Category Archives: trust

Being A Loner for Jesus

prayer

I am reading through a five-day devotional on the Prayers of Jesus.  Most of them are just short verses referencing the fact that He prayed.  Today, one of the verses stood out to me so clearly:

Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

I had to go look up the chapter to see what the story was leading up to the verse.  Anytime a verse begins with “But…”, it’s tied to the verses and the story before it.  In this case, Jesus has become famous, people want to hang out with Him, He is healing people and doing amazing ministry, and everything is moving forward at 1000 mile an hour.

BUT he prayed.  In the busyness, success, and running; He prayed.

The third word hit me as well.  But Jesus OFTEN prayed.  He made it a habit.  I am so weak in this area, and I know it.  When I do stop and pray consistently, it changes me.  I can literally feel it.  But Jason doesn’t often pray.  I talk to God all day, but I don’t often stop and pray.  You see, the fourth and sixth words matter greatly here.  He WITHDREW to LONELY places.  He stopped the success, the ministry, the healing, the running, the being in demand, the great things and left it behind to pray.  Often.  Alone.

He quit doing the work of God to be with God.  This is the one I struggle with.  I am with God in the work.  I talk to Him WHILE I’m busy.  But I don’t often, on a regular basis, stop the work to just go away and pray.

So I am, right now.  As soon as I post this, I am leaving my desk to go off and pray.  I have a thousand things to do today, and ALL of them are urgent and important.  That’s why I am walking away.

What about you?

Stand

ephesians 6 10-20

I am reading through Ephesians 6 today, and it’s a fairly common set of verses.  We talk about it, teach on it, make up entire vacation Bible school weeks around it, and sell plastic warrior toys in Christian book stores based on them.  They go like this:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I love Paul’s description and his call for us to be strong and understand we are in a battle.  But each time I read this passage, one word stands out to me … “stand”.  It appears, as a command, four times in the passage.  Stand.  It’s not exactly our understanding of battle, is it.  We like words like Charge!, Attack!, Conquer!, Destroy!  We like the thought of charging hell with a water pistol, kicking butts and taking names, in the name of Jesus.  We want to be little Christian Rambo’s blowing up everything in sight.

But Paul calls for us to stand.  To dress for battle, to arm ourselves, and stand our ground.  Why?

Jesus is the one who attacked.  He won.  He fought the battle, swinging the cross, and He alone conquered.  He is the king, the victor, the winner, the man, the bomb, the One.  He alone is the one with all power, honor, and glory.  He already has won.  The battle is, for all intents and purposes, over.  There are still skirmishes and fights to wage.  So what do we do?

We stand our ground.  Don’t give up anything that Jesus gives us to the enemy in their desperate bids to go down with a fight.  We have to prepare ourselves for the fight, that will come to us.  We need to be ready to stand the attack.  But it is not up to us to defeat the enemy.  Jesus has that one covered.  So, as we put on the helmet of salvation, we will be in battle.  But we don’t need to be afraid, we don’t need to freak out, we don’t need to worry.  We are peacekeepers after the battle is over.

So, what does this mean?  We do have an enemy, and it’s not that person who drives you nuts.  It’s a spiritual army that can’t win.  We don’t need to live in fear as followers of the King.  We don’t need to worry.  We can rise above the mess of the day-to-day lies we live in, and follow a Jesus who is strong, vibrant, alive, and powerful.  When we move closer to Him, we will be attacked, but it’s not something that can overwhelm us, IF we use our armor.  But notice, all of our armor is based on our connection to Jesus.  As soon as we disconnect from Him, we will be overrun, and the enemy will take back ground that is ours to defend.

So, stand strong.  Trust your King, follow His plan today, and live in His strength.  He is a force to be reckoned with.

Just stand.

Hi, My Name Is Jason, and I am a Planner….

Plans

I find it so funny/frustrating/confusing/encouraging how I rarely know what God has planned for me, yet I still spend so much time trying to guess/hope/pray/assume/create/force some type of plans to happen.  I’m hardwired to be a long-term planner, it’s who I am.  And I try to hold those plans with very open hands, knowing God often changes them.  Yet, I find myself once again standing in the middle of a place that I thought was where I needed to be moving in my life, only to see those doors shutting.  I’m not mad, at least I don’t feel mad right now.  I’m just surprised at how quickly I want to make things into my new comfort zone, even when they are mostly shadow and hope.  As I sit here, wondering what the coming weeks and months hold, I am reminded once again, I am fine.  God has me, and I don’t need to be afraid/stressed/worried/unsure.


So often we make plans for ourselves, they give us some sense of comfort.  I don’t think I will ever stop planning/dreaming.  I used to wonder if I was wrong to create plans and systems.  At this point, I know it’s something God has put into me.  I just have to stop hoping vainly that they will bring me peace or comfort.  They won’t.  Only Jesus and His care will.  So, that is where I’m trying to put down my roots today.  In His care, in His comfort, in His goodness.

Maybe you’re a planner.  Maybe your plans have been disrupted.  Maybe you’re mad at Jesus for sticking His nose in your dreams.  Don’t be.  It’s not worth it.  You and I just want comfort.  THAT is one thing He offers to us in buckets.

We can trust Him in that one.  Today.  Tomorrow.  Forever.

Plan on it.

When He Stands Next to You

Sometimes we obey God, knowing we are doing exactly what He is calling us to do.  And it stinks.  Everything around us seems to crumble out from under our feet, and the more obedient we are, the more mess seems to come from it.  It’s so easy to give up, to wonder why God does this to us, to wonder where He is in all of this.  We can feel so alone, like it’s been years since we heard from Him.

I was reading through Acts 22 and 23 today, and Paul is in one of those spots.  He knows he has to go to Jerusalem.  He also knows he’s going to be arrested there.  He walks obediently into the fire, and chaos blows up around him.  A mob wants him killed, 40 men plot to murder him, the government bungles his case, his own former friends slap him and want to see him suffer.  All because he is obeying.  He stays faithfully on course, but I know humanly, he had to wonder, to doubt a little, to ask why.

Then in Acts 23, you hit verse 11.  It says “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ”Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”  Paul is locked into the barracks with Roman soldiers for his own safety, fairly alone.  Jesus shows up.  How do I know that the amazing, brave Paul was struggling?  Jesus’ first words are “Take courage.”  Jesus only tells us that when we need to…well…take courage.  As I read that, the little phrase “the Lord stood near Paul and said” made me cry.  Once again, Jesus shows up just when all is lost, when doubt settles in, in the night time where Satan always seems to come and whisper in our ear about doubt and failure.  Jesus is there, standing close, encouraging Paul.

So many times this is exactly what I need.  Only I give up an hour too soon.  I quit being faithful and take off on my own plan to try and fix the chaos.  I don’t wait quite long enough for Jesus to show up, stand by me, and give me courage.  Today, if you are in the dark, wondering why your faithfulness has you in such a mess, please hang on.  He is coming.  He will not let you down.  All it will take is for Him to remind you to “take courage”.

Don’t quit.

What Happened to Judas?

I am reading in Matthew 27 today, and it is the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.  At the beginning of the chapter, we see the end of Judas’ life.  The story flows like this:

3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.

4 ”I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

 

I am always fascinated with how Judas can have spent so much time with Jesus and still missed it.  I always have a hope that I will find some place in the story where Judas turns.  I just don’t want him to miss out on a chance at joy.  But I still haven’t found that part of the story.  It just doesn’t seem to be there.  When I read in verse three that he is filled with remorse, that is as close as I can find.

Unfortunately, there is huge gap between us being sorry for making a mistake and us trusting Jesus as our savior.  If Judas had turned his heart at this point, he would have trusted Jesus, not committed suicide.  He was just a few hours from the resurrection, and he took his own life.  He never made it.

Just a few hours from the resurrection.

So close.

It just breaks my heart to read this story.  But it pushes me to constantly evaluate what is driving me in my decisions.  When I make decisions based on guilt and regret, usually it works out poorly.  They are decisions without hope; desperate and grasping.

When I make decisions based on Jesus being my living King, it’s a whole different type of decision.  It’s one based on an impossible hope created by the loving, powerful son of God.

What message are we sending those we lead and love?  It’s more than remorse.  It’s faith.  It’s more than being sorry for sin.  It’s trusting in the living one.

I’m so glad.  Hope is the best way to live by far.

Riding a Bike With God Into the Apocalypse

zomebieshirt

I have been telling my 13 year old daughter not to worry so much. She has a deep held belief that the Mayans were right, and this is the year it all ends. I keep trying to convince her that it’s not true, that we follow a God who doesn’t hold to the Mayan calendar, etc. etc. Then, we run into a three week run of temperatures in the 60′s and 70′s in Indiana. In March.

Maybe the Mayans weren’t so off after all…..

So, with this apocalyptic weather pattern, I figure if the world’s gonna end, I might as well ride my bike as much as I can in the days we have left. So, yesterday, I got out for the first real ride of the year. I took off on one of my favorite routes that drops me way south and winds along the Flatrock river, which is blue this time of year, and beautiful. As I’m riding along, I was talking to God about some decisions that I am facing, and some that I can sense are headed my way in the near future. Now understand, usually I’m so focused on a) not falling off my bike and b) not throwing up that I don’t spend a lot of time in deep prayer, other than “Oh God, please help me not fall off my bike and throw up!” Yesterday, being the first ride of the season, I took it a bit easier (READ – “I’m out of shape from a winter of donuts and Starbucks.”) Since I wasn’t at top form, I had more ability to talk to God as I lumbered along.

I was just asking Him what He’d like me to do? How can I best serve? Neither option is clear cut, it’s not a decision of sin versus obedience. These are two options that really don’t have moral complications. His answer, while similar to all of His other answers (He’s nothing if not consistent), still caught me a bit off guard, and gave me great peace. He talked to me about how I can do choice “A” in my options, and it will result in blessings on a wide scale, and He will use me and bless me as I’m faithful. Or, I can select choice “B”, and it will have a much deeper impact closer to home and in my community. Again, as I’m faithful, He will use me and bless me. Not because of anything that I am, or because of what I am doing, or anything that I have earned in any way; but simply because He is good, He is not limited by my choices and options, and He’s just not that worried about it. So, as the choices come, pick one, and let’s go.

This brings me so much peace. The options I’m facing, when left to my own devices to decide, is fraught with potential problems and mistakes, and the pallor of regret could hang over the wrong decision fairly easily. When both options are placed in His hands, it all fades down to Love God, Love Others, Serve the World. He has the details. I just need to trust and watch Him work.

HERE is where I begin to see that He’s not kidding. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He really, literally means it.

What is that you are wrestling with, debating, worrying over? Could it be that if you will simply trust Him, He will carry you either way?

Hey, Here’s Some Gold … Now Run!!

Reading through Matthew 2 today, the story of Jesus birth, the coming of the Magi, and Joseph and Mary running to Egypt for safety.  As I’m thinking about the timeline, an interesting point came up.  Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem, we’re not sure how long.  It is most likely quite a while since Jesus has been born.  The Magi come looking for him, and with Herod’s help, they find Jesus.  They show up at the house, offer Him their gifts, and then are warned to leave another way, and they do.  In the story, an angel also tells Joseph to leave because they are in danger, which it says Joseph gets up that night and leaves.  Herod goes on to kill the boys in that area, but Joseph and family are gone by that point.

So, in the story, Joseph and Mary settle to some degree in Bethlehem, raising their kid.  We don’t know if it’s days, weeks, months, or how long they are there.  But then the Magi show up, the whole scene goes down, and then God says “Run!”  The timing is crazy.  God holds them in place just long enough to get the Magi to them, and then shifts the whole story into another gear.  He doesn’t send them to safety right away.  He could have.  As soon as Jesus was born, He could have sent them to Egypt to be sure they were safe.  He doesn’t.  He holds them there, in danger, so the Magi can come and carry out their part of the plan.

It doesn’t seem like Joseph and Mary knew about the danger they were in.  But what if they did?  They were at risk, and God was playing pretty loose with their lives.  He doesn’t send them packing way before the risk came.  The story seems to indicate that God cut it so close that Joseph had to wake up from the dream, and leave right then.  God sure did take that one down to the wire.  What if Joseph didn’t obey?  What if he blew the dream off?  What if…..

But God doesn’t work with “what if’s”.  He is God, sovereign, in total control, with no worry or anxiety.  We worry, not Him.  We think He was cutting it close, He saw it as right on time.  How many times does He do this in our life?  We get all bent out of shape because God isn’t moving fast enough, or He’s moving too fast, or we’re convinced He isn’t moving at all?  We stress, worry, fret, and sweat, all while He is proceeding with His plan exactly as He has laid it out.  We may be convinced God has missed it, that now it’s too late for anything good to happen, all the while He has the Magi and their incredible gifts right around the corner.

A lot of people think that the gifts the Magi brought helped pay for their trip to Egypt.  It would have been expensive, and it’s unlikely Joseph would have had a lot of cash around.  God knew.  He always does.  He covers every detail.

He still does today.  Whatever is off schedule in your life, be patient.  God is working things out in His time, which is always the right time.  We worry, He doesn’t.  Which means neither of us need to.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, or what you’re waiting on God for.

God, Old Testament Prophets, and the Jackson 5

Today I was reading in Zechariah chapter 1, and the book opens with God telling Zechariah “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

No big deal.  This is what God always says.  He’s always ready to take us back.  We talk about it every Sunday in church.

But this IS a big deal.  God has been punishing the people for decades of sins.  They have completely, totally, and utterly abandoned God.  They’ve turned their back on Him over and over and over again.  So, He punished them, because He loves them.

Now, here, Zechariah is told to go tell the people these things.  Not because they have repented, or felt sorry, or made up with God.  They are still far from Him.  No, Zechariah is told this message because God wants to see them forgiven and restored.  It’s because of Him, His love, His kindness, His grace, His hope, His forgiveness that the message is given.  ”Return to me, and I’ll return to you.”

We get it.  Then we don’t get it.  We think God is forgiving.  God does love us.  God does offer forgiveness.

We doubt it really applies to our big messes though.  There’s a limit to His grace.  We have to fix things first before He’ll look at us.  We think we can mess up, and God will take us back.  We just believe there is some magical formula in the middle of those two things where we earn it.  Most of the time when we really screw up, we realize that if that’s true, we’re in trouble.  We aren’t sure how to get from point A (I screwed up) to point B (God forgives me).

But here, hundreds of years before Jesus shows up on the scene, God simply offers, turn around and come towards me.  I’ll meet you as soon as you turn around.  That’s it.  Nothing more.  He offers it to an entire nation of people who are still far from Him.  Just turn around and look for me.  I’ll be there.  (You can almost hear the Jackson’s behind Him? “I’ll be theeerrrreee….. I’ll be theeerrrreee….Just call my name….I’ll be there…..”)  Only, He really meant it.

He still does.

Today.

Yep, you’ve messed up.  So have I.  Today.  But the offer holds true.  ”Return to me, and I’ll return to you.”  Just turn around.  Look for Him.  Ask Him to come.  He will.  He promises.  I don’t get it.  I don’t understand it.  I don’t fathom HOW He can or will do it.  I really don’t.  Doesn’t matter.  He still does it.  He is here for us, we just need to turn around.

Return to me, and I’ll return to you.

Can These Bones Live?

I’m finishing up the book of Ezekiel today.  I gotta admit, it’s been tough.  I’m reading through the Bible chronologically, or in the order the stories actually occurred.  So, I’ve been reading the prophets, one after another after another, and it’s gotten very heavy.  I’ve been dreading the reading because I’m so overwhelmed with the people’s sins, and how broken the whole thing is, and how God is angry and broken-hearted at it all.

Then today, I hit Ezekiel 37.  It says:

1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”   I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. ’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ”

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

This story turns the whole book around.  Ezekiel has been given dark message after tough message to tell the people.  But here, God is doing several things.  One, He is helping the prophet understand that the messages are meant to heal over all.  Second, even though the nation has turned it’s back on God, He still has a plan to heal them.  Third, there is always hope.

I am so grateful that when I am like the people of Israel, and I run my own course and ruin everything, that God is still there, even though He shouldn’t be.  So often I feel like I’ve messed things up so badly that there is nothing left of me but dryness and bones. Then He reminds me,  He always has a plan, always has a way, to turn things around.

It’s also encouraging that when I am speaking and doing what I am supposed to do, that God will use it.  Often I feel like the things I say and do for Him have little to no effect.  God reminds me, reminds us, that is never true.  He can bring life to any dry bones, anytime He wants.  We have to be faithful, and trust Him to carry out His plans.

I don’t know if you’re in either spot today, either in a mess and needing hope, or tired of serving and needing encouragement, but I hope you can take something from Ezekiel 37 and hear God telling you “It’s going to be okay.  Just trust me.”

WHY is Jesus So Hard on Us?

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak on Ephesians 4:20-5:20.  If you haven’t read the passage in a while, honestly, stop reading this stuff that I’m writing and go spend your time over there.  It’s a much better use of time.

If you have read it recently, or just went and read it, you’ll see that it’s a tough passage.  God calls us away from a ton of options in life towards something much better.  He wants us to move away from protecting our self, maintaining an image, compromising our values and move towards freedom, hope, and joy.  The call to leave behind things like deceiving others to avoid conflict, talking poorly about other people to elevate ourselves, being lazy and stealing from those we work for/with, walking away from any hint of sexual immorality, letting go of jokes and humor that is off color at any level are all tough things in our world.  But the call to be someone who is forgiving, generous, encouraging, hopeful and free is a call worth thinking about and following.

One of the thoughts I’ve been walking through is why God calls us to lives of purity.  So often we put God in a position where He tells us these things because “it’s good for us”, but we mean it in a sense where God is after His own gain, and by putting us down, breaking us apart, it cements His position as God.  He does it for our “best”, but He’s a bit cruel about it.  I hear it all the time, and I think it all the time.  It comes in such thoughts as “I know God loves me, but why does it have to be so difficult?”  ”Why can’t God make this easier on me?”  ”Why does God keep pushing for this issue in my life when He knows how tough it is for me?”  We begin to believe that God wants us to change, because somehow He benefits or profits from it, and therefore a little pain on our part is just going to have to be the price to get Him what He wants.  We believe that He is a little indifferent to our pain.

But we need to stop and consider something.  God exists above and beyond us.  He was just fine before He created the universe.  He will be just fine long after it’s gone.  Our obedience/disobedience doesn’t change who He is.  His day is not made better when we obey.  His attitude doesn’t drop when we disobey.  He loves us, but we have no power to change Him.  He is perfect and complete without us, regardless of whether we obey Him or not.  He doesn’t give us the commands in the Bible for His good.  He doesn’t need or want anything from us in order to improve His day.

He only wants things FOR us, not FROM us.  His commands don’t profit Him at all, they are merely meant to help us live lives of freedom and hope.  His way is the best way.  Period.  When He calls us away from something, it is only because it’s harmful.  When He calls us to something, it is only because it’s good.  He doesn’t win or lose based on our obedience or disobedience.

I just think it’s crucial for us to get this as we contemplate our obedience in the tough things in life.  If His commands aren’t true, why would He give them?  Be brave as you work through the places He is pushing you in.  He will see us through, and it’s always worth it.