I can do all things through Him who gives me strength is one of my favorite verses in the bible.
Paul wrote it to the Philippians as he was thanking them for their concern for him and his ministry. They have financially supported him as he traveled to spread the gospel. He thanks them for their financial support and for their prayers.
He then goes on to explain to them that he has learned to live in any circumstance because he knows that God is always with him and his Savior will give him strength. “for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11b-13)
I was reminded of this verse, because it is on my desk, given to me by my wife in the midst of strife at a previous call to remind me it is not about me, or my situation, it is about who I serve…
I was also reminded of this verse after Easter because of what I see in this congregation. I see a group of people ready to go where God is leading them, relying on Him to see us through. We may not be able to see the end, but we know who is leading us, and walking with us, and because of that we are able to step out in faith!
I see a body of believers who are prayerful and committed to the mission God has called us to. So let us come together and support each other and pray for each other, and walk boldly with our God into this place and be His hands and feet. Knowing that we do not go alone, but together as brothers and sisters, and with Christ who will be our strength, and give us everything we need.
So let’s step out in faith, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!
hoped for…
Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet “in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay; but my righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.” But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. (Hebrews 10:35-11:2, NRSV)
Endurance is what is needed in the race.
I know this better now than ever before. You see I do not think I am a runner. But I am doing a running club with my children. We are preparing to run a 5K (3.1 miles) and a 10K (6.2 miles). We have run for the past 3 weeks now and started at .5 miles. We have as of the date of this post gone 2.5 miles. And tomorrow we will run 3.0 miles… Now I have not run before but I can see a difference by staying the course and following through on the days of running. Endurance is what keeps us going, and this is true for running and life…
You see in life it is easy to give in and throw in the towel as the pressures of life close in on us.
We just want to give up.
And stop.
Just like me when I’m running.
I hear the banter in my head…
Why are you running…
It would be so much easier to walk…
what do you have to prove…
you’ve walked further than this already today…
And if I listen to that, I’ll stop…
But there is that other voice inside of my head
You can do this…
Yes it hurts but it will be ok…
Don’t stop you’re almost there…
Think of how you you feel when you cross that line…
Endurance is what we have hoped for! And like in running and in life, it is mental, knowing we are on the right path, and going where the world has not gone, but following the one that will give us new life!
So endure knowing He is what we have hoped for!
Stay the course!
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10, NRSV)
Hold on just a minute here…
What are you saying Paul? What is all of this about dwelling and clothing and taking off or not being in the house, but not being naked and all of this talk about being clothed in the dwelling He has prepared for us?
Paul has a way of saying things in a run on round about way that loses us sometimes. It makes us shake our heads and just say, “Yea whatever he just said…”
But if we don’t get it we shouldn’t agree… But what Paul is saying is this life here is a dwelling that is not permanent, and the one that Christ has prepared for us with God is permanent. We will be in that dwelling forever, and once we leave this dwelling, that is where we will be forever. But while we are in this place, in this life, we can not be fully in that life.
But we can be confident in the promises that that life is real and is with us. We are not there fully, but will be there. For now we see in the mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Our eyes will be opened and we will be with God fully!
So hold to the confidence that Christ is our savior and He will be with us as we stand before the judgement seat, and we will be with Him in the end.
Stay the course!
Would you…
Then Gideon said to God, “In order to see that you will deliver Israel by my hand, just as you have said, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and all of the ground is dry, I will know that you will deliver Israel by my hand, just as you have said.” And it was so. He arose early the next day and squeezed the fleece, and he wrung out dew from the fleece, a full drinking bowl of water. And Gideon said to God, “Do not let your anger burn against me; let me speak once more. Please let me test once more with the fleece; let the fleece be dry, and let there be dew on the ground.” And God did so that night; only the fleece was dry, and dew was on all the ground. (Judges 6:36-40, ESV)
Some of us say this is wrong, and that is because Jesus said it was wrong to put the Lord your God to the test. And Jesus said it because it is in the Hebrew Scriptures.
But I wonder how many of us, having the moxy to ask for what Gideon did would actually believe what God showed us.
We ask for a clear sign from God and if we were to get it would we believe it? Or would we say it is a fluke, it was a mistake. So Gideon asked again…
But would you believe after the second test?
Sometimes it takes a while for us to get it and to follow and even with many clear signs we are slow to say, “yes Lord…”
Would you believe the signs and follow?
A new name…
That night he arose and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. And he took them and sent them across the stream. Then he sent across all his possessions. And Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the dawn. And when he saw that he could not prevail against him, he struck his hip socket, so that Jacob’s hip socket was sprained as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Then he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked and said, “Please tell me your name.” And he said, “Why do you ask this—for my name?” And he blessed him there. Then Jacob called the name of the place Peniel which means “I have seen God face to face and my life was spared.” Then the sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore the Israelites do not eat the sinew of the sciatic nerve that is upon the socket of the hip unto this day, because he struck the socket of the thigh of Jacob at the sinew of the sciatic nerve. (Genesis 33:22-32, ESV)
How many of us have wrestled with God? Or an angel?
Well I guess we all could say we have, especially if we ever felt God calling us to do something and then we said, “really you want me to do that? I’m not able to do that…”
We all wrestle with God, maybe not in a physical sense but all of us struggle with following where He is calling us to go and be and to do what He is asking us to.
And just like Jacob we all have the opportunity to get a new name from God. At the font, God names us and claims us as His own. And while the pastor may use the same name out parents gave us, God calls us by a new name, “beloved child!”
You are His beloved child and by that name He is calling you…
Bad rap…
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:19-31, ESV)
Most of us who have been to worship before have heard this verse and the title it is traditionally known by, Doubting Thomas.
But I wonder why were the 10 locked in the room? And where was Thomas?
If they all actually feared for their lives would they not either all stay together or all be alone? Safety in numbers or better off by themselves…
But Thomas is not there. He is out of the room…
And where we do not know, and doing what we do not know…
But because he questioned the others when he did returned he gets the rap for doubting and sets up the thought that doubting or questioning is bad.
Questioning God is not wrong and seeking a clear understanding is not wrong. God calls us to know the truth and not just blindly follow what others tell us.
Thomas needed to understand himself, and confessed without touching. But blessed are we who seek answers and find them without seeing.
So question and seek, trusting in the truth of God.
O Sing!!!
O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98, NRSV)
Have you ever been annoyed with the new hymn or song in worship?
Why do we have to sing this?
We don’t know it!
We’ve never done this before!
It is true doing new things is hard. Change is not easy, but wait just a minute and reread the psalm above…
O sing to the Lord a NEW song!
God doesn’t want the same old same old!
God wants you to be ready at a moments notice to do something new! Something different.
He is not content with the tired and true, but wants us to soar on the wind and sing to Him a new song!
Witnesses!
Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised; before his coming John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his work, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet.’ “My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; (Acts 13:23-33a, NRSV)
John was here and proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, one we needed to prepare to meet, for He would save us. John never claimed to be the savior, but pointed to Him, as did Peter, and the disciples, and many others…
And even though the church leaders of John’s day found nothing in Jesus to convict Him, they still took Him to Pilate and had Him tried and then hung on a cross for us, His children.
Who was a witness to you?
Who told you the story?
Who helped you understand the love God has for you?
Who can you tell?
Who can you help know the love God has for them?
You see, you are a witness, and called by God, through Jesus to go into the world and tell the story, bot to everyone, but to one…
Who are you going to be a witness for?
Not necessarily in words, but in how you live your life for Him?
For they witnessed, and many believed, and those who believed witnessed and so on down to you, and now it is our turn… So go therefore and be a witness to the love we all have available to us!
Seeing…
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:1-18, NRSV)
Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing…
In this passage, as well as the rest of the gospel of John, seeing is a big thing…
Mary sees the stone rolled away in verse one, and here she believes that someone has taken the body.
The two disciples, Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved, see the clothes lying in the tomb in verse 5 and 6. And in verse 8 it says the disciple that Jesus loved sees and believes… And I wonder what he believed, as he went home, without understanding that He must rise from the dead, the verses say… They saw He was gone and that is what they believed since He was not there…
Then Mary sees the 2 angels in the tomb, but still believes that someone has taken the body…
Then Mary sees Jesus and believes him to be the gardener…
Then after Jesus calls her by name, she really sees Him. And she goes to see the disciples and tells them she has seen the Lord…
The eyes can deceive you… But our mind and our heart will help us to see what our eyes never could…
Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing!
For they were afraid…
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8, NRSV)
Not really the ending to the story we expect, right?
I mean come on. Jesus is alive and all that happens here is the women, who came to prepare Him, fled from the tomb when they were told He was alive and was going on to meet the disciples, because they were afraid!
But how many of us have done anything about the fact that Jesus was raised?
How many of us tell people about our loving savior that died for us, and rose to give us new life?
How many of us flee from a chance to talk about God because we are afraid?
There is nothing to fear for the Holy Spirit will give you the words to speak.
So boldly tell all about Jesus who died for all so that all may have a place with God for all of eternity!
aSacredRebel 