I saw the breaking news story today about the three women who had been kidnapped and held for ten years. WOW, seriously TEN YEARS! That just boggles the mind to think of the horrors they must have endured within that ten year span. I am overjoyed to hear of their rescue and freedom and mortified at the same time that within our population monsters really do exist among us.
Have you ever been to a Walmart? I’m sure you have. Have you ever looked at all of the faces of the missing people that they have posted on that bulletin board in front of the checkout area? It really is sobering to think that darkness is real in our lives. Sure we can ignore it, but that doesn’t mean that it’s gone. Like a kid who pulls the blankets up over their eyes we can close our eyes to the horrors and pretend they don’t exist but unlike the monsters under the bed and in the closet these monsters are very real!
Another form of darkness in our world, similar to these horrible experiences of these women in our news story today is the plight of human trafficking in our world today. It’s kidnapping on an epic scale. It’s deplorable to even think that there is a market for humans. That one can even put a price on another human being. It’s the modern day form of slavery. One can imagine what these three women experienced when in the hands of this monster…just imagine being bought and sold a number of times on top of these horrors. I’m not trivializing what this breaking story today has detailed but knowing that there are other women out there in similar circumstances even in our own country really churns my stomach.
Freedom was available today for these kidnapped women and I am so joyful for their freedom and I pray for their healing and the help they will need for years to come. Please lift them up in your prayers today as well as those on Walmart walls around the country and for victims in the sex trafficking slave market the plagues our world still today.
Additional links to help stop human trafficking in our world:
“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” 1 Peter 2:12
How do we do this as Christ followers? How do we keep our conduct honorable despite the pressures that seem impossible to resist? I suppose the question we must ask ourselves first is, “what is honorable?” If you were to look at a dictionary some of the similes of the word ‘honorable’ are: “Blameless, upright, virtuous, moral, righteous, principled.” Therefore, if we are to be honorable disciples of Christ we have to possess these qualities as disciplines in our words and our deeds. The hypocritical notion of “do as I say not as I do” cannot apply to us.
Someone is watching you!
I love that classic Michael Jackson song “Somebody’s watching me” , it’s perhaps a bit paranoid but the truth of the matter is that if you profess to be a Christian then you better act like a Christian in your actions! Why? Because there are people looking at you and looking to you as an example what it means to live an upright life! If you blow it and display something opposite of what you are professing then guess what? It’s not just you failing it’s the identity of Christ in you that has been poorly misrepresented. I hate to point fingers and I rarely will, but when churches like the Westboro Baptist church goes out and spews hatred and condemnation, what they are doing is poorly representing Christ to a lost world. Their idea of Christ isn’t something I embrace and in fact they do more harm than good with their protests and divisive signs.
You see the world is looking for blameless, upright people! The world has far too few of them. I’m not just talking about being an honorable GOOD person; I am talking about godly examples of Christ in our world today. This may sound harsh but there are a lot of Christians in this world who talk a good game but bring very little of it home with them in the way that they conduct themselves. My place isn’t to shift the blame on anyone, but if truth be told I too struggle with this in my own life as well. 1 Peter 2:12 tells us that not only ought we be honorable so that others see us do good, but that they too might see God and glorify Him! It’s a double edged sword here. On one side we are to live upright principled godly lives for ourselves and because it brings glory to God, and on the other side others are watching and innately they too want to find this truth for themselves. So that when others see these good deeds displayed in God’s people, they too want what we possess which the indwelling of His Holy Spirit and a transformed life.
How is your soul today? How is your life? Are you living for God or are you talking a good game, but there is very little evidence of Him in your life? I want to first encourage you when I say that God has great expectations for us. He knows what we are capable of and the potential that we already possess to do good in our own world for Him! He believes in you! He loves you! And our calling as Christ followers is to live this life out loud so that others might see Christ through us.
Secondly, this passage reminds you and me that there is so much more at stake here than just our reputations. If we’re wearing the cross on our bodies and as bumper stickers on our cars then shouldn’t we be wearing a transformed life as well? I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be another Christian casualty on the spiritual highway wrought with moral car wrecks! I doubt you do either.
So what?
Live what we say, and say what we live! And may God be visible in every capacity and fiber of our being!
God is looking for a few good men and women to service Him in the trenches of life. Are you up to the task? He believes in you…do you believe in you? Do you believe in Him? Get on with it then! Blessings on you this day and May you live for Him in word and deed! Amen & amen!
The superhero zooms in, a little beaten and bruised…but something keeps him going. With determination in his eyes he faces off with the sinister villain who is intent on destroying anyone in his path. The hero, moments before, had been beaten and considered vanquished. Now he stands before the shell shocked villain ready take him down once and for all.
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for superhero movies! If one were to look at my movie collection one would find a slew of hero films, in fact it’s probably the biggest collection of all of my movies. I love a good versus evil story plot! It evokes in me justice and peace with just a little action and mayhem thrown in. This past week Ironman 3 debuted at theaters all around the country & world. It blew the competition away in that it was the top grossing film of the weekend (probably a few more weekends to go too). What that says to me is that I’m not alone in my love of superhero movies. There are millions out there who line up, pay for film tickets and see these films with me. Why? Why are superhero movies such a popular draw?
Here’s my take – because everyone at heart is looking for a hero! Everyone wants not just to escape into fantasy, but they want some sort of rescue in their own lives. We want to see evil vanquished! We want to see good stand triumphantly over the fallen maniacal villain! At heart, we long for heroes in our lives today!
The man stands in front of the grave of his good friend who is four days dead. The dead man’s sisters are not happy with the visiting teacher. Why hadn’t he come sooner? He is a healer, he could have done something to save him…but now it’s too late, he’s gone! But Jesus stands there and tells them to open the tomb. They must have thought to themselves; ‘Are you kidding me? Jesus he’s been dead for four days, it’s going to smell horrible in there!’ But Jesus insists and after the tomb is open, reeking of death, Jesus does something astonishing. He calls out loudly to his now dearly departed good friend. “Lazarus come out!” The people gathered there with the sisters must have exchanged confused even worried looks at each other. “Why is Jesus doing this?” Some must have wondered, “Haven’t Lazarus’ sisters suffered enough?” And yet something remarkable and awesomely supernatural takes place…there are shuffling sounds coming from the tomb.
What seem like hours pass by from Jesus’ words to what happens next…but it’s mere moments. Everyone is clinging to this last ounce of hope as death has been the unwanted house guest for more than four days. Another moment passes and then there is a sharp intake of breath and then a gasp as the dead darkens the door way of his own grave. Jesus has done the unthinkable, He has risen Lazarus from the death. A body in full rigor, decomposing in the tomb has been reanimated. Where stillness had been claimed within vacant lungs, now breathing and motion has gained access once again. Lifeless is replaced with life. Lazarus is no longer dead…he is alive!
Imagine being one of those witnesses that day? They experienced something they couldn’t quite explain; they see the unthinkable take place. A very dead person is brought back to life! Jesus, God’s one and only son, displaying His very real power over life and death! Is there any other person who has walked this earth and lived human life done more? Jesus who is the Lord of life and death? One who actually has supernatural power? A true hero for all of humanity? It is wondrous to think that not only did Jesus heal the sick and give life to the dead, but He also went to the extreme and laid down His life for all of humanity. When He hung on the cross for the sins of all of us, He went to hell and conquered sin and death! But the story didn’t end with a heroes sacrifice and finality of a mournful death…NO! He brought himself back to life! Jesus even said that He would do this for us: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life (for my sheep) –only to take it up again.” (John 10:17 NIV)
Is Jesus your superhero? Not in some corny or silly way, but in the very real sense that He has displayed His love for you, He has conquered sin and death for us and that He is the only way by which we can find our eternal home in heaven with God. Jesus wants you to experience this supernatural salvation and deliverance. He comes to each of us and asks if we will accept Him as our savior. I have chosen to follow Him, will you?
John 11:25-26 (NIV) 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 10:1-21 (NIV) 1 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” 19 At these words the Jews were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” 21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
This isn’t so much a pondering as much as it is a recollection of my week:
Monday was a surprise in that we had to call 911, have our 4 year old son checked over because of an episode that we thought was a seizure…a couple late night hours spent in the ER waiting and more waiting. Sent home to ‘monitor’ him which roughly translates to NO SLEEP! But we’re thankful he is fine (no further episodes, thankfully because the first scared the living day lights out of us!)
Tuesday was essentially a wash because of our late night drama…everyone was tired, kids called in absent at school and we just spent time with each other. It’s interesting what a life/death moment like we share together would bring us closer. So we did, we talked, we laughed and we perhaps cherished our time together a little more on our ‘do nothing but emotionally recover Tuesday’!
The rest of the week seemed to zip by, with church programs, visits, office work and continual conversations both work and otherwise. I think today I might try to learn how to play this:
I hope your week went well, if not then hey it’s the weekend so enjoy!
“You just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. You don’t have time to carry grudges; you don’t have time to cling to the need to be right.” – Anne Lamott
“There’s a luggage limit to every passenger on a flight. The same rules apply to your life. You must eliminate some baggage before you can fly.” – Rosalind Johnson
“Do you have anything to declare?” This is commonly heard at international airports as a traveler, sometimes weary, enters their destination. It’s a question that must be asked for safety and security purposes that I think begs answering in our lives as well. I’ve never received a degree in counseling or psychology, but I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes when we enter the present moment which is the doorway to the future we often are still carrying baggage from the past that prohibits us from entering and from moving on. Baggage, which is anger, regret, hurts, fears, scars (emotional & physical) can seriously limit us and that of the potential for personal and spiritual growth if we continue to carry them with us.
Jesus even alluded to these types of burdens when he said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)
What is Jesus saying here? He is telling us to let go of our baggage! He is saying if you learn from me you will understand that you don’t have to carry this heavy burden any longer, my way is lighter and it will free you of your past, your baggage, your worries and fears. Jesus says to us in this passage that we ought to let go of it all…it doesn’t matter anymore…we can be free! Wouldn’t you like to forget some things about your past? Wouldn’t you like to let go of burdens that you’ve carried around with you for far too long? We were never meant to heap these worries, regrets and scars around with us for the rest of our lives! That was not God’s plan for us. Sure from time to time we have screwed up. Sure from time to time others have hurt us so very deeply. Sure from time to time we find it difficult to forgive that one person who broke our heart or betrayed us…yet that’s precisely what Jesus is asking us to do. He wants us to leave our past behind. He wants us to lay it down at His feet and for us to allow Him to help us.
I don’t presume to understand how God’s grace works, but I do know that it does. By faith, daily I must once again surrender my past to Him. I know that from time to time that even Satan will try and remind me of those things from my past. He will try to discourage me and persuade me that I really haven’t changed…and yet when I seek the Lord, when I read His word God shows me just how far I’ve come. The same is true for you as well. You can let go. You will be free. The answers to healing your past and restoring your future lies with the One that made you, not the ones that have hurt you, or the situations that you fiercely regret.
The Lord is asking us today; “Do you have anything to declare?” If we are wise we will declare everything to Him, and allow Him to restore our present and future by letting go of the baggage that weighs us down and holds us back. Don’t let your past dictate where you go today or tomorrow! You and I can be free…but first we must confront and let go of the baggage.
There’s an old prayer chorus our church used to sing and it goes like this:
“Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Calvary, Calvary, Burdens are lifted at Calvary…Jesus is very near!” Jesus wants to be near to you today, He wants to lift your burdens, your baggage from you…will you let Him?
Prayer:
Lord I have been carrying around this baggage from my past for far too long and it is weighing me down. This baggage is holding me back from growing in your grace. Help me to surrender it all to you today! I know that it may not happen all at once, but grant me your strength to surrender it all to you! I want to learn from you, I want that freedom that only you can offer. Thank you Lord for guiding me and for being here with me each step of the way. –Amen.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
It’s from the ‘Lord’s prayer’. You’ve probably recited it any number of times, but have you really thought about what you’re actually saying?
When we say to God, “Father you are holy” we acknowledge two things, the first is that He is our heavenly Father and that secondly He is holy. Kinda obvious isn’t? But when we get to the next line of the ‘Lord’s prayer’, what we begin to realize is that our prayer to God isn’t about what we can get from Him, but rather what we can give Him.
A few verses back Jesus even tells His disciples not to pray like the hypocrites who love to hear their own voices and want others to hear them as well. Our prayers can be corporate but they should also be private conversations with God throughout our day.
Back to His Kingdom:
What we mean when we say “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is this: God you are God of my life and I want to be a part of Your kingdom. We are also saying that God’s Will is more important than that of our human will. Essentially what we are saying is ‘God I trust you and I surrender to you!’…but do we really? I don’t know about you but letting go of the control that I have on my life isn’t something that I’m good at. It’s a powerless feeling to let go, and yet when we pray this prayer or something similar to it, we are implying exactly that. If we don’t mean what we say then why are we saying it in the first place?
I liken it to parenting. I’m a father of four children. They mean the world to me and I am proud of each of them for who they are. As their father I want what is best for them. I want to see them succeed in every area of life. In school, I want to see them get good grades and flourish. In social settings, I want my kids to have healthy friendships and strong bonds and connections with others. As future adults I want them to be wise with their resources and smart with their money. I want to see my children succeed and so I guide them and provide them the wisdom that I have learned since I’ve been on this earth longer than they have. In the same way isn’t that what our Father in Heaven wants from us? He wants us to love Him first, but next there is that deep longing for us to succeed in this life! He wants to guide us, He wants to provide for us and show us how to live better lives. The key is that we have to listen. We have to subjugate ourselves, or submit ourselves to His kingdom and His will. When we view this submission not as negative thing or that we are losing our freedom, but rather we are gaining our freedom then it becomes clearer as to how important it is to submit to the will of God.
We don’t pray this line to mean, God wipe out all of my enemies and crush them with your kingdom. We aren’t turning prayer into another selfish edict of our wills…but rather we are first saying, “Lord it has to begin with me…right here, right now…teach me, I am submitting to your will not mine anymore.” When we can say this and actually mean it there is freedom. When we find ourselves willfully submitting to His will great things can and will take place. The world might become fiercer because of it, you might face stronger opposition in your life but you now are fully engaged in the workings of God and not your workings any longer. Our Father in Heaven wants us to trust Him, and He wants us to allow His wisdom and will to guide our lives. He wants us to succeed because He cares and loves us.
This isn’t some magic phrase that we say to make things work better in our lives. This isn’t some mantra that we utter habitually and thereby willing our essence to perform amazing tasks either. No, what we mean when we say these lines to our Father is “Here I am at your feet ready to submit all that I am to your kingdom and your will.”
What does that mean to you today?
Have you submitted yourself, your will, your desires, you hopes and dream to Him?
It won’t be easy, but if you let Him reside in you and allow His kingdom and will to replace yours, you will be amazed that you didn’t allow Him to do so earlier. Make it your private prayer today to say “Lord, your kingdom come (in my life) your will be done (in my life) on earth as it is in heaven.
-Blessings on your day today!
Prayer:
Lord I confess to you many times I have not allowed you access to my entire life. I have held back and tried to force my will not your will to be done. Forgive me and show me today how I should submit myself to you. I know that you want what is best in my life. I know that you want me to succeed. Help me to follow you, help me to trust you with everything in my life. I want to turn it over to you today. This I pray in Your name, may your will be done and your kingdom come in and through my life. –Amen.
Pastor's Ponderings 