Impact Week Thirteen

Review

Last Sunday, we found what true friendship is through Jonathan. Jonathan is a little known man tucked away in the book of I Samuel. He’s easy to forget if you’re not a fan of the historical accounts found in Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. But if you’ll recall from last week, David needed him very much to escape from the snare of King Saul.

To sum it up, David came to Jonathan afraid for his life. In just a moment, we’ll find out why. But Jonathan could hardly believe what he was hearing. After all, King Saul was Jonathan’s father – he had no reason to think or believe that his own father would want David dead. But Jonathan took David at his word and protected him from his father. Were it not for David, Jonathan would have succeeded the throne and become the next king of Israel. But he placed David over his own interests, over himself.

You and I can learn a lot from Jonathan. Examine your friendships. How do you treat your friends? Can you honestly say that you would place them over yourself? Or are they there to serve you? On the other hand, how do your friends treat you? Be careful who you associate yourself with and think about how they affect your heart. Your closest friends are the ones who affect your decisions. It’s been said, “Show me a man’s friends and I’ll show you the man”. In other words, you are who you hang out with.

Background

A few years prior to last week’s reading, there was no king at all. Israel was governed by judges, men and women that God raised up from time to time to bring the people out of the turmoil they got themselves into. When you read through Judges (just before I Samuel), you’ll find people like Gideon and Sampson who brought Israel out of its latest slump. But as soon as one of these judges died, the people of Israel would fall back into sin. As we get into Samuel, the people express their desire for a king to govern the land. Enter Saul, Israel’s very first king.

Saul started out great. He was a humble man, and he didn’t even want to be king - scripture says when the people were trying to instate him, he hid himself from the crowd. The I Samuel account talks about his own battles as well as those of his son’s with the Philistines and his triumphs over them. But Saul disobeyed the command given to him by the prophet Samuel. And from that time on, God was no longer with Saul. It was at that time that Samuel was instructed to anoint another, David, as the next king, rather than allow Saul’s line to rule Israel. As we begin reading, David has already been anointed to be the next king, has defeated Goliath, and has entered into King Saul’s service.

Reading: 1 Samuel 18:1-16

End

The Saul we read about here in this chapter is a very different man from the one we read about in chapter nine. But as mentioned before, Saul disobeyed the command of God given through the prophet Samuel twice, and God’s anointing and more specifically, his Spirit, left Saul. Instead of Saul and his son Jonathan slaying Israel’s enemies, it was now David winning the battles. It was made clear to Saul that David and his lineage would become king after Saul. So when the women started singing about David’s great success, Saul become jealous and paranoid. He not only thought David wanted his throne but that he also wanted Saul dead.

Have you ever thought, “Why is he so much better than I am at (insert activity or job)? I practice and work so much harder than him.” Or, “I am better than him at this.” You may believe that it should be you on varsity team or you playing guitar for the worship team, or whatever the situation is. It may be that you are indeed more talented than William, and that you have practiced and accomplished more. It may be unfair and unjust that he is in that position rather than you. But don’t get offended and jealous.

The funny thing about David is that even though he knew Saul was all that stood between himself and the throne, he never took Saul’s life, nor did he attempt to do so. Yet Saul believed that David would kill him in his sleep. And Saul thought everyone was against him, that they were conspiring against him, not just David.

Make no mistake. Saul was God’s chosen man for the people of Israel. God chose and anointed Saul because He wanted Him to succeed. It’s not that God couldn’t see ahead a few years to know that Saul would disobey Him. God doesn’t exist on a plane of time; time has no hold on Him. But He has given us a free will and with that, He gives us the option to accomplish what He intended us to do, or to reject and disobey that command. Saul chose to disobey God, and it is for that reason that God rejected Saul as king and chose another. Where one man fell, he raised up another.

Yet David honored Saul throughout the rest of his existence. When Saul was tormented, David played music for him. When there was a battle to be fought, David led Saul’s armies for him. Everyone knows that it was David that defeated Goliath. And David never took Saul’s life, nor that of any of his lineage. One of the most heart-warming things about the conflict between Saul and David is found in I Samuel chapter 24. In the end, Saul changed his heart and dropped his offense toward David and willingly gave the throne and his authority to David.

Impact Week Twelve

Review

Last week, we discovered from the life of Solomon some vital things you need when it comes to ruling over God’s chosen people. If you’re wondering how that comes into play for us today, look at the people around you; we are God’s chosen people. It’s no longer about a nation or an ethnicity, but everyone that puts their faith in Jesus Christ. And guess what? We’re just as in need of leadership as Israel was in those days. After a couple thousand years, the church is pretty much the same stubborn and disobedient group of people as those that Moses led out of Egypt.

Permit me for a moment to draw you a picture. I know nothing about architecture, but it is reasonable to understand that every building needs a concrete foundation, the depth of which is determined by the height and width of that building. The larger that building is, the greater the need is for pylons to support it as well. Think of leadership in terms of support.

It’s not just the pastors, the elders or deacons. Those people have the specific calling on their lives to be in that position. But you and I need to live in anticipation of being called on at any moment, not necessarily by our pastor, but by everyday people. Believe me, as you live this life, you will find yourself in need of support. And people, either literally or figuratively, will come knocking on your door. As Sanctus Real, the band, declares “We Need Each Other”. The Body of Christ needs people within it, not just the designated leaders, but all of us, to act like those pylons to hold it together.

God gave Solomon a golden opportunity: he offered Solomon anything he wanted. Solomon didn’t blink (so to speak): he asked for wisdom. God honored that request. He made him the wisest man on the face of the earth from his time unto the end of the world. That means no one, not Plato, Socrates, Gandhi, or any of the great philosophers of the world who ever lived or ever will live, will ever attain the wisdom that God gave to Solomon. You and I still benefit from that wisdom in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. The account that we read from I Kings 3 shows firsthand what Solomon did with the wisdom God gave him. If you truly desire to be that support, to be a leader, then learn from Solomon’s life. Knowledge can only get you so far. But wisdom, as Proverbs 3:14 proclaims, is more profitable than silver.

Background

So it seems we’re going backwards, chronologically. This week we’re talking about Solomon’s dad, King David, and more specifically, his close friend Jonathan. Jonathan is not someone who comes easily to mind. If you think of the great men and women of the Bible, Jonathan falls in-between the cracks. And yet, had it not been for him, David would have never seen the throne. Jonathan is the reason we refer to David, as “King David”. Solomon would never have been born, and hundreds of years later, Jesus would not have been born either.

Jonathan was the son of King Saul and heir to the throne – he was next in line to rule Israel. It’s important to know that King Saul had it out for David. We’ll talk more about Saul and David next week, but suffice it to say, Saul wanted David dead. It’s in the midst of this struggle between David and Saul that we find this story about Jonathan and his integral role in the history of Israel.

Reading: 1 Samuel 20:1-17

End

Interestingly enough, as I was writing the review for last week, I didn’t even realize we’d be looking at Jonathan this week. The application for last week and this week go together quite well. David came to Jonathan in his most desperate hour. The passage that we read doesn’t really begin to account for the relationship these two shared. If you jump back a couple of chapters, you read that Jonathan formed a deep bond with David. I Samuel 18:1 says Jonathan loved David as himself, meaning as much as Jonathan thought and took care of his own needs, he did the same for David. It’s too bad this was written in Hebrew, because if it was written in Greek, I’d be curious to see if the word used for love by the writer would have been agape or phileo,

To explain briefly my train of thought, agape and phileo are both Greek words translated in the New Testament as love. Agape is a self-sacrificing love, the love that God has for us. Phileo is a brotherly love. Its commonplace and you need turn no further than a friend to find it. But the love that I Samuel is talking about has the depth of agape love.

Jonathan put David over his own self. Because Jonathan was the son of Saul, he was next in line to become the king of Israel. Yet Jonathan and Saul both knew that David had been anointed by the prophet Samuel to become the next king (and you don’t have to take my word for it, you can read about it yourself). Never the less, Jonathan befriended David and swore an oath to protect him as long as he lived.

What kind of friend are you? Are you reliable? Can your closest friends call on you at any time? Are you truthful and honest? Can your friends believe what they hear from you? Do they know you at your core, who you really are? Are you loyal? Do you put them above other people, and defend their honor? Do you encourage your friends? Do you build them up when they need support? Are a giver? If your friend is in need of anything, can they look to you? If you lack any of those qualities in your relationships with your closet friends, something’s wrong, terribly wrong.

It’s also important to choose who you associate yourself with carefully. Ask yourself those questions of your closest friends as well. Examine their qualities and habits. There’s nothing wrong with being friends with non-believers. But there is such a thing as a level of friendship. Do your closet friends affect your heart and the choices you make in a positive or negative manner?

When David was in trouble, he knew who to go to. I don’t know about you, but I want to be that sort of person. I want to be reliable, honest, transparent, encouraging, and giving. To bring it into today’s context, one of my best friends (whom we’ll name Yolanda) and I were hanging out playing cards one night. Yeah that’s what old people do for fun I suppose. Anyway, she got a call from her own best friend (whom we’ll name Heather) who was dealing with an issue. Without batting an eye, Yolanda got up from the table and left the room to talk to Heather over the phone. Heather knew exactly who to call – who to turn to in an hour of need. And Yolanda put Heather over me and the others in the room quite simply because Heather needed her in that moment.

I’ve had some pretty flaky friends in the past. Frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever known someone I could rely on quite like Yolanda. It’s not that Yolanda and I are that close at this point or that she knows me that well – we’re relatively new friends – but she is a quality person. That is what I am trying to get across to you, to have those qualities. There is no greater love than that of Jesus Christ. But we can and should strive to exhibit or imitate that self-sacrificing love in our relationships with people. Everyone needs to see real love displayed that comes from the Father.

Memory Verse: Proverbs 17:17

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Impact Week Eleven

Review

A couple of weeks ago, we examined the call of Moses. Moses spent the better part of his life in Midian with his wife and his father-in-law. He was tending his sheep the day God showed up in his life. God commanded Moses to lead the Hebrews (God’s chosen people) out of Egyptian captivity. Moses was a man who felt he was incapable of leading the people, and gave God a list of reasons why he couldn’t do what he was told to do. God silenced those excuses and reassured him that He would be with Moses and would show His power through Moses. Nevertheless, Moses still looked for a way out.

We need to remember that if God gives us a task, we can rest assured it will be accomplished. It’s not because we are qualified, schooled, or geniuses. According to I Corinthians 1:26-29, God takes pleasure in choosing the rejected to fulfill His plans. We need the humility of Moses, knowing that there isn’t a chance we can accomplish anything God has called us to do. But we also need the confidence and the faith to believe that God will supply everything we need, will open the doors, and give us favor with the people we need to interact with. We aren’t called because we are qualified; we are called because God wants to work through us. Go figure. He could do it Himself, but for some reason, He delights in using us. Guess it’s because He loves us.

Background

We’ll remain in the Old Testament this week to briefly touch on a story in Solomon’s life. Solomon was the son of David, a man who wrote a great many of the Psalms. Solomon himself is responsible for most of Song of Solomon (as one would assume), Ecclesiastes and most of Proverbs. If you have read Proverbs, you know that almost every verse is a new thought, and not necessarily related to the last one. But every verse is a snippet of wisdom.

When David died, the kingdom of Israel befell to his son, Solomon. How old Solomon was when he took the throne is a bit cloudy, but most seem to think he was in his late teens. Regardless, Solomon was a young man. God appeared to him in a dream and told Solomon he would give him anything Solomon asked of God. Sound familiar? It should; we are promised the same today. John 14:14 declares, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

But Solomon didn’t ask for a Lamborghini, riches, or recognition. He asked for the understanding and discernment to govern the people of Israel. He asked for wisdom. He understood the seriousness of the job he had been given.

You see, God never wanted to appoint a king over Israel in the first place. You can read about that in I Samuel 8. The problem with government is that man is corrupt. Israel’s very first king lost his vision and grieved the Holy Spirit so much that God rejected him. We’ll talk more about him in a couple of weeks. God wanted to govern His people; He wanted Israel to look to Him for guidance. And God did appoint prophets and judges; Israel wasn’t in total anarchy.

To clarify, I’m not suggesting by any stretch of the imagination that the U.S. or any country should exist without some form of government, preferably democracy. By all means, we need leaders. But man is evil in nature, and we have to put up with people who do not follow God, just as the kingdoms of Israel and Judah did in those days.

We begin reading just after Solomon’s dream.

Reading: 1 Kings 3:16-28

End

If only every leader in our country approached the duty of governing with that kind of wisdom. We would be living in a very different world. But we live in a fallen world with men who have fallen from grace. In turn, this means we have leaders that are not humble, that think they have all the answers for the U.S., and that they will make the world a better place with their own brand of religion, something that doesn’t even begin to resemble Christianity.

What Solomon did for the kingdom of Israel was truly unique: he sought God for guidance. He recognized that his earthly understanding wasn’t always enough. And because he looked to God to rule through him, and give him the wisdom he needed, God not only honored that request, He blessed him beyond what he had asked. Scripture says there was none before Solomon nor none after that had his wisdom. Although Solomon didn’t ask for wealth, God decided to give him riches anyway, more than that of any kingdom in Solomon’s lifetime.

The story we just read is one example of the issues brought before Solomon. I imagine a great many issues were brought before him during his lifetime, but this one in particular shows the gift God gave him.

Because we have the internet today, we have access to a seemingly endless supply of information. You can acquire a ridiculous amount of knowledge due to the advancements in technology. If you wanted to, you could take classes online without leaving your home very much, assuming you can learn for the most part on your own. There is a lot out there to learn. But knowledge alone doesn’t make you wise.

We need look no further than God’s Word for wisdom. Proverbs is filled with insight. And your daily walk with God should lead you to prayer. God has said that if we ask, he is willing to give us what we need, including the discernment and understanding to live this life. As a leader, I can read twenty books on leadership, take classes, and scour the internet for information. I might even ask others how they approach leadership. But even if I do all those things, it all falls short if God doesn’t give me the wisdom to apply that knowledge to the situations I might face.

Memory Verse: Proverbs 3:13-14
“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”

Solomon often referred to wisdom with a personification. In other words, he likened wisdom to a person or an entity, specifically a female. That's why he says "she" in verse 14 rather than "it".

Extra Note

We talked briefly in Impact about the Queen of Sheeba who brought Solomon riches simply because she had heard of his fame and his wisdom. I couldn't remember precisely where the account was at the time. Just wanted to list the actual scriptural account so it would be known that I wasn't pulling that one from out of the air. You can read it in 1 Kings 10:1-13.

Impact Week Ten

Review

Last week we looked at Paul’s tough physical trials. He received a lot of punishment for his faith and his extremely important role as an apostle of the early church. Lashings, stonings, imprisonment. Paul experienced persecution in a way few have since. There are many modern day martyrs for Chirst, But Paul survived a great many things by the grace of God for the sake of the call. If you should ever find yourself in the missionary field, your leaders will tell you a) be ready to die for your faith and b) stay alive!

Whatever you are called to do, you will face hardships on your way to and through that calling. We examined the three main causes of what we go through: the enemy, this fallen world, and God Himself. It’s not too hard to understand; God is in the business of bringing as many into the fold before that Day. Our comfort isn’t guaranteed. It’s all about knowing Him and making Him known. You can’t grow without stretching beyond what you’re used to. No one has concepts dropped into their head, they have to learn by studying books, taking tests to solidify that knowledge and so on. Same idea here: you wont grow in your faith unless it is stretched or tested in real life situations.

Background

Let's jump back to the Old Testament this week and look at the call of Moses, “Mr. Excuses”. Just prior to Moses’ birth, the king of Egypt issued a decree that all male Hebrew babies were to be killed. Moses was a Hebrew, but because his life was threatened, his mother hid him to spare his life. He was found by the king’s daughter and raised by another Hebrew woman, and was later given back the king’s daughter.

The Hebrew people were in slavery in Egypt. Moses one day saw an Egyptian beating his fellow Hebrew. This made Moses angry and he killed the Egyptian as a result. When word got out that he had killed the man, Moses feared for his life. So he ran to the land of Midian, where he married a woman and took care of his father-in-law’s flock of sheep.

As we get into the reading, Moses is out on the mountain, tending his sheep.

Reading: Exodus 3:1-5, 10-16, & 4:1-13

End

Before we go about bashing Moses for being a wimp, let me remind you of one very key thing: he’s talking to a burning bush. Since when does a bush light on fire spontaneously, first of all, and second, doesn’t burn or destruct in the process? I’d wager this has never happened on this planet since that day and probably never will unless there’s some obscure prophecy tucked away in the Bible that I don’t recall. Moses was standing in the very presence of God. The same God that knows our heart and the thoughts that pass through our mind. The same God that is holy. He had good reason to fear the very words he was hearing.

Let’s say for a moment that Moses is comfortable where he is. Okay fine. Do you realize the seriousness of what Moses was called to attempt? Who marches up to their king and declares their people’s independence? The U.S. did so from thousands of miles away on paper and fought with England for the better part of seven years, with help. Before freeing Israel, Moses also had to gain his people’s support. I imagine God expected very much that Moses would try to excuse himself from the call.

Take a moment to review his excuses if you will.

Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" In other words, “Why would Pharaoh be impressed or intimidated by me? And why would Israel put their trust in me to lead them?”

Exodus 3:13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

Exodus 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"

Exodus 4:10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

And finally: Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

God was patient with Moses all the way up until he asked to be excused altogether. These are all good excuses if Moses was going out of his motivation. But Moses was being sent by God. There is absolutely no reason for us to argue with God when he calls us to do something. Many people have dreams and plans for the future. But if they take those goals seriously, they need to weigh the factors. Take, for example, when someone decides to run for the office of president of the United States, there are a million things to consider. If God calls you to be the president, that’s entirely different. That doesn’t mean you don’t consider the things you need to do to prepare for such an undertaking, it just means you don’t need to question your abilities or how it will come about, because God is behind it.

God answered all of Moses’ excuses. You have no reputation? I am with you. They will not know who I am? I AM who I AM. In other words, I trump these stupid “gods” of the hills and the golden idols you worship. I AM the one and only, there is no other. They need proof? I’ll give you three signs to show my power. You aren’t persuasive with your words? You idiot, I’m speaking through you!

Apparently that wasn’t enough for Moses, because after all of that, he still asked God to choose another. This is where God got angry. But instead of choosing someone else, he sent Aaron, Moses’ brother (Remember “Moe’s Bro” from a few weeks ago?) to lead the people together with Moses.

So what’s your excuse? What has God called you to do that’s so difficult that even He can’t accomplish it through you? You guys are young so you may think God hasn’t given you a purpose yet. Ridiculous. There is no insignificant call. Everything has an impact. Maybe it’s showing love to your brother even when he doesn’t. Maybe it’s doing your absolute best in school when things look bleak. I know that it is getting to know Jesus Christ. But as you grow both in age and your walk with God, you’ll come to understand your purpose in life and it’s up to you to drop the excuses, however well balanced they may seem, and answer the call.

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:7

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

Impact Week Ten

Review

Last week we looked at Paul’s tough physical trials. He received a lot of punishment for his faith and his extremely important role as an apostle of the early church. Lashings, stonings, imprisonment. Paul experienced persecution in a way few have since. There are many modern day martyrs for Christ, But Paul survived a great many things by the grace of God for the sake of the call. If you should ever find yourself in the missionary field, your leaders will tell you a) be ready to die for your faith and b) stay alive!

Whatever you are called to do, you will face hardships on your way to and through that calling. We examined the three main causes of what we go through: the enemy, this fallen world, and God Himself. It’s not too hard to understand; God is in the business of bringing as many into the fold before that Day. Our comfort isn’t guaranteed. It’s all about knowing Him and making Him known. You can’t grow without stretching beyond what you’re used to. No one has concepts dropped into their head, they have to learn by studying books, taking tests to solidify that knowledge and so on. Same idea here: you wont grow in your faith unless it is stretched or tested in real life situations.

Background

Let's jump back to the Old Testament this week and look at the call of Moses, “Mr. Excuses”. Just prior to Moses’ birth, the king of Egypt issued a decree that all male Hebrew babies were to be killed. Moses was a Hebrew, but because his life was threatened, his mother hid him to spare his life. He was found by the king’s daughter and raised by another Hebrew woman, and was later given back the king’s daughter.

The Hebrew people were in slavery in Egypt. Moses one day saw an Egyptian beating his fellow Hebrew. This made Moses angry and he killed the Egyptian as a result. When word got out that he had killed the man, Moses feared for his life. So he ran to the land of Midian, where he married a woman and took care of his father-in-law’s flock of sheep.

As we get into the reading, Moses is out on the mountain, tending his sheep.

Reading: Exodus 3:1-5, 10-16, & 4:1-13

End

Before we go about bashing Moses for being a wimp, let me remind you of one very key thing: he’s talking to a burning bush. Since when does a bush light on fire spontaneously, first of all, and second, doesn’t burn or destruct in the process? I’d wager this has never happened on this planet since that day and probably never will unless there’s some obscure prophecy tucked away in the Bible that I don’t recall. Moses was standing in the very presence of God. The same God that knows our heart and the thoughts that pass through our mind. The same God that is holy. He had good reason to fear the very words he was hearing.

Let’s say for a moment that Moses is comfortable where he is. Okay fine. Do you realize the seriousness of what Moses was called to attempt? Who marches up to their king and declares their people’s independence? The U.S. did so from thousands of miles away on paper and fought with England for the better part of seven years, with help. Before freeing Israel, Moses also had to gain his people’s support. I imagine God expected very much that Moses would try to excuse himself from the call.

Take a moment to review his excuses if you will.

Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" In other words, “Why would Pharaoh be impressed or intimidated by me? And why would Israel put their trust in me to lead them?”

Exodus 3:13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

Exodus 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"

Exodus 4:10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

And finally: Exodus 4:13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

God was patient with Moses all the way up until he asked to be excused altogether. These are all good excuses if Moses was going out of his motivation. But Moses was being sent by God. There is absolutely no reason for us to argue with God when he calls us to do something. Many people have dreams and plans for the future. But if they take those goals seriously, they need to weigh the factors. Take, for example, when someone decides to run for the office of president of the United States, there are a million things to consider. If God calls you to be the president, that’s entirely different. That doesn’t mean you don’t consider the things you need to do to prepare for such an undertaking, it just means you don’t need to question your abilities or how it will come about, because God is behind it.

God answered all of Moses’ excuses. You have no reputation? I am with you. They will not know who I am? I AM who I AM. In other words, I trump these stupid “gods” of the hills and the golden idols you worship. I AM the one and only, there is no other. They need proof? I’ll give you three signs to show my power. You aren’t persuasive with your words? You idiot, I’m speaking through you!

Apparently that wasn’t enough for Moses, because after all of that, he still asked God to choose another. This is where God got angry. But instead of choosing someone else, he sent Aaron, Moses’ brother (Remember “Moe’s Bro” from a few weeks ago?) to lead the people together with Moses.

So what’s your excuse? What has God called you to do that’s so difficult that even He can’t accomplish it through you? You guys are young so you may think God hasn’t given you a purpose yet. Ridiculous. There is no insignificant call. Everything has an impact. Maybe it’s showing love to your brother even when he doesn’t. Maybe it’s doing your absolute best in school when things look bleak. I know that it is getting to know Jesus Christ. But as you grow both in age and your walk with God, you’ll come to understand your purpose in life and it’s up to you to drop the excuses, however well balanced they may seem, and answer the call.

Memory Verse: Joshua 1:7

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

Impact Week Nine

Review

Last week Thomas stood as a warning to us: faith means believing in the unseen. Without faith, you don’t have a chance of pleasing God. Common sense doesn’t always make it easy to exercise faith in a given situation. There’s certainly no reasonability to anyone coming back from the dead. Thomas was a realist and needed to see it before him or he flat out wouldn’t believe it. Funny, the man saw Christ do countless miracles right before his eyes, including, presumably, raising Lazarus from the dead. There’s no reason to assume Thomas wasn’t there to see that.

The point is, don’t discount or underestimate what God can do. To quote Ephesians 3:20 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” God doesn’t belong in a box – heaven itself can’t contain Him. If you think you’re in a tough situation, don’t forget to broach the subject with God, sarcasm implied. Remember: the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. So don’t for a moment doubt His ability to, well, do anything.

Background

We’re in the New Testament again this week. If you’ve been a part of JBQ or TBQ for any amount of time, you probably know by now that Paul is responsible for about 2/3rds of New Testament writings. He also spent most of his life building and sustaining the earliest churches in history, hence the letters to Corinth, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and others. This letter, II Corinthians, was written somewhere around 55 A.D. It’s a couple of years before his first imprisonment, which explains why he doesn’t mention it in his list of physical trials. Let’s take a look.

Reading: II Corinthians 11:24-28

End

Wow. Paul went through it, no mistake. For the aspiring missionary, reading this passage doesn’t necessarily make you eager to run out to the Middle East and preach the name of Christ.

In those days, the church was under great persecution. Heck, even Paul, before Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, was a ringleader to those who hunted down the earliest followers of Christ. But who ignores a meeting with the God you think you’re serving? Paul was a follower of Jehovah God; he just didn’t know Jesus and Jehovah had met. But Paul wasn’t the only one chasing down Christians.

The possibility that you and I could face even a fraction of the problems Paul dealt with is pretty slim here in America. Being a missionary in a hostile land comes with occupational hazards, certainly. And there are many modern day martyrs for Christ. If you doubt that, take a glance at “Jesus Freaks” parts one and two, put together by Toby Mac and the rest of dC tAlk. But something tells me most of this group will be doing other things in the years to come.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, as we’ll discuss here in a moment), that doesn’t mean we’re free from problems or difficulties. Surrendering to Christ doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing through the rest of your life. If anything, it could mean more tight situations as the enemy intends to break you. And we are living in a fallen world, which means that we face the consequences that mankind has brought upon himself for his sin.

Believe it or not, the third source of our difficulties is God Himself. If you want to grow in your walk with God, it means going through tough times. Sometimes it seems like you can’t spend a day on this planet without being attacked personally in some way. And certainly, the situations you and I go through may not appear to be helpful in the least when we’re in the middle of it. Coming out of it, you may gain some perspective.

A bit earlier on in this letter, Paul writes “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” We have the distinct pleasure of serving a God who has been through it all because he lived in human form here on earth two thousand (2,000) years ago. He knows what we experience and not only can He deliver us, but he can comfort us when it’s something we do need to go through.

Don’t ever forget that God can use your past experiences to minister that same comfort to the people around you. It’s all about perspective sometimes; you may see things differently than someone who is the middle of a battle, because you’re on the outskirts of the storm. That wonderful gift of perspective is why God can give you a specific interpretation (or understanding) of a message from Pastor Cervero or Pastor Holtzhauer, while at the same time, God is speaking something completely different to someone else on the other side of the room.

What are you going through that doesn’t make sense? There just may be someone out there who’s faced it before – scratch that – I’m absolutely certain there is. But He may send someone your way to minister to you. Just be sure to be open to be used by God when you’re out of it.

Memory Verse: II Corinthians 1:3-4

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

Impact Week Eight

Review

Last week we talked about Noah. God saw Noah as the last righteous man on the face of the earth. God had become fed up with mankind and decided to start over with Noah and his family. So he told Noah to build a huge ship in which he, his family, and two of every living creature could survive a world-wide flood. Prior to the flood, in those days, it didn’t rain. But Noah wasn’t put off by what God said – he simply obeyed what God commanded him to do.

We are the Noah’s of our days. God is constantly looking into the hearts of men, looking for righteous people who will do his will – people He can use. The fact is, no matter how many people call themselves Christians, not every heart is completely His. God will never use nature to destroy the earth in the nature He did that day – but mankind isn’t much better than it was in Noah’s time. We must stand above that, listen to God’s heartbeat, and unflinchingly answer the call no matter how ridiculous it appears to us or those around us.

Background

Let’s fast forward to the New Testament. It’s about 31 A.D. Jesus has been to the cross, the grave, and now He has risen. He’s since appeared to Mary Magdalen and several of the disciples. But he’s saved his visit to Thomas. Poor Thomas. He’ll forever be held in history as “Doubting Thomas”. There’s a story behind that or so I hear.

Reading: John 20:24-31

End

Can you imagine being Thomas in that moment? How small would you feel after hearing that from Jesus? In a fraction of a second, all your doubts would be swept away, sure. But then there’s mud on your face for being so dumb and not accepting the testimony of the others. Not even just them, but Jesus Himself! Remember when Jesus told His disciples (including Thomas) that He would have to die and rise again?

John 16:16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

Follow that passage a little bit further and you’ll see that although they didn’t understand what He said immediately, Jesus brought it down to a level they could figure out.

It’s not like Jesus hadn’t told Thomas He would rise again; yet Thomas was a realist. He didn’t believe in rosy fairy tales. “It isn’t true unless I can see it and feel it,” he must have thought. Make no mistake: the idea that a man could die and raise himself from the dead was and is impossible. No mortal man is capable on his own of accomplishing the task. But Jesus is not only a mortal man, he also is 100% God.

Put yourself in Thomas’ shoes for a moment. You’ve seen Christ do amazing things. He’s healed countless people, controlled the weather, fed thousands upon thousands with a handful of fish and bread, and even raised a man from the dead (that would be Lazarus). But do you think this man who claimed to be the Son of God could die (there’s no question that Jesus died; a soldier thrust a spear into his side, causing blood and water to spill, something that doesn’t happen unless the heart is ruptured) and raise Himself from the dead? We know he could because we’ve read about it; but the notion to Thomas must have been ridiculous. He needed proof.

We are not so unlike Thomas. When’s the last time you found yourself in difficult circumstances? I know I have doubted God at times. I went through a period of time in my life a few years ago where I just couldn’t land a job. Guys, I did everything I knew how to do. I prayed. I was on my face at times. I tithed every cent I came in contact with.

At some point, someone paid my way to a healing conference down in Ontario. I went down with my friend, and guess what? On the way, his van broke down on the freeway! He wasn’t exactly mister money bags either at the time. I think he was in debt on top of that. We managed to get pulled over to the side of the freeway and some tow truck service put on by the metro system in L.A. picked us up and took us to an auto repair shop.

We left the van there to be worked on. But instead of giving up and trying to find a way home to Ventura, we persevered through it and went to the three day conference. It was nuts. I didn’t know how it would work, but George had some family in the area, so we stayed with them. It was at that conference that I finally figured out what faith and belief are.

You can do all the right things, you can go through motions, as I did with my prayers and tithing. There’s nothing wrong with those things, and in fact, God commands it. But when it comes down to it, you can’t work your way into God’s favor. I was looking for a way to a job. God made sure I woke up that weekend and put my heart in the right place. When I got home, there was a message on my answering machine for a job at Century Theatres that I had applied for months ago, without so much as a thought that it would ever work out. In the end, I worked there for two years.

It’s difficult to put your trust in God, even for things that seem minuscule. In the face of a resurrection, it shouldn’t be unbelievable. What do you face that makes you doubt God or His ability to address the issue? Don’t forget that the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you! The mountains in your life don’t stand a chance in the face of an Almighty God. Do you need to see it before you believe it? Take this with you today: John 20:29b “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Memory Verse: Romans 8:11

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”