Quick or slow

Death comes to us all; some more quickly than others. Its easy to understand that if you shoot yourself you WILL DIE, but not quite so obvious if you smoke. To be fair, some poeple who smoke live a long, long time, but I don't think that is the general rule. I know how hard it is to quit smoking and what happens when you quit. I was recently reminded of that during my recent recuperation from neck surgery. For about 6 weeks I was on oxycotin and when I realized I really needed to stop taking it, I found out what a pain addiction withdrawl was. Sin is like both smoking and prescription drugs. Its easy to see the big things like murder or rape and not so obvious in matters of "small" things, like bringing home a pen from work or telling a "white lie". Sin is what it is and with all the power in you... avoid it at all costs. Somehow this passage from John seemed to "fit".



John 5:9-14
9 Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
10 So the Jews said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat."
11 He answered them, "He who made me well, the same said to me, 'Take up your mat, and walk.'"
12 Then they asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your mat, and walk'?"
13 But he who was healed didn't know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you." WEB



Ok, I didn't include the beginning of the passage when it mentioned the length of his sickness, but it was 38 years. If you have ever been sick for more than a few months, you know that something inside you changes as you continue in your sickness. Obviously, he had sinned because Jesus told him to sin no more. Face it; we all fall short of the mark, but we can and MUST do everything we are able to do to resist evil. Just like the anti-smoking ad above, tolerated sin will kill you. Take your pick, quick or slow?

Walk on water

When I saw this picture today, I thought of a manager I know who frankly is one great boss; but sadly I am forced to admit that not even HE IS PERFECT. Often, when we talk of some one's perfection we say that they could "walk on water". But, so far as I know there has only been one man who filled the bill (and, yes this picture is probably photo-shopped). Consider these two passages from the book of Matthew.

Matt 8:23-27
23 When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
24 Behold, a great tempest arose in the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.
25 They came to him, and woke him up, saying, "Save us, Lord! We are dying!"
26 He said to them, "Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 The men marveled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"WEB

and

Matt 14:22-33
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.23 After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! I AM! Don't be afraid."28 Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters."29 He said, "Come!" Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.30 But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"32 When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.33 Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"WEB

Jesus had this power over the elements that makes even a skeptic wonder. Imagine having the power to control nature and do the impossible. How would YOU use it? Some might show off to impress people, but Jesus uses his to help people. No pride here, just love and concern. Reason enough for most of us to want to investigate more about him. The thing is: The more you know about him, the more there is to know and with each bit of information comes another testimony about the only perfect man who ever lived. And the only one who was perfect enough to "walk on water".

A change is coming

Change. Over the past year or so we have heard that word, again and again. But for us all change is about to occur. Soon, in the Northern states the weather will have a chill to it and the leaves will begin to look like this picture. Change can be either good or bad, but in the case of the coming of Autumn, it is decidedly good. There is something wonderful about the yellow and Gold of this time of year that is way beyond pleasant. Even in Florida, where temperatures reach 90 for half of the year, it begins to cool off in October. In ancient Israel, Jeremiah foretold of coming change, a change that dwarfs a mere change of season.

Jer 31:28-34
28 It shall happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, says Yahweh.
29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
30 But everyone shall die for his own iniquity: every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
31 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:
34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. WEB

Jeremiah spoke of what God would do in his relationship with Israel; change from a rule based relationship to a heart based one. Grace was to reign instead of Law; justice was now to be tempered with mercy. Relationship now superseded regulation; and THAT MEANT A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN STATUS! Instead of being treated like children, Israel was to given the blessing of adulthood. A change is coming and has come, and, as you watch the leaves change, think about how God has richly blessed us. Autumn is going to be a wonderful time in Florida, even if the leaves don't change.

Something good, something better

Yesterday was an interesting day, 9-9-9. Most cultures consider this number a "lucky" one, but a few hold the exact opposite view. Whatever your view, whether it be good, bad or just plain INDIFFERENT, one fact remains; the day is past. You can not change it, no matter how much you might want to. Thinking about tomorrow is in about the same category; FORGET ABOUT IT! I like this verse from the book of Proverbs.

Prov 27:1 Don't boast about tomorrow; For you don't know what a day may bring forth. WEB

The safest way to live is in the eternal "now"; tomorrow is unknown and yesterday is gone. If God is (was) your companion, then both extremes are unimportant because you are not alone. Enjoy life as you find it. I included this beautiful sunset to remind me that in every day there is something good and in every tomorrow there is the possibility of something better.

Beyond looking up

I can't remember seeing a "reflection" picture from this angle, but it made an impression on me, nonetheless. Somehow looking up to "look up" is a strange concept to me. Its like the clouds are actually part of the building instead of outside it. Both seem to morph the building into a heavenly edifice. And the longer I look at it, the stranger it seems. Seeing Jesus must have been something like this picture; you can see him, yet, there is something more there, something you quite can't put your finger on, something special. Even unbelievers could understand (after awhile) and react. Check out this passage from John chapter 10 to see the light of it.

John 10:24-31
24 The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you don't believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me.
26 But you don't believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are one."
31 Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. WEB

The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because they understood (at last) that Jesus was God, not just a representative of God. One not only in substance and character and power, but a physical Earthly display of Godhood! In order to see him for what he really was they needed to look up beyond their own narrow understandings and see the truth. And what they finally understood was too much for them and they became violent because of their hardness of heart. Looking up to look up higher does take a bit of faith, but to look up and see beyond reflections, well, that is the stuff of heaven.

Seeing God for what HE is

It seems to me that who did this picture had the tale of Moses and the burning bush in mind. So, here is the passage from the book of Exodus.

Ex 3:1-6
3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horeb.
2 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 Moses said, "I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."
4 When Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Here I am."
5 He said, "Don't come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground."
6 Moreover he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God. WEB

Astounding! Just consider for a moment what is happening here; God is speaking with a man! Even more puzzling is the comparison of "The angel of Yahweh" (verse 2) with the statement from verse 4 that "God called to him out of the midst of the bush". Is God an angel? How could this be? Well, the term angel means messenger, so we have God being a messenger of himself, humm. In the new testament book of John it says that no man has seen God, so is there a contradiction? No, because I believe that the Exodus passage is referring the preincarnate Jesus. Not only here, but in every instance of God directly interacting with man. Think about it, in the Godhead, God the father directs, the Son materially interacts with mankind and the Holy Spirit empowers. There is not a God of the Old Testament and a God of the New, but rather One God manifesting himself in various distinct and yet collective ways. All this may seem very difficult, but consider how difficult it must have been for Moses to be there? I know it would be for me, especially as I don't like heights!

The "game" of "Life"

No, this is not a game!!! This is a resume!!! Very unusual, but sure to be noticed. When I saw this, I thought of my own life and what would be on my own version. All that we do is observed and noted by the creator of the entire universe; nothing is hidden to him. Think that is not important; well, consider this passage from the book of revelation.

Rev 20:11-15
11 I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. WEB

Payday, someday. Each block of our own resume builds a pathway to our own eternal destiny. In a sense we decide whether we win or lose in this life AND THE NEXT!!! So, each day make a decision to listen to God and make the right choices, in order that your own resume is a pathway to the pearly gates.

I have never seen these before. Nice! Unnecessary, but NICE! Why did I say that? Because its not about the shoes you wear or what you look like or the kind of work you do... its about knowing God and sharing what he has done for you the best that you can. Take a minute and look at this passage from the book of Romans and see if it doesn't give all this a little bit more insight.

Rom 10:1-17 Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.4 For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.5 For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, "The one who does them will live by them."6 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down);7 or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)"8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the word of faith, which we preach:9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed."12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.13 For, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"16 But they didn't all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"17 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. WEB

Sharing what Jesus has done makes you beautiful; no matter who you are. Even if you are 15 and have pimples or seventy and grey hair, you have beautiful feet; the Bible says it and its true. Not everyone will like you and that is just the way it is, but the fact is that you are still beautiful. So, go ahead and buy the sneakers or don't buy them; either way... you are beautiful.

The power and the blessing

This picture reminds me of the up-state New York Adirondack's. Many years ago my in-laws had a camp near Newcomb and I remember streams just like this one. If you stood by it, you could hear the rushing water and get a sense of the real power that was there. The forest would come alive with the sound of it and it seemed like a symphony to me. Clear refreshing water was in those streams and when coupled with the smell of the surrounding forest, it produced an overall well-being as nothing I had ever experienced before. I thought of the following passage from the book of John; I hope you enjoy it!

John 4:5-29
5 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.6 Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour .7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that living water?12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?"13 Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I don't get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw."16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."17 The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,'18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly."19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father.22 You worship that which you don't know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers.24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare to us all things."26 Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you."27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What are you looking for?" or, "Why do you speak with her?"28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people,29 "Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?"WEB

Different country, different time, a strange meeting and possibility was at Sycar. Jesus spoke to this woman and challenged her in many ways; especially with the concept of living water. He intrigued her with the thought of water that will be of eternal value and of his own identity. She went away puzzled, but her curiosity led many to seek out Jesus. It has always been interesting to me that the more you come to know him, the more there is to know. Such are the depths of the knowledge of God. What is certain is that his gifts reflect his nature and that is eternal. Those who really seek God will find him and experience the power and blessing that only HE can provide.

whoosh!

Ever feel like this? It doesn't matter that this is just computer manipulated imagery, it conveys a feeling! You know, that sinking feeling you get when you KNOW that you are sunk, and so you reach out for ANY hope of escape. My second thought about this image (right after you have GOT to be kidding one) was how it reminded me of Jonah the prophet. Read this excerpt from chapter 2 and see if it rings a bell.

Jonah 2
2 Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish's belly.2 He said, "I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.3 For you threw me into the depths, In the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me.4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; Yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'5 The waters surrounded me, Even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: Yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.8 Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.9 But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh."10 Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land. WEB

First of all, Jonah deserved to be where he was. He disobeyed God and went in the exact opposite direction God had told him to. His own stubbornness led to his condition. Isn't it true that many times we find ourselves in desperate situations because of our own stupidity and stubbornness? Jonah finally got it right though; in his hour of need he turned to God and Yahweh listened. So, the next time you feel like your life is about to experience an inglorious quick flush, reach out to God and don't wait because who knows, in the next second someone could push a button and then... whoosh!