Tag Archives: Christ

January 2, 2013 · 8:26 AM

Why

This is a guest post from Mandy Reiszner. She is Vice President of Coreluv International. Their mission is to defend the orphan. You can follow her blog here.

As I sat here pondering about what to write about, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Actually it was more like a punch of empathy and compassion to the gut. A punch that sparks such emotion you literally feel like buckling over onto the floor only to cry out, “WHY?” WHY are there so many orphans, so much poverty, so few resources, so many deaths? In my comfortable little life in America such emotion rarely brushes over me, but it’s here in Haiti where I realize my own great need to become better acquainted with the REST of the world. You see my life IS the minority. At least 80% of the worlds population lives on less than ten dollars a day and almost half of the world on less than two dollars and fifty cents a day. America makes up only 5% of the worlds population. IT’S GOOD to leave Kansas every once in a while!

I had the incredible privilege this past week to spend some good, quality time with the children from the Coreluv Orphanage in Gonaives, Haiti. It was a trip that Mike and I really enjoyed. At one point we found ourselves laying down in the shade with two orphans resting peacefully across our chests. In that moment I could sense the love of the Father. Oh what beauty it is just to rest in God and know that we are loved!

The more I come here, I realize the more I no longer have an excuse to turn a deaf ear to the poor. It’s not that I ever did it intentionally, but rather because I never knew THEY existed. You see I live in the OTHER direction. Does that make me despise that I’m from America? Of course not, but I look upon my life through a whole different set of lenses now. Ones that bring clarity to the fact that just maybe I was born in America to be able to help those who may not be as blessed as I am. I love this line from Mumford and Sons’ song “Awake my Soul”:

“In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. And where you invest your love, you invest your life.”

I am reminded of Christ and his willingness to serve those He loved. This Last week was a good awakening for me and a much needed time of reflection upon WHY we do what we do!

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January 1, 2013 · 8:06 AM

A New Year’s Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I want to thank you for the new year. With the new year comes new beginnings, new opportunities and new goals. Help me to keep You in all three. I know that there is nothing I can do to change the past. I can learn from it and move forward. 2012 is now history. Another chapter in the story of the world has closed. It may not have been the greatest year, but You were there with me even when I couldn’t feel You.

I want to say “thank you” that you have never left me nor abandoned me. You have kept true to your promise. Your faithfulness is unfathomable to me. No matter what mistakes I’ve made or am going to make, You have and will remain by my side even though I don’t deserve it. I rest in the fact that nothing has or will come my way that You don’t know about and I believe You will give me the strength to endure.

For the new beginnings that will occur this year, I ask that You help me to embrace that change. I realize that while I’m not a fan of change, You use it to continuously mold me and to shape me into being who You want me to be. May I recognize these new beginnings new ways to bring You glory. Help me to embrace the change that comes and to focus on pleasing You.

For the new opportunities that will arise this year, I ask that You will give me wisdom to discern which opportunities provide the best investment of my time and resources. Help me to choose the opportunities that will help me to grow Your kingdom and further Your cause. On the opportunities that You ask me to pass by, I pray that You help me to let go so that You can bless my life at the right time with the right opportunities.

For the new goals that have been and will be set for this year, I ask for endurance and guidance. Some goals will be met quickly while others are more long term. Help me to run the race You have called me to run. Help me to keep my eyes on the prize without looking back or getting off track. I will need Your strength in me to accomplish all that You have for me to do. When my strength runs out, remind me that it is not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit that I can do all things.

Guide me in this new year. Help me to hear Your voice daily and to obey. Help me to see Your handiwork in my life and to embrace it. Help me to be Your hands and feet so that I may show Your love to others with all my strength. Help me to speak Your words to others. Words that will bring life and not death. Words that will build up and not tear down. May I honor You in all I do this year.

In Jesus name I pray,
Amen.

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December 24, 2012 · 8:06 AM

Christmas Eve Communion

One of my favorite traditions at Christmas is going to a candle light communion service. At a time when we are celebrating the birth of Christ, it’s a good reminder of why He was born. At the last supper, Jesus said, “As often as you do this (communion), do this in remembrance of me.” So in celebration if His birth, we take time to remember His death. Yes, His birth was important. I’ll talk about it tomorrow. Today, however, I want to focus on why He came.

It wasn’t just enough that He was born and took on flesh and blood. In order to be the advocate we need Him to be, He had to see what it was like living here confined to a body, time and space. It was something He had never experienced. While God created all three, they existed in Him, not He in them. Knowing what it’s like to have a schedule, a job, deadlines, dealing with customers and being tempted as we are we’re all part of His plan. Don’t forget He was a carpenter which meant He dealt with all the above.

He needed to know how strong temptation is for you and I so He could give us strength to overcome it and to provide a way out of it. He dealt with anger, frustration and needy people. He knew what it was like to have a family. We don’t know what happened to Joseph since he isn’t mentioned beyond Jesus’ 12th year. It’s possible He knows what it’s like to lose a parent and to be raised by a single mom. He understands those struggles.

He knows what it’s like to be falsely accused. He had a close friend stab Him in the back and betray Him. He knows what it is to have people lie about Him and then send Him to jail. He knows what it is like to be in court and to go before a judge. He knows what it’s like to be beaten, whipped, slapped and punched. He knows what it feels like to have the weight of the world on His shoulders. He even knows what it is like to face death.

I love what Hebrews 4:15 says about Jesus. It says, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. (NLT)” In wrapping Himself in flesh and blood, He also wrapped Himself in our pains, our sufferings, our fears, our joys and our temptations so that He could be our advocate to the Father. He understands what you are going through today and was able to make it through each of these situations.

So on Christmas Eve, I choose to remember all of these things in His life as I celebrate His death on the cross. I take time to remember that it wasn’t His birth that saved me. It was His death on the cross and resurrection three days later. Without living a sinless life and dying on the cross, I would still be lost and in sin. Tomorrow I will remember and celebrate His birth, but today, I remember His life, death and resurrection in order to be my advocate.

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December 14, 2012 · 8:07 AM

Jesus and Tom Landry

Since I was a child I have known that the shortest verse in the Bible was “Jesus wept” in John 11:35. What I haven’t known is why He cried. At first I thought I was because Lazarus had died, but Jesus knew his death was temporary and specifically went there to raise Him from the dead. If that was the case, why would He cry over his death? It made no sense to me. And it wasn’t just a regular, tears streaming down the face cry either. It says He wept which implies a lot more.

I was watching an American football documentary earlier this year on the life of Tom Landry. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that name, he was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys and always wore a “funny hat”. He had a complex system that changed how football is played. He was also very stoic. A player was once asked if he ever saw Landry smile. He said, “No, but I was only on his team for nine years.”

Despite his ingenious methods of coaching, he had six straight losing seasons with the Cowboys. At the end of the sixth season, after losing to Vince Lombardi again, he broke down and wept in the locker room in front of his players. For the next twenty years, the Dallas Cowboys had winning seasons with five Superbowl appearances. When asked about what made the change, the players all pointed to that moment when he cried. For the first time, they saw him as human.

I wonder if the same thing happened when the disciples saw Jesus cry. They had watched him perform miracles every day for a while. Could they have focused so much on the God side of Jesus that they failed to see His human side? Could they have been following Jesus without being emotionally attached to Him? Did this event change how they saw Jesus and then changed their focus and enthusiasm? I don’t know. I think it’s a possibility though.

Jesus understood relationships. He valued them as we should. He knew we needed to see His human nature as well as Hid God nature. He understands what it means to cry. He knows what it’s like to have someone you love die. He has been wounded by a friend that turned their back on Him. He experienced a wide range of emotions while here and can empathize with you in your pain and suffering. He was fully God and fully man.

I’m glad that John recorded the smallest verse in the Bible. I think it is actually one of the biggest verses there is. It reminds us of His human nature that allows us to emotionally connect with Him. It shows that He had feelings. It also leads to the part where He raised Lazarus from the dead reminding us there is nothing He can’t do. I hope the next time you come read the shortest verse in the Bible, you don’t skip past it. I hope you stop and think about what it means to you to know he wept and felt pain just like you.

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November 30, 2012 · 7:52 AM

The Check Please

I used to have a boss who would describe grace as God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense. I have a friend who call’s it unmerited favor. I believe it is more than not getting what you deserve, it’s getting something you don’t deserve. Since Adam and Eve we have gone against what God has commanded us. We have gone our own way, done things our own way and lived our own way. I’m not sure why He would still extend grace to us when we clearly don’t deserve it. But He does.

I have a friend who does an exercise in grace each Christmas. He and his family rent a hotel or cabin in some small town nearby when it gets close to Christmas. Everyone brings the money they were going to spend on Christmas presents for their kids and spouses. Once in the hotel, each person draws a card with a day of the week on it. On that day, that person picks the restaurant and whoever their server is gets the money they were going to spend on their family. They do it even if they get poor service.

They don’t make a big show either. He told me that they get such an amazing feeling by blessing others. It’s addicting. He said that now his kids can’t take it when it’s not their night to bless. So what the others do now is look around the restaurant and tell their sever, “I want to buy that families dinner.” Sometimes his kids end up paying for everyone in the restaurant and no one knows who did it.

When I think about it, that’s a lot like what God did for us. He came into this world unassuming. He came as a baby when we were expecting a king. He lived among us and did normal things. He then started blessing people who didn’t deserve it. He helped the poor. Then, when we weren’t expecting it, he did the ultimate act of Grace. He paid for our sins. We deserve to pay for the wrongs we’ve done, but when the check comes, it’s marked paid!

I’m so thankful that there is nothing I can do to ever deserve God’s grace. Just like when those customers get their check, they see what they deserve to pay, I know what I deserve to pay. I’m thankful each day that God sent His Son into this world to pay my check. I know at the end of each day, I should owe something for what I’ve done. As unworthy as I am, Jesus looks down and says, “I got it.”

Have you accepted that grace from Him for what you’ve done? If not, now is the perfect time. All you have to do is say, “Jesus, I know I don’t deserve your grace. My sins and faults are many. I know the debt I owe, but I accept your grace and your forgiveness to cover the check. Thank you for forgiveness. Amen.” If you were worthy of it, it wouldn’t be grace. God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense!

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November 28, 2012 · 7:15 AM

Love Does

I used to think Bob Goff was my least favorite speaker. Now I know He is someone who leaks Jesus any way he can.

My first impression of Bob wasn’t great. I was at Catalyst and he wasn’t anything like the other speakers who happened to all be preachers. To say he was different was an understatement. After he spoke, my two friends who went with me couldn’t stop raving about him. I just smiled and nodded along wondering what they saw or heard that got them so fired up. I saw a guy on stage with balloons and a funny laugh. They saw what I couldn’t.

It wasn’t until I started reading his book “Love Does” that I began to see Bob Goff for who he is. In this book, you will find story after story of some amazing things that you can experience when you see your normal interactions as an opportunity to say “yes” and show God’s love to someone else. All of a sudden, the life you’ve been living looks boring and the life God called us to live is anything but boring.

I took my time reading this book even though I could have read it in a day. I took my time trying to not just listen to the stories, but to learn the lessons hidden throughout. I mainly read it while on a plane flying from one city to another. I’m sure the people around me felt I had schizophrenia because at times I would bust out laughing. Then a few minutes later, I would have tears rolling down my cheeks as I was humbled.

“Love Does” is an amazing read that takes your perceptions and challenges them. It has caused me to question many things that I’ve perceived as standard ways to do things and shown them in a new light by looking at how Jesus responded in those situations. If Jesus acted a certain way, why should we act any differently? Bob shows how love changes everything. How when we leak Jesus, it has an everlasting effect on others.

One of my favorite chapters is how he got into law school. Oh yeah, he’s a lawyer, not a preacher. Maybe that’s why he stood out at Catalyst! I love the story of September 11th with his kids and the incredible journey that followed just by asking a dad question. There is a story of a stranger wanting to use his backyard to get engaged that ended with the Coast Guard getting involved. Another of my favorites was the story of how a practical joke of leaving $400 room service bill for a friend ended up changing who the Consul for Uganda was.

This book is filled with incredible stories written by an incredible man. This book makes me want to live better stories and the best part is that all I have to do is say “yes” when opportunities arise. The love Jesus showed wasn’t just with His words. It was shown in His actions. Our actions should show that same love to others whether it’s a stranger or a friend. We need to get off the tracks of life that go in a circle, spin a globe, put our finger down and begin an adventure that is planned by God, not us.

I’ve never personally met Bob, but I plan to. I may have to take a trip to his office on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland or just find an event where he is speaking. He, like his book, is not what you expect. I had a prepackaged idea of what to expect from a speaker at Catalyst and what a book called “Love does” was all about. I was happily wrong about both. Do yourself a favor and buy this book here. You’ll be helping educate children in Uganda if you do.

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November 27, 2012 · 7:23 AM

Come Home

I’ve always loved the parable of the Prodigal Son. I’ve been able to identify with so many parts of that story throughout my life. I’ve taken my spiritual inheritance, ran off and squandered it before. I’ve come to the end of my rope and realized that the Father still has enough grace to call me His son even when I didn’t deserve it. I’ve even been the son who stayed home and was upset at how those who’ve returned home have flourished and been blessed.

When we read that, I think many of us are somewhere in that story. Some of us are on that journey away from home. All we have known is a Christian life and we somehow think we will find true happiness outside the confines of Christianity. We take what we’ve been given and throw it away. We live how we want to live. How we think we’re supposed to live. I can tell you just like the Prodigal Son could, it comes to an end at some point. There comes a time when all of that catches up and it’s not fun anymore. What was once freedom becomes a cage.

I know. I know. It’s not going to happen to you. Somehow you are different. You can do this on your own. Since the beginning, that is the lie we have all believed. Adam and Eve believed they could do it without God. Genesis 3:6 says that Eve was convinced and she wanted the wisdom that the fruit could give her. She wanted to get it on her own without God. Everything that God had given them was taken away for believing that lie.

The Prodigal believed it too. He figured he could take what was rightfully his and do better with it than his father could. As soon as it was all gone, there was a famine. Pride kept him from going home. He tried to stick it out as long as he could. He finally got so miserable that he had no pride left. He didn’t even see himself as a son anymore. There have been times where I haven’t seen myself as a son either. Where I did what I could to survive. It was miserable.

Thank God for His grace. He, like the father in the story, is patiently waiting for our return. He isn’t there to say, “I told you so.” No. He’s there to say, “I love you and I’ve missed you. Welcome home, child.” That’s the heart of the God we serve. He doesn’t sit and plot revenge on you for leaving. He sits and looks for your return so He can embrace you and call you His once again. He wants you safely in His arms where you belong.

So, where are you in this story? Have you left? Are you out having the time of your life not realizing what’s coming? Are you in that desperate place trying to figure out a way home so that you will be accepted again? Maybe you’re home now contemplating leaving. I can tell you that wherever you are in this story, God sees you. He knows where you are. Don’t believe the lies that take you away or keep you away. There is freedom in Him. There is joy in Him. There is security in Him. It’s time to come home and be His child once again.

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November 16, 2012 · 8:01 AM

What God Sees

I’ve been thinking about a lot about the story of David being anointed king of Israel. Samuel approached his father Jesse and announced that one of his sons would be king. Jesse quickly gathered his sons together and I’m sure had them dress up. I can see him putting them in order of who he thought would make a great king. As Samuel looked over each one, God never gave him the go ahead. He began to worry if he had heard The Lord.

Finally after looking at all of them, he asked Jesse if he had any more sons. I love how the Message writes this answer. Jesse replied, “Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.” David didn’t look kingly. Not even in his own father’s eyes. His own father didn’t even think to bring him in when he heard one of sons would be king. I’m sure his brothers laughed when Samuel told them to send for him. The moment David came through the door, God spoke and said, “This is the one!”

Samuel, Jesse and each of us can learn a lesson from what God spoke to Samuel. In verse 7 of I Samuel 16, God told Samuel, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by the outward appearance, but The Lord looks at the heart.” Part of human nature is to judge by the outward appearance. We rarely take inner beauty into consideration. I’ve heard it said that you form an opinion about someone within 3 seconds of meeting them. It’s sad that we are that quick to judge.

It’s a good thing our worth isn’t dependent on what man sees. It is based on who you are in Christ and what He sees in you. Even you may look into the mirror and not see much, but when God looks at you, He sees royalty. He is the King of Kings and we are His children. That means that as a child of the King, you are a prince or princess. You were formed in His image and called to be His ambassador here.

When God looks at you, He shouts, “That’s the one!” You are whom He chose to bear His name. To be His light. To share His love. You may see yourself as the runt, but God sees a king or queen in you. All throughout the Bible, the people that God chose to use were not the ones you or I would choose. Moses stuttered. Esther was scared. Jonah was disobedient. Mary wasn’t married. Peter failed. Paul murdered Christians. The list goes on.

Don’t let someone else keep you from being who you are in Christ. Don’t let what you or others see prevent you from doing what God called you to do. You may be a klutz, short, fat, ugly, tall, thin or any other label that this world places on you, but don’t let that define you. You are a child of God. Romans 8:17 says that since we are His children, we are His heirs. God sees who you really are. God sees you as His child. God sees you as His perfect creation and is ready for you to step into the role He called you to.

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November 15, 2012 · 8:52 AM

Doers not Planners

A couple of years ago I was sitting in a board room with my peers, my district manager, the regional director and president. We were having to defend our results for the quarter and show projections for the next quarter. One of my peers was talking about what his results would be for the next quarter when the president noticed a huge gap between what he just produced and what he was going to produce. She asked him, “What are you doing to get those numbers changed that much?” He quickly answered back, “We’re going to…” and then she interrupted him.

She said, “I didn’t ask what you are going to do. I asked what are you doing.” He again said, “Like I said, we’re going to…” Again she stopped him. She looked at him, but the message was to all of us. She said, “I don’t want to know what you are going to do. I want to know what you are doing right now. If you were going to get those kind of results, you wouldn’t wait to do it. You’d be doing it right now!” I don’t think I’ll ever forget that meeting. Partly because I was next up to deliver my results and also because of the message.

As Christians we often talk about what we’re going to do for the Kingdom, but we rarely get to it. Life gets in the way. Schedules get packed. Traffic jams slow us down. Kids have games and practices we have to go to. Things just happen and keep us from doing what Christians should do. They keep us from helping widows, orphans and even our neighbors. They prevent us from stopping to help a stranger on the side of the road. It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s that we haven’t made it a priority.

All of us are good at saying what we will do, but few of us are good at doing it. I’m guilty of this myself. I make plans to do things, but often the execution gets lost in other priorities. Each day I pray and ask God to open my eyes to see that need in someone else. I ask Him to help me to be His hands and feet to someone. I also ask that He would speak through me to someone. At the end of the day, I often ask myself, “Did I help anyone today or was it all about me?”

In the book of James, the first chapter tells us that we are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Most of us are good at going to church and hearing the message. Most of us can’t remember that message on Monday though. We do what James warned us about. We let it go in one ear and out of the other. God called us to action. To do things for Him. To be present in our generation and not stagnant. It doesn’t have to be great or big or world changing. Doing something small for someone else could be great or big or world changing for them.

If enough of us start making an impact on just one person’s life a day, the Church could rise to be who she was called to be. She could be effective in this broken down world. She could get the results that she was forecasted to make. It’s not going to be done by one of us. It will be accomplished by all of us. What is something you can do today to be the hands and feet of Jesus? Who is someone in your path today that needs an encouraging word? Don’t plan on doing it tomorrow. Do it today!

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November 13, 2012 · 9:23 AM

Storm Survival 101

When you grow up along the Gulf Coast, you are trained in school and reminded on the news constantly how to survive a storm. If you are at school, you get under your desk, knees to chest, clasp your hands over the back of your neck and face down. If you are home, you need to find an interior room without windows (like a bathroom), huddle up in there and assume the other position. If it’s really bad, lay down in the bathtub and pull a mattress over you. Once the storm has passed, you then can asses the damages and move forward.

What’s true for surviving physical storms is true when facing life’s storms. For most of us though, we don’t seek shelter from the storm. We don’t assume a kneeling position. We don’t look for a covering. Instead we run headlong into the storm and try to fight it or withstand it on our own. I see people try that all the time. I’ve tried that myself. It doesn’t work. It prolongs the storm and creates more damage. Damage that you are trying to avoid.

The first thing we should do is seek shelter. Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say of The Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I confidently trust.” God is your refuge from the storm. He is your shelter, but for some reason, when storms come, we run from God. We end up blaming Him instead of trusting Him. We question Him instead of relying on Him. Verse 4 of that same Psalm says that His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Rely on His promises.

The next thing we should do is assume the safety position. Coincidentally, it is the same position as kneeling in prayer. Spend time alone with God in your struggle. Cry out to Him in your distress. He hears even the softest whimper of a prayer. He sees you in your fight and wants to converse with you. Take time to spend time with Him during your storm. In Psalm 46:10, God says, “Be still, and know that I am God!” We need to stop running, get on our knees and recognize Him as our God.

After that, get a covering. You need support from friends, family and other church members who will lift you up in prayer. There are times when our struggles and pain are so intense that we don’t have the strength to even lift our heads to Heaven to pray. When you can’t, others can. They need to know your need though. You need to share your struggles with others so they can lift you up and provide a covering for you. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens.” Someone else can only help you carry the load if you share it with them.

If you find that you are in a storm, take cover in the shelter of the Most High God. He is your refuge from the storm. Spend time on your knees. Don’t run from God during this time. Run to Him. Don’t run from the Church. They will provide you with the covering you need to help protect you during this time. Allow them to share in your burden. You need to be surrounded by people who love you, know you and will pray for you. You weren’t meant to weather the storm alone. You have shelter, help and hope.

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