* Appearances - It Happened on the Monday

But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 

  Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said,  ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

  “Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.   Matthew 21:28-31 NLT

This was Jesus' teaching on the day following His triumphant entry into Jerusalem - what we refer to as Palm Sunday. If we'd heard this exchange between the father and the first son, many of us would have offered our opinion about parenting such disobedience, and how to fix it Texas style - quick, fast and in a hurry.

This is one more illustrated sermon of God looking at the heart of a person rather than what is seen on the outside. I believe He was trying to drive home the point to His disciples before the nails were driven home. 

It's not so much what we do when people are watching. If we'd taken this parable at face value with one son saying no way and the other agreeing to go, we'd have gotten it all wrong. 

Do we do the same thing?  Do our hearts convict us? Do we hear AND obey? Do we reason ourselves into obedience or into rebellion? 

It's Monday following Palm Sunday - how does your Monday appear to have gone?

Prayer:

Father,

          Let our hearts and minds be renewed in You so that they ALWAYS override our poor choices - especially those made for appearances' sake. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

* Palm Sunday

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6 (New Living Translation)

It is the beginning of what is commonly known as Holy Week; yet there is nothing common about it. Do you know the story? Do you ken what Christ for God did for us?

Prayer:

Father,

How can we ever thank You enough? The answer is simple... we can not. We want to go where You want us to go, Lord. We want to do what You would have us do. We want to fulfill Your expectation of us; the plan You have for each of our lives. Help us, O God, our Lord and Redeemer. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Practice Makes Perfect

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

Have you ever driven down an old dirt road that was full of ruts - some of them so deep you thought they could serve Chinese take-out in them? You might have wanted to go one way, but the ruts took you their way. It's difficult to maneuver out of deep ruts, but it's not impossible.

Did you know that ruts are a good analogy for how life patterns and habits form paths in our brains? Tasting a new food - learning a new language - new exercises - all new things form a type of memory rut in our brain. And each time we repeat the new thing, the deeper the rut is formed in our brain. 

Do you remember the first time you parked in front of a typewriter (dating myself) or keyboard? Did the layout of the alphabet make any sense to you at all? Of course not, but now we type without even thinking about where the letters are. Your fingers know because the paths have been cut deep into your brain through all those timed tests and hours of practice. Keystrokes that were once unfamiliar and not comfortable. They don't happen easily unless we practice. We can accomplish some level of skill with most things that we practice.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to grouse, gripe and grumble? Carp, complain and criticize? Sometimes it's so stinking easy that you catch yourself in the middle of doing it before you even realize you started. I hate it when that happens. Wouldn't it be just as easy to look for the good in something rather than the bad? Wouldn't it be just as easy to smile as smirk? Wouldn't it be easier to love our neighbors as ourselves if we looked for gifts instead of guilt? If we made a practice of giving instead of goading? Oh, I know, I know... that's HARD! All things that are unfamiliar are not comfortable - they don't happen easily unless we practice... It's difficult to maneuver out of deep ruts, but it's not impossible. We can even form new ones when we wet the soil. 

Practice mercy. Practice kindness. Let's wet the soil of our rutted souls with the water of the Word of God so we may go in a new direction. According to Galatians 5:22-24, Practice producing the gifts of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Yessiree, practice makes perfect. Are you ready? And a one and a two...

Prayer:

Father,

         Your Word tells us we have the mind of Christ. Help us to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Cause us to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Remind us to keep putting into practice all we've learned and received from You—everything we've heard from Your Son and have seen Him do, so that we may dwell in Your peace.  In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Can't Argue with That

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
Galatians 5:16-17 NLT

I remember a particular time when my life was an illustrated sermon of this Scripture passage. I had an appointment where I had to interact with a technician. For a moment, I couldn't make up my mind whether I was going to write "forced me" or "allowed me to interact" but in all reality, it was both. At the beginning, I felt forced. 

I can't explain it, but the minute the person opened her mouth, it went right to my last nerve and I was irritated. I wanted to be judge, jury and executioner, but felt the nudge in my heart to hold my tongue. To just be quiet. Hold my peace. I wanted so badly to point out and emphasize each of this person's inefficiencies, but the thought came unbidden, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" and I was reminded about every time God had shown me mercy and offered me grace for mistakes I made when I was trying to do the right thing. How could I argue with that?

In Phase 2 of the interaction, I thought I might get a different tech. No, not a chance. Same person and for the second phase, I was the captive audience for over an hour. While the tech ranted and raved about politics and conspiracy that had nothing to do with the work being done, I was trying to convince God that there was no possible reason I should have to listen to her drivel. I could make it stop. He reminded me of all the times He had listened to me rant and rave about everything and anything. And He reminded me that when I would finally run out of steam, He would speak a Word of Truth to my situation, and I would be changed. Then He graciously topped it off with this passage in Colossians 3, Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. (vv. 12-14 NLT). I definitely could not argue with that.

And sure enough, there came a place in the one-sided conversation, where she asked an open-ended question which then gave me the perfect opportunity to say that my trust is in God, and not in the government. That God alone has the plan and purpose for not only us, but also for all the elections and the world. Next thing you know, she's pouring out her heart about circumstances in her family and God allowed the opportunity for me to speak Truth to her situation. And while I just planted the seeds into her life, I know someone else will come along and water those seeds and God will give the increase because His Word says He will.

Now for good measure to test the battle in my flesh, after I left the facility the second time, the tech called me again to say she'd forgotten to send me for the other part while I was there and asked when I could come back. I wanted to be mad. I really wanted to... but I got a mental image of the seed sown being burned up before it had a chance to root. How do I argue with that?

Reflecting on the day where I spent much of it in battle with myself, I am grateful that God in His great mercy and love provides companions for this journey who point out His goodness and who help to keep me focused on that which truly matters. I am thrilled that I can thank God for the victory He gave instead of suffering the guilt of wounding someone and missing His purpose for today. And while my preference would be a day without battles, His ways are not our ways. And I can't argue with that. 

Prayer:

Father,
          As it is written in Romans 5:3-5, We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly You love us, because You have given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with Your love. Please continue to grow us up in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Say a Little Prayer?+

Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Colossians 4:12 NLT

I read dictionaries. I know, I'm a little strange...okay, a LOT strange, but I love words. Of course, if you've been a Promise follower for very long, you already know that. I like doing word studies with period dictionaries because words don't mean the same as they used to. Have they changed that much? Yes! They have!

Just in today's vernacular - Sick used to mean please pray and call a doctor. Bad used to mean NOT good and involved some kind of correction/punishment, etc. Skinny used to mean the opposite of fat, but now that's spelled PHAT and is another "word" for 'all that' (which is always accompanied by a certain tone and look), and skinny is also a euphemism for information that is not common knowledge about a particular person, place or thing (better known as gossip) depending on what book you use. Are you confused yet?

In the King James version of the Bible, our text today reads Epaphras is always labouring fervently for you in prayers. Fervently comes from the Greek word energeo, meaning to be at work, put forth power.  Do we even associate praying with labor, let alone laboring fervently? So laboring to put forth power for you in prayers...Wow! Any questions about the meaning of this?

Prayer:

Father,
         Strip away the fluff and the stuff and the puffs of hot air that we interpret as prayer. Give our hearts an extreme makeover so that we understand the meaning of fervent prayer and enter into it for one another. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Story Teller

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NLT

Israel was getting ready to enter into the Promised Land. They had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness until all the calf-building, idol-worshiping, rebellious generation was dead. Now, God was giving them a new future based on their history- their story - with God.

Moses reminds them in the preceding verses that their children weren’t there to see the miracles and signs God performed in Egypt, nor the discipline and greatness of God’s outstretched arm. This generation of children was not at the Red Sea. They knew nothing prior to the wilderness. Could they even understand the total provision by God for all those people - every day for 40 years - because of His great love and mercy?

Have you ever noticed that when families get together - who haven't been together in a while - how the conversation usually turns to reminiscing? Telling the stories about growing up - the good times and the tough times (tempered by the years) all about how somehow you made it through.

I haven't met a child yet who didn't love a good story. When my daughter was little, she loved to hear stories of "the old days." It gave her a connection. She was the newest member of the family at the time, but she already had a story connection because of being in the family.

As the family of God, we have a story. His story. And children - whether they're ours or baby Christians - need to know how He provided the good times and made provision through the tough times. They need to recognize God by the picture we paint of who He is.

Tell them your story. For you see, we are overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb - Jesus - AND the word of OUR testimony. Which story will you tell?

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for giving us a story to tell. Give us divine appointments to share our stories of You and Your great love for us. May we tell it at every opportunity provided. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Un-surrendered

The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

Exodus 13:21-22 NLT

When the Israelites left Egypt in a triumphal exodus, it was because they followed the Lord - cloud by day, fire by night. God's plan was to protect them from the heat of the sun during the day (cloud) and protect them from the cold of the wilderness at night (fire) and to lead them into the promised land. 

The original plan was to go across the wilderness, not spend 40 years wandering in it before they got to their destination. However, they decided to take matters into their own hands. They wanted to do it on their own because they didn't like waiting... It's just as bad when we pray, but try to insist that God do it our way. Do you know the rest of the story? Nevertheless, it is important to know that God still took care of them. Air to breathe, shade and warmth, food every day, clothes didn't wear out. 

You may know this story - 

• A Christian is on top of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says "Get in, get in!" The Christian  replies, "No, I have faith in God, He will deliver me." Later the water is up to his waist and another boat comes by and the guy tells him to get in. He responds that he has faith in God and God will deliver him. With the water at about chest high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he turns down the offer again because "God will deliver me." 

With the water at chin high, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get on. Mumbling with the water in his mouth, he again turns down the request for help for the faith of God. He drowns. He arrives at the gates of heaven with broken faith and says to Peter, "I thought God would deliver me and I have been let down."

St. Peter shakes his head and responds, "I don't know why you think that! We sent you three boats and a helicopter."

How many times do we miss God's plan and purpose because He didn't do it the way we thought it should be done? Remember, the world missed Christ's first appearance because He didn't come the way they thought He should.

I firmly believe God gives us strength and intelligence to accomplish all that we need to do. I don't know about you, but here's what I must remember to NOT do...

1. I must NOT forget that the strength and intelligence I do possess are not, were not, and will never be of my own doing, and are not given for me to do MY will. 

2. I must NOT only listen to God's leading AFTER I can't do it on my own.

3. I must NOT try to tell God how I want Him to do His role within my parameters. 

God is a loving God. He is omniscient. He WILL let me do it on my own if I insist. Uh... no thanks.  

Prayer:

Father,
           Like Job, I understand - Who am I to question Your wisdom in such ignorance?  I will live to declare Your mighty works. Works that only You can accomplish using those who will follow You in SUBMISSION to Your authority. Keep us ever mindful of this Truth. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen