Monday, November 4, 2024

A Reflection for Election Day - Jesus Won.

It’s on a day like today that your heart may be crying out the words similar to our Savior as He cried out from the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). The anxiety of the future that seems to hang in the balance in a time when our nation seems so polarized and divided can feel overwhelming. However, these words that Jesus cried out during his ultimate demonstration of love for sinful humanity (Rom. 5:8) come from the opening line of Psalm 22 (read the chapter). The psalmist wrote in his own anguish a prophetic word that was fulfilled in the passion of Jesus Christ. It is a stark reminder that, in the darkest of times, God has a plan and purpose beyond our comprehension. 

 

Why am I writing about Psalm 22 on the day of an election? It is easy to get caught up in the rhetoric of the day that the world hinges on the outcome of this election. You have your preferred candidate and the thought of losing can seem crippling. So much seems to be at stake, yet we need to remember who is writing history. In the midst of the prophecies of Psalm 22 is a reminder that “Kinship belongs to the LORD, and He rules over the nations” (Ps. 22:28). God is in control. 

 

This is a proclamation that resounds throughout the Scriptures and yet we can easily forget it. Consider Psalm 47:8, “God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.” And Psalm 103:19, “The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.” The psalmist found great comfort in the midst of turmoil in the truth that God reigns over all. 

 

Daniel was taken into captivity by a foreign king, given a new name, and moved to a new land. Yet he said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings…” (Daniel 2:20–21). Daniel saw the rise and fall of emperors and held fast to his belief that God is sovereign over all.

 

Psalm 22 is a lament, a crying out to God, and a prophecy of the coming Redeemer. Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies on the cross. He died and was buried, according to the Scriptures. But he rose again! He conquered death and sin (1 Cor. 15:1-8). This was done according to the plan of God that he set forth from before time began. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). Jesus won the victory! 

 

Jesus’ victory over death has given us the victory over sin. He invites us into newness of life and a transformed mind (Rom. 12:1-2). This world is not our home (Phil. 3:20), so why do we get so caught up with earthly things? 

 

When we focus on the risen LORD, we can have confidence in every circumstance in this life and a firm hope in the life to come. Paul states, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).

 

Let your hope be in Jesus, for he has won the victory! No presidential candidate can provide for you what Jesus has already accomplished. Do not put your hope in one party over the other party, put your hope in Jesus. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Take your cares, your worries, your anxieties, and your fears to him, for he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). Vote your conscience. Trust God with the results and live in the freedom that Jesus has given you. No matter who wins today, live your life knowing that Jesus won, that God is still on the throne, and He is continually working (Phil 1:6).

 

So, if your candidate wins or loses, love one another. Live at peace with your neighbor (Rom. 14:19). Seek to bless those around you. Confidently proclaim the truth: Jesus won!

 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16)

 

Psalm 22 opens with a soul crying out in anxious anguish. It speaks of the awful things that happened to our Savior. It declared the Kingship of the LORD over all the nations. And it leads us to one of the most comforting songs of all time: Psalm 23

 

            The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

                        He makes me lie down in green pastures.

            He leads me beside still waters.

                        He restores my soul.

            He leads me in paths of righteousness

                        for his name’s sake.

           

            Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

                        I will fear no evil,

            for you are with me;

                        your rod and your staff,

                        they comfort me.

           

You prepare a table before me

                        in the presence of my enemies;

            you anoint my head with oil;

                        my cup overflows.

            Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

                        all the days of my life,

            and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

                        forever.

 

To God be the Glory!

 

 

 


Wednesday, August 28, 2024

The Way of Jesus - Righteousness by faith - Romans 10:5-21

 


The Way of Salvation – Rom 10:5-13; John 14:6

 

Imagine with me for a moment that someone has offered you a full ride scholarship to college or offered to pay of your mortgage. However, you decide you do not want to receive this generous offer but will pay for it yourself. As long as you make your monthly payments over time you will have accomplished the same objective but on your own merit. However, if you miss one payment, just one payment, you lose everything.

 

This illustration pales in comparison to the reality of God’s offer in Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls and the forgiveness of our sins. You and I can pay for our own college education. We can pay for our own house. But we cannot pay for our own sins. It’s a debt that is too large.

 

Paul says in Romans 10:5, “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.” Seems simple enough, but we have to remember what he has already taught throughout the book of Romans.

 

Romans 3:20

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

 

It is in man’s inability to keep they law that he can understand that he is a sinner.

 

Romans 3:23

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

 

And later, Paul writes in Galatians 3:23–24

“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.”

 

Paul uses the imagery of a guardian or schoolmaster in reference to the law, that it teaches us that we need a Savior. The purpose of the Law was to point us to our need for God in our lives through faith.

 

But we have this human condition that wants to justify ourselves and earn our salvation. That is why all of the religions of the world, apart from Christianity, teach a works-based salvation. Man wants to earn his own way and naturally thinks that “as long as my good outweighs my bad, then I’ll be ok.” This is simply not true. Paul’s word in Romans 10:5 is a reminder that if you want to claim righteousness by the law then you have to keep the entirety of the law perfectly for the entirety of your life. Only Jesus did that.

 

But that is not the way of Christ. John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

The way of Christ is a righteousness by faith. It is not an expedition into heaven to find a secret message and bring it back. It is not a journey into the worst of humanity to find the meaning of life. It is about knowing Jesus, who is risen from the dead, and is “near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Rom. 10:8).

 

I remember a scene from the Dark Knight, where Bruce Wayne has to go on an impossible journey to find a rare blue flower and then traverse the rugged wilderness to accepted at the gates of the monastery for The League of Shadows. Paul, using Deut. 30, demonstrates that the Way of Jesus is not about elaborate works or pilgrimages. If that were the case, one could boast about finding the flower or climbing the mountain. Then we would find ourselves comparing how long it took and who arrived the fastest.

 

Ephesians 2:8–9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

The Way of Jesus is a righteousness by faith. Romans 10:9-10 give us the most succinct and clear teaching of how salvation works. Belief in the heart and confession with the mouth. These are two sides to the same coin. Genuine, heartfelt belief in Jesus will be demonstrated through an outward expression. The significance of belief in the heart means at total commitment to the lordship and authority of the risen Son of God. It recognizes Jesus is God who came to die in the place of sinners, who conquered death by rising again, and who stands in victory over sin. Confessing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord is admitting to others that you are identifying with Jesus. It is an outward expression of an inward decision, much like believer’s baptism. Faith begins in the heart, is confessed with through the mouth, and demonstrated through an obedient life.

 

It is important that we understand the order. If we reverse it, obedience leads to confession and then belief, we have fallen into a works-based religion. Faith produces confession, which produces obedience. This is the way of salvation for all people, both Jew and Gentile alike. God is no respecter of persons. Anyone, and everyone, who calls on the Lord will be saved. Which means we have a message that needs to be spread to all people.

 

The Mission of Salvation – Rom 10:14-18; Matt 28:18-20

 

The mission of God is for all people to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. But how will people hear unless we go? Paul askes a series of questions to provoke us into action as ambassadors of God carrying the message of Christ.

 

Matthew 28:18–20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 

Jesus has sent us, his church, to be witnesses to all people. They need to hear because “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). John Stott encouraged reading these verses in reverse, which inspired me to write it out like this, “when those who are sent preach, they will hear. Having heard, they will believe. Having believed they call on him.” This is the power of the Gospel (Rom. 1:16) that we proclaim. People will be saved by the proclamation of the Good News if we are obedient in sharing it.

 

It is important to be reminded that we do not save anyone. God is the one who saves. We are called to share his message, and he transforms hearts! We do have to be perfect in our presentation or be a professional evangelist. We just need to be faithful witnesses of gospel truth.

 

The first time I had the opportunity to witness someone receive Christ after sharing the gospel, I could not believe that God used me to be his messenger. I was 19 years old and on a mission trip to Trinidad. I was scared to talk to people I did not know and signed up for a work trip. However, the rain kept us off the work site, so my leader said we were going house to house to tell people about Jesus. My anxiety levels spiked, and I was so afraid. However, we broke up in teams and started canvasing the neighborhoods. I chickened out a lot that day and allowed my teammates to take the lead.

 

However, as we approached one house, I heard myself say, “I will take this one.” I couldn’t believe I said it and my teammates were super encouraging. An 83-year-old Hindu lady answered the door. My hands were sweating, my mouth went dry, and I didn’t even know where to begin. Fortunately, we had been studying and marking the Roman’s Road to Salvation, a gospel presentation from a few verses in Romans. I asked her if we could share some verses from the Bible, and she said yes. So I took her to the first verse, Romans 3:23 and had her read it. Then I asked her what she thought it meant. After she answered, I turned to the next verse and asked her the same question. This was how I did it through the whole conversation. When we read Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” I asked her if she wanted to call on the Lord for salvation. She said yes!! So I told her, “well you should pray and tell Jesus what you want to do.” She bowed her head and said a sweet prayer of repentance and belief, and asked Jesus to save her. With tears in her eyes after the prayer, she asked us to come back later and tell her son.

 

Every time I am in this passage, I remember that encounter. I remember how God was faithful to his Word by saving that woman that day. I was forever transformed by the reality that God would use me to share his eternal word. It was not eloquent, it was not rehearsed, it was faithful. In my fear, I trusted and was obedient, and God was glorified that day.

 

We cannot rest on the past, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus and keep following him, lest we slip into spiritual apathy and self-reliance.

 

Hearing v Hearing: The Danger of Self-Reliance – Rom 10:18-21

 

Paul concludes this section with a sad reflection on how the Jewish people had the opportunity to hear God’s word, but the rejected it. This reminds me of a parable that Jesus taught about a great banquet.

 

Read Luke 14:16-24

 

In this parable, we see the host offer and invitation to several who found excuses to reject it. The host’s response was not to cancel the banquet, but to invite anyone and everyone that wanted to join, no matter their status. The poor and needy received the invite and came to the feast.

 

The self-reliant, self-righteous ones rejected the invite thinking they had everything they needed. They heard the invitation but were not compelled by it.

 

However, those who heard the invitation and responded received the blessing of being at the banquet. When Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah, God chose to invite the Gentiles into his kingdom through Jesus Christ. They heard the invitation and received Christ through belief and confession. The Church was born.

 

Do not allow your past achievements, your present comforts, or you family history to keep you from hearing the word of Jesus. Listen to him and respond. You will find him faithful and never be ashamed.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

The Gift of Grace - Eph 2:1-10

The school year is starting back up already. Some schools are already back in session, several schools start next week, and home school starts back soon. Last week we talked about priorities and making sure we begin with the BIG things and then find we will have time for the fun things too. It’s important that we see God as the most important thing and begin with a quiet time, prayer, and commitment to church in obedience to God’s Word. 

With the beginning of school often comes anxiety and excitement about the next year. Getting back into a routine of class, homework, and extracurriculars. It can be a lot and overwhelming at times. I thought revisiting the important teachings of God’s Amazing Grace would be a helpful encouragement as school begins. 

School is about learning and meriting. You go to class, you study hard, you take quizzes and tests, you write papers, and then you get a grade. Life is a lot like that too. You work a job, put in the hours, learn new disciplines, and receive a paycheck. Our entire understanding of life, work, school, family, sports, band, theater, and so on, is based on earning what we get. It’s our reality. 

Unfortunately, many think this same merit-based system is how we can earn our salvation. If I just do more good than bad, I will be fine, right? That’s what every world religion essentially teaches, except Christianity. The Bible says you cannot earn your way back to God and you can’t pay for your own sins. Paul describes our situation as being “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1-3). What does a corpse do? Nothing. It can’t because its dead. Spiritually, we were born into sin and therefore we were dead and incapable of doing anything good enough to earn salvation. 

The Good News of Jesus Christ is that Salvation is not based on merit! 

Read Ephesians 2:4-10.

Have you ever been given something you do not deserve? Of course, we all have at different times. Depending on the context will determine the impact of that gift. Receiving gifts at Christmas and birthdays are undeserved, but we tend to expect them and feel entitled to them. Receiving and unexpected and generous gift can be overwhelming and impactful. What is something underserved that you received? What was your response?

In Ephesians, we see that God initiates because of his love for us! He made the spiritually dead souls alive. He opened our blind eyes and our deaf ears. He secured our place in heaven with him one day. Not because of anything we have done or earned, but because of his GRACE. Grace is “unmerited favor,” or “unearned love.” It’s an unconditional love freely given by God to those who believe! It’s based on the finished work of Christ. Some have defined it God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. 

We receive the grace of God through faith. What is faith? Faith is not a work, it’s a belief. It is trusting that Jesus is who he says he is, he has done what he said he would do, and he will do what he promises to do. Jesus is the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again. He offers forgiveness of sins and new life in the power of the Holy Spirit. He promises to return one day, put an end to sin and death, and make all things new as we live with him for eternity. 

By placing your faith in Jesus Christ, you are made alive with him and your new life begins now and lats forever. Salvation is not about what you have done but what Jesus has done. Jesus gets the glory for redeeming us and changing us. We receive the blessings of his finished work and continual work (Phil 1:6). 

But Jesus doesn’t just save us for heaven one day, he has plans for our here-and-now life. Read verse 10 again. God has a purpose, and a plan prepared for you to walk in. As you grow in the love of Christ you will begin walking like Christ and see what God is doing in and through you. As school begins, think of some goals to set to be Christ in your school, in your workplace, in you neighborhood, and in your home.

One more thought about the Amazing Grace of God, some maybe stressing over grades, status, or paychecks, but in Christ you are redeemed, you are secure, and you are chosen by God for a plan. In all the stresses of life, trusting Jesus makes your eternity secure and following Jesus is the way of abundant life (John 10:10). You can rest in his love knowing that he has brought you from death to life and holds your place with him for all of eternity!


Wednesday, July 24, 2024

The Way of the Shepherd - Psalm 23:5

 


We are continuing our series The Way of the Shepherd in Psalm 23. This beloved Psalm has been quoted in numerous contexts and settings, offering encouragement to believers for thousands of years. 

 

The problem with familiarity, however, is that we don’t often slow down and think through the depth of the psalm, and we pigeonhole the text to common expressions. For instance, considering Psalm 23 as only a funeral Psalm and missing out on the everyday life application of this song. 

 

With that, let’s turn to Psalm 23 and read it in its entirety, then we will focus on verse 5 today.

 

Read Psalm 23

 

Theology Provokes Worship

As we read through the text there are a couple of shifts David presents us. 1-3, David is describing God with the pronoun “He”. In these few phrases, David is recounting what he believes about God, which is what we call “theology.” Every believer is an amateur theologian, meaning we all think about God and talk about God. We have views of God which we should regularly recount and develop.

 

Then in verses 4-6 we see a shift from talking about God, to talking to God, this is called “worship.” We should never allow ourselves to talk about God’s glories without turning those into praise. This is a natural shift when our theology engages our hearts.  

 

It’s About Honor

One more thought from the context before digging into verse 5. In verse 3, we heard an astounding phrase, “for His name’s sake.” Why is God doing all this for us? For His name’s sake! It’s about His reputation, about His character. It is about who He is.

 

In our culture honor, character and integrity are virtues, but we are not an honor culture, at least not like what we see in the Jewish and Middle Eastern cultures. Your name, your family name and your house’s reputation were guarded with great care. 

 

We see this understanding of honor and “name’s sake” expressed in the Bedouin hospitality laws. The Bedouin culture has been around for over 4,500 years. Bedouins are a people who live in tents and continually move around the Judaean/Jordanian wilderness. 

 

In a Bedouin context, tales about hospitality and generosity became as important as battle stories. Just as important as being a strong and victorious in battle was being a welcoming and hospitable host. Consider,

 

1 Kings 8:41–43

41 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. 

 

It is this honor code that God has used to describe Himself. His provision, protection, leading and hospitality communicate His character and draws people to Himself. This is why it is so important for us to be His “witnesses” to the world, that we proclaim the love and care we have experienced from our Father. 

 

It is this Bedouin backdrop that shapes how I’ve read through Psalm 23, and especially verse 5. Keep that in mind as we talk through our verse for this week.

 

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows

 

Many commentators and Study Bible contributors provide a significant change in Psalm 23 when we come to verse 5. They transport us from the shepherd with His sheep in the field, to the royal palace. They use the words like “banquet” and “feast” and conjure up images of a kingdom and festivals. 

 

Those images and ideas are not foreign to the Bible as feasts and celebrations with God are talked about numerous times. However, I don’t want to leave the wilderness, the shepherd/sheep context of Psalm 23 too quickly and miss what is revealed in this setting.

 

Will you walk through Psalm 23 with me, thinking of a Bedouin context for verse 5. 

 

Radical Hospitality

 

You prepare a table before me…” 

In the Negev, the Judaean wilderness, where shepherds watch over their flocks, it is a hard land. It’s not the green pasture lands of Ohio. It’s rocky, difficult terrain, where the shepherds need to lead their sheep continually to new grasslands. This led to the nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouin. 

In the desert wilderness of Judea, the harsh environment was exhausting and would demand the life of one who does not know the wilderness. This is why the Bedouin’s developed the desert code of hospitality. In the desert, one is always welcomed to your tent. When a guest arrived, announced or unannounced, they were to be treated with honor and care. 

 

Look at Genesis 18:1–8

1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (ESV)

 

Provision

Here we see the Bedouin Hospitality on display. The generosity of Abraham is on display. The invitation, the water for washing, a place to rest, to a snack to eat and to be refreshed. Once that is taken care of, he rushed out to prepare a meal. 

 

If we read this from an American perspective, Abraham looks task driven, hasty and inconvenienced by the important visitors. But from a Bedouin’s view, this is a wonderful tale of hospitality, where Abraham is not rushing out of inconvenient embarrassment, but out of joy for having a guest in his tent. 

 

This is the image I have as I read this verse. We haven’t left the wilderness where the Shepherd watches over the sheep. Rather, we have a tent in the wilderness, where the host beckons us to his table.

 

I think David is caught up in this imagery as he is humbled by God preparing a meal, washing his feet, and giving his weary soul a place to rest. 

 

Psalm 23 does not just point us to the Bedouin hospitality but lays a pattern for the Good Shepherd’s hospitality.  In Matthew 11 Jesus offers an open invitation to come into his tent and receive rest for your soul (Matt. 11:28-29). Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). The provision that Jesus has made is more than a temporary meal, it is eternal life (John 10:10).

 

Not only is God’s radical hospitality on display at the table, but it also says a strange phrase:

 

in the presence of my enemies…” 

 

Protection

We all have enemies, whether external or internal. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Habitual sins, wayward thoughts, lies we believe, relationships that are broken, or even people who antagonize us. David definitely knew about having enemies.

 

Early on, David faced the Philistine giant, Goliath. Shortly thereafter he had to run from King Saul, who was jealous of him. David wander throughout the desert land evading enemies in his youth, and later in life when he fled from his own son’s conspiracy to take over his kingdom. 

David knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by this world. He did not take God’s hospitality for granted.

 

The Bedouin Hospitality laws not only demand that provisions are made, but that protection is offered. A leading scholar on the Bedouin life, Dr. Clinton Bailey, said this,

 

“A Bedouin host is obliged to protect anyone who enters his tent from outside threats…Preventing harm from befalling anyone who has entered a man’s tent, who has thereby become his guest, is reflected in the legal directive, “Defend a guest if he’s done good or done bad; keep a violator at bay or pay for his faults.” Defending a guest may mean stopping assailants from assaulting their intended victim by admonishing the assailants, especially if they are still outside the tent.”

 

Again, it was the character and honor of the host at stake, and therefore they would protect the guest, even if it put their own life in danger. As in this Bedouin legal directive, “You will die in front of the one you’re protecting.”

 

This understanding is transformative! God is not transporting us out of the shepherd’s fields and into a palace, He is meeting us where we are at to provide refreshment and protection for our souls. 

 

Not only will God stand before you and your enemies, He sent His Son to defeat your enemies. Jesus was willing to die in front of the one He is protecting, by taking our sin and shame to the cross, conquering it by overcoming death. Listen to His invitation:

 

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (ESV)

 

Oh, weary soul, listen to the voice of our Savior calling out to you, come to His table and find the provision and protection you need. Experience the radical hospitality of our divine host today.

 

Compassionate Care

Not only does our Shepherd offer us radical hospitality, but he shows us compassion in the way He cares for us.

 

Anoints my head with oil…”

 

It’s easy to read this and think of the anointing of kings, or the anointments of perfumed oils at festivals. But let’s stay in the shepherd’s context here. The Hebrew word for anoints in this passage is “to make healthy.” To anoint a king is a different word all together. 

 

The Bedouins would offer their guests oils to refresh their face and skin. This was particularly refreshing coming out of the sun and wind of the wilderness. 

 

A caring shepherd, even today, will anoint the sheep’s head with oils for several reasons. We all know what it is like to have dry and cracked skin, especially in the winter. A shepherd would rub oil to bring healing to the sheep’s cracked skin. 


Another reason as shepherd would put oil on a sheep’s head was to keep the flies away. There is a type of fly that will pester the sheep continually so they can’t rest. These flies will land on the sheep and try to lay their larva in the cracks of their skin or in their nose. This causes to the sheep pain, frustration, and can even lead to death.

 

Shepherds developed an oil mixture that keeps these flies away and protects the sheep. Sheep who are being attacked by these flies will rub their noses in the ground or on a bush, or sometimes even bang their head on a rock. An observant shepherd would see this and treat the sheep with this medicinal salve. 

 

Do you resonate with that sheep having flies attacking and being a painful nuisance to you? Allow the tender, compassionate Shepherd to apply the oil of healing to your pain. 

 

James 5:14

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (ESV)

 

We most often refer to this when it comes to physical sickness, but it is not limited to the body. The flies that are attacking can be physical sickness, or mental struggles. James is calling us to bring in spiritual leaders who can be the presence of the Good Shepherd to us. Whether it is real oil, or the presence of prayers and counselors that act as the oil of healing to our weary souls, we need to bring others into our pain. 

 

As I read Psalm 23, especially 4-6, I see David increasingly being astounded by what he is writing about God. This is a song of praise, of worship and wonder. As he ponders God’s protection, provision, and care, I can’t help but think he did recall the time he was called from the shepherds field and anointed with oil. 

 

Yes, it’s a different word, as I have said earlier, but it was a profound moment in David’s life. This radical hospitality, compassionate care and call from his God led David to Abundant Joy.

 

Abundant Joy

 

my cup overflows.” 

 

The Bedouins would offer water, milk and wine to their guests. A generous host would ensure that their cup was never empty, thus, my cup overflows would mean that I have been greatly cared for by my host. 

 

Consider Psalm 104:15

“You (God) gave… wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” (ESV)

 

In this verse we see the Bedouin radical hospitality of our God on display to bring joy to our hearts. David is overwhelmed by God’s love and his care for him. An overflowing cup is a symbol of abundant joy. 

 

When you dwell on the presence, provision and protection of our Good Shepherd, how can you not be filled with joy?

 

When we come to Psalm 23, and dig deep, as we have, we have to allow the truths, the promises and the teaching to sink deeply into our hearts. We cannot just memorize the verses, recite the refrain, without letting it affect our heart and expect the abundant joy that David sings about. 

 

Oh Christian, Jesus is offering you abundant joy, are you living in it? Drink deeply from His provision, His care, His protection and know His love for you.

 

This is His promise to you, that when we come to Him, our lives will be the cup that overflows with the living waters, that His Spirit will indwell us, empower us, and help us overcome. 

 

Daily you can come to the table of our Lord and experience His provision, protection and care and be refreshed in your soul. However, we shouldn’t stop at just what we receive from Psalm 23:5 and the radical hospitality the Shepherd has for us. We should learn from the Good Shepherd and imitate him by becoming radical in our own hospitality towards others. Consider this article by Rosaria Butterfield on “Ordinary Hospitality” and consider how your hospitality could be used to bring others to the Good Shepherd.

 

 

Friday, July 12, 2024

Mexico Trip 2024 – Day 8 – Travel Day

***Today’s entry is a guest post from Cindy Preston***

The morning devotional for our travel home day yesterday was on joy. This is fitting as our mission trip to Mexico and Abba Father’s Home was coming to an end. There are so many reasons and events to rejoice over from the last week. One is the answer to prayer(s) … even those that may have started out as a bit of a joke. Seeing God in the unexpected is pretty cool.

We talked through final details and logistics at our last team meeting a couple weeks ago. One of the things that we were going to be blessed with was a washer and dryer at our guest house. I asked a question that seemed logical to me – do we need to bring laundry detergent and fabric softener? This of course made most of the team laugh, especially the mention of fabric softener (which evidently isn’t part of the top ten necessity items for a mission trip). Since this was my first missions trip, this will be helpful information in the future. lol

I was going to give each member a couple Tide pods and dryer sheets to be silly when we go to the airport. But it ended up being an opportunity to create little gift bags with practical items that could be a reminder of prayers that I had for each of us. It is with a joyful heart that I share these, and the way that God answered them this week.

Tide pods (Clean) – may God clean each of us inside and out (Matthew 23:25-26). Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for looking good on the outside but being hypocrites on the inside. The hope of this little prayer was that we would be made clean from the inside out and that this week would be transformative. We could have just gone through the motions of painting, playing with kids, passing out treat bags with tracks. But it was clear from our evening debriefs, and individual conversations, that no one on our team is going home unaffected. Every one of us has expressed a desire to not just go back to life exactly as it was, to leave this week behind us as just a trip we went on. Rather, the sentiment has been to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in ways that everyday life here looks a little more like what our days looked like in Puerto Escondido.

Fabric softener (Soft) – may God keep our hearts and words soft, regardless of weather and circumstances (Proverbs 15:1). Our devotions this week were on things like unconditional love, humility, helpfulness, grace, kindness and patience. But just because we spent quiet time with the Lord in the morning didn’t mean that these attributes would play out throughout the day. We were hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, overwhelmed, at times sick. Yet the Holy Spirit kept our hearts soft. There was no tension, no drama. Every member on the team was supportive and encouraging to the others throughout the entire week.

Candy (Sweet) – may we taste the sweetness of the LORD and take refuge in him (Psalm 34:8). I mentioned the sweetness of the LORD on day 2 when the ladies had the unexpected gift of rest and refreshment before jumping into the mission. Our team, including Kayla, Jocsan and Zeke, was essentially three generations. Not only did our team have soft hearts and “got along,” but there was authentic connection and relationship building that will also be a lasting legacy of this trip. That’s pretty sweet.

Pringles (Salty) – may we not lose our saltiness so that all that we come in contact with will see our good works and give glory to God (Matthew 5:13-14). We planted seeds this week. But every team member brought their whole being to the work projects, interacting with the kids and sharing the wordless book at the events. God will be the one to water the seeds, and he already starting watering the seeds planted from last year. There were a couple families who came that had also attended the children’s events last year. Building relationships, authentically connecting in the community takes time. Kayla and Jocsan are there on the ground 24/7/365 doing this. But, seven of our team members were part of the group last year. They returned this year with even more passion to share the gospel and connect with the kids.

Mints (Fresh) – may we embrace the new thing God is doing in us and those we are serving (Isaiah 43:18-19). I mentioned being fresh, embracing a new thing God is doing, on day 4/Sunday. But it’s a prayer that God continued to answer throughout the week. Several people mentioned multiple times during debriefs that there seemed to be an underlying theme of discerning the will of God. But the desire isn’t just to come back to do something different, to be different, than before we went to Mexico. The key is God is the one orchestrating the new thing in, and for, each of us. Although none of our individual stories are the same, we each have the privilege of being part of God’s big story in the ways that he specifically calls and gifts us to be.

When I signed each of their gift cards with “Looking forward to spending a transformative week with you,” I had no idea how amazing and beautiful it would be. (And, yes, there was gratitude and joy expressed in being able to do laundry this week!)







Mexico Trip 2024 – Day 7



Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

Today (Wednesday) was our last day in Puerto Escondido and last workday before traveling home. (I am writing this on Thursday while sitting at the airport and reflecting back on yesterday.) I thought our pre-trip devotional from June 28 was appropriate for today. Psalm 118 invites us to be thankful for the goodness and enduring love of the Lord. The devotional book defined “Thankfulness as being full of thanks and appreciation; glad for something or someone; realizing that everything and everyone is a gift to us from God.” I am so thankful for our team and how they came together on this trip. I am thankful for Mariska, who asked me to pass a on a message, “hi fam!” It is a big adventure to travel international and be in close proximity to each other for a week. I am proud of the maturity, generosity, and servant hearts they all displayed on this trip.

I am thankful for Jocsan and Kayla’s invitation to join them in this ministry. I am thankful for the hard work and positive attitudes yesterday as we painted the garage. It was one of the sweatiest days of my life, but we worked hard, and the pictures are amazing! I will let the pictures tell the story.





Isn’t it beautiful how the colors pop! It was very rewarding to see the orange paint cover the white. Stepping back and seeing the after was exciting. I had mentioned the first day we drove to the property was concrete structure that you could barely see through the trees. Sealing it with the white primer looked good through the trees. However, as we drove away, seeing the orange pop through the trees was exciting! Now the kids will see from the road that there is a building on the property and one day it will be a safe place for them to learn skills and hear about Jesus!

Yesterday evening we went out for dinner, which was delicious, and then stopped for frozen yogurt as a fun treat after a long week. It was fun just hanging out as a group and allowing conversations to happen. When we arrived back at the Airbnb, we had our last night of share time. It is bittersweet to come to an end of an amazing trip. The team shared lessons learned and highlights of the trip.

Anna shared from her heart and wonderful summary of what many of us are trying to process, “what is God’s will for our lives?” She admitted her struggle knowing what God’s will is for her and how that can be frustrating. However, hearing the testimonies this week from Kayla and Jocsan helped her see that knowing God’s will is about being obedient with the next step, whatever that step might be. Sometimes it’s hard to know what the next step to take is because we don’t get the big picture at the beginning; we just get the call to be obedient. As we take each step God weaves a bigger picture then we could imagine.

That’s a lesson I have learned, continue to learn, and still need to learn: faithfulness in the next step even when we don’t fully know what’s coming next. I think back on my life and where I am at today and marvel at how God worked in and through the unknowns to bring me to this place. I couldn’t have, and probably wouldn’t have, written my life story the way I have lived it out. But God has proved himself faithful with every step I have obediently taken with my eyes on the Good Shepherd. Kayla and Jocsan have amazing stories of what God had done in their lives to bring them to this point, which is a beautiful beginning to what God is doing through the vision he has placed on their hearts. God has taken a desire and turned it into a vision. He has taken a vision and is creating a reality as they faithfully take a step in obedience to his call.

Jocsan shared with us how exciting and encouraging it is for us to travel down and help them once a year. He confessed about the loneliness of being missionaries and the difficulty of holding the vision before their daily lives. All their work right now is focused on creating and orphanage for the kiddos, but there are not kiddos that they are caring for right now. Their heartbeat isn’t to build buildings but to build into lives of children. Having friends from Akron, Ohio that travel to work is a boost of energy and refreshing to their vision. Having a church family who is regularly praying and supporting them helps them feel less alone in the difficult times. Please commit to praying for Jocsan and Kayla and the development of Casa Abba.

This trip is completely different than last year’s trip. I don’t say this as a comparison or competition, each trip is a unique adventure that God gives to us. Several of us were on both trips and gleaned new lessons this year. This was the first international missions trip for some of our team members and I am so thankful that there was no separation between the returning members and the new members. However, each of our stories continue to build a bigger picture of the Kingdom of God in our lives and in our world.

I came into this trip more exhausted than I had realized due to a busy season. When I am exhausted, I can become a little short sighted or impatient. I must confess that after the first day, during debrief, I was a little short with the team trying to force the Spirit’s work. I had some expectations and tried to structure a specific outcome and ended up confusing and even frustrating team members. I wanted our debrief time to be a serious reflection of the spiritual lessons they are learning and not about joking around about poop stories (this is a missions trip staple) or “unspiritual” experiences. I know better than that, the icebreaker stories tear down the walls throughout the week and encourage vulnerability. But I wanted my way (notice how many times I said “I” in that paragraph).

Cindy took the time to stick around after our meeting and check in with me, at which time I began to I realize my own pride and desire for control. I wasn’t giving the team space to process and allow the Holy Spirit to do his thing. The next morning, I apologized to the team for being controlling and putting too much structure on a time that should be open and free to share whatever. I confess this because I want my team members to hear that I was not mad at anyone of them, and they didn’t do anything wrong. I became selfish, frustrated, and short sighted, but God is bigger and redeemed our time on this trip.

Today’s devotional is what I really needed to hear on Day 2. Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).  Joy is an emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something that is good and satisfying.  I wasn’t allowing the joy of the Lord to direct me into delighting in him. However, as I sit here and look at my team and remember each of them sharing their experiences this week, I find great joy and happiness in them, and I am satisfied with what God worked out through this week and through their testimonies. I am thankful that God did not allow my selfishness to derail the trip.
Jocsan shared the story of the well on the property you can read my post from last year to hear the story


God allowed this week to be a lesson for me. I came in exhausted, and he led me to a place of refreshment and rejuvenation. Yes, I am exhausted from hard work and long travel days. But I am refreshed in my spirit because the Lord has done a good work in our lives this week. He’s not finished with us yet and I am “confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).