When the Lord began His earthly ministry, He brought with him the Messianic expectations of the Jews.  Not only did He preach and teach but He performed many miracles as well.  These in part demonstrated His earthly mission as one sent from God.

In Matthew 11, John the Baptizer, is imprisoned and he is discouraged.  He sent some of his followers to Jesus with a simple but loaded question, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another?” 
Jesus’ only replied was “Go and tell John what you hear and see; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them.”
Jesus is telling John to look at the miracles.  What Isaiah said would happen through Messiah is happening through Jesus.  His miracles are highlighting His identity for anyone who has eyes to see. (physically and spiritually)

                                         John knows these prophecies.

Isaiah 35: The eyes of the blind shall be opened. The lame shall leap like a deer.”
Isaiah 26:  Your dead shall live.”
Isaiah 61: He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”

Jesus performed several types of miracles.  These were not only for the benefit of those living and following him but by performing many of these miracles He was fulling the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament that John knew.

Healing miracles.  Show his power over the physical body and His compassion for the broken.

Exorcisms reveal His authority over evil and His mission to liberate.

Nature miracles demonstrate His sovereignty over creation.  He was with God in Genesis. He is a creator and sustainer and could control His creation.

Restoration miracles. Hint at His power over death and his promises of a new life. 

We were created for rest, to care for our bit of creation and our relationship to others.  But because we are fallible humans, our holy calling is infused with difficulty.  We get sick, people die, we kill each other, we slander, we disobey the commandments given by our Creator. 

The four categories of His miracles mirror the core brokenness of our world…. physical pain, spiritual bondage, chaos and death.  Jesus confronts each one.

Jesus’ miracles aren’t just to impress. They are there to reveal who He is and what kind of kingdom He is bringing. 

Even today these miracles still speak.  They remind us that He is still in control.  They show us His compassion, and  He meets us in our place of need. 

                            He is showing himself as the Promised Rescuer.

If God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, why do we read where He relents at certain times?  We humans regard the word relent to mean soften a stance or just give in. 

                                    How can God change His mind?  
Biblically, to relent as related to God…. refers to His decision to suppress a course of action, especially in response to human repentance or intervention.  That’s because God is both merciful and just.

Let’s look at Jonah.  God commanded Jonah to preach to Ninevah about their impending demise. Jonah 3:10 states “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, God relented of the disaster. They repented, and God spared them.”  

God already knew they would repent.   God didn’t change but Nineveh did.  God responded to their repentance by the removal of their coming doom.   That is consistent with His character. 

This message continues in the New Testament.  The words we read revolve around repentance. 

 We might view ourselves as good people.  We haven’t murdered or stolen anything.  We are faithful to our spouses if married.  We read the Bible.  We pray.

Paul tells us that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) Therefore what do we do now?

We also need repentance.  We need to ask forgiveness.  Perhaps not so much as what we do rather than what we don’t do!

Ask yourself:  Do I put God first in my life? Do I practice forgiveness if someone has done or said something bad about me?  Do I also say or have done something to hurt another?  Where are my real treasures? Have I been a disciple maker?

Because God is perfect for Him to change would mean His perfection is lacking in some way.  And perfection, by its very nature is not open to,  nor in need of change. 

God’s nature does not change.  It means that His love is forever; His promises are forever!

As King David so eloquently said, we rest in our immutable God as “our Rock and our Redeemer (Psalm 78:35)

                                           It’s now up to us!

I am at the age when many of my friends have died.  I look back at old year books and realize that I might be one of the last ones still living. 

What do we say when attending a funeral or sitting with a friend who has experienced a great loss.  It seems that today many Christians just call death “a celebration of life.”  A type of ceremony after we attend a funeral. Everyone seems happy. However, we need to focus on the mourner, not the deli platters.  Perhaps after this celebration is when the mourner needs you most. 

 Yes, we know that death should not be feared to those of us who are Believers, but somehow, have we failed in how we comfort the bereaved?

Down deep inside there is a great loss.  So how do we comfort?  What do we say?

When looking at Job, in the Old Testament, his friends try to comfort him without success.  He didn’t want their advice, only just silence and sitting with him. 

Perhaps we need to mourn with those that mourn.  Not saying or trying to console.  Usually there are no words that really help. 

Sometimes, nothing that you can say, as heartfelt as it might be, is what a mourner needs to hear.  Sometimes, the most powerful thing that we can do is bear witness to someone’s pain, to hold their hand in silence.

Consoling the bereaved can be distilled to three actions…. Be there, speak in silence and hear with a heart.  

We, the comforters, do not get to set the mode and the tone.  Grief ebbs and it flows. It can be melancholic and profound; it can be raucous and inappropriate, but whatever it is, it belongs to the mourner.   It is the bereaved who can tell you if and what they need to share, or when they want to cry or laugh. 

If the mourner is too stunned to even form a coherent sentence, that’s OK too.  Your job… our job is to be with them where they need us to be.  Not to coax, and not to lead, just to be there!  Our silence can speak louder than words!

                        Your presence is your comfort!

Hey God, its me!  I have prayed and prayed for this to happen.  Aren’t you listening? Don’t you care?  You seem to answer the prayers of others, why not mine?  Am I a bad person?  Are you angry with me?  What do I need to do now?

Have you ever felt that God just isn’t hearing your prayers?  You have waited and waited and prayed but no answer is forth coming. 

God is in this!  He is still there and wants our best.  Perhaps you and I are overlooking His greater gifts…….. family, friends, our community of faith. 

Just maybe…… while we’re waiting for that something to change, waiting for that answer to prayer, God wants us to open our eyes to the blessings He has already given.

 The Lord blesses us all differently, but He certainly blesses us all, without fail, without end.  It’s just that you and I take many of His blessings for granted.

He offers a bounty of treasures and blessings for our sight and soul through His creation.  He extends multitudes of more mercy and grace than we can grasp or deserve.  He releases more peace and joy in His presence than we can perceive.  He offers lavish love like no other.  Perhaps more than we can sense or see.   

If our visible world falls short of our expectations, or looks less than those around us, we need to focus on His “already” gifts, expecting that He knows exactly what is best for us. 

Through failing health, disappointments, hardships, we need must realize that answers to our prayers may not always come at our timetable. 

It’s the waiting seasons in our life that actually makes us stronger, and braver and more resilient than ever. 

It’s in our waiting season that we find the greatest connection to the One who loves us best!

                                                Just you wait!!!

Jesus said, “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but those who stand firm to the end will be saved.  (Matt :24)

                             So, we find that the Lord is talking about endurance. 

Endurance is the ability to withstand hardship or adversity.  It can also mean sustaining prolonged stressful effort.  When things are too easy, endurance does not increase, but when things are too difficult, an athlete may give up before reaching the goal.  Therefore, they train for endurance.

                                                   Our Spiritual endurance.

If we don’t build our spiritual endurance, we will find it increasingly harder to remain steadfast in our faith under pressure.  Therefore, we must purposefully build our spiritual endurance “muscle.”

The Parable of the Sower gives a clear picture of Believers who lack endurance.  Those whose hearts are stony ground: “have no root in themselves and endure only for a time. “(Mark 4:17)

 The parable of the man who built his house on the sand.  (Matt 7: 24-27) When troubles come this house will fall.  But not the wise man who built his house on the rock.  This house stands firm.  Thus, building a house on a solid foundation demands endurance from the builder.  That’s us.

 Steps to building our spiritual endurance.

1. Make an unwavering commitment to the Lord. ….in our suffering or times of trouble we have hope.  God hears us.  We know that our hope comes from Him.  Whatever He allows for us, we know it is planned and in that we have our hope.   (Romans 5:3-5)

1. See the unseen……  We must look at this world through a spiritual lens, looking beyond our physical existence on this earth to eternal things that don’t decay.
2. Never give up………Never give up, even when you fail.  The Lord understands so pick yourself up and move on.  Can you and I admit when we are wrong?  Excuses come easily; confessions are difficult.
3. Remember the reward.  Scripture pictures our lives on earth as a race.   Paul says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of the God in the Messiah. ((Phil. 3:14)

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.  There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day.”   (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

                                          Let us say…………Amen!

  “Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought.”  Paul wrote (Romans 12:3).  So, we cannot love ourselves, Paul??  That isn’t what Paul is writing. 

 God saw fit to create an Adam and an Eve.  He loved them both and by extension He loves us and created us.   

But the story of those who feel deep down that they are unworthy and unlovable is a tale as old as time.  So, if we don’t value, love or at least respect ourselves, can we love others? 

How should we feel about ourselves?  Many people find it easier to love others than themselves. 

God wrote that we are to love Him above all else. “Be holy, for I am Holy. “
Self-love is part of that, but it’s not the same thing.  Can I act in all manner of ways and still love myself?

The key to loving myself is not self-love but self-awareness.  Who we are in our deepest reality.  That I am special to God. 

It’s not my fellow’s humanity that I am commanded to love.  It is the divinity in each person that I must recognize, as well as my own, as God created all of us in His image. 

So, then the commandment to love God and my fellow man starts to converge.  That includes that we must love ourselves as well, since we are indeed, God’s creation.

 The first step is to give yourself permission to love yourself and drop the negative association you have about that that means.  Self- love doesn’t mean that you are selfish and self-absorbed, but that you develop a trusting heart that welcomes yourself as worthy of love and respect. 

Since we are hard wired for connection and relationships, self-love is the basis for radiating that love outward to others.  The only way to love others is by connecting to and love the inner spark called the soul. 

We can and must love others.  Not by allowing them to act in way that dishonors God, but by ministering to them. It’s also called discipleship.  Jesus told us, we must become disciple makers.  It’s what we must do and be to honor our commitment as Believers. 

                 It all starts with our own worth.  That we all matter to God. 

                        Love God, Love Yourself, Love Others. 

I was doing some rearranging of old books and found several belonging to my sweet mother, whose faith was amazing.  I found this lovely book of poems and thought I would share a couple with you instead of my usual blog.  I hope they are as meaningful to you as they are to me.  They were all composed by a Grace Holl Crowell.   

The book was Copyrighted in 1939 and dedicated to Mothers of America.  Those reading these poems might not be mothers, but they are meaningful to all of us. 

                                                A Remedy for Care

                                      Consider the lilies of the field
                                    Behold the birds of the air,
                                    Thus the Master has given us
                                    A cure for all our cares.

                                    Birds do not sow, they do not reap,
                                    Nor gather their stores ahead;
                                    But out of loving hands of God
                                    They all are safely fed.

Oh ye of little faith, said, One
            who loves us our lifetime through,
            Shall we not know that He will feed
            And clothe us, too?

Thirty Three Short Years.

How young He was, how short His time on earth
A pulse-beat through the centuries, a breath between the starlit house of His birth, and that strange, darkened hour of His death.
Yet had those years not gone their swift sure way,
 Had their significance been lost to men, there would be darkness in the land today,
 No faith would lift, no heart could hope again.

Thank God, thank God for those years’ precious story!
Thank God for sharing Him to you, to me,
Out of the glory that was Theirs before
 The world was………. and the glory yet to be.

The darkened years for Him that brought us light:
The weary years for Him that gave us rest:
The clamorous years, that we might know
The happiness within our breast.
For thirty-three brief years that His feet trod
 The earthly roads for us, 
We thank Thee, God for sharing
                          Him with us!!

“You shall pay for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:25)

 God seems to extract harsh judgements for those who commit these offences. 

It would seem in this passage from the Torah (the laws of Old Testament) condones an extreme and retaliatory brand of justice. This passage is often used to contrast harsh justice to Yeshua’s message of grace and mercy.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth”, but I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:38-39)

It appears that Yeshua is telling his disciples that the Torah prescribed one method of dealing with offenses, but He is now prescribing a different one.  Where the Torah endorsed strict, retaliatory justice, Yeshua endorses mercy and grace.  But is this really what He is teaching His disciples?

So, when Yeshua makes the statement, “You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, what is He trying to say?

These laws served a two-fold purpose.  First, they were for the protection of those who incur damages at the hands of others.  Most importantly, however, they were for the person who was liable for the damages (the offender), to take personal responsibility for the harm of others.  These laws were never created for retaliation.  Not to extract more punishment than was inflicted.

This legislation addresses and instructs them how they should attempt to compensate for the damage they have caused, giving the court a basis of value by which it can define the compensation. 

What Yeshua does, on the other hand, is address the victim.  By saying, “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  He specifically addresses the response of the victim, rather than the responsibility of the offender, who has already been address by the Torah laws.  

He makes it clear that when we are wronged, when we incur damages, we are not to demand restitution.  We are to treat others with the same mercy which we would desire to receive if the tables were reversed. 

The law addresses the offender, while Yeshua addresses the victim.  Yeshua upholds Torah completely and instructs us on how to live beyond the letter of the law to the greater spirit of holiness that the Torah embodies.

  It would honor our Master if we remember this principle the next time someone wrongs us, and we are tempted to demand what we deem is justice. 

            “Do unto others, as you would have them do to you. “

Rachael was beautiful but Leah had weak eyes!  We aren’t sure just what that means.  I doubt if it really is about her eyes but more about her beauty.  In a culture where a girl’s appearance and status determined her worth, Leah suffered from being compared to her beautiful sister, Rachael. 

Jacob fell madly in love with Rachel.  The story begins in Gensis 29. Jacob worked for Laban to earn Rachel, but then he was tricked, and Leah became number one wife. Jacob was dismayed.  Imagine Leah’s heartbreak knowing that she would never experience her husband’s true love. 

God knew Leah’s pain.  Leah gave Jacob the greatest gifts she could give: many sons.  But that was not enough.  You can hear her heartbreak in the names she gave each son at his birth.   With each birth, Leah longed for Jacob’s love and approval that never came. 

Like Leah, sometimes we also strive for the approval of people to fill a void that only God can satisfy.  When Leah stopped reaching for Jacob’s affection and started resting in God promises, her legacy was transformed.  From her son, Judah, came the line of King David, and eventually, Jeshua/ Jesus the Messiah (Matt1:1-2).

 Leah’s story is a powerful reminder that even though initially her desire was not fulfilled, God used her in incredible ways. 

Many of us have experienced deep discouragement at some time.  Maybe it was a dream that didn’t come true or a healing that never occurred.  Perhaps a significant relationship ended, or a prayer that seemed to go unanswered.  Disappointment is a universal human experience. If we let it take root, it can produce resentment and despair. 

Disappointment often stems from delays.  But God’s delays are not denials.  Faith means trusting His timing even when from our perspective the answer is long overdue.   

 Though your situation might not change immediately, your heart can find peace in God because He never fails. 

Leah’s story reveals that when we shift our focus from our disappointments to believing in His timing, we find our identity and purpose.  He is the one who heals our hearts and gives us eternal hope.  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.  He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Ps. 34:18)

                                         God Has a purpose for you.              

                                                Be encouraged!

Nothing arouses us more than music.  When we hear the band playing Stars and Stripes Forever it arouses a patriot fervor!  Perhaps it’s a favorite song from our childhood or a meaningful hymn from our worship.  Music is part of our soul.

 Isaiah 49:13 “Sing for joy, Oh heavens, and exalt Oh earth; break forth Oh mountains into singing!”  The prophet is telling us that all of creation will burst into song.  God created music.  We praise Him, not only in prayer, but in our singing!  Singing is worship, and the Lord delights in hearing our praises.  Never mind about being tone deaf.  He doesn’t care!

In the face of fierce enemy armies, King Jehoshaphat chose a seemingly suicidal response.  In reading 2 Chronicles 20:22, this king did an extraordinary thing.  He ordered the Levite singers into battle ahead of his warriors.  He sent the singers!!!  The amazing thing is that this tactic worked above and beyond any normal military response.  Singers before the warriors??? This must have intimated the enemy. 

“He (the king) had taken counsel with the people. He appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and Praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army and said (sang) “Give thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love endures forever.”  

“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord sent an ambush against the Ammonites, Moab and Mt Seir, who had come against Judah so that they were routed.”

In worship services today, many of us sing the Psalms, which are spiritual songs, some of which were composed by David, and even Moses.  Many of these songs bring comfort to us. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  This is a song.  You can sing it.  Make up your own melody.

When words fail us, sing the Psalms.  They will stir your soul and bring joy to your heart.  They will delight our God.