Relationship Building

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord… So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.      1 Samuel 2:12, 17 (NLT)

Eli’s sons were priests in the House of the Lord.  Eli had taught his sons the rituals from an early age.  Eli’s sons knew about God but they did not know Him.  Hophni and Phinehas embraced the deception that since they had the High Priest for a father and were priests themselves, that they had all they needed.  They knew the rituals.  They knew how to work the system and get what they wanted.  They did not know God.  They did not know His character.

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT)

The gifts of the Spirit, the anointing of God, and even pastoral (evangelistic, prophetic, etc.) authority can be given by the laying on of hands.  But nowhere in the Old Testament or the New Testament does it say that God’s character can be imparted by the laying on of hands.  There is no short cut to knowing God!  It is not something that you have because your mother has it or your father spoke to you about it. Knowing God is like any other relationship, you must put the time and effort in personally to make it occur.

There are some days that I think that I cannot squeeze one more thing into my day. There are demands that come at me from every side. Some of those demands are – legitimate. My boss expects me to do the job that I have made a commitment to do and, in turn, I get a paycheck. These days, many people have 2 or 3 jobs. Family expects me to give them time. My relationship with them will suffer if I do not put time and effort into it. How do I make it all work?

Eli’s sons wanted short cuts.  They wanted to have all the blessings and ‘perks’ of being a priest in the House of God without knowing who they served and representing Him in Spirit and Truth.  Their sin “was very serious in the LORD’S sight”.

No matter how I may want to finesse the hours or justify it in my mind, my life is about priorities. If it is important to me, I will make time to do it. I may need to get up a bit earlier to start my day with Jesus. I may need to walk away from the TV at night to spend some quiet time with Jesus in the evening. I can close the door on my office at noon so Jesus and I can have lunch together. If I want my children to make good choices then they need to know that my relationship with Jesus has the top priority in my life. There are no shortcuts.

This life is promised to have troubles (John 16:33). When that trouble comes, I do not want to wonder where my help will come. Troubled times is not the time to also build a relationship. Know that Jesus is there and know His power to overcome. Today is a good day to make my commitment.

Posted in 1 Peter, 1 Samuel | Comments Off on Relationship Building

The Investor

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it. Matthew 27:57-66 (NLT)

“…secure it [tomb] the best you can”.  And we humans, have been trying to do that for over 2000 years.  I try closing Jesus and all that He is inside my box so that He won’t cause any disturbance in my life.  Take Him out on Christmas with His cute, baby cheeks all wrapped up in a blanket or on Easter with a shiny white robe but don’t let His words of loving discipline or His bloody beaten body mess up my tidy world.  How can I talk like this as a believing Christian?  Because I look in the mirror and see the truth that Jesus knows me and knows my heart and loves me anyway!  But He wants more for me!  He wants me to be closer to Him and closer to the Father so Jesus doesn’t let me get away with my bad attitude and my shallow life.

Jesus came so that my life may be full and complete.  That happens when I accept all of Jesus’ way and let go of my way.

“But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:27-30 (NLT)

I’ve heard that Mark Twain said, “It’s not the Scripture I don’t know that bothers me.  It’s the Scripture I do know.”  I guess I could shut Jesus and what I don’t know about Him up in that box and just coast along for the next 20 years.  I’d be ‘saved’ and go to heaven…but I wouldn’t be living that “abundant life” He promised, would I? (John 10:10) That’s what I want.  Nothing less than Jesus’ definition of “abundant”! And I do not know what all that means. But I want to learn. I want Him to come into my life, no boxes, and teach me. My spiritual health is important. Jesus wants to invest in me. I am going to come to His class and listen.

Posted in John, Matthew | 2 Comments

Jesus’ Attitude

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.     1 Timothy 3:14-15 (NLT)

“household of God”.  Other translations call it “God’s family”.  “Family”.  Does the word bring pictures to your mind of the Waltons?  The Cleavers?  Most may not know who those families are! They were families that lived together in unity. Today we have the Simpsons and the Modern Family and Brothers and Sisters as role models. Not good. But even with God as the ‘head of the household’, I’m afraid that as a member of His family I would have to describe us as more like the Family Feud than Father Knows Best! (That was another utopic family!)

‘Family’ is one of those tricky concepts that is wonderful and perfect on paper but sticky and imperfect in practical application.  God has given us precepts that show us how we ought to conduct themselves in God’s household but too often my eyes are looking out for myself and my requirements for daily life and so my place in the family becomes a territorial battle! Churches are fighting and dying for reasons that may be stated as having to do with serving God the right way but have more to do with conducting worship or church business in the image and likeness of individual members.

Warning! Before you begin reading, this passage is for me and for you! No one is exempt!

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. Philippians 2:1-16 (NLT)

Now that’s a long Scripture but worth reading a second or third time.  As head of our household, God gave us His Son as an example of humility and right focus within the family.  He is not asking anything of me that Jesus did not walk through, even family relationships.  Jesus’ natural brothers and sisters were no more or less than mine. They stayed as far away from Jesus as they could. They thought He was crazy. But James, Jesus’ brother, was one of the first to see Him post-resurrection. His ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’, the disciples, did not wear shiny halos all day and pluck harps on clouds.  They were real people with ‘fleshy’ desires and sharp tongues! Peter, James, and John slept when He needed them to pray with Him. Peter denied he even knew Jesus. They all ran away and hid like frightened children in a secret room for fear they would be killed, too.

Yes, families are tricky things.  I am grateful that my husband has placed God as head of our household.  When I have concerns or I’m unhappy, I know Who to take my complaints to!  When things are going well, I know Who to thank! I talk to God about my family. I trust Him to change me so I can be a quiet witness to them.

Let’s go back now and read again the passage from Philippians. May it marinate my heart today.

Posted in 1 Timothy, Philippians | Comments Off on Jesus’ Attitude

The Silent Storms

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.        Psalm 9:9-10 (NLT)

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.           Psalm 126:5-6 (NLT)

Yesterday, I was thinking about the storms in life and how our Jesus is always there. I was reading today about Christians in China. There is a massive revival going on in China. We are not hearing a lot about it because to let the world know would mean death to thousands. Those in power in China do not have the weak stomachs that we do here in the West. Killing 50,000 people would not be a blip on their internal radar. I believe there is also revival going on in India and many Muslim countries. I may never know about it until that last day when I will be able to greet my brothers and sisters.

All of my life, I have been free to worship (or not!) every day, in whatever way, I wanted to do so. I have sat on a public beach or bench with my Bible open and soaked in God through His Word and His creation. I have joined 5,000 others in worship at a revival that burst open in my own town. I did not have to hold bake sales for air fare or sleep on the gym floor at a local church. I thought I was ‘sacrificing’ by working 10 hours, grabbing a sandwich, worshiping for 4-5 hours, sleeping for 5 hours and then back to work. No, I do not really understand sacrifice.

People in the above mentioned countries read the verses in Psalms that I am reading in a very different light. I have no first hand knowledge but I can attempt to imagine being in a small cell block, with no hope of release, tortured whenever my captors feel like it – because they can. The fact that I am a woman can either mean nothing or worse treatment. I do not have a Bible tucked in my pocket. I have verses in my mind. Verses that have been passed along in various secret ways among the Believers who don’t exist – except in the Father’s heart. He knows where every child is. The chain of grace is of a length that we can’t conceive. The one-to-one-to-one-to-one links that bind all of these souls together will never be accurately recorded in any church roll. Their church will not be listed as a mega-church until that Day when the Only Church will live together in the City where there is no need for sun or moon because Jesus, in His Glory, will be the Light. Meanwhile, in prisons, in home churches that rotate so that no one ‘catches on’, Jesus meets with the faithful and they worship the One who is their Hope in a country of oppression and troubles.

I am praying today for people I will never meet; never know their name. I am praying for those who bring the Good News to them. They, too, are in danger. Your passport, even American, will not keep you out of prison, as your religious beliefs are the same as your allegiance to your country. Someone encouraging Christianity in a Muslim country is committing treason and subversive. Yes, I am praying for protection, wisdom, favor, grace, encouragement, all that is needed to do the Kingdom work that God has asked them to do. Oh, Father, Your promises.

These children are in a different type of storm than I am. The Savior that comes across the water to reach down and lift us up is the same.

Posted in Psalms | Comments Off on The Silent Storms

The Storms: They are a Raging!

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”      Matthew 14:23-27 (NLT)

I love sitting in my office with the worship music on, the windows slightly pulsing in time with the bass, and tears trickling down my face as once again I am struck by the magnitude of God’s love. I lay my head down on my pillow at night and reflect on the day, receiving the power and healing of God’s forgiveness. And then I also remember…the storms.

I like God in the quiet moments but I love God in the storms. In the storms, when my focus is on the fear and feelings of being overwhelmed, Jesus’ appearance seems unexpected. At first, I may not think I am actually seeing Him. Then I hear Him say, “Don’t be afraid, Jody. I am here.” Ka-boom! Fear is obliterated.

I remember when my son had to have his lung removed. He had to wake up while the tube was still in his throat. To give the rest of us an idea of what it felt like, put a straw in your mouth, pinch your nose closed, and just breathe through the straw. Oh, and add disorientation to your list of feelings. He woke up with his eyes darting around until they focused on me. “I’m here, James. Mom is here. Relax. The tube is coming out in a few minutes. Come on. Hang with me. Focus on my face. Relax.” It took about 30 minutes to run some tests and determine it was safe to take the tube out. I’m sure it seemed like 30 hours. The first words out of his mouth was, “Never again”.

We cannot go, we cannot live through anything where God isn’t. If I look over my shoulder, God is there. If I strain to see through the storm in my life, here comes Jesus taking a stroll through the waves.

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”    Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me…”     John 10:28 (NLT)

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.     Romans 8:38 (NLT)

Peter would never have gotten out of the boat if there had not been a storm. I do not abandon my way of doing things when they are working for me. It is when a hurricane hits my life that I look around for help.

Max Lucado said, “Whether or not storms come, we cannot choose. But where we stare during a storm, that we can.” (Fearless. ISBN# 978084992139. p. 72)

Take time today and focus on Jesus. The winds may blow and the sleet beat down but Jesus is there.

5 minutes with Him will get you through the next 10 hours!

Posted in John, Matthew, Romans | Comments Off on The Storms: They are a Raging!

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

The Value of My Child

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”          Matthew 18:1-6 (NLT)

Most often this passage of Scripture is quoted as an example of how we are all to have faith that is fully trusting and totally given – like that of a child. But today I am thinking about the value that Jesus says that God puts on a child.

During this time in history, child sacrifice was still an acceptable form of religious practice. Children (elementary age in our society) were expected to work in the family business or as slaves for others. If they were lucky, they might be ‘employed’ for pennies per week. Few went to school and certainly not for 15+ years as we are accustomed.

So the people listening to Jesus would have been surprised that Jesus brought attention to a child much less clearly told the crowd that the child was to be their example! And Jesus sternly warns them of God’s strong words in Proverbs that the LORD hates – even detests – someone who sheds innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17).

Most of us may find our emotions roll quick and hot, eliciting the need for a physical response when we see or hear of child who has been abused or hurt because of careless disregard. We want to exact some retribution on someone who would dare to hurt a child.

But what about when my child is seriously hurt in an accident? What about when my child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness? What about when my child must suffer? I think physically ripping out my heart would have been less painful and more humane! Yes, I speak from experience. It is rare for a parent to go through their parental life and not experience some event when they must stand there and watch their child get their forehead stitched up or their leg x-ray’d and then placed in a cast or hundreds of other medical emergencies. Why does God allow this? I believe that God is Almighty and All-Powerful so He ultimately does have the ‘say’ on what does or does not happen.

I don’t know the answer. I wrestled many a day and night with God about why children suffer and even die. Why didn’t God ‘allow’ me to do the suffering? I don’t know. But I do know that God loves my children. I do know that today my son no longer suffers but is in heaven and worshiping with his drums day and night now, never tired, and full of joy!

So when our children go through illness or are hurting in their spirit may we remember how much they are loved by our LORD and how much He desires to show them His way. May we understand that before our children were ‘ours’ – they belonged, and still belong, and always will belong to our LORD, our Savior, our Mighty God. They live in the palm of His Hand.

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How is that working for you?

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:20-25 (NLT)

Being thought of as ‘foolish’ is …good?

I have never understood the concept of ‘April Fool’s Day’.  I am not a prankster at heart.  I enjoy a good joke.  I even laugh when I watch that funny video show on TV and people fall down and slide into things.  But playing practical jokes on people was never something I enjoyed.  I remember being on the receiving end of jokes and feeling silly or clumsy.  It didn’t feel particularly good.

Now Paul wants to know if I realize that God has “made the wisdom of this world look foolish”.   God shows Himself ‘out of the box’.  God does not always fit the logical sequence or conclusion of the world.  And by association, even more, by aligning myself with God, proclaiming that I am part of His army, I will look ‘foolish’ to the world.  Why?

There are many reasons that ‘sane’ logical people may think that I am a bit ‘crazy’.  I believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  He came to earth and in three years gave the basis for His ministry and then allowed Himself to be horrifyingly crucified on a cross so that I may be eternally saved from judgment.  This does not sound like the plan of a king and conqueror yet that is exactly what it is.  It was the perfect atonement for God’s children. He will be back and there will be judgment and, in spite of how unworthy and sinful I am, I am made worthy and will live with Him forever! I live in this fallen world with joy because Jesus never leaves me.

Suppose the ministry that God has given your church is outreach and evangelism of your community.  Many would say that is the ministry of every church.  No kidding.  God has given your church young people who are living for the Lord and are gifted in musical worship and not afraid to speak out about what He has done in their lives.  Here is an opportunity to touch the young people in the community who by the change in their lives will lead their parents and younger siblings to come see Jesus also.  What does the Sunday morning service look like?  Are those young people leading through song and a message?  If I as an adult, a mature Christian, find that time ‘uncomfortable’ (which I probably would!) because it didn’t ‘flow’ the way I am used to or the way that is ‘smooth’ for me and yet is bringing in many, many of the unsaved peers of these young people because it is a comfortable place for them…isn’t it for me, the mature, to go out of my way to accommodate the unsaved or weak in Christ?  I should be willing to go out of my way to come at the more ‘inconvenient’ time to worship.  Maybe Saturday night is a more comfortable time for the young adults.  Whatever! The point is that I, as a leader and mature Christian, should be doing whatever it takes to empower whatever and whoever it takes to win the lost and nurture the weak into their strength in Christ Jesus.  God’s plan just might seem ‘foolish” but check the fruit.  When will we understand that what we’ve been doing isn’t working?  All the programs that we’ve checked by statistical studies … and we still have a ‘hemorrhage’ in the Church.  Am I willing to be known as a ‘Fool for Christ’? Am I willing to be a part of that ‘crazy church down the street’? Yes!

Paul spent a lot of time speaking to those who thought themselves to be ‘spiritually elevated’ in the Corinthian Church.  He warned them that to be truly ‘spiritual’ that they must keep love in and through all that they did.  I do not believe that it is any coincidence that the words of chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians comes between the words of chapter 12 and 14.  As I see young people anointed by God in the giftings that Paul spoke about in chapters 12 and 14,  I feel God asking me if I am listening to His words in chapter 13.  If God’s love is patient, and does not envy and isn’t proud, rude, or self-seeking, keeps no record of wrongs, and always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres, then I should be using the outreach gift that God has given me through these young people and stop trying to use them last or only with stifling control.  That isn’t God’s way.

This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. v. 25

Posted in Devotional | Comments Off on How is that working for you?

Thanks in All

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres…

I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate.     Nehemiah 12:27, 31 (NLT)

Nehemiah is an interesting person in God’s Old Testament.  He is a leader of his people although we are not told that he is an anointed king.  He definitely seeks the Lord in prayer, believing in faith and yet also utilizes warriors and strategy in war.

I have been thinking about ‘thanks’, I was struck by all the wonderful examples I have throughout Scripture in giving thanks.  I can ‘see’ David as he danced before the Lord, leaping and spinning. He gave thanks to God for all that He had done for him and for Israel.

Jesus also gave thanks to His Father, pointing us always to the One who deserves our complete praise.

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” Luke 22:17-19 (NLT)

Jesus was about to walk the path of suffering that is beyond anything I can imagine. It would get an “R” rating from Hollywood for extreme violence. And He is thanking the Father because He is seeing beyond the moment to the eternal victory.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.                          1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Paul reminds me on when to give thanks in all that is in my life. It is God’s will that I do so.
There is a specific ‘thing’ that happens when I give thanks to God.  When I pray and believe (many times ‘in faith’ only) that God is in the situation and that He will guide and direct it for His glory, something extra-ordinary happens! I am affirming my complete dependence on God. I am affirming that I do not know what the future may bring but I am in that future with God. And that spiritual ‘deep breath’, that peace that is beyond my ability to reason it out – is in me (Philippians 4:4-7).

I know that many of you are going through difficult trials. I am praying for many of you by name. I don’t know the answer to your questions. I can only tell you, from my own experience, that God knows your name. He knows your situation. He knows your heart. He won’t leave you. He will go every step of the way. Reach out and take His hand. Follow Jesus all the way. Be thankful that you are not alone.

Posted in 1 Thessalonians, Luke, Nehemiah | Comments Off on Thanks in All

Are You One of the Cool Kids?

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.    Proverbs 13:20 (NLT)

“You are who you hang around with” was a popular saying when I was a teenager.  I hated it.  My parents seem to love to say it.  I had a couple of friends who didn’t think lying was a big deal.  I remember my parents told me I couldn’t go to see a certain movie because it was too sexually graphic. (Trust me – graphic then was not in the same universe as it is now!) Anyway,  I wanted to see it.  My friends laughed and shrugged and said, “Just tell them what they want to hear and we’ll go to the other one.  No big deal.  No one will know.”  So I did.  I didn’t enjoy the forbidden movie like I thought I would.  Lying about where I was.  Lying about homework.  Lying…was becoming a way of life.  And I so resented my parents asking me stuff!  That meant I had to lie again!  So…actually…it was their fault I was lying!

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

The deception that nothing was actually my fault continued all through my adult life until one pivotal night.  I could justify my actions and always spin the blame away from me.  Sometimes to do that, I had to run in the opposite direction.  I had to distance myself from the truth, right?  Then I began to tire from running.  It was no longer a game.  I was exhausted.  “I give up!” and there was Jesus, standing right there where He had been watching and waiting all this time.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.                       1 John 1:8-10 (NLT)

I had to give up my old life so that New Life, God’s Light, could be in me.  And it is a “total makeover”!  The ‘clean’ that comes with confession and repentance (turning away, giving up the old) is a cleanliness, a newness, that is difficult to describe and cannot be found any where else. No self-help book, self-awareness program, or anything that starts with self is able to succeed as a forever change in my life unless I start first with Jesus. That is only the beginning. So many think that their life will become perfect and no temptation will ever bother them again. Wrong! It would be like signing up for a one month gym program and at the end of 30 days, no more exercise! Eat three Big Macs for lunch! If I commit to changes for my health and understand that those changes are forever – then I understand that the same goes for my spiritual health.

Who do you hang with? Are you a loner? That will not build your spiritual health. We need the encouragement, the wisdom, the God-given gifts of others. And the enemy is a hungry predator skulking around, looking for that single person that he can ‘pick off’ with his lies! Stick with the Army of God! The Intimidators! Be a part of that sharp group that studies, discusses, loves, encourages, and meets together to worship their LORD and grow in their relationship with Him. That is the cool group!

Posted in 1 John, Proverbs | Comments Off on Are You One of the Cool Kids?

Abba’s Love – A Miracle

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NLT, my emphasis)

Through the technology of the World Wide Web, I was able to see a woman who had been paralyzed for over 20 years receive prayer much like the man described in Matthew 9. No, she wasn’t dropped through a roof! But those who were praying began with blessing her, reminding her even, of how much she is loved by her Father, her Creator, her Savior. She wept with joy.

These words from Isaiah reminded me that hundreds of years before Jesus fulfilled the prophet’s message, the Father wanted His children to know that He knew the state of our sinfulness. He knew that we could not fix that – He would have to do that. Do you hear the love in those words? Do you feel the love in those words? The lady receiving prayer did.

I would not presume to know the state of her soul. But I do know that I need to receive that love every day of my life. Tears came to my eyes as I watched her receive God’s love. The look of overwhelming joy that “Yes! I am loved by my Father!” “I don’t deserve this but He loves me!”

Then in a few minutes, trembling, she tried to lift herself from her wheelchair. Someone took her hand but she pulled herself to her feet. After a few more minutes, she attempted to make those long-weakened legs take a step. She swayed a bit. People who haven’t stood upright, like her, have equilibrium problems when they first stand.

And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. Matthew 9:7-8 (NIV)

Matthew doesn’t tell us how quickly the man stood up. Just like that crowd so long ago, I was awed and I thanked God. I wept for the woman who received the miracle of God’s love and the miracle of healing. I wept as I, too, received the Father’s love. No one can be an untouched bystander in God’s Presence!

I hope that we take the testimony of this miracle and think about the Isaiah passage. It is often quoted during Advent. I need to think about it more often than that. The Father’s love is a miracle.

Posted in Isaiah, Matthew | Comments Off on Abba’s Love – A Miracle