Epic Fail

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV). I have a love-hate relationship with the internet. I love it because it gives me almost instant access anytime, anywhere to news, sports, and other information that would be impossible to get otherwise. I hate it because nothing can be hidden from anyone’s eyes should they desire to look long enough or hard enough. That is especially true with our failures. In fact, there are a number of sites that do nothing but publicize the most embarrassing moments of failure for all the world to see. We even have a new phrase that has developed for these moments of life: “the Epic Fail.” Building this bridge from both sides of the divide and then meeting in the middle was an “Epic Fail.” I can just imagine one of the engineers saying, “Well, if we just had zigged instead of zagged back about a mile…” No one likes failure. Whether it’s an “F” on a test, a failed business deal, or a broken relationship, failure is hard to accept. Failure mocks us and asks us to examine what went wrong, perhaps offering us only a slight hope of redemption the next time. Once we fail it is very hard to try again. Today’s Scripture shows us Jesus’ attitude toward failure. It’s to four of these supposed failures, James and John, Simon Peter and Andrew. They were young men who had removed from rabbinical training and forced to learn the family trade. Jesus never stopped to look at their failures. He didn’t care what their past looked like. Jesus never checked their credentials, he just said “Come.” Their response, “immediately they left and followed.” Jesus took the failure that had made them simple fishermen and transformed them into fishers for people and world-changers. In a similar fashion, Jesus calls to us today and says, “Come.” He doesn’t stop to consider our past failures. In fact, failures are qualification marks in Christ’s kingdom. Jesus desires to take you, redeem you, transform you, and use you. He took an ordinary group of young men, many of whom were failures in society’s eyes, and transformed the world. Imagine what he could do with your failures if you let him. That’s what Jesus does with our “Epic Fails.” Come to him today.

Wild Donkeys

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:25-29 ESV). We live near the south perimeter of the Moncrief Ranch. This location, which encompasses over 17,000 acres behind high fence, is the headquarters for the Moncrief family. They are known for their oil and gas fortune, but also run ranch operations near Gunnison, Colorado and Lysite, Wyoming. On the Parker County ranch, you will find many species of wild life. Among them are the Grevy’s Zebras, Scimitar Oryx, Impala, Blackbuck, and the nearly extinct Wild Jerusalem Nubian Asses. It is not unusual to merely drive by on the country road near the fence and see herds of these animals peacefully grazing. The interesting point for me in seeing the Jerusalem donkey is the Biblical reference to the animals in Jesus’ day. One of those is found in our reading today. The image of the “yoke” led to a wonderful principle. Jesus was both a model Jew and the Son of God, yet much more. In the Jewish tradition, only the best students were invited to the final level of study, the Bet Midrash (House of the Student). The rest went home to learn the family trade and a life of ordinary work. First century Jews longed for more than ordinary just as we do today. Each rabbi sought to teach his own understanding of life and Scripture—his yoke—to his students. Bet Midrash was prep school for becoming a rabbi. The first task ensured the new student could in fact wear the rabbi’s yoke. If the rabbi deemed you competent he would say, “Take my yoke upon you.” Leaving everything, the student would follow, giving up their life, learning to be an exact imitation of their rabbi. This started the adventure of the extraordinary life of being a rabbi. Jesus’ words meet us today saying, “Take my yoke upon you.” They indicate that he knows we are ready for something more. “I believe you have what it takes,” he says. No matter what your past looks like or where you are today, Jesus’ words are an invitation to go deeper, to be intimate. Jesus’ yoke transforms ordinary into extraordinary. Jesus believes you can be like him. His yoke is easy to learn. Are you willing to be like your rabbi?

As Sweet as Honey

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:97-104 ESV). Our reading today concerns a very specific early Jewish tradition. The scene takes place on the first day of school. The Rabbi would instruct his students to take out their slates, or personal chalkboards. Spreading honey all over them, he instructed the students to lick the honey from their slates as well as their fingers, all the while reciting the words of Psalm 119:103. Just as nothing was sweeter than this pure honey, nothing was more enjoyable than tasting, receiving, and accepting the words of God. Imagine the unforgettable experience this created for the students. God’s word hasn’t changed. It’s just as sweet now as it was for those students centuries ago. A million things compete for our time and attention — school activities, work commitments, family obligations, over-time, part-time, you name it. All these things vie for our time and threaten to rob us of the joy of spending time with God’s sweet, sweet word. Jesus knew what being busy was intimately. The gospel is replete with images of a Jesus constantly in action. He was always going, teaching, healing, doing. However, despite all this activity, Jesus modeled a lifestyle centered on praying, fasting, and communing with God. Jesus knew the sweetness of life spent with God, a life that would sustain him along his journey from manger to cross. That’s the real key to success. I have seen numerous books and articles concerning the secrets to achieve success. All of those I have read seem to have two things in common. They all have a list of more things for us to do in order to be successful. The writers seem to indicate that the busier we are with their list, the more we will succeed. I don’t know about you, but for me, I’m plenty busy now. I don’t need more to do. They also leave out one key principle. Success comes from a vibrant relationship with our heavenly Father. To get that often requires that we simply be still and listen to His words. I used to remark that the faster I go, the behinder I got. Well, that true most of the time. It is not an automatic truth that busy is better. I am more and more reminded that being still and hearing from the Lord through the Scripture is the one consistent principle leading us to success. How’s your study time doing? Is it as sweet as honey? It can be.

Karaoke

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 4:25-5:2 ESV). I always found it a bit amusing that the judges would be hard on the contestants of American Idol for being too “karaoke.” They wanted each of them to be more original in their interpretation of some of the greatest hits. I suppose that’s understandable; however, there is a reason the original was such a hit in the first place. Imitation of something that is good and successful is one of the greatest forms of compliment and honor. The apostle tells us in our reading today that we should be imitators. Are you an imitator? Consider this before you answer too quickly. As I said earlier, imitating is not always a bad thing. Psychology tells us that imitating is a positive thing, citing that it aids in alleviating symptoms of depression and other psychological disorders. In the case of depression, if you act like you don’t have depression you can sometimes trick your mind into believing that you in fact don’t have depression. A little weird, but it works. But there is an even better reason to be an imitator. God desires that we imitate him. His desire is that our actions, thoughts, and mannerisms be modeled after him. We imitate God by living in love with those around us, the same type of love Christ displayed to us by offering himself as a sacrifice for us. Living in love displays to a watching world whose we are. As Christ’s disciples our actions, our love, serves as a mirror by which others can see Christ, thereby seeing God. Jesus commends this way of living to us in his Sermon on the Mount: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (cf. Matt. 5:16 NRSV). It is not as easy as it may at first appear to sing Karaoke. With practice it can be done. We can retrain our voices to imitate other patterns; we can also train our minds to imitate the decisions and practices of the Lord. Make that your commitment today.

What's Your Plan?

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:35-40 ESV). Plans are important. Since we are in the midst of construction, I am forced to be aware of the overall plans before I do any significant “projects.” I have begun the boardwalk down to the pool from the main house. Normally I would just picture the final project in my mind and start building to that. Unfortunately that doesn’t work well in the whole scope of the project. There’s just too much going on to forge ahead without a plan. I am reminded that God created the world with a very specific plan in mind. Our reading today clearly shows that God’s plan centers on Jesus Christ. Jesus was not some afterthought from God. It was not as if God was somehow surprised by the development of the world he created. Our sin did not catch God off guard. Jesus left the riches of heaven to be born in a manger in Bethlehem. From the manger in Bethlehem his life led rather quickly, after thirty-three years or so, to his death at Calvary. Along the way, Jesus attracted a remarkable, at times motley, cast of characters. There are the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples, the sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes, and the crowds that flocked to see this man called Jesus. God’s plan does center on Jesus Christ, but God’s plan also extends to us. Jesus poured his life into the twelve disciples. But in Matthew 28, after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples again and commissions them with carrying out God’s further plan. He entrusts his followers with the responsibility and authority to finish what has begun. This is an incredible thought for me. From the Great Commission, to the Holy Spirit’s release on Pentecost and the birth of the church, to us today, God’s plan involves us specifically and intentionally. We are called to play an active role in God’s master plan. There’s a great satisfaction to know that you’ve had a role in the building of your home. How much more should we be amazed that God wants us directly involved in the building of His Church? That’s His plan. What’s your plan?

Water for Life - Pt 4

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” (John 4:7-15 ESV). I have traveled to Israel both as a “tourist” and a “tour guide.” Each time it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Walking in the land of the Bible, Scripture came to life. And additionally we experienced the joy of the relationships that formed with my traveling partners. Of course the sights, sounds, and smells of the Biblical land came alive to me after those travels; but, as I shared the hurt and happiness of the folks that were with us, I was able help them learn that our joy doesn’t come from successes or failures. Our joy is rooted in the source of our salvation. In the Bible, water is used many times as an image of salvation. In Isaiah, the people of God are to find their water in wells of salvation. These wells never go dry, and the water is always refreshing. Jesus, speaking to the woman at Jacob’s well, teaches us that the well of salvation is not found through works or rituals but in him (v. 14). When we drink of Jesus, we are filled with the living stream of God’s Holy Spirit. We do not have to go on a great pilgrimage to find the well. The spring of God’s amazing grace is even now flowing into our hearts. We have our own well at the house. This well is nearly 300 feet deep. There are other aquifers nearer the surface, but the water is not nearly as good in those. We still treat the water with salt to soften it a bit, but it is clear and clean just as it is. It has been filtered by its path through the rock and stone underground. In many ways this is an accurate picture of God’s grace at work in our lives. Sometimes our experiences are difficult and full of pain. The pressure might even seem unbearable. However, once the tap is set, we can find a flow of sweet, refreshing water coming from it. The work of Christ in us has already borne the brunt of the trial in his sacrifice on our behalf. It allows us to rejoice in the fact that he has saved you and made us his own. Even now his living water is in our life. So we can draw water from the well, drink of it deeply, and find our refreshment in God. Are you thirsty… take a drink!

Water for Life - Pt 3

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side— let Israel now say— if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters. Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 124 ESV). To be accurate I must say that, in Scripture, water isn’t always a cleansing, life-giving substance. Sometimes it represents danger and death. Who can forget the story of Noah and God destroying the earth in the flood (cf. Genesis 6:17); or, how about the experience of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry ground (cf. Exodus 14:23-28)? The waters destroyed countless people in both instances. In today’s reading, dangerous water rages and floods, threatening to sweep the people away. This is a part of the picture of baptism. It symbolizes the mercifully violent role in scrubbing away our old self in order to make way for new life in Christ. We can easily see that water can be dangerous. For example, water can be dammed up or it can flash flood. Stagnant pond water is dangerous when it collects disease and turns undrinkable. Raging flood waters leave scars in the earth as they erode away land. Our own lives can inflict these same kinds of wounds. It is easy to become like stagnant water by not extending Christian love to our neighbors. Other times, our evangelical zealousness is like a flash flood. Our efforts for “mission” can scar our neighbors and ourselves, whom God has formed as people from the dust of the earth (cf. Genesis 2:7). But like God’s promises, water can also be healing and provide nourishment for life. We ought to be a healing agent in the lives of our neighbors by extending to them the same love that we first received from God. I’m sitting outside writing this devotional. Just in front of me is the herb garden I built recently. It has ten different herbs planted in the boxes I built. Even though these plants don’t require a lot of water, they need more moisture than if they were planted in the ground. The soil just dries more quickly in these planters. And, they’ll tell you when it’s time to water. They get a little “droopy.” As soon as you water, they perk up perfectly. I have found people to be like that. Sometimes they get a little “droopy.” Life has just dried their lives with the heat of difficulty and hardship. We can be the water to perk them up if we will just speak words of life and promise. Let’s determine to respond to the thirsty souls around us with the grace of God’s presence and promise of life.