Clean Like New!

Create for me a clean heart, O God!
Renew a resolute spirit within me!

Psalm 51:10

 

I have probably told you before, but sit right back and you're going to hear it again.  In 2005, I began feeling very sluggish and became easily tired.  Finally, I went to the doctor to get a physical.  During the stress test, my left arm went numb.  The doctor stopped the test and told me "You aren't going home."  And within 48 hours, I had quadruple bypass surgery at the ripe old age of 43.  I admit, I did NOT enjoy the recovery process, especially when the incision (which went from chest to belly) began to itch on the inside.  Not just a slight itch like a bug bite....oh NO!  It was that itch like you're wearing a cheap wool sweater against your skin and you cannot scratch it!

 

The itch listed for a few weeks and I was told that I needed to start getting out to exercise a bit more than walking to the mailbox and back.  So I began to toddle off determined to make it to the end of the street.  And I felt AMAZING!  In fact, I felt SO amazing that I kept right on going until I had walked the entire block.  It was as if the doctor ad put a brand new heart in me.  

 

When I went back to the cardiologist for a check up, he told me that bypasses were helping the blood flow more freely and that was why it felt so much better.  He said the blood was flowing through clean arteries for the first time in a long time.  

 

This, like so many other experiences, got filed away to use later.  Well, welcome to later! When you look at a dirty window, the light can still get in and you can still see out (for the most part), but you see things from a dirty and jaded perspective, just like the blood that flowed through my clogged arteries.  But when the window is cleaned, the perspective changes!  It's like seeing the sight for the first time!  And my heart thought the new arteries were amazing because the blood could flow without being sluggish or jaded.

 

As you prepare for the beginning of a brand new year, begin it with a brand new, clear, clean heart! Ask God to give you one, He's good at it and is always willing!   

 

Surpassing The Past!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 3:13-14

 

 

Many years ago, in a galaxy far far away, I needed a new start.  I really wished there was a way that I could erase my past and just start over, but knew that was not likely to happen.  You see, at some point your past will catch up with you and will rear its ugly head like a sea serpent from the sea of your life and it will attempt to destroy the ship of your life.  But I wanted.....no, that's not quite right....I NEEDED a fresh start.

 

I remember talking with a very wise friend about the fact that I had screwed up my life so much that the only way it would get better would be for me to have a fresh start.  This wise person said, "Are you wearing diapers?"  I admit, I was both amused, confused, and rather stunned to be asked such a question.  I admitted that I was not wearing diapers and had not worn them for quite some time. 

 

My friend said, "Let me give you a little image to ponder.  When you were an infant and your diaper became soiled because of you, you were given a brand new one.  And eventually, you would soil that one too.  And the cycle would go on and on, until you learned to make a change.  When you take a trip and you change your mind on where you want to go, what do you do?  You make a change."  And here's the most poignant part of the discussion that I made me think. He said, "When Jesus called Saul to become Paul, Saul had to make a decision to change.  Saul was not a man to be messed with and had, by his own admission, made a mess of his life.  But Saul chose to learn from his past, and leave it behind in order to have a new beginning."

 

Did Saul's past just disappear?  No, it haunted him for the rest of his life. BUT Paul did not let the ghosts of his past deter him from his new beginning.  Every year, we make New Year Resolutions.  We acknowledge that there are things about our lives we want to change.  But how many times do we fail because we aren't ready to let go of the past habits?

 

Dear Past, 

Thank you for the lessons.

 

Dear Future,

I'm ready! 

 

Are YOU Humble?

He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh:

 “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

~Revelation 19:16

 

George had it made! After all, he was the ruler of the greatest kingdom on Earth.  With a raising of an eyebrow, he could make or break your fortune.  With the simple gesture of a finger, he could erase your family line from history.  What George wanted, George got!  Simple! 

 

That same mentality has carried over from George's day into ours.  And on so many smaller scales.  

 

But something happened to George that I have not witnessed in my years on this earth.  George the Second, King of England and all her Empires, humbled himself!  Of his OWN accord, he humbled himself, recognizing that there was a King mightier than himself.  You see, on March 23, 1743, George II sat in the Royal Box at the theatre to hear "The Messiah" which had been written by George Frideric Handel.  Throughout the performance, George the Second was intrigued and listened intently.

 

And when the Hallelujah Chorus reached the words: "The kingdom of this world..." King George II of England and her Empire did something NO OTHER monarch had done before...He stood with head bowed throughout the remainder of the song, acknowledging that God's Kingdom was MUCH mightier than any he could control!  In humble recognition this monarch stood in submission to God!

 

How many people of power do you think would do that now?  Look around!  We hear lip service to God quite frequently when it suits.  But how many leaders will actually humble themselves before God?  How many are truly grateful to God for the position they hold?  How many PEOPLE are willing to humble themselves before God and acknowledge that without Him, they would not exist?  

 

Sadly, very few and they are growing more and more scarce every single day!  What about YOU?  Is God your King of Kings and Lord of Lords?  Or do you put your trust in someone else?

 

LISTEN 

It CAN Be Christmas!

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

~Luke 2:14

 

I don't often copy and paste someone else's work for these devotional, but this one stuck in my mind and I simply felt compelled to share it:

 

On a crisp, clear morning 100 years ago, thousands of British, Belgian and French soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches and spent Christmas mingling with their German enemies along the Western front. In the hundred years since, the event has been seen as a kind of miracle, a rare moment of peace just a few months into a war that would eventually claim over 15 million lives. But what actually happened on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of 1914 — and did they really play soccer on the battlefield?

Pope Benedict XV, who took office that September, had originally called for a Christmas truce, an idea that was officially rejected. Yet it seems the sheer misery of daily life in the cold, wet, dull trenches was enough to motivate troops to initiate the truce on their own — which means that it’s hard to pin down exactly what happened. A huge range of differing oral accounts, diary entries and letters home from those who took part make it virtually impossible to speak of a “typical” Christmas truce as it took place across the Western front. To this day historians continue to disagree over the specifics: no one knows where it began or how it spread, or if, by some curious festive magic, it broke out simultaneously across the trenches. Nevertheless, some two-thirds of troops — about 100,000 people — are believed to have participated in the legendary truce.

Most accounts suggest the truce began with carol singing from the trenches on Christmas Eve, “a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere”, as Pvt. Albert Moren of the Second Queens Regiment recalled, in a document later rounded up by the New York Times. Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle Brigade described it in even greater detail:

“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing ­– two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war.”

The next morning, in some places, German soldiers emerged from their trenches, calling out “Merry Christmas” in English. Allied soldiers came out warily to greet them. In others, Germans held up signs reading “You no shoot, we no shoot.” Over the course of the day, troops exchanged gifts of cigarettes, food, buttons and hats. The Christmas truce also allowed both sides to finally bury their dead comrades, whose bodies had lain for weeks on “no man’s land,” the ground between opposing trenches.
 

 So you see, Christmas is more than just a day off from work to rip open packages that will be forgotten in a few days.  Christmas is the opportunity to make changes to our hearts and lives.  Take time to let this sink in.  Do you need to make changes? 

Then Came The Wise Men

After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

~Matthew 2:9-11

 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And Matthew tells us that there came Wise men from the East.  I have always found it interesting that Scripture doesn't tell us specifically that there were THREE Wise Men, just that Wise Men came from the East.  They were astronomers, among other things, and were apparently of some royal or high status due to the the gifts they brought.

 

Now, picture this, these Wise Men, out of courtesy to the local ruler, stopped by Herod's Palace to exchange pleasantries and "Oh, by the way, where can we find the child who is the King of the Jews?".  Imagine you are Herod, current King of the Jews by the permission of the Romans, being told that a NEW King of the Jews has been born.  Herod, was NOT a very nice man.  He killed off any competition for his throne and power, even his own sons!  And now these three Princes from another land are asking for directions to see the new king.

 

Herod, being the devious psychopath that he was, told these Wise Men to go to Bethlehem (where the Scriptures had foretold Jesus would be born), and find this new king.  Herod asked them to come back and tell him where they found this new child-king so he (Herod) could go an "worship" Him as well.  Herod's a sneaky one!

 

But the Wise Men follow the star to the place where Jesus was and they brought expensive and precious gifts.  Now...Let's take a look at these gifts, shall we?

 

     * Gold - monetary. Uncommon to be had by common folk like a carpenter and his wife.  Gold  represented Kingship (Kings, after all, had most of their ornamental vestments made of gold).  So we can say the Wise Men were recognizing the Kingship of Christ. 

     * Frankincense - a very aromatic Incense used by Priests when conducting their holy duties.  It was used by the priests when they made sacrifices and it was used to fill the Holy of Holies with sweet aroma for God to breathe.  

 

     * Myrrh - the oil of the Commiphora family of trees.  The oil was difficult to obtain because the trees were armed with thorns which were strong like nails and sharp as porcupine quills.  But the oil was SO precious that it was used for Anointing that which is Holy.  When a King was anointed Myrrh Oil was used. Priests used Myrrh Oil to anoint the Holy Seat of God.

 

So these Wise Men were not only wealthy Princes who came to pay homage to the King of Kings, they were also shrewd enough to see through Herod's politics and they went home without telling Herod where they found Jesus.  

 

Let me ask you...what do you bring to offer to the King of Kings? 

What Child Is This?

A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
    and authority will be on his shoulders.
    He will be named
    Wise Counselor, Mighty God,
    Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 

 

When I was a child, I learned that God has a plan for each of us (whether we like it or not) and God's plan for us cannot me dodged, ignored, or thwarted.  It is God's job to get us to the point where His plan for us is fulfilled.  I thought THAT was a LOT of pressure to put on a kid!  I didn't like it one bit. 

 

When I read Isaiah's passage, look at all the pressure being put on this child.  "Authority will be on his shoulders"...that's quite the burden to carry.  "Wise Counselor"....wisdom is not easily come, and people expect you to dispense wisdom every time they ask for your counsel but if the counsel is off the mark, even once, you aren't deemed wise any more.  "Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace"....THAT is way more than I could imagine any child being able to grow into.

 

When I was about age 9, I felt God nudging me toward ministry.  This was NOT what I had planned for my life.  I wanted to be!  I wanted to be a pirate, a soldier, a writer, a dreamer, or pretty much ANYTHING outside of ministry.  I fought it tooth and nail.  I did things that I just knew would disqualify me from any sort of ministry.  And now...God let me wander through most of my life (thus far) as a soldier, a writer, a dreamer, the Butler to our greyhound Abby; God let me make the blunders and the mistakes, and the missteps, and let me fall flat on my face more than a few times...but through all the experiences I thought would completely disqualify me for ministry, God was actually shaping me to minister in a rather unorthodox way. God used my experiences to help others.

 

And when we look at the Child described by Isaiah, we see God in the flesh entering not only our world, but our lives as well.

 

This Christmas, it is my prayer for each of you to appreciate the experiences God has brought you through.  Be grateful for the lessons you have learned from them. And remember that God entered this world just as we did...as a child.  What Child Is This?  The Child is the King of Kings! 

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Luke 2:16-20 

 

Remember the stunned shepherds?  They made their way into Jerusalem and found the child that the angel told them would be there.  In case you were wondering, "Manger" is another word for "feed trough."  It's where the hay was put so the animals could eat.  This is the lowly start of our Messiah.  Think about this, had Jesus been born in a palace with a silver spoon and all the trappings of immense wealth, people would have followed Him hoping for a hand out.  But because Jesus was born in such low circumstances, people followed His message instead of His money.

 

When the Shepherds had seen the promised Messiah child, they went back to the fields to their flocks and they told whoever would listen about what they had seen.  They shared the Good News AS THEY WERE GOING!  Reminiscent of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19: "Therefore, as you are going, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

 

And guess what?  The shepherds returned to their flocks.  Apparently, their flocks had not moved and no predators came to steal any of the sheep! 

Show And Tell

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Luke 1:26-33

 

Imagine going through your daily activities and someone comes to you, whom you have not met up to this point, and tells you that you have found favor with God AND that you're going to do something incredible!

Mary was engaged to Joseph.  Joseph was a carpenter and an ancestor of King David.  Gabriel informs Mary that "The Lord is with you!"  Mary is confused and had no idea what this glowing angel is trying to tell her.  Now....put yourself in Mary's place. You're going about your day and someone you have never met tells you that God is with you.  In our society, this phrase has lost most of its meaning and has become just a pious greeting. But in reality the phrase literally means "The Lord fills and surrounds you."  Gabriel is telling Mary that God she is so favored by God that God has completely enveloped her.

While Mary is trying to comprehend this rather odd greeting, Gabriel drops the bombshell: "You're going to become pregnant and have a son."  For a single woman in this time in history was not a good thing to become pregnant.  People frowned on it and the woman (and the child's father, if he could be discovered) could be killed!  Not a good condition for Mary.

But, as if that weren't enough, Gabriel continues, telling Mary that this son she will be great and will be called the Son of the Most Supreme AND God, Himself, will give this son the throne of his ancestor King David.  Now remember, King David was known as the "Beloved of God" so, like every mother, Mary wants her son to have the best future.  AND Gabriel tells Mary that her son will reign from the throne of David forever and his kingdom will have no end.  WOW!  Every mother's dream, her son will be successful beyond her wildest hopes.  If only the whole unwed mother thing can be overcome!

But God was in the miracle business then and is still in the miracle business today!

 

 

Feeling Sheepish Yet?

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Luke 2:13-20 

Yesterday, we had terrified shepherds being told "Don't be afraid."  The angel gave them the Good News of Christ and told them where to find Him.  While the shepherds are still recovering, processing the information, and trying to come to grips with the fact that the Messiah is here....Luke tells us the rest of the Angelic Host pops in "suddenly" and starts singing!

Consider this.....if you put 100 people in a room and tell them they can talk, but only by whispering, it's still going to be loud because all the whispering joined together is going to make a lot of noise.  So imagine the "the armies of heaven" when they begin praising God.  That would be deafening!  So these already shaky shepherds are, by now, pretty sure something truly powerful has occurred and they are part of it.

When the Angels return to Heaven, the shepherds decide they have GOT to see this.  Let's face it, if God goes to all the trouble of sending a messenger and then send the vast armies of heaven to deliver the news of the Messiah....might want to go see what all the hubbub is about.  So off they go to Bethlehem to see this child.

Meanwhile back in the fields, no mention is made of the reaction had by the flocks of sheep.  It's as if the shepherds no longer care about the flocks of sheep.  That baffled me for many years UNTIL a pastor friend explain that sheep, even thought they are not the brightest of God's creatures, know the voice of their shepherd and will calm at his voice.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep." - John 10:14-15

Then this friend reminded me that when Jesus met with the Disciples on the shore after His death, Jesus asked Peter three times: "Peter do you love Me?" and after each time Peter responded "Yes" Jesus told him to take care of His sheep, protect His flock, and lead His lambs.

Psalm 100:3 - "Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are His people, THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE."

Let's learn to listen to the voice of our Shepherd! 

  

Don't Be Afraid!

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

~Luke 2:8-12 

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, I thought I would be "Orthodox" and use this week to discuss the Christmas story, but be Unorthodox in looking at it from outside the box, so to speak, and in no particular order.  So grab some coffee and let's begin.

Imagine you are a shepherd.  Your job is to care for the sheep.  The owner of the flock has charged you with their care.  This means you will live with the sheep, take them to food and water, you will protect them, because if you lose even one, YOU will have to pay and pay dearly.  So you live with the sheep.  You bathe with the sheep.  You eat when they eat.  When they sleep, you must be alert (because the predators become brave in the dark).  Being a shepherd is not exactly what one would call a "glamorous" profession.  After all, shepherds would not be the ones you would invite to dinner or to a company party because, let's face it, they smell like sheep.

Now remember you are a shepherd and the sheep have bedded down for the night.  It's your team's turn to keep watch.  About midway through your watch, when the night is at its most quiet and you feel yourself fading into that twilight phase between awake and asleep.  Then suddenly there's a bright light right in front of you.  Then you realize that there's a human looking shape that's glowing so brightly.  Having never seen anything like this before, you aren't sure how to react.  This is when Freeze, Fight or Flight kicks in, except you realize that you are SO terrified that you cannot move.

In the middle of your mind reaching explosion phase and your heart is just about to stop, you hear a soothing voice tell you: "Don't be afraid.  I have come to give you some GOOD news."

Now.....fast forward a couple of thousand years.....I am in Basic Training in a foxhole keeping watch by night.  Our Drill Sergeants have already taken the opportunity to sneak in and take the weapons from several of the sleeping sentries.  I am determined I'm not going to be among them, so I do everything I can to stay away while my buddy gets a few hours sleep.  Then I hear it!  The distinctive silence of the absence of the crickets' chirping, this was followed a few seconds later by the clear crack of a twig being stepped on.  I can almost hear my heart pounding in my ears as I call out the challenge.  Then I see a bright light coming at me.....   One of the Drill Sergeants, realizing he'd been heard, came charging with his massive flashlight shining in my face.  I had just enough time to yell to my buddy and get three shots off (blank rounds) before I heard the Drill Sergeant laughing and telling me "It's okay Private, you did good."  He told me that the terrified look on my face was far too funny.  I looked to my buddy, but only saw an empty space where he had been.  My buddy had run off into the woods!    

Can you even imagine how mortified the shepherds were when this radiant being just appears and tells them "Don't be afraid"?  When you are upset, how do you feel when someone (well meaning though they may be) says "Just calm down"?  Is it going to calm you down?  

Then the angel tells the shepherds that he has some GOOD news for them.  Okay.....fear is calming....something good is coming.  THEN the angel tells them that the prophecy of the Savior has been fulfilled and gives them directions on where to find Him.  

So let me ask you...when God tells you, "Don't worry. Don't be afraid. I've got you."  What is the reaction we have?  Freeze, Flight, Fright.......or Faith? 

When? YES, WHEN!

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

  “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
~Matthew 6:5-8

 I was part of a discussion group a few days ago.  The topic of discussion was "What Is The Best Way To Pray?"  Well, let me just say that several of the attendees got quite talky about the "proper" way to pray.  

     *     Some felt the need to shout and yell 'so God would hear' their prayers.

     *     Some felt the only way to pray was to repeat certain key phrases such as 'Father God' as if God needs to be reminded of who He is.

     *     One person got very specific: first, one must never attempt to pray in a comfortable position. We must pray in an uncomfortable position to remind us of our unworthiness.  Second, we must pray with the holy icons to remind us that we are praying.  Third, we must make sure others SEE us praying in order to encourage them to do the same.

Let me just say, my thoughts on the who prayer topic differed from most of the group, and will probably get my invitation revoked, but here are my thoughts on Prayer:

1. Notice that Jesus uses the word "WHEN" in reference to prayer.  Jesus doesn't say 'IF you pray', He says "WHEN you pray."  Thus, prayer is expected.
2. Jesus reminds us that LOUD public prayers are not needed.  God is not hard of hearing.
3. Repetitive words and phrases are not needed. Like the constant clicking of a pen, repetitive phrases and words are a distraction.
4. Jesus tells us to go away by ourselves.  Some versions say we are to go into the closet and close the door.  I prefer to go someplace quiet where I can focus.  This requires that I get up early so the noises of everyone's day starting don't become distractions.
5. Usually, my recliner is the place I choose to pray.  If I am uncomfortable, then that will become very distracting and my prayers will be far from sincere.
6. Jesus reminds us that God already knows what you NEED before you even ask.  He knows that you need forgiveness and what you need forgiveness for.  He knows what you need to make it through the day and already has a plan.  He knows!  So don't even try to fool Him.
7. Prayer is an ongoing conversation.  It's not just something you do at specific times of each day, it is a continuous conversation with the One who knows everything about you and loves you anyway.

 

Think about that for a moment.  Maybe even tell God "Thank You" for loving you in spite of yourself.

 

Focus on the Simple!

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

~Matthew 6:34 

 

This week, we have spent time focusing on the Simplicity that Christ taught.  Imagine a world where we would be able to live a simple life.  It IS possible, believe it or not.  Life is pretty simple: We take in nourishment, expel waste, the rest is added extras.

I went to the Doctor for my annual physical last year and was told I needed to lose weight.  Then he started rattling of the whole counting carb, proteins, calories, timing, and a lot of other stuff that mad my head spin.  Finally, I asked for a SIMPLE plan that even I could follow.  His response?  "If you like eating it, stop!"  Can't get much simpler than that.  Pretty much I CAN eat anything I dislike (like termites, tree bark, old rubber tires, etc.).  

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was focusing on meals that had not taken place yet and it was stressing me to the point I was getting crabby.  I was getting crabby about something that had yet to happen.  So......deep breath.....embrace the WOOSAH!  Focus on today!  

You see, Jesus taught us well when He taught us to live simply!  We are given life one moment at a time!  Why rush it?  We can only take one breath at a time! Why waste it?

Make your life one worth remembering instead of being one of stress and hurry!

Get Your Simple On!

“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

~Matthew 5:33-37

 

 I like things that are simple.  That's not to say that I like things that don't challenge me to think, but I do like simple things.  

I was called to be a witness in court not too long ago, and I was instructed that I must take an oath given to me by the Judge.  "Do you promise to tell the truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God."  After my part was over, I started thinking about what Jesus said.  Jesus, in case you haven't figured it out yet, was all about SIMPLE!

In fact, He specifically tells us that we should keep our answers simple: "Just say a simple 'Yes, I will' or 'No, I won't' because anything more than that is of the devil.  Imagine how different our own little part of the world would be different if we kept things just that simple!  

 

"Honey, did you eat the last doughnut?"  

"Yes"

"Are you supposed to have doughnuts?"

"No"

"So you're going to exercise a little extra today to work off that doughnut?"

"Ummmm......no."

Simple!  Confucius has been credited with saying, "Life is simple...it is WE who complicate it."  I do believe there's quite a lot of truth in that!

To Simple To Understand?

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
~John 3:1-9

Nic was one of those HIGHLY educated guys.  He was smart in the "book sense" sort of way.  After all, it takes a lot of intelligence and degrees to become a Pharisee.  People looked us to the Pharisees, because they were the ones who were supposed to know everything about everything.  They were considered the brightest of the brightest.  Nic would have had no problem solving word problems.  

So when Nic comes to Jesus, he does it at night so none of the other Pharisees would see him.  He respected Jesus enough to call Him "Rabbi" (which is Teacher).  And then says, "We all know that God has sent You to teach us."  So Nic understands that God sent Jesus to bring a message and Nic wants to know more about the message.

Jesus gives Nic the very simple truth of His message by saying "unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."  Nic took this very literally and you can almost see his mind explode thinking he's going to have to tell his Mom, "Brace yourself, I'm heading back it to be birthed again."  Nic had trouble understanding the simple message of faith and forgiveness.  

And so do we sometimes. Think about it, how many times have you heard "I don't like Christianity because being a Christian means I'd have to stop doing what I like doing!"  My experience has been that I didn't have to stop doing anything because the things I liked to do changed.  

What about "Christianity is just a bunch of rules!"  If you think about it, our entire society has rules we are expected to follow and there are consequences if we break those rules.

Then there's "Christians are nothing but hypocrites!" True, many "christians" are hypocrites.  But many more are not.  You find hypocrites in every segment of our world.  

The message of Christ is very simple: "Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.  Love others as you love yourself."  Yes, it is just that simple!

 

Simplicity

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
~Matthew 13:1-9

Let me ask you something, have you ever had to listen to someone explaining something but all you could do was watch their lips move and hear the "blah, blah, blah" sounds because you had no idea what they were trying to say?

Honestly, why do we take concepts and ideas then complicate them until they are no longer recognizable?  This is why I hated word problems in school (and still do).  "If a train leaves Chicago at 7:43 and travels 80 mph to New York, and a car leaves New York at 8:00 and travels to Chicago at 60 mph, what color is the dog walking on Main Street in Kalamazoo at 9:05?"  REALLY?

I have also sat through sermons by Dr. Fuller Mummydust (insert your least favorite pastor here), and found that when the sermon ended, my mind was so numb that I could barely stand up to leave.  Why? Because the good Reverend spoke to me like I was in a Doctor of Theology lecture.  

If you look at the parables of Christ, you will see a pattern that would make Him extremely popular today (for those who are willing to listen).  Why?  Because Jesus spoke to people in ways they could understand!  The purpose for Jesus' teaching was to help people understand His message of peace, love and forgiveness.  The message is still simple.....or should be if we didn't do our very best to complicate it!

Keep It Simply Simple!!!

Moments

Then they came to the city of Jericho. When He was leaving the city with His followers and many people, a blind man was sitting by the road. He was asking people for food or money as they passed by. His name was Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus. He heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He began to speak with a loud voice, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me!” Many people spoke sharp words to the blind man telling him not to call out like that. But he spoke all the more. He said, “Son of David, take pity on me.” Jesus stopped and told them to call the blind man. They called to him and said, “Take hope! Stand up, He is calling for you!” As he jumped up, he threw off his coat and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Lord, I want to see!” Jesus said, “Go! Your faith has healed you.” At once he could see and he followed Jesus down the road.

~Mark 10:46-52 

Moments.  Think about this!  Our lives are made up of moments.  Every photograph we take is merely a moment in time.  Every memory is of a moment in time.  

      * I don't remember being born; 

      * I can barely remember this morning;  

      * I do remember the moment my daughter was born. 

      * I have lots of pictures of friends and moments spent with them.

      * I remember the face of my first girlfriend (3rd grade. She gave me a baseball sized wad of Plasti-Tack and that won me over).

I recently took time to look back through my high school yearbook from my senior year.  WOW! And we thought we were on the cutting edge of awesome.  Then I started reading the comments people wrote in my yearbook....many of them were the cliche: "Have a great summer" and "Don't ever change" written by people in a hurry and who didn't know me all that well (or found me annoying but wanted to appear to be nice).  But then there were the people who wrote about specific moments in our friendship. Like when we rode innertubes down the Saluda River, or when we pulled a prank that backfired and ended up squishing into the midnight movies because we were soaked from head to toe.  And then there were some that we won't discuss.

But each represents a moment in life.  A memory.  I am convinced that, while we live in a continuum, our minds work on a stream of moments.  

Think about Jesus' ministry.  The writers of the Gospels captured moments in Jesus' life.  Look at today's passage...Bartimaeus was blind.  During this time in history, if you were different from everyone else, you were thought to be cursed by God.  Bart was blind, so he must have been cursed by God and he lived each day going through the same motions of the only job available to him which was begging.  Then Jesus comes along.  Bart hears the crowds of people and probably believes that a lot of people in a group could mean he could get a little extra from begging.

THEN Bart hears someone in the crowd say that Jesus is in the crowd.  So Bart has a quick decision to make, he can continue to live his life as a blind beggar or he can seize the moment and see if Jesus really can help him.  So Bart takes his moment and starts to yell at the top of his lungs calling for Jesus to take pity on him and help him.  Now, some of the crowd want Bart to shut up and not interfere with this great teacher, because Jesus has "more important" things to attend to than a God-cursed-blind-beggar. BUT Jesus stops!  He tells those close to Bart to bring him over, which they do.  Then Jesus asks Bart what he wants.  

Again, Bart has a choice to make.  Again, Bart seizes the moment and tells Jesus that he wants to see.  Jesus, in that moment, heals Bart and in that moment removes Bart excuse to continue expecting others to care for him.  In a moment! 

Our lives are made up of moments! Bart seized his and made it count.  Will You?