Treasure in Jars of Clay

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this

all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7-9)

The longer I live, the more I come to understand that freedom and suffering usually go hand in hand. Take for instance, the freedom that we will celebrate on July 4th every year. We celebrate our country’s freedoms, but one cannot truly appreciate the value of the freedoms we have without understanding that suffering was involved in gaining that freedom for us.

The reality is that suffering will always be a part of our earthly existence. Suffering comes from several sources: we may suffer as a result of our sin or of others sin, or, the most difficult to accept, our suffering may come from the hand of the Lord. Whatever the source, we are sure that Scripture teaches us that suffering is a part of God’s plan to mold us and shape us into all that He is creating us to be. It is a tool to cause us to hold loosely to the things of this earth and to help us yearn for Him and for “Home”!

When you boil it down, every great thing was born out of someone else’s suffering. How so? Well, for example, in order to perform the first heart transplant someone had to die! Braille was created for and is a help to the blind today because someone lost their sight. We would never be able to receive eternal life were it not for the suffering of our Savior.

Consider this:
“No words can express how much our world 'owes' to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were conceived in a wilderness. Most of the New Testament was written in a prison. The greatest words of God's Scriptures have all passed through great trials. The greatest prophets have "learned in suffering what they wrote in their books." So take comfort afflicted Christian! When our God is about to make use of a person, He allows them to go through a crucible of fire.” (George MacDonald)

This week our nation saw an event that was born out of many people’s suffering. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln and many others on the battle field and on the streets suffered so that January 20th, 2009 could take place. Oh, the great joy of being free, as an American but much more than that, a Christian. To God be the glory.

Jesus Still Walks, Through Us

It was fairly chilly for a Thanksgiving Day in Dallas that year. Our original plans had changed and instead of being at home preparing food and watching football, we were huddled up in the hospital as a family of five around our 8 year old son and brother who had just gone into chronic renal failure and was just told that he’d be starting dialysis the next day.

Although we had much to be thankful for, it was a really hard day. We knew since his birth that this day would probably come and we’d been through at least six surgeries in his short life, but even with all of the mental, spiritual and actual practice we’d had in many hospital rooms, recovery rooms and E.R’s, this day weighed heavily on our hearts.

Rebecca and I were discussing what we should get for lunch down in the cafeteria at Children’s that day. We’d never eaten hospital food on Thanksgiving Day, but today we had to make due. Moments later in our small corner room we heard a knock on the door. I rose to open the door and to my surprise, our friend John stood at the door with a large container on wheels along with a huge bag. With a smile on his face, love in his heart and with a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner fit for a king, he said, “Happy Thanksgiving!”

Needless to say, we were blown away. As we unpacked the containers we found all of our Thanksgiving favorites and more. There was so much food that we had enough to fill our stomachs as well as share with the doctors, nurses and other techs throughout the day. (It was a fish and loaves moment!)

That day, Thanksgiving of 2004, Jesus walked through our hospital room door in the flesh through our friend John. In a dark, lonely, scary moment a brother in Christ (and his wonderful family who gave him up during his time of preparation for us), brought joy, hope, peace, comfort and loads of food to bless us.Friends, we have the opportunity, as the Body of Christ, to minister to each other in countless ways each and every day. There are an extreme number of people hurting and in need all around you as you read this. Today, this week, this year, ask the Lord how you might step into someone’s journey and be “Jesus in the flesh” to them. You will bless them and you will be blessed beyond measure as well. Do so, because it’s not only what Jesus would do, it’s what He has already done. And again, thanks, John.

B-i-b-l-e

“The B-i-b-l-e, yes, that’s the book for me!

I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-i-b-l-e!”

If you grew up in the church, you’ve probably heard that song and sang it many times as a child or as a Sunday school teacher. It has a cute and fun melody and is one of the ways that taught many children how to spell the word Bible.

An unfortunate reality about this song is that the truth of it is often lost. We sing it over and over again and have fun while we are doing it, but how often do we stop and think about the simple, yet powerful words that we are singing. “I stand alone on the Word of God!” The Bible, the Word of God is where my foundation to all of life, here and throughout all eternity is built; a short sentence that is packed with hope, peace, truth, comfort and more.

Losing sight of the power of God’s word doesn’t only happen through some of the “child-like” songs that we sing, but also in some of the stories in Scripture that we often hear only in Sunday school or in Children’s sermons. Stories like, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, Samson, Noah and the ark and Jesus walking on the water are not supposed to be stories that stay in Sunday school lessons, rather, because as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

One of the reasons that God put these and many more wonderful stories in the Bible that everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult can understand is so that we might see that God’s truths are relevant to us all and so that we can relate to God’s had working throughout history. He did this in the ultimate way when he sent Jesus to the earth to be born, live and die in human form, but we must never lose sight of the reality that these other stories are filled with men and women who are just like you and me who had to rely on God for every breath and to lead and guide us though every circumstance.

Take some time this year and re-read some of your favorite “Children’s bible stories”. Dig deep, look intently and see how God is reaching through their stories out to you, offering you the same grace, guidance, love, peace and future that each of these real men and women experienced. God is so good to put these stories here for us to see and remember that as the song says, “It is no secret, what God can do. What He’s done for others, he’ll do for you!” Enjoy digging through Scripture again with “Child-like” expectation.

I Am Still Not All I Should Be

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be,

but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing:

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Philippians 3:13 (NLT)

Not too long ago, I was laying down resting and thinking deeply about my past and how, if I had the chance to do it all over again I would change some things I’ve done, not speak some things I’ve said, not go some places I’ve been, not think some things I’ve thought. It almost became discouraging as I realized none of my past can ever be changed until God began to replace those thoughts and blanket me with truth from His Word. His Spirit spoke Psalm 30:11 to me, where it says, “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.” (NLT) And then Joel 2:25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.” (NKJV). And finally, Isaiah 43:18-20 "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. "Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness. (NASB)

God has given you and I breath today in order for us to bring glory to Him. One way that we can do that is to not focus on the past, except to repent of anything there that might be displeasing to Him, accept that it is covered by the blood of Christ and live today in a way that is pleasing to Him. When Jesus spoke to the woman caught in adultery, he did not excuse her sin, yet He pointed her forward and said, “Go and sin not more!” (John 8:10-12)

We cannot change yesterday, but we can, with God’s help and our obedience change how tomorrow reflects on today. Where have you really blown it? What things do you wish you could change about “yester-year”? Remember Isaiah’s words, “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.” And don’t forget the words of Jesus, “Go and sin not more!” Today is a new day. Go in His strength and through obedience to His Word put a smile on the Lord’s face about your “today”. From that morning, recently, I’ve been holding on to this thought: that I will live each day, “Striving to please Him in all that I do today.” If I live that way everyday then all of my tomorrows will take care of themselves.

Let’s praise and worship the Lord today for being a God who can indeed take a failed past and turn it into a bright and hope filled future. Glory to His name!
Pastor MJ