“The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping.” Acts 12:6
The scene was filled with drama and suspense—and all eyes were on the local jail.
An evil king chuckled in anticipation of another apostle going down and his approval rating going up. The Jewish people wrapped up Passover and waited eagerly for the public trial. Stoic guards, four squads of four soldiers each, secured the cell around the clock to preclude any possibility of the captive’s escape. And the prisoner—with only one night left between life and death and only a few hours away from certain doom—was…sleeping like a baby. What? No clawing the walls? No pacing the floor? No fretting his final hours?? No, nothing but sound, solid sleep.
How? How could one sleep so good in times so bad? Simple—the prisoner believed God. Peter had the direct word of Jesus that he wouldn’t die young. Not long before, by a lake after breakfast, Jesus had restored the thrice-denying Peter and revealed a bit about his future. “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go”(John 21:18). At the time, Jesus’ statement seemed liked an unconnected comment—perhaps something to store for later but not live by today; however, on that deep, dark night, as Peter’s chains clanked in his cell and the executioner sharpened his sword, Peter had to choose what he would do with those words. Would he look at the in-your-face facts of his circumstances and decide that all was lost or would he believe what God had said?
A rattling snore was his answer. Because Peter knew who Jesus was, Peter believed what God said—and he slept away. At that moment, Peter didn’t know how God would deliver or what God would do, but he knew he wouldn’t die the next day. He wasn’t old enough.
As Hudson Taylor, the famous and faithful missionary to China, once said:
There is a living God.
He has spoken in the Bible.
He means what He says and will do all that He has promised.
Even when your situation screams otherwise, you can snore in the storm when you believe what God has said.
Take Him at His Word. And sleep well.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Look Alikes
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:26
Not long ago, my daughter’s high school swim team was pitted in a meet against my husband’s alma mater. Just before the competition began, he pointed to a nearby spectator and exclaimed, “I know her! That has to be Julie McDonough because she looks just like her mom!” Sure enough, a short walk and a few words later, old friends were reacquainted—not because Julie still resembled her former appearance but because she now looked like another.
Though, thankfully, my husband didn’t reveal all these details to Julie, when it comes to Jesus, the same thing should happen to us. We shouldn’t look like our old selves from days gone by before we met Him, but now that we know Him, we should look just like Him.
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch”(Acts 11:26). God’s love and grace had so radically transformed the believers in the Syrian town of Antioch that their lives bore a striking resemblance to their Savior. As those around them began to see less and less of what they had been like and more and more of Who they were now like, they began to call them “Christians”—“Little Christs.” When people looked at them, all they saw was Jesus. Their faces radiated His joy—even in their trials. Their spirits exuded His peace—even when they had problems. They treated both friends and enemies with patience and kindness. Their words resounded with His truth. Their attitudes reflected His heart. And their love, the love He had said would be their trademark(Jn 13:35), infused all they said and all they did.
Since the people of Antioch saw so much of Jesus in His own, they decided to call them by His name—“Little Christs.” The original term was quite possibly a derision, but could there ever be a bigger compliment? “You look just like Jesus.” As Dwight L. Moody aptly stated, “Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible. The other 99 will read you.” May your life leave no doubt Who you look like.
Live like a “Little Christ” and others will see how big He really is.
Not long ago, my daughter’s high school swim team was pitted in a meet against my husband’s alma mater. Just before the competition began, he pointed to a nearby spectator and exclaimed, “I know her! That has to be Julie McDonough because she looks just like her mom!” Sure enough, a short walk and a few words later, old friends were reacquainted—not because Julie still resembled her former appearance but because she now looked like another.
Though, thankfully, my husband didn’t reveal all these details to Julie, when it comes to Jesus, the same thing should happen to us. We shouldn’t look like our old selves from days gone by before we met Him, but now that we know Him, we should look just like Him.
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch”(Acts 11:26). God’s love and grace had so radically transformed the believers in the Syrian town of Antioch that their lives bore a striking resemblance to their Savior. As those around them began to see less and less of what they had been like and more and more of Who they were now like, they began to call them “Christians”—“Little Christs.” When people looked at them, all they saw was Jesus. Their faces radiated His joy—even in their trials. Their spirits exuded His peace—even when they had problems. They treated both friends and enemies with patience and kindness. Their words resounded with His truth. Their attitudes reflected His heart. And their love, the love He had said would be their trademark(Jn 13:35), infused all they said and all they did.
Since the people of Antioch saw so much of Jesus in His own, they decided to call them by His name—“Little Christs.” The original term was quite possibly a derision, but could there ever be a bigger compliment? “You look just like Jesus.” As Dwight L. Moody aptly stated, “Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible. The other 99 will read you.” May your life leave no doubt Who you look like.
Live like a “Little Christ” and others will see how big He really is.
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Rest of the Story
“When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him.” Acts 11:3
Don’t be so quick to criticize.
Just possibly, you might not know all the story, and the part you’re missing is most likely important. The Jewish believers in Jerusalem would have humbly shared this advice after accusing Peter of doing wrong and finding out that God was doing right. Word had gotten around that someone was sharing the good news of Jesus with those less-than-best Gentiles, and all fingers pointed to Peter. “When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them’”(Acts 11:3).
What they said was true—Peter had been hanging with Cornelius, a Roman centurion, for several days—but why Peter had gone there and what God had done there were the missing details which warranted the whole event, so Peter started talking. “Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened”(Acts 11:4). He told them of his pre-lunch vision and of God’s command to eat unclean animals. He told them of his invitation to visit Cornelius, and that “the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going”(Acts 11:12). He told them how an angel had instructed Cornelius to send for Peter because he would “bring a message through which you and all your household will be saved”(Acts 11:14). He told them how the Holy Spirit had filled the Gentiles in that home and how he had remembered the words of Jesus—“John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”(Acts 11:16). And then he said, “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us…who was I to think that I could oppose God?”(Acts 11:17). His words were a no-comeback clincher which shut his accusers’ mouths and opened their hearts. “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God”(Acts 11:18).
So next time you see or hear something that doesn’t meet your approval, don’t be too quick to criticize. Consider approaching the supposed offender with an open-minded “Help me understand what happened,” rather than an indicting “What in the world were you doing?”
It’s good to remember that just because you don’t think it’s right, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. God laid out many guidelines for life in black and white, but He left a lot in gray. Don’t get too focused on the fuzzy; leave the in-between between others and God.
He’s often at work in the rest of the story.
Don’t be so quick to criticize.
Just possibly, you might not know all the story, and the part you’re missing is most likely important. The Jewish believers in Jerusalem would have humbly shared this advice after accusing Peter of doing wrong and finding out that God was doing right. Word had gotten around that someone was sharing the good news of Jesus with those less-than-best Gentiles, and all fingers pointed to Peter. “When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them’”(Acts 11:3).
What they said was true—Peter had been hanging with Cornelius, a Roman centurion, for several days—but why Peter had gone there and what God had done there were the missing details which warranted the whole event, so Peter started talking. “Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened”(Acts 11:4). He told them of his pre-lunch vision and of God’s command to eat unclean animals. He told them of his invitation to visit Cornelius, and that “the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going”(Acts 11:12). He told them how an angel had instructed Cornelius to send for Peter because he would “bring a message through which you and all your household will be saved”(Acts 11:14). He told them how the Holy Spirit had filled the Gentiles in that home and how he had remembered the words of Jesus—“John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”(Acts 11:16). And then he said, “So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us…who was I to think that I could oppose God?”(Acts 11:17). His words were a no-comeback clincher which shut his accusers’ mouths and opened their hearts. “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God”(Acts 11:18).
So next time you see or hear something that doesn’t meet your approval, don’t be too quick to criticize. Consider approaching the supposed offender with an open-minded “Help me understand what happened,” rather than an indicting “What in the world were you doing?”
It’s good to remember that just because you don’t think it’s right, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. God laid out many guidelines for life in black and white, but He left a lot in gray. Don’t get too focused on the fuzzy; leave the in-between between others and God.
He’s often at work in the rest of the story.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Pillow Talk
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” Matthew 10:29
It’s time for a little pillow talk—literally.
After several years of constant use and occasional abuse, the two decorative pillows adorning my couch direly need to be replaced. Since such items aren’t necessities, I’ve been on the lookout for a “just right at the right price” find, and yesterday I thought my search was over. There, sitting on the middle shelf at a local discount store, were my new pillows, simply begging to be bought. I picked them up, looked them over, showed them to my daughter, then set them down to answer an important phone call. Not wanting to be impolite to a nearby shopper, I stepped away for less than a minute, but in those few seconds, my pillows disappeared.
“Where are they?” I asked incredulously, staring at the empty space before me. “Did that lady really come over here and take them?” Alas, the answer was, “Yes,” for as I gazed around the store, I saw my two perfect pillows piled on top of an already overflowing shopping cart in the checkout line and the pillow perpetrator standing nonchalantly beside them.
I must admit that for a moment I felt like being foul. I needed those pillows (the rips in my old ones would cause you to agree.) I wanted those pillows. I had searched for those pillows. I had found those pillows. And now they were gone. But right then, I heard my daughter’s voice saying, “Mom, I can’t believe that lady took them!” and I knew I had to choose. Would I let something so insignificant as pillows steal my joy and suppress the happy time I was having with my child—or would I not? So I laughed and said, “I can’t either, but obviously God has other pillows in mind for our couch or else He would have kept those safe.” As she looked at me quizically, I continued, “I’m serious. The more you trust God with the little things in life that don’t turn out like you’ve planned, the less frustrated and upset you’ll be.”
Do I really believe that? Do I really think that the God of the universe cares about my couch? Yes— not because of my décor but because I am His daughter, and if a half-penny sparrow “will not fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father”(Matt 10:29), then lovely brown pillows won’t depart the second shelf without His approval either.
Somewhere around town, that lady has been relishing her great deal, and across the way, this lady has been reminded of a great deal. In things big and small, our faithful God and can and should be trusted. He will provide what we need, when we need it, and how we need it. “So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows”(Matt 10:31).
And many pillows.
It’s time for a little pillow talk—literally.
After several years of constant use and occasional abuse, the two decorative pillows adorning my couch direly need to be replaced. Since such items aren’t necessities, I’ve been on the lookout for a “just right at the right price” find, and yesterday I thought my search was over. There, sitting on the middle shelf at a local discount store, were my new pillows, simply begging to be bought. I picked them up, looked them over, showed them to my daughter, then set them down to answer an important phone call. Not wanting to be impolite to a nearby shopper, I stepped away for less than a minute, but in those few seconds, my pillows disappeared.
“Where are they?” I asked incredulously, staring at the empty space before me. “Did that lady really come over here and take them?” Alas, the answer was, “Yes,” for as I gazed around the store, I saw my two perfect pillows piled on top of an already overflowing shopping cart in the checkout line and the pillow perpetrator standing nonchalantly beside them.
I must admit that for a moment I felt like being foul. I needed those pillows (the rips in my old ones would cause you to agree.) I wanted those pillows. I had searched for those pillows. I had found those pillows. And now they were gone. But right then, I heard my daughter’s voice saying, “Mom, I can’t believe that lady took them!” and I knew I had to choose. Would I let something so insignificant as pillows steal my joy and suppress the happy time I was having with my child—or would I not? So I laughed and said, “I can’t either, but obviously God has other pillows in mind for our couch or else He would have kept those safe.” As she looked at me quizically, I continued, “I’m serious. The more you trust God with the little things in life that don’t turn out like you’ve planned, the less frustrated and upset you’ll be.”
Do I really believe that? Do I really think that the God of the universe cares about my couch? Yes— not because of my décor but because I am His daughter, and if a half-penny sparrow “will not fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father”(Matt 10:29), then lovely brown pillows won’t depart the second shelf without His approval either.
Somewhere around town, that lady has been relishing her great deal, and across the way, this lady has been reminded of a great deal. In things big and small, our faithful God and can and should be trusted. He will provide what we need, when we need it, and how we need it. “So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows”(Matt 10:31).
And many pillows.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
It's All Good
“In Joppa, there was a disciple named Dorcas…who was always doing good.” Acts 9:36
Believe it or not, God never says to be good.
You can look if you like, but He really doesn’t. He doesn’t because He knows we can’t. There is no way in heaven or on earth we can be good by ourselves “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Rom 3:23), and, “No one is good—except God alone”(Mk 10:18). Yes, feel helpless. Yes, feel hopeless, for into such desperation and distress, God’s goodness became ours when “Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us…and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good”(Tit 2:14). In other words, you can’t BE good by yourself anytime, but with Christ as your life, you can DO good all the time. And you should.
One day, back in the book of Acts, a corpse, washed and dressed in death, was laid on a bed in the town of Joppa. The deceased’s name was Dorcas, and she was known for “always doing good”(Acts 9:36). As two on-the-run, out-of-breath disciples hurried Peter up the stairs to her side, those who had been the recipients of her “doing good” held out proof for him to see. “All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing Dorcas had made for them while she was still with them”(Acts 9:39). When Peter prayed, God raised Dorcas back to life on earth for His glory—“This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord”(Acts 9:42), and so she could keep doing good—“Peter called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive”(Acts 9:41).
So stop trying to be good and start doing good. Trust God for His goodness in Christ, and turn the focus of your life from yourself to Him. “For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has already prepared for you to do”(Eph 2:10). Get busy—life on earth doesn’t last long, and God has lots for us to do. In innumerable ways, big and small, through kind words, cut lawns, earnest prayers, cheerful smiles, honest time-sheets, hearty casseroles, tender touches, caring conversations, sincere thanks, and an unending list of other actions and attitudes, we are to imitate Jesus, who “went about doing good”(Acts 10:38). Don’t get tired(Gal 6:9), be devoted(Titus 3:14), and be ready(Titus 3:1). God always has good for us to do.
When you let God be what you can’t be—good, you can then do what you should do—good. And in the end, others will have something to hold in their hands because of Who is in your heart.
I guess you could say, “It’s all good!”
Believe it or not, God never says to be good.
You can look if you like, but He really doesn’t. He doesn’t because He knows we can’t. There is no way in heaven or on earth we can be good by ourselves “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”(Rom 3:23), and, “No one is good—except God alone”(Mk 10:18). Yes, feel helpless. Yes, feel hopeless, for into such desperation and distress, God’s goodness became ours when “Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us…and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good”(Tit 2:14). In other words, you can’t BE good by yourself anytime, but with Christ as your life, you can DO good all the time. And you should.
One day, back in the book of Acts, a corpse, washed and dressed in death, was laid on a bed in the town of Joppa. The deceased’s name was Dorcas, and she was known for “always doing good”(Acts 9:36). As two on-the-run, out-of-breath disciples hurried Peter up the stairs to her side, those who had been the recipients of her “doing good” held out proof for him to see. “All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing Dorcas had made for them while she was still with them”(Acts 9:39). When Peter prayed, God raised Dorcas back to life on earth for His glory—“This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord”(Acts 9:42), and so she could keep doing good—“Peter called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive”(Acts 9:41).
So stop trying to be good and start doing good. Trust God for His goodness in Christ, and turn the focus of your life from yourself to Him. “For you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has already prepared for you to do”(Eph 2:10). Get busy—life on earth doesn’t last long, and God has lots for us to do. In innumerable ways, big and small, through kind words, cut lawns, earnest prayers, cheerful smiles, honest time-sheets, hearty casseroles, tender touches, caring conversations, sincere thanks, and an unending list of other actions and attitudes, we are to imitate Jesus, who “went about doing good”(Acts 10:38). Don’t get tired(Gal 6:9), be devoted(Titus 3:14), and be ready(Titus 3:1). God always has good for us to do.
When you let God be what you can’t be—good, you can then do what you should do—good. And in the end, others will have something to hold in their hands because of Who is in your heart.
I guess you could say, “It’s all good!”
Monday, January 9, 2012
The Game
It’s just a game, but sometimes God uses the temporary to remind me of the eternal.
Yes, I’m talking football, and, yes, I’m talking Tebow. This morning around water coolers and restaurant tables all across America, millions are discussing the Denver Broncos playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Steeler fans, I’m sorry. We’re excited about what God is doing in Big Ben’s life too. Please don’t stop reading.) People will call it thrilling, exciting, surprising, vindicating, and a multitude of other descriptive adjectives, but I keep thinking about what I was thinking last evening as time expired in the fourth quarter and the game was tied—“What if...?”
What if Tim could have thrown a few passes just a bit better? What if the receivers would have hung on to passes they should/could have caught? What if Denver had scored a touchdown instead of opting for a field goal? What if the refs had called just one of the several obvious (at least to us Broncos fans) facemask infractions? Things would have been so different. The clock wouldn’t have been sitting at zero, and the crowd still not sure. The victory would have been within the expected boundaries and the anxiety replaced with celebration. In the span of a two television commercials, I mentally replayed a variety of scenarios that would have made the game end the way I wanted and would have left no room for the now-looming possibility of a loss. And though I try to limit my football prayers, my conversation with God went something like this: “If, for Your glory and his good, you wanted Tebow to win, You just passed up several very obvious opportunities to bring it about, so I’m not sure what You’re doing…” And then overtime began.
A kick-off and one 80 yard play later, it was all over. In a matter of seconds, worry was replaced with a win. My “Oh no” became “Oh yeah” as the fumbles and failures of the past faded into present jubilation. And in the midst of my loud cheers, I heard a still, small voice.
Through touchdowns and turn-arounds, God reminded me that in all of life He is up to something bigger and better than my small mind could ever scheme(Isa 55:9). The clocks by which I measure success or security are rarely the same instruments through which He orchestrates His sovereign will(1 Sam 16:7). The mistakes of others or the messes I make myself are never so big or so bad that He cannot weave them by grace for good(Rom 8:28). And even as time expires, I can be sure that what lies beyond the zero is far greater glory than anything I’ve seen during the game(2 Cor 4:17).
While we live in regulation (and as we begin this new year), don’t waste time on the “what if’s.” Fret and regret can’t change the past—only cloud the future. Let yesterday’s lost chances and lousy choices go, and let them rest with Jesus. Live today. God has made it; rejoice in it and in Him(Ps 118:24). Love deeply, share freely, feel honestly, and cheer loudly. Don’t just count the days; make the days count. And look forward to tomorrow. If you spend it on earth, God will be with you here, and if He takes you home, heaven is overtime, all the time.
Play each day with purpose and passion. You never need to worry or wonder. God’s victory is sure—earth’s scoreboard just can’t show the whole story.
Yes, I’m talking football, and, yes, I’m talking Tebow. This morning around water coolers and restaurant tables all across America, millions are discussing the Denver Broncos playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Steeler fans, I’m sorry. We’re excited about what God is doing in Big Ben’s life too. Please don’t stop reading.) People will call it thrilling, exciting, surprising, vindicating, and a multitude of other descriptive adjectives, but I keep thinking about what I was thinking last evening as time expired in the fourth quarter and the game was tied—“What if...?”
What if Tim could have thrown a few passes just a bit better? What if the receivers would have hung on to passes they should/could have caught? What if Denver had scored a touchdown instead of opting for a field goal? What if the refs had called just one of the several obvious (at least to us Broncos fans) facemask infractions? Things would have been so different. The clock wouldn’t have been sitting at zero, and the crowd still not sure. The victory would have been within the expected boundaries and the anxiety replaced with celebration. In the span of a two television commercials, I mentally replayed a variety of scenarios that would have made the game end the way I wanted and would have left no room for the now-looming possibility of a loss. And though I try to limit my football prayers, my conversation with God went something like this: “If, for Your glory and his good, you wanted Tebow to win, You just passed up several very obvious opportunities to bring it about, so I’m not sure what You’re doing…” And then overtime began.
A kick-off and one 80 yard play later, it was all over. In a matter of seconds, worry was replaced with a win. My “Oh no” became “Oh yeah” as the fumbles and failures of the past faded into present jubilation. And in the midst of my loud cheers, I heard a still, small voice.
Through touchdowns and turn-arounds, God reminded me that in all of life He is up to something bigger and better than my small mind could ever scheme(Isa 55:9). The clocks by which I measure success or security are rarely the same instruments through which He orchestrates His sovereign will(1 Sam 16:7). The mistakes of others or the messes I make myself are never so big or so bad that He cannot weave them by grace for good(Rom 8:28). And even as time expires, I can be sure that what lies beyond the zero is far greater glory than anything I’ve seen during the game(2 Cor 4:17).
While we live in regulation (and as we begin this new year), don’t waste time on the “what if’s.” Fret and regret can’t change the past—only cloud the future. Let yesterday’s lost chances and lousy choices go, and let them rest with Jesus. Live today. God has made it; rejoice in it and in Him(Ps 118:24). Love deeply, share freely, feel honestly, and cheer loudly. Don’t just count the days; make the days count. And look forward to tomorrow. If you spend it on earth, God will be with you here, and if He takes you home, heaven is overtime, all the time.
Play each day with purpose and passion. You never need to worry or wonder. God’s victory is sure—earth’s scoreboard just can’t show the whole story.
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