Category: Teaching Topics

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening, and he lifted up his eyes and saw and behold, the camels were coming. And Rebeccah lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac, she fell off the camel. Genesis 24:62-63 

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important on this day as resting in Your Word and Your presence. I don’t want to miss you. Amen

Jesus became troubled in spirit and testified, “Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me.” The disciples began to look at one another, perplexed as to which of them He meant. John 13:21-22

The atmosphere at the Lord’s Supper grew tense. Jesus announced that one of the twelve would betray Him. In that pregnant moment, I do not believe that each wondered which of his brothers had done such a thing. I believe a dark cloud came over each of them personally as they feared it might be them.  I believe they knew some of their own weaknesses.  After all, they had been with Jesus for three years to see the stark contrast between holiness and sinfulness.

Three years is a long time to travel with someone. Their relationship with Him was intimate. What they expected Him to do, He rarely did. What they anticipated He might say, He rarely said.  Whom they didn’t expected Him to heal, He did.  When they expected Him to honor sacred Jewish traditions, He surprised them by doing the opposite.  They had had plenty of time to understand their own sinfulness in light of the contrast.  They knew pretty quickly that they fell short of God’s glory – resident in Christ.

For Judas, the bait was money. His love for riches challenged fidelity. But for any one of the disciples, there might have been another temptation to hit home and cause them to walk away.

It is imperative that I know my own weaknesses well. Self-indulgent introspection doesn’t reveal them. Only the mirror of the Word of God does. I must let the Word judge my heart. I must accept what God shows me, and then I must allow God to start changing what I love too much that could threaten our relationship. Yes, I could easily be a Judas. I have had Judas moments.

I have known the bitter gall of failure. I have drunk the wine of self-hatred. I have questioned God’s radical forgiveness. But grace won. Failure, repentance, and forgiveness are great teachers. I remember from where I’ve fallen and, because of the grace of God, He will empower me to finish the race well and avoid a Judas kind of detour.

I don’t love others unconditionally without Your help. I can only love YOU unconditionally by Your grace, too. Challenge me and my affections. Amen

Last night was the night for dreams.  This was one of them.

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There was a gathering at church.  There were a few who believed that God was going to do something powerful in the meeting.  They saw hints of glory, the stirrings of something holy, but their expectations were dormant so nothing ever manifested.  People mingled normally, hugged each other and said how long it had been since they’d seen one another and before long, the scheduled time for the meeting to end was upon them.  For the few who had hoped for God’s presence, it felt like the time had been a waste.  People had gotten dressed up, came a distance, spent the time, made refreshments, brought gifts to one another, but if the point was meeting together with God’s Spirit, the time proved empty.  The people were so used to a dry outcome that the majority didn’t even register disappointment.

The emcee looked around for someone to close in prayer.  Then it happened.  A servant, with a heart alive to God, opened her mouth with an imploring, passionate plea for the Spirit of God to touch people’s hearts.  Need after need was verbalized and the possibilities of what would happen if God came to breathe on each one was born.  The desperation for such a move of God was acknowledged.  The desire for a miraculous outcome was painted with words and then time stood still as the Spirit of God began to stir the hearts of God’s people.  The tease of heaven entered the room.  Normal disappeared.  Extraordinary came into view and no one knew where God would take them.

How many meet together without an expectation of glory?  How many know, and quote, the verse of God being in the midst of two or three but rarely anticipate anything out of the ordinary?  How many have stopped hoping to see God?  How many have never felt Him, or heard Him, nor seen what happens when His Spirit takes over the room?

Someone needs to step up to pray; some dreamer who is in touch with heaven’s possibilities, some quiet saint who knows God and what He can do, some experienced child of God who understands people and sees their desperate need and steps forth to set the stage in prayer.   Fresh fire needs to fall.  Who will rise up to shatter the form of godliness  with petitions for the real thing?

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.  Acts 11:15

Everyone who comes to me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like. Luke 6:47

There is a saying, “he’s a house of cards.” A person who appears strong can really be someone who crumbles when the right storm comes. We just can’t see beneath his intimidating exterior. If you’re old enough, you could tell numerous real-life stories about those whom you once feared but who were revealed for the weak people they really are.

Jesus goes on in this Luke passage to reveal that there are those who have built their life on sand. When the wind comes, their house blows over because they fashioned a foundation outside of Christ. Like ~

• Someone who controls others in the need to feel powerful.
• Someone who rules with fear in order to be feared.
• Someone who hides from emotional engagement in order to avoid vulnerability.
• Someone who bullies others in a an attempt to feel powerful.
• Someone who pretends to know everything for fear of being wrong.

If you have been the victim of someone who appeared strong, perhaps even scary, you know how long it took for you to realize that there was weakness underneath the façade. When you finally took your stand in Christ, you saw them morph into the person they really were.

As I write this, I am listening to the news about the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Heartbreaking! A recent poll shows that 60% of our people believe that our world is unraveling. Yes, God is clear about the message of foundations and that upon which we build. Whether a person, or even a nation, any infrastructure that fails to be God-centered will crumble.

A house built on sand can look pretty impressive for a while but in the end, inevitable storms will test the bedrock.

In whom do we have our trust? Anyone other than you is a house of cards, Lord. Give me wisdom as I take stock of my own foundation and as I assess whom I fear. You are my Light and my Salvation. Whom shall I fear? Amen

“They will put you out of the synagogue, in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” John 16:2

Jesus is a considerate leader. Following him holds few surprises for he tells us ahead of time what we will be facing. Unlike the many leaders who woo others to follow and then spring the unexpected, Jesus is up front. He tells us to count the cost with our eyes open. The disciples were warned that the message they held so dearly in their hearts would be received poorly, mostly by the religious people. His words were prophetic as all the disciples would be martyred except for John.

It’s disconcerting that those who professed to know God were often the real enemies of the Gospel. Satan’s agenda has been accomplished through the ages by many who claimed to be doing it in God’s name. The atrocities of holy wars throughout history, and the current atrocities in our own headlines, will continue to fill our history books.

You may not be facing death because of your faith. Not yet. However, you still may know what it feels like to be the outcast in a place of worship. You are enduring the fires of criticism and you are suffering under a label of apostasy. Those who zealously claim to be connected to God reject the tender but powerful working of God in you. Jesus gives the reason for this painful reality. He says, “These thing they will do because they have not known the Father or me.”

If your character is being assassinated and you have been called an enemy of God, may you rise out of your pit of self-doubt. Every trailblazer’s faith for the Son of God will do two things. 1.) It will cause lukewarm, intellectual faith to squirm. 2.) It will also cause those who believe they know God, but don’t, to take up a sword. These are kingdom truths and we who follow the blood trail of our spiritual ancestors need to adjust our expectations and learn to separate others acceptance from God’s favor.

Your disciples are my brothers, Lord. If they were controversial, I am too. Strengthen me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Matthew 6:13

We are engaged in a battle with the enemy of our souls.  Temptations abound.  Condemning thoughts threaten our peace.  Doubts erode our confidence in Abba.  Fear cripples our faith.  Anger undermines our belief in God’s justice.

This is a global war, not a solitary one.  Forgetting that, I can fail to disclose my struggles to my spiritual sisters. I can begin to think that something is wrong with me if I battle temptation, fear, anger, and doubt.  I can easily view myself as someone who disappoints God.  I can assume others are more advanced spiritually.  I can be inclined to feel a sense of shame over the things that plague me.

This perception is untrue.  We are all in the same predicament.  Spiritual power to resist our enemy and achieve victory is collectively ours if we bare our burdens to one another with discretion.  We’re family.  The same royal blood courses through our spiritual veins.  War has been declared on us simply because of Whom we belong to.  We need to be vulnerable with each other.  We can stand firm as long as we stand together.

You will come against arrows of opposition today.  They may be numerous, causing you to believe that the power behind them is formidable.  But you do not fight alone.  I link my arm with yours.  We sing a song of deliverance.  The song is contagious, for as our voices are heard, more daughters begin to learn this song of hope.  There is strength in numbers.  The battle is transformed from a senseless massacre to an overwhelming victory.

Together with my sisters, Lord, we create a daunting line of defense.  Amen

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. Jeremiah 30:2 

Where would we be today if people hadn’t taken the time to write out the Scriptures? Where would we be today if our favorite Christian authors hadn’t taken the time to meditate, study, and then capture their findings on paper?

And what would I have missed if I hadn’t journaled over these many years? While I haven’t been perfectly disciplined, I do have journal books that are stored by date. Each entry reminds me of what I struggled with at the time and the way God spoke to me about it through scripture and prayer. I expressed that day’s experience on paper and by reviewing it down the road, I was able to enter into the strength and beauty all over again. God’s voice was heard again in my spirit and it benefitted me yet again.

Meditation Skill #5:  Journal before you forget it.

As you write down your meditation experience, you may have questions as well. Make note of them and commit them to prayer. Meditations are rarely just for one day. The mystery of God and His ways are unwrapped over time.

How can I review if I don’t capture the memory? Help me make the most of your personalized instruction. Amen

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Psalm 119:103

Years ago, someone I considered a mentor made a comment to me about what faith is like. Her description consisted only of four words and they have lived with me for over thirty years. Words, especially wisdom from God, have a life of their own and live forever.

How does God feel about His own Word? Can you even imagine? When I feel numb and casual about a scripture, God is anything but that. How is the gap bridged between how I may feel about it and how He feels? How does ‘casual’ meet ‘passionate’? How can ‘casual’ become ‘passionate’? There is a way.

The Spirit of God lives inside each of His children. When I read the scriptures, the Holy Spirit is aware of it and is feeling something. He is willing and eager to communicate that to me if I ask.

Meditation skill #4: Ask God to help me feel what He feels about that passage.

When I’m reading an Old Testament story, God remembers it all in vivid detail like it was yesterday. He remembers the sin of the people and the victories of the saints. Excitement is in His memory. When I’m reading a warning about the consequences of sin, God feels the high stakes. He’s praying I’ll believe what I’m reading and avoid the painful consequences. When I’m reading verses of comfort and promises He’s made, He’s feeling passionately about my encouragement. He’s hoping I’m latching on to His words as lifelines.

I have experienced feeling little one moment while meditating on a scripture, but then asking God to help me feel what He feels about it. Words that failed to move me will often end up causing me TO weep over their beauty. What made the difference? Asking the Spirit to stir my heart emotionally and make me as alive to the content as He is alive to it. If I’m not experience God in His very words, there is a real disconnect.

You are never numb. I am often numb. Help me move out of stoicism into experiential unity with You. Amen

All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. II Chronicles 15:15

When I receive an important letter, I don’t read it just once. I read it over and over to make sure I am reading between the lines. The higher the importance of a letter, the higher the number of readings. I remember receiving love letters from Ron when we were dating. He attended a boarding school in Florida and I was in New York. He wrote once a week and it was always on light blue stationery. Once I found the letter in the mailbox, it never made it to the house. I opened and read it in the driveway. I read it again while eating my after school snack. I took it upstairs to my bedroom and read it several more times before dinner. I wanted to make sure I tucked every nuance away in my heart.

If human words have many layers, it’s no surprise that God’s Word does too. In fact, it’s manna that never runs out. It’s multi-layered and with each reading, there’s a new golden nugget. If the book of John were all I had available to me as a believer, it would have enough spiritual food for a lifetime. In fact, one chapter would be enough. If I can’t plumb the depths of God, why would I believe that I can plumb the depths of His Words?

Meditation skill #3: Take time to read your passage over and over again. 

Many of our church fathers practiced a spiritual discipline called lectio divina. They were made up of Reformers, Puritans, Revivalists, and others. They read scripture repeatedly to discern, through the work of the Spirit of God, the full meaning of a passage. Martin Luther urged meditation and used the Lord’s prayer as a model to teach it to those he taught.

How about this from Charles Spurgeon ~ “The more you read the Bible; and the more you meditate on it, the more you will be astonished with it.”

Astonish each one who will open your Word today, and who then settles in on it to read Your words like a love letter. Amen