You will hear them preaching it on tv, but you heard it here first. You will see it happen in God's people, but you'll see it here first.
How do I know? Because I see it in the Word and I believe it in my heart and I confess it with my mouth and that is the pattern God set for how things work. That is how He operates and He is teaching His people to operate like Him.
2 Kings 8 tells the story of a woman going home. She lived amoung the Philistines for 7 years because of a famine in the land of Israel. She didn't run away, she left at the word of the Lord to her. When she came home she went to see the king about getting back what was hers.
The Lord prepared the way for this woman. As she walked into the king's presence, they were talking about her! The king was speaking with Elisha's servant about the time Elisha raised her son to life. She was going to see the king, and at that moment the king was thinking about her and talking about her. Mere coincidence? Don't think so.
God prepared the way for her request to be answered, and then some. She wanted to get back her house and land. Because the Lord prepared the way for her, the king immediately answered yes to her request. He commanded that everything that belonged to her was returned. Done.
But listen to this - here is the part that flashed out at me: In addition to her house and land, the king commanded that she be given the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence! God cares about your harvest. The Lord has not forgotten about the seed sown, and he watches over it. He wants you to have the harvest. God is a restorer of lost harvests. He is a King who knows the value of the harvest. He is the Lord of the Harvest.
In this instance, the woman's harvest was a literal, physical harvest of crops. There was no way to give her the physical harvest. What was restored to her was money, income, the equal value of her lost harvest. One reason God uses money so much is that we can understand it. God cares about our physical harvest and wants us to understand how things work. The harvest Jesus spoke to His disciples about was of people.
We are entering a season of harvest. I am prepared to receive the restoration of my lost harvest, the value of what God gave me that I was not able to receive and enjoy. What appeared to be lost or stolen is now restored! In one day, the Shunammite woman went from homeless to owning a house and lands with seven years worth of income in the bank. Our God is a God of restoration, and He is Lord of the Harvest. He wants to restore the harvests that have been lost. If you look at the king's command, not one day's worth of harvest was lost- "from the day she left until now." I am receiving the value of my harvest, because the King has declared it so.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
You've got to show it
This morning I'm out the door to have coffee with one of my very good friends. We try to get together one morning a week. Doesn't always work because of our schedules, and for a while there it seemed like we were both either out of town or on the go a lot. Recently we changed from Thursday to Wednesday, but this week it's Friday. Sometimes I buy the coffee, sometimes he buys, usually we just get our own.
I usually bring my Bible, and he mostly does too, but don't necessarily open them every time. At one point in my life it would have bothered me to say that, but now it does not. The things that we discuss are things that are important in our lives- our families, our church, our work. Sometimes we discuss things that are not important at all, like all the beautiful chrome on my Harley. Sometimes he will ask me what I've been reading, which I love to do but is kind of a luxury since my children are 13, 6, and 2 years old. He and his wife don't have kids so in some ways our lives are very different.
We share a lot in common, but the main thing is I trust him. I trust his heart and I trust his head. I value what he has to say, and I know he cares. We don't always have the same perspective on everything, which is good. We all need that. He's my friend. I am thankful to say that I have been blessed with some close and supportive relationships. Many of them have been formed at the Branch Family Church.
Proverbs says that if you want friends, you've got to show yourself friendly. A friend loves at all times. There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A friend listens. A friend tells you the truth, when it feels good and when it doesn't. A friend watches your back and supports you when you're not there. If we want to have friends like that, we've got to be a friend like that. If you want a friend, you've got to love and you've got to show it.
I usually bring my Bible, and he mostly does too, but don't necessarily open them every time. At one point in my life it would have bothered me to say that, but now it does not. The things that we discuss are things that are important in our lives- our families, our church, our work. Sometimes we discuss things that are not important at all, like all the beautiful chrome on my Harley. Sometimes he will ask me what I've been reading, which I love to do but is kind of a luxury since my children are 13, 6, and 2 years old. He and his wife don't have kids so in some ways our lives are very different.
We share a lot in common, but the main thing is I trust him. I trust his heart and I trust his head. I value what he has to say, and I know he cares. We don't always have the same perspective on everything, which is good. We all need that. He's my friend. I am thankful to say that I have been blessed with some close and supportive relationships. Many of them have been formed at the Branch Family Church.
Proverbs says that if you want friends, you've got to show yourself friendly. A friend loves at all times. There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A friend listens. A friend tells you the truth, when it feels good and when it doesn't. A friend watches your back and supports you when you're not there. If we want to have friends like that, we've got to be a friend like that. If you want a friend, you've got to love and you've got to show it.
Monday, October 22, 2007
The Keys and a blank check
Last night something powerful happened. More on that in a minute, but first let me lay some groundwork.
Jesus told his followers, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." When I was in Bible college I studied Greek. I am not a Greek scholar (as Dr. Bagwell would attest) but I learned how to use the reference materials and dig into the original language. For one of my assignments I chose this particular passage in John 14. I parsed the verbs, looked for nuances in word selection, reviewed the derivation of each word for further insight, considered the verse in the context of the overall passage, and whatever else budding Greek scholars are instructed to do.
After a couple of hours with all these books spread out around me, I came to the conclusion that what Jesus really said, what He truly meant, goes something more like this: " If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it." What was Jesus saying? It sounded like Greek to me. Then I realized, He was saying what He meant!
Suddenly this familiar verse took on a life of it's own. Could Jesus really have meant that? Imagine this- your boss calls you into his office. "You're doing a good job," she says. "You know me, and you know this company and where I want it to go. You start any project you want, and I'll back you up. Make any changes or improvements you think necessary. Enter into any contracts you want, hire new people, whatever you need to get the job done. You have worked for me for a while, and I know you well enough to expect you wouldn't do anything I would be uncomfortable with." Wow. The phone rings, "Mr. Henry. Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Her Royal Highness asked me to convey to you that she has seen that your way of life and the decisions you make are having a wonderful influence on the world around you. She would like to encourage you to carry on in greater fashion so she has created an account in your name at the Bank of England. You may withdraw funds as needed to carry on the work you are doing. My office will monitor the account and deposit additional funds as needed. The Queen simply requests that you continue in the same vein that you are presently on, albeit more forcefully and on larger scale. Have a nice day."
There in my dorm room, it seemed like Jesus was saying to his followers, "Here is the checkbook of Heaven. I have updated the signatory card, and your name is on it. Don't worry about a check bouncing, I'll cover any check you write. Just make sure that you spend it on the same things I would." That idea seemed crazy, nobody gives a bunch of signed, blank checks out.
But then in John 16 Jesus tells them the same thing again! "My Father will give you whatever you ask for in my Name." At another time, Jesus told them the same thing from a different angle, "I am giving you the keys to the Kingdom."
Last night something powerful happened. God's people from The Branch gathered together for corporate prayer. Could it be true that prayer changes things? That it changes me? If it is true, then watch out because we asked for the very presence and power of God to invade our lives and the city of Charlotte! Change is on the way!
Jesus told his followers, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." When I was in Bible college I studied Greek. I am not a Greek scholar (as Dr. Bagwell would attest) but I learned how to use the reference materials and dig into the original language. For one of my assignments I chose this particular passage in John 14. I parsed the verbs, looked for nuances in word selection, reviewed the derivation of each word for further insight, considered the verse in the context of the overall passage, and whatever else budding Greek scholars are instructed to do.
After a couple of hours with all these books spread out around me, I came to the conclusion that what Jesus really said, what He truly meant, goes something more like this: " If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it." What was Jesus saying? It sounded like Greek to me. Then I realized, He was saying what He meant!
Suddenly this familiar verse took on a life of it's own. Could Jesus really have meant that? Imagine this- your boss calls you into his office. "You're doing a good job," she says. "You know me, and you know this company and where I want it to go. You start any project you want, and I'll back you up. Make any changes or improvements you think necessary. Enter into any contracts you want, hire new people, whatever you need to get the job done. You have worked for me for a while, and I know you well enough to expect you wouldn't do anything I would be uncomfortable with." Wow. The phone rings, "Mr. Henry. Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Her Royal Highness asked me to convey to you that she has seen that your way of life and the decisions you make are having a wonderful influence on the world around you. She would like to encourage you to carry on in greater fashion so she has created an account in your name at the Bank of England. You may withdraw funds as needed to carry on the work you are doing. My office will monitor the account and deposit additional funds as needed. The Queen simply requests that you continue in the same vein that you are presently on, albeit more forcefully and on larger scale. Have a nice day."
There in my dorm room, it seemed like Jesus was saying to his followers, "Here is the checkbook of Heaven. I have updated the signatory card, and your name is on it. Don't worry about a check bouncing, I'll cover any check you write. Just make sure that you spend it on the same things I would." That idea seemed crazy, nobody gives a bunch of signed, blank checks out.
But then in John 16 Jesus tells them the same thing again! "My Father will give you whatever you ask for in my Name." At another time, Jesus told them the same thing from a different angle, "I am giving you the keys to the Kingdom."
Last night something powerful happened. God's people from The Branch gathered together for corporate prayer. Could it be true that prayer changes things? That it changes me? If it is true, then watch out because we asked for the very presence and power of God to invade our lives and the city of Charlotte! Change is on the way!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Life under The Son
I started at a new workplace this week and so of course I've spent some time thinking about what the Word says about work. The Lord does not spend time (or maybe waste it) on those philosopical sort of questions that don't really have an answer. The Bible is a practical guide for life. It seems to me that all the oppositions people have with the Bible generally are an excuse to avoid responding to its truth.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon records the greatest wisdom of the human experience. One of the key phrases of the book is "under the sun." Solomon's conclusion for life under the sun is that it is all empty or meaningless. That is the only logical conclusion, looking at the facts from the perspective of a purely physical existence.
But the Holy Spirit graciously revealed more than that to Paul. Maybe it was when he visited heaven. Okay, I'm taking some liberties here. Paul never says he visited heaven, he simply says there was a man. My opinion is that the man was him, but I'll admit I was proven wrong on at least one occasion and rumored to be wrong on several others. Whenever it was, the Holy Spirit provided Paul with a glimpse of life beyond what Solomon observed, of life lived under The Son.
Solomon said, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all you have, for the days are coming when you will be dead and cannot enjoy work anymore." True, if this life is all there is. Paul said to the Colossians, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your heart, for you know that you will receive a reward from the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Later Paul said, "If our only hope is in this life we are of all men most miserable." He admitted the same conclusions Solomon had come to, up to a point. But Paul had seen something more. If' this life is all there is, if the only basis for judgement is "under the sun", then it is all meaningless and the joke's on us. Paul's concludes that there is more to this life than meets the eye. Further, he concludes that the unseen part, the part after "under the sun," is by far the most important.
So we take heart in difficulties, knowing that our present and light affliction is working for us a far exceeding weight of eternal glory. When the battle hits close to home, it's good to remind myself that I are already have the victory in Jesus! He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon records the greatest wisdom of the human experience. One of the key phrases of the book is "under the sun." Solomon's conclusion for life under the sun is that it is all empty or meaningless. That is the only logical conclusion, looking at the facts from the perspective of a purely physical existence.
But the Holy Spirit graciously revealed more than that to Paul. Maybe it was when he visited heaven. Okay, I'm taking some liberties here. Paul never says he visited heaven, he simply says there was a man. My opinion is that the man was him, but I'll admit I was proven wrong on at least one occasion and rumored to be wrong on several others. Whenever it was, the Holy Spirit provided Paul with a glimpse of life beyond what Solomon observed, of life lived under The Son.
Solomon said, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all you have, for the days are coming when you will be dead and cannot enjoy work anymore." True, if this life is all there is. Paul said to the Colossians, "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your heart, for you know that you will receive a reward from the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Later Paul said, "If our only hope is in this life we are of all men most miserable." He admitted the same conclusions Solomon had come to, up to a point. But Paul had seen something more. If' this life is all there is, if the only basis for judgement is "under the sun", then it is all meaningless and the joke's on us. Paul's concludes that there is more to this life than meets the eye. Further, he concludes that the unseen part, the part after "under the sun," is by far the most important.
So we take heart in difficulties, knowing that our present and light affliction is working for us a far exceeding weight of eternal glory. When the battle hits close to home, it's good to remind myself that I are already have the victory in Jesus! He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
Friday, October 12, 2007
follow me
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose follows a group of young paratroopers from bootcamp into combat during WWII. Just after D-Day, Lt. Winters is tasked with attacking an enemy artillery position with a small group of men. In the HBO produced series based on the book, he issues instructions then makes sure everyone understands. Then Lt. Winters begins moving toward the guns, calling over his shoulder "Follow me!"
Leadership is not about telling others what to do. It's about doing. I'm not going to get into what leadership is and how to do it - if you want that you have a choice of 219,317 books on Amazon.com (as of about 5:30 this morning, there are probably more by now). There are also countless videos, classes, seminars. Let me tell you, you can even google "leadership pill" and get results! (Ok, it's another book.)
This morning I wrote a note to my pastor. I wanted to tell him how much I have appreciated working with him for the last year and a half. By his choices and conduct, he has qualified himself as a leader in the Body of Christ. None of us can choose our place in the Body of Christ, God Himself determines that. We can however conduct ourselves in such a way that we become all He wants us to be.
Paul said "Follow me as I follow Christ." There are a lot of ideas about leadership, but to me this sums it up pretty well. That is the kind of leader I am willing to follow. And that is the kind of leader I want to be.
Leadership is not about telling others what to do. It's about doing. I'm not going to get into what leadership is and how to do it - if you want that you have a choice of 219,317 books on Amazon.com (as of about 5:30 this morning, there are probably more by now). There are also countless videos, classes, seminars. Let me tell you, you can even google "leadership pill" and get results! (Ok, it's another book.)
This morning I wrote a note to my pastor. I wanted to tell him how much I have appreciated working with him for the last year and a half. By his choices and conduct, he has qualified himself as a leader in the Body of Christ. None of us can choose our place in the Body of Christ, God Himself determines that. We can however conduct ourselves in such a way that we become all He wants us to be.
Paul said "Follow me as I follow Christ." There are a lot of ideas about leadership, but to me this sums it up pretty well. That is the kind of leader I am willing to follow. And that is the kind of leader I want to be.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
See the way
Zacchaeus was shorter than most. I can relate. He lived in Jericho, which I don't really relate to but that's okay. One day Jesus was walking through town. There was a crowd & Zacchaeus couldn't see over the top. He was looking for Jesus but all he could see was shoulder-blades. Or maybe knee-caps, depending on how wee of a man was he.
Sometimes it seems like you're looking for Jesus but there is something in the way. You want to see Him, you want to go the right way, do the right thing, make the right choice, but its hard to see the way. Sometimes like Zacchaeus, it seems that the hindrance is me, or something about the way I am. That's just the way I am. Why do I always do that? Etc., etc., etc.
Zacchaeus didn't let that stop him. He got to a higher place. He ran ahead & climbed a tree. Now he was well above everyone. So much that he attracted the attention of Jesus.
In our hearts, that higher place is often the place of praise. When I can't see Jesus, I need to lift my voice in praise, let my song be heard, lift my heart in thanksgiving. Speaking in faith the goodness of God, thanking Him for everything He has done, gets my eyes off the problem & opens my heart to receive His Word.
Need a path through the Red Sea? God can handle it (just ask Moses). An entire army chasing you down to kill you? No problem (Moses again. Or David. Or Hezekiah. I could go on). The devil himself against you? Already defeated. God does not have challenges, and even if He did, it would have to be something way bigger than the issue I'm facing today.
Praise lifts my heart to the place I can see Jesus, where my heart is open to hear His word. Looks like the Bible says it attracts His attention to me. As my friend Scott says, "Praise Him!"
Sometimes it seems like you're looking for Jesus but there is something in the way. You want to see Him, you want to go the right way, do the right thing, make the right choice, but its hard to see the way. Sometimes like Zacchaeus, it seems that the hindrance is me, or something about the way I am. That's just the way I am. Why do I always do that? Etc., etc., etc.
Zacchaeus didn't let that stop him. He got to a higher place. He ran ahead & climbed a tree. Now he was well above everyone. So much that he attracted the attention of Jesus.
In our hearts, that higher place is often the place of praise. When I can't see Jesus, I need to lift my voice in praise, let my song be heard, lift my heart in thanksgiving. Speaking in faith the goodness of God, thanking Him for everything He has done, gets my eyes off the problem & opens my heart to receive His Word.
Need a path through the Red Sea? God can handle it (just ask Moses). An entire army chasing you down to kill you? No problem (Moses again. Or David. Or Hezekiah. I could go on). The devil himself against you? Already defeated. God does not have challenges, and even if He did, it would have to be something way bigger than the issue I'm facing today.
Praise lifts my heart to the place I can see Jesus, where my heart is open to hear His word. Looks like the Bible says it attracts His attention to me. As my friend Scott says, "Praise Him!"
Friday, October 5, 2007
Please turn to Song #116
When you first meet someone, you are looking for common ground. That's why I have to work to avoid the question "What do you do?" What do you mean, what do I do? I do the same things you do- get up, go to work, hang with the guys, check the weather, bring home the bacon, pull for the team, help clear the dishes, give the kids a bath, try to keep my nose clean, keep it between the ditches, keep the ax to the grindstone, kiss my sweetie goodnight, try not to think of all the things undone when I finally lay my head on the pillow. Oh, you mean what's my job? If I'm pressed for time I usually answer "I do taxes." This is kind of a dangerous answer because 98% of the time that stops the conversation like a brick wall but the other 2% can lead to lengthy discussions on home office deductions and the like. (Side note: In my opinion, if you are legally entitled to a deduction you should take it. No charge for that one, but you should consult your own tax advisor.)
This morning I found a lot that I had in common with a man I've never met. And I don't know what his job is. Or was, I should say. He's been dead for a while now. But something he wrote has become one of the most famous pieces of literature in history. Hopefully someday we'll have even more in common than we do now. Not sure if it was a song or a poem, but it's included in the book of Psalms right before the shortest chapter in the Bible.
Psalm 116 is an expression of heartfelt gratitude that is as relevant and encouraging today as it was several thousand years ago. Our friend recorded the difficulties of his soul, something everyone can relate to. I wish everyone could also relate to the answers he found: that God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion.
When we call out, "O Lord, save me!" we open our situation to the same loving power that caused this guy to declare "When I was in great need, He saved me."
Wait, it gets even better. Not just help for the immediate need, but guaranteed success in the future. Too good to be true? In verse 8, my guy says not only has his soul been delivered from death (and his eyes from tears) but his feet have been delivered from stumbling. Where do I sign? My feet delivered from stumbling? I'll take it! Help for today and hope for tomorrow.
"Be at rest once more, O my soul." Why could he say that? Because God was good to him. Now that's something that I want to have in common.
This morning I found a lot that I had in common with a man I've never met. And I don't know what his job is. Or was, I should say. He's been dead for a while now. But something he wrote has become one of the most famous pieces of literature in history. Hopefully someday we'll have even more in common than we do now. Not sure if it was a song or a poem, but it's included in the book of Psalms right before the shortest chapter in the Bible.
Psalm 116 is an expression of heartfelt gratitude that is as relevant and encouraging today as it was several thousand years ago. Our friend recorded the difficulties of his soul, something everyone can relate to. I wish everyone could also relate to the answers he found: that God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion.
When we call out, "O Lord, save me!" we open our situation to the same loving power that caused this guy to declare "When I was in great need, He saved me."
Wait, it gets even better. Not just help for the immediate need, but guaranteed success in the future. Too good to be true? In verse 8, my guy says not only has his soul been delivered from death (and his eyes from tears) but his feet have been delivered from stumbling. Where do I sign? My feet delivered from stumbling? I'll take it! Help for today and hope for tomorrow.
"Be at rest once more, O my soul." Why could he say that? Because God was good to him. Now that's something that I want to have in common.
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