kept safe spiritually.

The very act of determining our wants from our real needs can help change our perspective. Tell God what you NEED.  Not worrying—praying.  Tell Him what you need, and then look at the last statement of the verse: and thank Him for all He has done.  Go back and recount what God has already done for you.  Not just a blanket, generic, “Thank you for all your many blessings”, but where you begin to realize that He has provided for so many of your needs and wants, starting with your greatest need—salvation, and working from there.  The perspective of gratitude gives you purpose.

 You and I can live our days with that purpose because there was One who took our diseases upon Himself, and our worst disease, sin, was enough to do Him in—not because He had to die.  He was perfectly healthy in every way.  It was we who were sick and doomed to die.  But when He began to do a character transplant, our sickness required so much of Him that it cost His very life.   With that realization should come gratitude that changes the way we live our lives.

Phil. 4:6-7 NLT    Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  (Then notice the by-product.) 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Those four statements can change your world. Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need.  And thank Him for all He has done.

That’s how you develop thankfulness as a way of life.  And the thing you are looking for becomes reality.  Peace.  You can have God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  And it is His peace that will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Don’t worry.   Pray. Tell God what you need.  Thank him for what He has done.  That will change your perspective.  And that will bring you peace in your life.