Unity or Division

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!
It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.               Psalm 133 (The Message)

Jesus said that a house, any kingdom, divided against itself won’t survive (Matthew 12:25). In looking at both of these passages, unity sounds like a characteristic of the presence of God. Doesn’t it?

Anyone who knows my husband and me, knows we are very different. Henry comes from a family who loves knowledge. If Jeopardy was a team sport, you might not want to go up against the Neufeld team! But they would need me and my family for the sports questions. They have learned a lot about baseball since connecting with my family. Henry likes a worship service with some good traditions and Bible teaching. I like a service that is different and free-flowing with attention to where the Holy Spirit wants to minister whether it’s through music, prayer, testimonies, or teaching or combination. Henry is a vegetarian and I have never met a chicken, cow, pig, or fish I didn’t like! Most of Henry’s clothes are black, gray, or navy. I like maroon, electric blue, and amethyst. Some might think that our differences would make for long negotiations and someone constantly “giving in”. Our relationship works because we have our #1-3 priorities in common: God, ministry, our family.

Jesus must look at what were doing to His Kingdom plan and roll His eyes or bang His head against our church walls! We have divided His plan in so many compartments that we decided were denominations. (Interesting that word is also used with money and Jesus said that we can’t serve God and money. Matthew 6:24. Hmmmm) It is when we lose sight of the goal, the salvation and discipleship of God’s children, that we become divided. It is no longer Jesus who is our leader but our own agendas and wants. The Holy Spirit pours out His gifts when we bring our attitudes to be like Jesus. We do not consider equality with Him something to be achieved but take the nature of a servant and humble ourselves and become obedient (Philippians 2:5-8). Do we come together and prayerfully ask God, “What’s next?” and then lay aside our agendas and come alongside Jesus’ plan? Or do we keep thinking up our own programs and then ask Jesus to bless them?

And when division in the Body of Believers occurs do we ask God for His wisdom and grace first or start with the accusations immediately? The Pharisees came in with the judgment and condemnation because Jesus was calling people to a deeper relationship with the Father and moving away from supporting the self-praising, destructive church that hung like a milestone around the people’s necks. Do we make decisions that will fulfill Jesus’ commission to teach disciples in all nations whether that is in our local community or across the world?

Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.

Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God.               Romans 15:5-7 (HCSB)

Unity or Division. What characterizes my life?

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Put Out into the Deep Water

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing!”      Luke 5:3-5 (HCSB)

“I’ve worked soooo hard, God, and nothing is happening!” Oh, how I must admit my whining! Look at how Jesus works –

Jesus meets people where they are. Jesus did not expect people to meet Him inside the church. If I look at the times that He was inside the synagogue, it wasn’t always such a positive experience. He usually did something that upset the leadership. Jesus went out into the villages, on hilltops, along the sea to teach and talk to the people. Jesus brought God to them.

His parables, or stories reflected their lives. Jesus did not preach sermons that would have gotten high grades in seminary. His teachings did not have 3-4 supporting references from great theologians of His time. Jesus spoke about planting and fishing, the everyday events in the lives of His audience. He wanted them to understand that God was in their lives in a personal and intimate way.

Jesus taught that God can be most visible in darkness and storms. Jesus came to the disciples in storms on the sea. He came to them in the night. Jesus touched people in their illness, even in death. It seems we must get to the point of seeing Jesus as the only option. How much easier it would be in our lives if we saw Jesus first as the best option! In this story, Jesus tells Peter to put out into the deep. There’s a clue to Peter on where he will be living the rest of his life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is no playing like a child in the shallow end of the pool. There are no safety nets. When Jesus takes us out where He wants us to be, we can count on that we won’t be able to “touch the bottom”. We may be asked to cast our net out even when we have already been working and working. Jesus is asking us to trust Him; have faith in Him. “But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.” That’s it. Jesus asked me. I obey. Look what happens.

They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart.     Luke 5:6 (CEV)

God is in the multiplication business…miracles. Jesus shows us how a mustard seed of faith and obedience will cause extraordinary things to happen. Sometimes I miss the miracles because I am looking with limited eyes. I am looking for the seas to part and bushes to blaze but not burn and the dead to rise. Jesus is trying to get me to look for bigger. He wants me to see His Kingdom. He wants His children not to be divided but to be connected and work together for the Kingdom. He wants me to burn with His Spirit, bringing others closer to His presence. He wants me to see my time here as just a brief time to serve until I pass through that door I call “death” into my real life that never, ever ends with Him.

 

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Brothers in Jesus’ Family

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

Then the disciples came up and told Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?”     Matthew 15:10-12 (HCSB)

Lectionery Texts: Genesis 45:1-5,  Psalm 133,  Romans 11:12, 29-32,  Matthew 15:10-28

The lectionery texts this week are about “brothers”, about God’s family. Family relationships, whatever kind they are, certainly need Jesus in them!

Too often I think that my “spiritual family” relationships should be smooth sailing with common goals and good communication. I forget that the family is still made up of people who are like me – less than perfect.

In the Matthew text, Jesus says, “LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND!”. Jesus is giving me a heads up that what He is about to say is important. It is important not just to me but in relationships. Jesus tells me that what is in my heart will overflow out of my mouth. What kind of spiritual food am I consuming? What is flowing out of me to others? Am I taking in God’s goodness, kindness, gentleness, joy, love, self-control, peace, patience, and faithfulness? Am I going to His buffet?

Not a shock that the religious leaders would be offended that their buffet of eating the “right” food in the “right” way and at the “right” time was seen as defiling to them. They wanted to use their knowledge and relationship with God as a way to manipulate and control people. They wanted to make it impossible for people to have joy in their relationship with God and use whatever power they thought they had to get more power and more status in their community.

Jesus set the example for me. He looked to God to tell Him who He was. He didn’t care about the judgment of other people. I am shown that He spent “alone time” with God. He did that because He needed it! I believe that because He did, He had infinite patience and compassion for the people. Jesus saw them as children, as sheep without a shepherd. He showed me His way of ministering. He showed me how to share His Good News with the power of His Spirit right there with me.

Jesus had little patience with synagogue leaders who manipulated, lied, and generally misrepresented God by their examples. They were not about bringing God and His children closer together. Jesus showed by His example that leaders were to serve others. He said that the greatest in His Kingdom were those who are servants in the Kingdom (Mark 10:43). Jesus washed not only Peter and John’s feet but Judas’ feet. Jesus specifically says that if I love only those who love me – there is no spiritual ‘credit’ for that (Luke 6:32-36).

Matthew’s passage in this lectionery includes the story of the Canaanite woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter. The dialogue between Jesus and the woman can be puzzling as He seems to say that because she is not a Jew, she isn’t worthy of His time or healing. I think that Jesus’ tongue is set firmly in His cheek. He is sarcastically pointing back to the Pharisees who say that those who are not Jews, even most Jews who aren’t “right” in their eyes, are not worthy of God’s blessings. The truth is – NONE of us are worthy of God’s blessings. Again, Jesus gives me the example that when I serve others, judgment of whether they are worthy of my service does not enter into it. Jesus sends me to serve whomever He wills.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers can live together!

It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard, on his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion.

For there the LORD has appointed the blessing—life forevermore.    Psalm 133 (HCSB)

 

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Pay Attention

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

I greatly rejoice in the LORD, I exult in my God;
for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation
and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its growth,
and as a garden enables what is sown to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.             Isaiah 61:10-11 (HCSB)

Isaiah 61 is an often quoted Scripture, especially the first three verses. Jesus quoted part of them in Luke 4 as He proclaimed who He was and what He had come to do.

I join Isaiah here in verses 10-11 in worship for who God is and what He continues to do. This is where God has had me all week – focusing on Him. I acknowledge that there is evil and he resides in this world. As the days pass it may seem that evil is becoming more powerful and winning more battles. And he wants me to see and think that. The more the enemy can keep me focused on him, the bigger he seems.

As I read through the gospels and note where Jesus’ focus is, I can learn from His example. Jesus regularly spent time alone in prayer. He shows me the importance that no matter how long I have known the Father there is always more to learn. It is a relationship I should never take for granted but instead rejoice in it and nurture it.

Jesus spoke to other people about the Father and His Kingdom. He didn’t talk about the Roman government and what they were doing. He didn’t sit around discussing the politics of the day or try to influence the officials. Jesus was about people changing how they lived their lives. He set an example for me whether I live in the United States, Iran, or China. My relationship with Him cannot be destroyed by a government. No government can stop me from talking to God or loving Him.

When Jesus was confronted by the enemy, He didn’t waste His breath or give the enemy any power. He told the demons to be silent. He told them to leave. He didn’t hold conversations with them. He didn’t “study” them. Jesus gave them no “cred”. He wanted people to keep their focus on the One who was truth and would speak only the truth.

Each day, even many times each day, I have a choice on who and what I will put my attention. Joshua told his audience to “choose you this day who you will serve”. He made it clear that they had only two choices: God or false gods, meaning Satan. And then Joshua proclaimed that “as for me and my house we are going to serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). That’s it. Joshua made a choice.

This week has been no different than any other. Work, bills, people that I love with sickness or difficult situations, the chaos and conflicts of the world continue. And yet this week has been different because my focus has been on the LORD. I have spent more time recognizing and choosing the LORD this week. I suspect my blood pressure has been lower, certainly my spirit is in better shape at the end of the week than it usually is.

Satan exists. He roams this world looking to “pick off”, harass, and generally do whatever he can to make us pay attention to him and his work. Will I give him any attention? Or will I live my life following Jesus; bringing His Light into the darkness so that others may reach for the Truth and live free? That is how righteousness and praise will spring up throughout all the nations.

 

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Path Through the Wilderness

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.

The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God’s kindness was even more powerful.                             Romans 5:18-20 (CEV)

This has been a week where God is showing me the many ways He loves and cares for me. And I am realizing how oblivious I am to most of that extraordinary and extravagant love.

In Luke’s gospel, I read the account of Jesus in the wilderness . For forty days Jesus does not eat or drink. Have you ever fasted for one day? A person might be feeling weak and tired after forty days. What was Jesus doing out in the wilderness? He had just been baptized. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus told John the Baptist that “we should do this” (Matthew 3). He aligns Himself with us from the beginning of His ministry. So what does Jesus’ time in the wilderness have to do with us?

I believe that Jesus goes out there to find Satan and put him on notice. Luke 4 says that Jesus did not just wander out into the wilderness. He went there led by God’s Spirit. It was a deliberate journey. Satan had been “messing with” God’s children since his devious mission against Adam and Eve. Generations had passed and he continued to tempt and accuse God’s children. Jesus came to bring a message not only to God’s children – but to our enemy as well.

We have all had wilderness experiences. It isn’t about geography.

  • There’s the wilderness of grief. It is lonely and painful. Each person has their own path to walk and there are no shortcuts. The enemy can whisper that the sadness I feel will never leave me. Whether this loss comes because of a death, a broken promise, or the loss of a dream, grief comes with a dark cloud that can have me wandering without direction for a very long time.
  • There’s the wilderness in marriage. There are times in any human relationship when people struggle. In marriage people grow chronologically and emotionally, changing as they live. These changes can produce difficulties in communication and common goals. The husband and wife can certainly feel they are going through wilderness experiences.
  • There’s the spiritual wilderness. These could be described much like the marriage difficulties because it is about a relationship. My relationship with Jesus is alive and so that means it grows and changes. There are times when communication with God is – difficult. I don’t want to talk. Or I can’t hear Him.

Jesus went into the wilderness to confront Satan. And He went to show us how to get through the wilderness despite Satan. James said that We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us(James 1:14). Say that I am grieving the loss of my son and during that time I decide to have a glass of wine at night to help me sleep. Then its two glasses because I had an especially rough day. Then it’s a rum and coke on the two month anniversary of my son’s death. Soon I am wandering around in a wilderness that can only be tolerated with alcohol. I am trapped. A wilderness can weaken me and have me thinking things I would not usually be thinking.

Jesus was tired and hungry from battling Satan for forty days. Luke 4:2 says that. Jesus wasn’t tempted just three times, spaced out over forty days. It was a continuous battle. Ever had seasons like that when you felt under constant, ongoing attack?

What was Jesus’ strategy that ended in victory? He stood firm on the Truth that He knew. “It is written…”. That is the sword of God’s word that cut Satan off at the knees. Everything I need for survival is in God’s Handbook, the Bible. It is so important to know God’s Word. It is where I will learn who He is and how He acts and what He desires in our relationship. It is the foundation for knowing His love for me. It is the glue that will show me how to trust God.

Jesus said that in this world I will have trouble but know that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). I follow His example by standing on God’s promises written in His Word. I overcome Satan as others have before me because of Jesus’ blood sacrifice, the testimony of Jesus in my life, and I choose to give away my life, even to death. And there’s the ultimate victory in any wilderness.

 

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Deep Cleaning

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.        John 3:7-9 (HCSB)

Our cat, Cheena, keeps herself clean by licking herself. She removes dirt, and other stuff, off her body by licking. Now this can cause a hairball. (Yes, that is a disgusting picture.) She scratches furniture. She does her business in wrong places and lays out in the middle of the floor or bed like she owns the house. It’s her nature. I would love to deposit a bit of “Jody seed” into Cheena. Just enough to stop her licking and scratching and doing things in wrong places. Does that seem like a weird idea? Well, it was God’s idea before it was mine.

I will take away your stubborn heart and give you a new heart and a desire to be faithful. You will have only pure thoughts, because I will put my Spirit in you and make you eager to obey my laws and teachings.           Ezekiel 36:26-17 (CEV)

God was a heart transplant surgeon long before Dr. Christiaan Barnard did one in 1967.

Nicodemus is tired of trying to have a relationship with God through all the rules and regulations that give no rest. He has tried and tried to get them all correct and it’s impossible. There’s even a sacrifice on Yom Kippur to cover any sins he can’t remember to confess! Nicodemus is looking for a better way and he is desperate enough to visit this Jesus at night in the hope of finding The Way.

God doesn’t clean us superficially like I do a window with a spray cleaner and a rag. He works from the inside – out. So why do I keep falling down? My 6-month-old granddaughter and 1-year-old grandson are just learning to navigate around this world they find themselves in. They spend a lot of time in toys that help them learn balance and scooting and walking. Their parents try to make their home safe from sharp-cornered tables as they stumble and toddle their way through a day. Even my 6-, 7-, 8-, and 13-year-old grandchildren stub their toes and bang their heads on objects that they do not see because they aren’t paying attention. They haven’t experienced or learned to watch for unexpected objects that block the path. Do I live my life like a toddler or a wise, watchful adult?

Jesus tells me that, if I will allow it, He will make me brand new, with the new mind and spirit just like we see in a newborn. There is no old baggage, the dirt and slime of past experiences and injuries. All that is taken from me and I will never have to carry them again. And because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, I now have a relationship with God, not because of anything I have done or can do, but because of God’s grace, His extravagant love. Jesus can take what seems impossible and make it possible. And He gives His Spirit to remind me of His teachings that help me to stay on the path that leads to eternal life with Him.

As we do our routine cleaning today, wiping the counters, vacuuming, brushing our teeth, or sweeping the porch let us allow our minds to connect with Jesus and allow Him to cleanse us better than clean. Let’s embrace our new life that He offers.

 

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God’s BFFs – His Former Sinners

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners’?”

Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”       Luke 5:27-32 (The Message)

This passage is a perfect “bite” out of Scripture for teaching because it has three great points. (That’s the magic number, isn’t it?!)

Jesus gives Levi (Matthew) the invitation and Levi doesn’t make a list and weigh the consequences. He just goes. Why does he do that? How did he get to that point in his life? We don’t know anything about Levi’s life prior to this but we can make some assumptions by just knowing his career choice.

I have heard “tax collector” compared to an “IRS agent”. I don’t think that quite gets us to how ostracized he was by his community. I think it would be closer to a known criminal who calls themselves a Christian and also scams senior citizens and single mothers in the name of a government that we despise. Levi had taken a job with the Roman government in which he would be told how much “tax” he had to collect. He could tax anything he wanted and whatever monies he collected over what Rome expected was his personal stash. In his society it was “them”(Rome, Gentiles) and “us”(Jews) and Levi had aligned himself with the enemy. Levi never got invited to a “good Jew’s” house. No one stopped at his collection hut to chat. He was shunned. Maybe when Jesus walked up and invited Levi to join Him – Levi may not have cared where they were going, he just knew that someone wanted him. I suspect Jesus’ eyes gave Levi that window into His heart and, in that moment, he felt loved like he had never experienced before. That’s how it was the night Jesus invited me to “Come”.

The Pharisees, which is the church leadership, were offended. Other translations of this passage say that they “grumbled” or “complained”. I think offended is probably closer to the truth. When God does something or asks me to do something that is outside the box that I have placed Him in, offended is often the reaction. I remember the first time I was in a worship service that had guitars and drums and people clapping and even dancing in their happiness at worshiping their Lord. I was offended. That wasn’t the way I thought God should be worshiped. And there was the point. My focus was on me not on God. What was God’s plan? When I looked in the Bible and read about Miriam and Moses and David dancing in their worship, I decided that God was trying to get me to find His joy in worship. I found it. And I am keeping it.

Jesus brings the last point home like a laser beam. Jesus came to be the perfect sacrifice not for “perfect people” but for those of us who are sick with sin and need healing. And that is why He spent time eating and drinking with the sinners. Jesus was about building relationships. I can really get to know someone over a sandwich and a glass of tea. Sharing Sunday dinner is a good way to let Jesus’ healing love to just flow over those who have come to the table with broken hearts and bruised spirits. (Note to many of you who are reading this who have shared a table with me in the last 15 years – thank you for the laughter, comfort, and memories that we have shared.)

When I think of what Jesus has shown me to do in His plan, is it about reaching out to people who are injured or am I afraid of getting my hands dirty? Am I part of a fellowship who makes the homeless feel as welcome in our worship as we do the Bishop? Do I give away my seat in God’s Temple or do I keep myself separated sitting on my proverbial high horse?

[Jesus said,]“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do [what is] good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do [what is] good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”               Luke 6:32-36 (HCSB)

 

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Untangle the Knots

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

From Abraham to David

Abraham fathered Isaac,
Isaac fathered Jacob,
Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,

Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
Perez fathered Hezron,
Hezron fathered Aram,

Aram fathered Aminadab,
Aminadab fathered Nahshon,
Nahshon fathered Salmon,

Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab,
Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth,
Obed fathered Jesse,

and Jesse fathered King David.

From David to the Babylonian Exile

Then David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife [Bathsheba],

Solomon fathered Rehoboam,
Rehoboam fathered Abijah,
Abijah fathered Asa,…

…and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary,
who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.        Matthew 1:1-7, 16 (HCSB, my emphasis)

Did you ever wonder why Matthew and Luke included these long genealogies in their gospels?

Do you ever get frustrated trying to untangle a snarly, tight knot in your shoelace or a necklace?

Jesus, God Himself, came into all of my world. He did not live here like a king.

  • His parents gave two turtledoves at the Temple when they presented Him, which is what a poor family would give (Luke 2).
  • Jesus worked with his father and then, as the oldest, would have taken over the carpentry business. He was just a carpenter(Mark 6:3).
  • He wasn’t foretold (Isaiah 53) to be handsome and certainly did not walk around with a “holy glow” around his head.
  • Jesus knew what it was like to try to get 100 disciples to walk in the same direction. If we count up the people who generally hung around, it would be reasonable to conclude that number except when He pulled the twelve apart.
  • I think Jesus knew what it felt like to need a vacation. He often went off to pray and be alone. He felt the fatigue of constant demands and conflict.
  • We even know that Jesus understood family tensions. They thought He was crazy (Mark 3:21)!
  • He knew what it was like to need your close friends and have them let you down (Luke 22).
  • Friends are people that you choose to be associated with. Jesus calls us friends (John 15). In that same chapter He said there was no greater love than a friend who lays down his life for another friend.
  • Jesus knew the uncertainty of the future (Matthew 24:36). He said not even the Son knows the day when all of this world will pass away. Could He know? I think so but He wants me to know that He does not ask anything of me that He has not walked first (Hebrews 2:18).

It is too common for for us to try to dismiss our likeness to Jesus because, after all, He is God. But remember that Jesus came biologically through a human mother. And His genealogy proclaims among the list – David, Rahab, and Jacob – sinners everyone!

Do you have a tangled knot in your life right now? Have you picked and picked at it and cannot get it to loosen and unsnarl? Ready to give up and cut it off or throw it away?

Let us make like a child and hand that knot over to Jesus who can see the twists and turns of that knot and knows how to patiently brush out the tangle without tearing out the roots. Give it all to Jesus.

 

 

 

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God’s Miracles: Victories!

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city…

And the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.    Joshua 6:20,27 (HCSB)

Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.       2 Corinthians 12:7-8 (HCSB)

If you haven’t done a word study recently, I can recommend one on victory, victories, and

victorious. If you don’t have something like a Strong’s Concordance, there are options online like Biblegateway. A word study gives me a thread to follow throughout the Old and New Testament, as God teaches me what He says about victory in my life.

One of the first Old Testament stories I heard was actually a song, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho”. What an awesome, active story of God giving instructions on how to win a seemingly impossible battle, against lopsided odds, with unconventional strategies. It is a story of obedience. In my eyes which see thousands of years later and with a Western mindset, it truly is an example of obeying without understanding the reasoning. The marching and blowing trumpets for six days without any visible change in the situation. I imagine the people inside the city laughed at them! How extraordinary when a single shout yielded the entire wall of the city collapsing. The victory was more than just that day. The reputation Joshua and His God provided a massive wall of safety against their enemies who were afraid to challenge them.

Paul, on the other hand, shows me that God does not always provide the victory that I ask for. We don’t know exactly what this “thorn” was. It could have been a disease or an ongoing conflict with someone. We don’t know. We do know that it was severe enough that Paul pleaded or begged for God to release him from this suffering. We also know that Paul was aware of God’s response.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9 (HCSB)

The victory was a big one. Paul learned his strength, the joy in the suffering, would come from God Himself. Paul would not live with this thorn through his own power or plan. God would carry him by the power of His Spirit.

Each day, I ask God to give me eyes to see His victories (yes, plural) in my life. I believe that even when I ask and God says “No” that there is a victory because He works on my mind and heart to see His best way. Strong, independent me is learning that my weakness and dependence on God actually makes me stronger and more independent of this world.

You pushed me hard to make me fall, but the LORD helped me.

The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.

There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand strikes with power!

The LORD’s right hand is raised!
The LORD’s right hand strikes with power!”

I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.     Psalm 118:13-7 (HCSB)

 

 

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God’s Miracles: Healing and Raising

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Some time later, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream and said:

I heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple as the place where sacrifices will be offered to me.

Suppose I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat the crops or make my people suffer with deadly diseases.

If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.

I will hear the prayers made in this temple,…          2 Chronicles 7:12-15 (CEV)

The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear, and its waters gave life. The river came from the throne where God and the Lamb were seated. Then it flowed down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river are trees that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit gives life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations. God’s curse will no longer be on the people of that city. He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones, and its people will worship God and will see him face to face. God’s name will be written on the foreheads of the people.           Revelation 22:1-4 (CEV)

Throughout the Bible we read about healing. God created all and called it good and then it turned very sour. For me the first healing mentioned in the Bible was the flood. God destroyed the all He had created except for what He placed in the ark and began again. Healing is like that sometimes. What was has to be destroyed in order to bring forth the healing. I don’t like to think about that. I want God to supernaturally and painlessly restore what has become broken. I am looking with a different vision than God.

In both of these Scriptures when God speaks about healing He doesn’t tell me about the help He needs to accomplish what He is going to do. He doesn’t need my help. He doesn’t say that I need a certain measure of faith. What God does say is about my attitude. It is about coming to Him with humility and with a heart that says, “I want to change to Your way, God.” Let go of the pride and take God’s outstretched hand. I can’t take His hand if both of mine are holding on to all my stuff.

When I think about raising the dead, my mind goes to the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). Luke says that Jesus walked up to the mother first. He wanted to heal this mother’s heart. She didn’t request it. Jesus knew what was needed. It was not uncommon for children to die in those days. There were no antibiotics. No vaccinations against tetanus. “Fevers” weren’t minor annoyances but life-threatening illness. A widow with no male children could starve to death herself as she had no rights to property and very little opportunities to provide herself with food and shelter. Jesus gave her back her son and her life.

Does every person we pray for receive healing? Does God still raise people from the dead? Yes. “But –,” you say. There are no “buts” except “but I don’t understand”. When we pray and ask God for His healing power whether for healing or to bring someone back to this life and He doesn’t answer the way we believe, this is when we aren’t on the same page. In my prayer, did I pray with a Kingdom heart? See Revelation? The leaves were for the healing of nations. Was I praying with the desire for God to be the focus in the answer? Remember when Jesus went to raise Lazarus from the dead? “It is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” It wasn’t just about whether Lazarus was dead or alive but whether those who saw the events were more focused on Jesus. It was about the people understanding that they were God’s people and He was actively in their lives.

God hears our prayers. His answer may be different than what we ask, not out of disinterest or lack of love or care. He answers because of His great love and care. He answers with the best answer. Are our eyes open to see it? Are our minds and hearts open to know it? God is so loving that He will listen and listen and listen to our questions. He may answer with an explanation. He may answer only with His love.

God is still in the miracle business. If you are asking for a miracle today, God will answer. When praying, don’t forget to ask Jesus to give you ears to hear and a heart to receive His answer. The best answer.

 

 

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