Learning to Let Go

By the time I arrive home in the afternoons, the dogs are ready to play. They love fetch. When I throw the ball, Mamie races after it, grabs it in her mouth, and brings it back to me to throw again. 

Maggie, however, has a little problem she hasn't been willing to overcome. She races after the ball, grabs it in her mouth, lies down, and covers it with both her front paws. If I try to retrieve it from her mouth, she growls. I don't think she'd bite me, but I've never tried to snatch the ball. 

Mamie and I can play fetch until she's too tired to run anymore because she's willing to let the ball go. Maggie, however, plays a one-toss game of fetch because she refuses that most basic part of the game: releasing the ball.

Maggie's been taught the command, "drop it." She's pretty good at it, until it involves something she really wants, like the ball. Then, obedience goes out the window.

What she never seems to understand is that her insistence upon holding tight to her ball stops play time. It stops our time together. It stops the fun. 

I'm afraid we're a little like Maggie, holding on so tight we can't let go to enjoy all God has for us. It's a more common problem than we might think. We hold to the life we have, unwilling to let go of anything, yet God stands ready to lead us through untold adventure. 

We miss the amazing and incredible when we hold to the routine and comfortable.

There were probably days when Moses wished he'd stayed with the sheep in the wilderness, instead of dealing with the grumblers in the desert, but, when the manna fell, letting go of the wilderness was worth it. When water flowed from the rock, it was worth it.

Elijah probably wished he'd stayed in Tishbe instead of going head to head with an evil government. When the fire fell on the altar, consumed the offering, and dried up all the water, however, dealing with Jezebel was worth it. When the still, small voice spoke, everything else was worth it.

God routinely calls us out of our comfort zones and into adventure. We miss the best, though, because we hold so tight to the good. 

Why not let go and see what God will do? Why not loosen our hold on the good and follow Him into the amazing and incredible God longs for us to have. When Jesus offers "abundant life," He doesn't intend us to have a routine, boring existence. He offers us more adventure than we can imagine, and it's worth all we have to release to embrace it.

Today, let's ask God what He wants for us, then let go of that to which we cling to embrace what He wants for us. In case you're wondering, it'll be worth it.

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:10 nlt 

_____________

Please like and share if this blog post has touched your heart. It extends our digital reach in significant ways. Thank you.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When Casual is Catastrophic 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Jordan, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Confessing Jesus Before Men: Truth and Life

"And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8-9 NASB)

Confess before men" is a phrase that, in Greek, means to say the same the same things about Jesus that He says about Himself. In this series, we have reviewed the I AM's, including I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the Light of the World, I AM the Door, I AM the Good Shepherd (pasture), I AM the Good Shepherd, I AM the Resurrection and the Life, and I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life (the way).

We return to the passage in John to consider it in more detail.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; 

no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 NASB

The word translated as "truth" is alētheia and indicates truth in all matters, including the certainty of fulfillment. If Jesus is the truth (and He is), then every word He said is true. Every prophecy will be fulfilled; every promise can be claimed with certainty. 

zōē is the word translated as "life". This word is rich and filled with such depth of meaning that it deserves a closer look. Blue Letter Bible defines this word as "life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God..." This "life" is not a boring life of stone walls, dim light, and rote chants. This "life" is vibrant, active, alive. It's exciting, with new adventure around every corner and the hope of eternity in the future, where it will be even more wonderful.

Jesus was many things, but he was never boring. If our lives are boring, we're missing something vital in our Christian walk. What Jesus came to give us was LIFE and He intended for it to be abundant, fulfilling, and productive. Is that the kind of life we're living? If not, why not?

Our Lord intends life to be more than 9-5 work and a few hours of television every evening until we fall asleep on the couch. He intended us to make a difference in the kingdom of God. In what ways are we making an investment in the kingdom of God? In what ways are we spending our time for Him? How are we using our gifts for the body of Christ?

One of the exciting things we will enjoy in eternity is seeing the spiritual fruit of the seeds we have sown in this world. We won't enjoy it though, if we have planted no seeds. Let's be sure we're making a difference in this world with the life Christ has given us. Plant seeds. Make a difference. Change the world. 

He is the life, our life, and it's very exciting... IF we live it the way He intended.

~~~~~~~

Our Father, I give you the life I'm living now and ask You to give me Your abundant life. Help me to sow seeds for You, to make a difference in the world.  Help me to see Your hand at work around me and to join in with what You are doing. Help me to live abundantly. in Jesus name, Amen.

How to avoid a shipwreck

Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops. (Luke 12:1-3 NASB)

In yesterday's post, we looked at the word "beware". The word translated as "beware" is prosechō and is the same word used to describe the action of bringing a ship into dry land safely. It caused me to wonder about the dangers of bringing a ship to land, which ultimately led me to the top 50 causes of loss of ships. The list was so interesting that I thought you might enjoy a little detour to see it. 

Dr. E. Lee Spence, writing about shipwrecks, published a list of the 50 top causes of loss of ships. (you can read the entire list with the link below.)
Causes of the loss of ships at sea, by wreck or otherwise

1. Short complement of men.
2. Deficiency of materials and stores.
3. Deficiency of water and provisions.
4. Bad materials — anchors, chains, boats, spars, sails, cordage, etc.
5. Bad quality of water and provisions.
6. Teetotality — coffee instead of rum, etc.
7. Bad condition of the ship from age, want of repairs, caulking, and looking properly to.
8. Bad construction of the ship, out of trim, cranky, etc.
9. Incapacity of masters and others.
10. Presence of captain’s wives, and other women

Of the top ten causes of shipwreck, four are essentially due to not taking care of the ship and the equipment needed. (bad materials, bad quality, bad construction, bad condition). Four more are due to inadequate supplies (too few men, stores, provisions, and masters). 

Shipwrecks are bad business, and I want no part of it. I've seen lives that are "shipwrecked", and it's a heartbreaking sight.  I want no part of that, either.

How do we avoid shipwrecking our lives? If we want to navigate the treacherous waters of life safely, we must attend our lives in the same way that a captain attends his/her ship. We need to begin with truth, and make quality decisions based on that truth. We also need to take care of the "ship", or, in this illustration, take care of our bodies with adequate rest, exercise, and a healthy diet. 

We are more than physical beings, however. We are body, mind, and soul. Our minds need to be occupied, as does our soul. Experts recommend "mind tasks" such as crossword puzzles and math games to keep the mind sharp. I enjoy games, but prefer a life-long quest for learning to keep my mind sharp. My effort to learn the skills needed for writing fiction is just one example of that. "You're never too old to learn something new" is my motto.

Most important, however, is taking care of our souls. Bible study and Scripture memory are essential, but they are not enough. All the Bible studies in the world will not help me navigate the perils of life if I don't apply the lessons I learn. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, said that the purpose of study is to handle the word of truth accurately. Our goals should be that of a workman who wants to please his employer. In the case of disciples of Christ, we should aim to please God by how we use His Word.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB)

Taking care of body, mind, and soul is an almost daunting task, but none of it is optional if we want to have the abundant life Christ came to give us. (John 10:10) It can be done, no matter our age or education or economics. 

Ship captains keep their eye on the goal. A successful journey is only accomplished when the ship returns to harbor. In the same way, the success of our lives is only determined at the end, when we successfully reach our eternal destination. If we want to reach our goal, we must be diligent to care for our ship (body, mind, and soul) and make sure we are traveling in the direction of the destination we most desire to reach. 

Pleasing God. In eternity, it's all that matters. 

Dead Men Walking

Cemetery outside Jerusalem

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it. " (Luke 11:42-44 NASB)

In Israel, the "graves" are above-ground boxes in which the bodies are laid. Instead of flowers at the gravesite, visitors leave stones atop the boxes. Visiting a cemetery outside the city walls of Jerusalem, I was surprised to see thousands of bleached-white stone boxes; I was amazed to see hundreds of stones atop many of the boxes. It was jarring evidence of death and loss, in stark contrast to the tree-shaded, grass-covered graves in this country. Their graves were clearly visible. Death in boxes.

We continue the "woes" today. "Woe", we learned earlier, is a word of denunciation meaning "you should be ashamed of yourself". Jesus said that the Pharisees, religious leaders and experts in Jewish law, were like "concealed tombs". A concealed tomb contains death, but the people who walk over it don't realize it contains a dead person. They don't know they have been "contaminated by touching death." 

The Pharisees, He said, were full of death, not life. Everyone who came in contact with the Pharisees became, in a way, ceremonially unclean because of their brush with the putrefaction within. The death in them was so well-concealed by their good deeds and religious language that most people couldn't recognize it. It looked like life to them. 

Therein is a major problem in the church, even today. Spiritual death can be so well concealed by good deeds, large donations, regular church attendance, and religious language that the death within is misinterpreted as life. It's a tragedy for all of us. First, for the people who "fake" life in Christ. Second, those who view these fakers and believe that they are seeing the life of a disciple are sadly deceived.

Life in Christ is not about saying a few words of a prayer to obtain fire insurance for the hereafter. Life in Christ is about discipleship, following His leading and not our own. Following Him means loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves. 

When seekers view the lives of what Jesus might have called "dead men walking", they are apt to misunderstand faith. It is no wonder when they turn away.

Our cemeteries are filled with concealed graves. The grass, flowers, and trees are beautiful trappings that help conceal them, but there is still death within. When we are like concealed graves, it is nothing short of tragedy. 

I want to be filled with life, I want my deeds to accurately reflect the Christ within, don't you? Today, let's make sure that there is life within us because of our relationship with the One who IS life.  

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ASV)

WaIting for Jesus, part 22: and so she ate

He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. (Luke 8:54-55 NASB)

And so she ate. I'm sure she did, aren't you? Jesus "gave orders for something to be given her to eat".  That wasn't just a random array of words. He sent someone, probably her mother, to get something for her to eat with the expectation that she would eat it. That may not seem remarkable until you remember that this young girl had been terminally ill, had died, Jesus had called her spirit back, and He had brought her to life again. She had had a pretty exciting and difficult time of it. The natural inclination after that would be to prop up the pillows, lie back, and luxuriate in the joyful greetings of friends and loved ones. There would be a tendency to bask in the attention the situation and miracle would bring. 

That was not at all what Jesus intended. He didn't bring her back to life to lie in the bed. He brought her back to life to LIVE, and living would begin by regaining her strength. Regaining her strength would begin with proper nourishment. She had been back to life for just a few minutes and already Jesus was putting her on a "training program". It did not matter that she was not yet twelve years old. Living was what He intended, and living is what she would do. 

The thing we often forget is that LIVING is what Jesus intended for us, as well. He was very clear when He said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) There is nothing about abundant living that involves luxuriating at our ease. The word translated as "abundantly" is  perissos.  Blueletterbible.org describes  perissos as "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon".  That is exactly the kind of life Jesus came to give us, and it is the life He intends us to live. Imagine that! What Jesus wants us to do is live "superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon" lives, and when we do, our very lives will be like road signs pointing people to Jesus.

Is that the life you are living? Is it the life your loved ones are living? If not, why not? If Jesus came to give you a perissos life, and He did, why not live the way He intended? It all begins with nourishment, and perissos nourishment begins with the word of God. 

Dear ones, have a super extraordinary, surpassingly uncommon day, and do it because that's what Jesus said for you to do! 

-------

Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/09/lessons-from-battlefield-part-18.html

-------

On this anniversary of 9/11 pray for those who lost so much in that tragedy but also pray for those who put their lives on the line daily to keep our nation safe from further attack. Pray that the efforts of those who would attack us would be thwarted.