"Wake Up!"

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. (Philippians 1:3-7 NIV).

Someone has said, “The man who has forgotten to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.” While I firmly believe that and see that truth clearly in the beginning of this letter the Apostle Paul writes to the church at Philippi, I also know how difficult it can be to be thankful. Sometimes it is so much easier to “fall asleep” in life. You know how it goes. Some things are so difficult that it is simply easier not to face them. After all, won’t they go away if we ignore them? Well, of course they won’t! But how do we maintain a level of gratitude like Paul in the midst of circumstances that challenge the very core of our mind? As we start to look through this letter over the next few days, here are a few suggestions to apply to help you awaken your gratitude in life.

1. First, be thankful for your friends. Paul certainly was thankful for his friends. When he received Christian expressions of friendship and support, he saw it as coming directly from God. He was absolutely right. Our friends are a gift from God. I guess as I have gotten older this has become clearer for me. I have had friends through my life who genuinely stood with me both in “the partnership of the gospel” and sharing in “God’s grace.” Those are the two things Paul mentions. They are the embodiment of real friendship. That’s what separates acquaintances from friends.

2. Second, like Paul, be thankful for the promise of victory. What God had begun in them Paul was certain He would finish! This certainty was based in the character and nature of God. You know, when things seem to unravel, I am bolstered by the absolute certainty that God will finish this good work in me! That’s good reason to be thankful!

3. Third, be thankful for growth in love. Paul saw a growth of their affection toward him. While he was imprisoned they saw to his needs even when it meant sacrifice on their part. It was rooted in their growing love for the apostle. Think about the people in your life you call friends. Is your love for them growing? Are you willing to sacrifice for them? Will you help carry their burden? Be that kind of friend and you will attract those kinds of friends!

There’s so much we can learn from this little letter. I am excited about studying it again. My prayer for you is that you will begin with me at this point of being grateful in your life. Let’s all wake up! I think we will find a loving, gracious God making provision for us each day. I know that sounds easier than it really is, but I am confident we can do it together!

"A Tender Message of Grace"

Every so often I like to explore other translations and paraphrases of the Scripture in my daily readings. I found one today that caught me by surprise:

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:27-30 The Message).

It is a very familiar and often quoted passage of Scripture; however, I doubt you’ve heard this version quoted very often. I know I haven’t. It speaks of Jesus’ tender message of grace. Isn’t it interesting how Jesus always knew how to locate people? These words spoken thousands of years ago still transcend all time and still apply to us today. It's amazing that over all these centuries, humans repeatedly struggle with the same issues. It seems our trials simply cycle and come back around during every generation. People get tired, worn out, and in some cases, burned out. He knew that and He knew the answer to our weariness.

The key is in what Jesus brought to us. Jesus brings relationship, not religion. The differences between the two are interesting. Religion is a belief system or conviction that one follows and adheres to; while relationship is a connection or bond between two parties. A person can have a conviction they follow based on their relationship with another. But in our own strength, it's difficult to live out a belief system when there's no relationship to encourage us. So, Jesus says, “Come to me.” He wants us to enter into a relationship with Him that transcends the man-made or self-imposed rules of religion. After all, it's the duties of religion in the absence of grace that wear people out.

He then invites us to “take His yoke.” The Message says, “Walk with me and work with me.” Jesus is not advocating the absence of religion, He is defining real religion. When we feel worn out or on the verge of burn out, it's a sure indicator we have either been doing things in our own strength or trying to carry out an assignment God didn't give us. So check yourself: Are you weary and heavy laden? If the answer is “yes,” then walk with Jesus and work with Him. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. That’s how you can learn to live freely and lightly!

Read the passage again… this time slowly! Aren’t you ready to get away with Him? You can right now in prayer!

"A Living God"

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! (Luke 24:1-6 NLT).

I know it’s not Easter, but a very important thought occurred to me as I was driving to work earlier this week. It began with a statement I heard a theologian who observed: When God is dead anything is possible. That is a very powerful statement. Sadly it is true. When God is dead, the fences of morality are easily plowed over. Think for a moment about the Holocaust and the men who carried out its murderous plan. These were not monsters, but ordinary men; they were not crazed psychopaths, but mere men who had gone far astray of the plan and purpose of God. They were men to whom God was dead. And, when God is dead, anything is possible.

I read recently a man in his middle years once approached Ravi Zacharias after he had finished speaking and said, “If I told you all the horrible things I have done in my life you wouldn’t even want to be seen standing next to me. There is almost nothing I haven’t done. I am not sure even God can forgive me.” Zacharias said at the time he had to wonder what all was couched beneath those words. Still, the verse which came to mind were words spoken by the prophet Isaiah: Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7).

When God is dead, the possibilities are unfathomable. But another question must be answered: If anything is possible when God is dead, what then is possible if God is alive? C.S. Lewis was a man who saw the beauty of the prodigal son worked out in his life. Describing his own quite reluctant conversion, he exclaims, “Who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape? The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.” 1 So, I can say with absolute confidence when God is alive, nothing is impossible! Absolutely nothing can separate you from God’s love, not even God’s seeming “death.” Don’t let anything convince you that God is dead! He is alive forever! And His love for you is unchanged. The Father is fully with you, waiting for you to come home. Come on back today!

1. C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1955, p. 237

"The Good Pleasure of God"

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:9-10 NIV).

You may have noticed that my typical “fall-back position” is Ephesians. I must confess that I have been reading it a bit more than usual lately. It certainly is one of the most comprehensive letters of Paul dealing with the Church and the incredible grace God has shown toward all who are His children. Today’s reading contains one of the most important truths any of us could fathom. Paul speaks of “the good pleasure” of God in redeeming man through Christ.

I was listening to some old sermons I preached many years ago this week and was reminded of an illustration used for this principle. I told the story of the files I kept from each of the boys with all of their “art work” in them. In fact, I still have those files today. They provide some wonderful memories. However, the point is not in the existence of the files, but in the creation of the work. I remember watching the boys many times as they would sit at the table and begin to work on their assignments. Some of them were whimsical, others were very touching; all of them were the work of their hands “according to their good pleasure.” They chose the colors, the shapes, and the designs; all of the compilation was their choice.

Don’t get all hung up on the concept of predestination. We can certainly discuss that when we have more time and space. Catch the concept of the artist creating the art. That’s the real picture of God as Creator. All of that which exists is done at His good pleasure so that everything ultimately will be brought under the grace and will of Christ. The tragedy is that so many of us decide to remove ourselves from His oversight. It’s ludicrous to think of paper jumping up and telling the artist, “Whoa! You’re taking my beautiful clean white surface and putting all kinds of color on it! Stop!” Or, wouldn’t it be crazy to think of a crayon telling the one who uses it to stop because it didn’t like being used up, or re-sharpened? Yet we as individuals who have claimed to come under the Lordship of Christ refuse daily to bend our wills to His.

And the result of that decision is always the same – a mess! The good news is God never gives up on His art! Some of you have drifted away slowly; others have been driven away by difficulty and challenge; and, still others have fallen under the false teaching of an apostate religious practice. Come back to the table of God’s art work and watch how He begins to color again. It starts with a simple prayer and ends in glorious praise! Let Him restore your life with His grace!

"The Unsearchable Riches of Christ" (Part 4)

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:8-12 NIV).

Third, we have found the riches in the FAMILY OF GOD (verses 14-21). Paul comes to the last verb of his thought in this section. He tells them that it is for a specific reason that he kneels before the Father and prays for them.

1. He asks that they be strengthened with power (verse 16). He asks that the target of that strength be their “inner man.” That is the seat of intellectual and spiritual life. It is the point of influence in our lives. Unfortunately, it is often just the opposite. It is there we are most vulnerable. It has become a point of feebleness rather than power in so many Christian’s lives. Paul asks that their power be increased in those areas of faith, trust, humility, love, patience, joy, perseverance, all of those things that come through our intimate walk with the Holy Spirit.

2. He asks that they know the indwelling of Christ. This is far different than an occasional visit or influence of Jesus in our lives. Paul wants them to know the constant power of Christ within them. It is the same power he knew when he faced so many trials and difficulties in his life. It gave him his unwavering knowledge of pardon and acceptance; it molded his will, emotions, enlightening and confirming his conscience that he had been truly forgiven! No wonder he could face death itself and laugh at its consequence. For Paul it was just another doorway to another part of life! That’s a treasure!

3. He asks that they be rooted and established in love. The picture is one of both a tree and a building. The growth of a living tree and the stability of a firmly founded skyscraper are the pictures! He wants god’s love to be so apparent that they are like a tree stretching to the sky and standing against the storms of life like a skyscraper on an indestructible foundation!

4. He asks that they really understand the love of Christ. Isn’t this the great mystery? How and why god would send His only begotten Son to die for us is incomprehensible. Yet, he prays they may both comprehend (a mental grasp) and “know” (an experiential knowledge) that love. It is like placing a teacup on the shore of the ocean as the tide comes in. The teacup cannot hold all of the ocean, yet it holds the ocean’s full character as it is filled with the tide rolling in over it.

It staggers the imagination. However, we must not, we dare not, make the mistake of thinking that it is impossible. Paul says we have found the code that releases the treasure into our keeping! He breaks out into this doxology because of his absolute confidence that whatever we ask of God He is able to do:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Now, isn’t that a God you can trust too?

"The Unsearchable Riches of Christ" (Part 3)

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:8-12 NIV).

A second truth is that we have found the riches in the WONDER OF THE CHURCH (verses 10-13). There are three singular principles Paul outlines in this section:

1. One of the greatest treasures is the Church, the body of Christ (verse 10). I know that there are many who would argue with that statement. If we look at the church merely as an institution there is a basis for such an argument. The church has had a checkered past with its sins and wars. Yet when we truly look within the marvelous nature of the church cannot be exaggerated. At the heart of the church’s existence is a covenant, a “testament” as the familiar title pages of our Bibles clearly tell us. To create heaven and earth was a wonder in itself. It was a further marvel to create man as a rational being, a being free to turn into a rebel against his Creator. But then to woo him back to a relationship of love and obedience, to create a people who live emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually in a similar relationship of grace and forgiveness is a wonder indeed!

2. The apostle then says it was according to his eternal purpose (verse 11). The emphatic nature of Paul’s argument is clearly shown here. We have gained this great gift through no accident nor work of our own doing. It is through the eternal will and purpose of the almighty Creator, Lord of all creation!

3. Then Paul places a capstone on this truth as he writes: In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (verse 12). These three concepts of access, freedom, and confidence are bound together. The word translated “approach” is a word that would be used in the phrase “freedom of speech.” It means we can come to Him and say whatever is on our heart and mind. In fact, he emphasizes that truth with the next descriptor of “freedom.” It speaks of the notion that there is no need for fear of rejection. We won’t be turned away from His presence for any reason. And, last he uses the word “confidence.” It really indicates assurance. The three words together form one complete idea that through faith we have free, unrestricted, confident access to God!

But wouldn’t you expect that? Surely that’s what Jesus meant when He used the comparison of God as our Heavenly Father and said:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 NIV).

"The Unsearchable Riches of Christ" (Part 2)

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:8-12 NIV).

Today we return to the series of the treasure that is ours in Christ. First, we have found the riches in the FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY. Various translations have used different words to convey the meaning of the word “administration.” The Revised Standard Version uses “dispensation”; The King James Version uses “fellowship”; and The Message simply says “things that are way over my head”! The emphasis ought to be on the word “mystery.” One of the great riches of Christ is found in the “mystery” that “while we were yet sinners” He would come and die for us (cf. Romans 5:6-8). That’s what captivated Paul! He had found this great treasure and become a steward in the worldwide distribution of God’s message of grace.

It is not a trifling matter. To think of the lengths that God went to in order to redeem us is incredible. I have heard others explain away this mysterious blessing by charging that God had no other choice. Somehow He had to save man from the consequences of his sin. His nature demanded that He send Jesus. How dare we cheapen the great gift of God’s only begotten Son with such a declaration! As if the almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe had no other choice! He had a choice and He chose grace!

Since the very beginning when Adam and Eve chose to live in opposition to God, He has been working this great mystery of grace on our behalf. Surely you remember the story. God comes to the garden to walk with them as was His custom. He calls out to them, knowing well they were hiding in their shame and guilt, “Adam, where are you?” do you believe for a moment that God did not know where Adam was? Can you not see the impact of his gentle compassion for Adam and Eve? Adam finally answers, “We’re over here.” He’s hiding behind some bushes because he is ashamed of his nakedness. I’ve always found that a little humorous! Like God did not know what they looked like! But still God is patient. He asks, “What happened?” And the blame game begins. Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent; and God speaks. He allowed the curse of death to fall on them. He allowed them to reap what they had sown even though it must have broken His heart. But God also told them of the promise of the Savior. He spoke the promise to them with clarity as He said their “seed” would “bruise the head of the tempter’s “seed.” Through humanity God would allow Himself to become the perfect sacrifice to pay the full and final price for our redemption. But He didn’t stop there. God’s plan would take thousands of years to unfold and finalize their redemption. God also ministered to their immediate need. He made garments for them to go out into the world from the “skins of animals.” Even then God was showing them the tremendous price that would be paid for their choice. That’s the treasure! God reached across the vast separation between He and man with the life of His Son as eternal payment in full for our sin and brought us home! Who can probe the depths of such grace!

"The Unsearchable Riches of Christ" (Part 1)

Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:8-12 NIV).

I must confess to being a bit “lazy” with this series. I’m actually writing two things at once. This Sunday, August 1st, I will be preaching at a Baptist church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Since it is the day before my 61st birthday I have chosen to rewrite one of my favorite sermons and make it the basis for the devotionals . I have actually preached this message in many churches. In fact, it was first preached in February, 1979 at University Heights Baptist Church; I then used it in every other church I pastored as the selection for my first sermon as pastor. It presents the heart of what I believe is the central message of God!

It is an intensely personal section of the epistle. It begins with a prayer which is interrupted with a lengthy digression that forms the extended interpretation of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. It is as if Paul is praying and then feels compelled to parenthetically provide an explanation to his readers. From this he makes this incredible declaration of his call to “preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

The Apostle Paul says that he has now become privy to a far great treasure than any man may have hidden. It is the treasure of grace that is unsearchable in its depth or height, breadth or length. It is the content of Paul’s message to the Gentiles then and to us today. This phrase, the unsearchable riches of Christ, uses a very vivid Greek word. It literally means “untrackable,” or “inexplorable.” It is simply too vast to be measured! Curtis Vaughn says of it:

It suggests the figure of a man standing, with uplifted arms, in a posture of great amazement, before continuous revelations of immeasurable and unspeakable glory. It is as if a man were tracking out the confines of a lake, walking its boundaries, and when the circuit were almost complete should find that it was no lake at all, but an arm of the ocean, and that he was confronted by the immeasurable sea!

That is his message! That is the treasure! And when we begin to hear it ourselves we must be struck by it as well. That God would love us so much that He would send His only son to die on our behalf, giving us access to fellowship with Him again is the most incredible treasure any man could possess! That’s the measure of God’s grace!

"the Face of Favor" (Part 3)

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. (Mark 15:21-24 NIV).

J. Sidlow Baxter says that Simon was converted on the Day of Pentecost. We don’t know for sure when, but the “why” is apparent. The bearing of the cross of Jesus made an eternal impact on him. Simon must have left Golgotha and been troubled at the sight of what he had seen. Surely he couldn’t just shake those images. Over the next three days he must have spent a great deal of time pondering what he had experienced. It was certainly far different than he had imagined as he had dreamed of his pilgrimage in the years leading to that singular event in his life. It’s not hard to imagine that just fifty days later when he heard Peter preaching, he also felt the compulsion in his spirit that called him to faith and commitment. He went into very active and public service following that day. In fact, he is the Simon we later learn was a prominent leader at the church in Antioch.

I read a story about a monk who prayed night and day to receive the marks of the Lord upon his hands and feet. A vision was given to the monk where he was shown another mark on Jesus that most of the world had forgotten. It was the mark left on his shoulder from bearing the cross, falling under its weight three times. He was also told that if he truly desired the marks on his hands and feet, he must first have the mark on his shoulder!

There are two closing remarks in this little series about the face of favor and the difference it makes in our lives. First, regardless of what you have done, or not done, Jesus turns His face toward you in acceptance not rejection; forgiveness, not judgment. That’s the central message of the Cross. He died so that we might live. He suffered so that we might be set free. He paid our penalties in full! The second remark is that the cross we are called to bear can be heavy, perhaps even causing us to stumble and fall. Jesus intimately understands that! In fact, he has already prepared others to come along side us and help carry it! It’s strange that cross-bearing always precedes crown-bearing. However, it is the calling we all are asked to accept.

There is a verse of an old hymn that speaks to me: “Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No, there is a cross for everyone, and there’s a cross for me.” The original words of that verse are different. It went “Must Simon bear the cross alone, and other saints god free? Each saint of thine shall find his own, and there is one for me.” How about it? Have you taken up your cross? Come on, join me. It is a great journey. It is a path that leads to abundant life!

"The Face of Favor" (Part 2)

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. (Mark 15:21-24 NIV).

Today we’ll continue with out look at “The Face of Favor.” As I said yesterday, there is no better place to see the grace and love of God than at the cross. However, it is impossible to fully comprehend that event. It is indeed the greatest of mysteries in the Scripture. Oh, sure, we can understand some of the historical significance of the cross, but that won’t allow us to experience tis reality. We can theorize about its theological importance and still be untouched by its power. Christians and non-believers alike can be moved by the idea of the substitutionary suffering of a man for the love of his friends, but miss entirely the cosmic implications of what happened at Golgotha. The reason for that is in the nature of Calvary. It is eternal in its impact, power, and grace.

Lloyd J. Ogilvie tells of an experience he had one Easter, when he conducted a survey of one hundred members of various Christian churches about the difference the Cross made to them. The specific questions was: Would it have made any difference in your life as you are now living if Christ had not died on the cross? Forty-five said they didn’t think so! Twenty-five said they thought so, but didn’t know what that difference would be. Twenty indicated it made all the difference in both what they believed and how they lived. And ten said they didn’t even understand what the cross was all about!

It’s easy to look at “them” and not at ourselves. The real question in trying to know what God looks like is this question. What difference does the Cross make in our lives? If we were really honest with ourselves, we would be able to say that it has made a difference in our lives verbally, though our actions tell a different tale. The real meaning of the Cross must be captured in our lives in such a way as to make them truly different. This is the story of Simon of Cyrene.

That’s where we’re going in the next few days. Today I Hope you will acknowledge the need in your life to make Jesus and the relationship you have with Him through the atoning work of grace in the Cross the single most determining factor of your life. Forget all the slogans like WWJD (old I know, but you get the idea) and focus on the face of Jesus who smiles in forgiveness and welcome to give you eternal life! That, after all, is really what God looks like!

"the Face of Favor" (Part 1)

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. (Mark 15:21-24 NIV).

The July 17th issue of Morning Devotionals, “What Does God Look Like?” (http://www.gracerestoration.org/site/?p=439) ended with my assertion that God has a “yes face.” The more I began to think about that statement, the more I began to ponder how others must have seen Jesus during His earthly ministry. What better place to see the reaction of those who “saw” Jesus than at the cross? As you imagine being there, seeing the people gathered, there are many faces in the crowd. Some of them were friendly, some antagonistic, others indifferent; however, each tells a specific story. One of those was Simon of Cyrene. At first you may say he was there unwillingly, conscripted by the Roman soldiers to merely carry the cross of Jesus to Golgotha. But, as time passes and we learn more about him from the Scripture, we see he was grateful to have been elected for this honor.

Simon was born into a dedicated Jewish home in the North African city of Cyrene. His parents expressed their faith by giving him the name Simon at birth. Simon was a prominent son of Jacob. Being such a faithful family Simon must have dreamed of the day when he would be able to make his pilgrimage to Jerusalem at Passover. When he first entered the city he must have been agog at the sight of the Temple. He must ave felt something else though. There was a great disturbance in the city. The rumor was that a teacher from Galilee had arrived. There was sharp division among the Jews as to the purpose and identity of this man. Some felt certain he was the long awaited messiah, while others argued he was no more than a charlatan, a false prophet. It was widely rumored that the religious leaders were plotting his death.

This was the setting for Simon’s introduction to Jesus. On the day of the great Passover Feast, Simon came upon this strange spectacle. He saw a noisy crowd clustered around a small group of Roman soldiers. In their midst was a very weary, weakened, bloodied man. He was carrying a cross to his execution. Undoubtedly the crowds were shouting, the soldiers were prodding the man along. The man falls, not once, but three times under the strain. Just then, as the soldiers tired of this parade, wanting nothing but to be finished with their grisly assignment, their eyes fell on Simon. Seizing him, as was within their power, they ordered him to carry the cross. For the first time, Simon saw Jesus. From that moment on his life would never be the same. That’s the way it is with Jesus. Once you have seen Him you can never be the same. The Face of Favor demands a decision. Simon decided then this man was no ordinary man. The events that would follow would prove it for him. We’ll look more closely at those events and the challenge it has for us today in the next few days. However, can I ask you if you have seen Jesus? How has that changed your life? Stay tuned!

"What Does God Look Like?"

Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:1-7 NIV).

I heard a great story the other day of the mother who notices her four-year-old daughter creeping into her baby brother’s room where he lies sleeping. Curious, the mother watches as the girl whispers to her baby brother, “What does God look like? I forgot.” It’s easy to forget sometimes. Jesus had a solution to that. We call them parables. They really are pictures of his heavenly Father. They are earthly stories with heavenly meanings, each one a snapshot to remind us what God is like. One such snapshot is called “the Parable of the Lost Sheep.” I have recorded it for you in our reading today.

The parable is really humorous in some ways. Jesus was like that. He would tell the story in such a way as to teach a significant principle about the character of the Heaven Father, but it would always both inspire and inform. I always come away from the parables with a smile in my heart and on my face. Here’s the story. “This man receives sinners,” the Pharisees grumped, “and eats with them.” By the way, most legalists are grumpy! He uses this fact to answer a very important question. After all, why did Jesus hang around with sinners? Well, the truth was pretty simple. Just like a doctor cannot fix a broken leg from across the street. God cannot fix human sinfulness from across the sky. You have to go where the need is.

The first message of grace is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” writes John (1:14). We are lost, and God comes to find us in the person of his Son. The Creator stoops to our level in order to redeem us. In the same way Jesus eats with sinners in order to redeem them. This parable ends on a joyous note. Everyone is happy except the Pharisees, who grumble: “This man receives sinners, and eats with them.” Of course he does. Where else would He be? That’s why He came!

Today, if you’re wondering what God looks like, let me remind you that he has a “yes face” and a beaming smile when he finds you. To find Him again whisper His name and He’ll show up right next to you with His arms open wide to gather you to Himself!

"The Thirsty Deer" (Part 7)

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. (Psalm 42:5-6 NIV).

I’ve added another verse to our reading from previous issues. The imagery the Psalmist uses here is that of water. The thought of one drop of rain reminds him of many drops of water. Soon he is thinking about running water, then a waterfall, then maybe an ocean! But, the idea is that one drop leads to another drop. This illustration really represents how the Psalmist feels about his problems. The Psalmist has so many troubles it feels like he is drowning in them.

Have you ever felt like you were “in over your head”, drowning in a sea of difficulties? Does it ever seem like the waves of despair have overtaken you? Deep calls to deep. One problem leads to another. What starts as one little problem, soon becomes a major disaster! It’s like Murphy (of Murphy’s Law) has gone crazy in your life! It has happened to most of us from time to time.

Still using the water theme let me say that none of us can do anything about the tsunami problems of life that overtake us before we knew what hit us. These major disasters hit us without warning, but all of us can stop the slow leaks in our life before they become a major flood. The reason we each need a daily time alone with God is because we have to be prepared to stop the slow leaks in our faith. We have to build a strong defense against the periods of doubt that will surely come our way.

Just last week I was visiting with a lady who was a Nashville flood victim. She said her house had never had so much as a drop of water in it since it was built in 1992! This year it had four feet of water in her basement after the rain finally stopped! She remarked how helpless she felt about it. She had not prepared for the flood because it had never flooded before. That same weekend a stark contrast played out in our neighborhood. I was down the street helping some neighbors sandbag their house. They stayed dry. If you want to be prepared when the floods come, then you must daily do some sandbagging.

The first sandbags I would lay would be a daily exposure to the Scripture. There’s nothing like reading the Psalms or Proverbs to give you some encouragement for those tough times. But, I would also lay some other bags. Find those folks that you can trust to come alongside you and help shoulder the load. They may be your family, friends, or minister. Whoever it is, involve them in your life. Build the right wall and the floods won’t destroy you.

"The Thirsty Deer" (Part 2)

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV).

We are nearly moved! Another few days of loading the truck with boxes and we’ll be able to settle into out new address! We won’t be done by any means, but at least we can start to put everything away make it our home. That being said, I hope this devotional “catches us up.”

I do appreciate all the response to the first in this series. One struck me as particularly common to all of the rest. One follower of Morning Devotionals wrote:

Oh, Don, I am that thirsty deer this morning, every morning! And, sometimes, in I dart around without first asking for the guidance that is there with me. Each morning your obedience nourishes my soul, reminds me of my role in my life (an obedient vessel for the Lord) and puts me back on track!

Please know that I write as the Lord speaks to me. Usually it’s a common experience for many. I hope that these short thought are practical and inspiration as you navigate through all the challenges of your life. Perhaps you can tell that the last year has been a real challenge for me, as many previous years have been. I must be honest and say that there have been times when they seemed overwhelming. I’ll share more about that as we continue in the series, however, let me say that I have often found myself praying something like this: “Oh, God, I know you are here, but please just let me know what you want me to do!” You know, He has always answered that prayer clearly. In fact, one of those prayers has a great deal to with the establishment of Grace Restoration Ministries in a way that will be fuller than ever before. I can also tell you that this is the “scariest” thing I have done in a long time! However, my prayers have led me to desperation for more of God and the accomplishment of his call and will in my life.

Have you ever been desperate for God? Have you ever passionately desired an audience with the living God? Has there ever been a time when you didn’t want to hear anyone’s opinion except God? Perhaps you are going through a time right now when you feel your only hope is God! Great! You’re in the perfect spot to hear a clear word from Him. I’m convinced that in your quietness before God you will see and experience the activity of God. God is working, often behind the scenes, to bring about a plan far better than anything you or I could have ever imagined. God is Sovereign. He does care. God does watch over His children; and God truly does work all things for good!

Don’t quit yet! Let’s continue to thirst for the Living God!