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Diminishing Opportunities

The Probability of Diminishing Opportunities

Life gets by us quickly. What we hope to do usually falls victim to what we have to do. Before we know it, days turn into years, and years into decades and so much is left undone. The important things of relationships, time with God, or giving the gospel to a neighbor, form a pile of regrets and missed opportunities. Time spent is forever gone. There is an arresting verse in the OT.  Isaiah 55:6 Establishes that we must, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,call ye upon him while he is near”.

A couple clear conclusions can be drawn:

1. There are more obvious times that God is close and is drawing us near.

2. God is not always close to draw near to.

 

We must make the most of the times God is speaking, or our pile of regrets will mount. Such was the curse of the town and region of Bethsaida.

Bethsaida had it’s chances. Philip, Andrew, and Peter were from this quiet area around the northern shores of Galilee (John 1:44), and it appears that the feeding of the 5,000 happened in it’s outskirts (Luke 9:10). They had plenty exposure to truth and the wonder of God.  But it seems God was not impressed with their responses to these moments of glory. He boldly scolded them later in Luke 10:13.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Jesus concluded that they had plenty of chances to respond to His exhibition of truth. Oswald Smith said it this way:

 “No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.”

 This sad truth brings us to the final mention of the people of this quaint town. One of  their own was blind, and looking for healing. Here is how Mark penned it:

 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. (Mark 8:22).

 Nothing out of the ordinary. Jesus encountered lots of people with ailments. To most, He was a walking hospital clinic. It wasn’t the man, or those that brought him, that acted suspicious. Actually is was Jesus. Look what He did.

And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him… (Mark 8:23).

 A miracle was about to take place. Jesus was preparing to reveal His power and glory in this situation. But not everyone would get a front row seat. Especially those in Bethsaida who still refused to respond appropriately to the previous opportunities. So Jesus led the blind man to a secluded place for his personal miracle. His faith was about to have an energy boost. Had the town seen it, they may have believed more in Jesus. Jesus even told the man after he was healed to not tell anyone in the town.

 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. (Mark 8:26).

 Bethsaida had a pile of regrets. If they could go back, they would have taken time to listen more, ask more questions, and stay in the presence of Jesus longer. It may have saved their lives and their eternities. But not on this day. Maybe never.

 Oh that I would learn a lesson from Bethsaida!

 

Closing thoughts:

1. Listen when I know God is speaking. He may be quiet for a while.

2. Make the most of what is really important in life.

3. Pray for faith! (“Help thou my unbelief”)

 

 

 

 

First Reponders

I want to be a first responder. Not in the sense of being a paramedic or firefighter, but one that immediately turns to God as situations arise. Notoriously, I am one that works to figure out a solution, run for a second opinion, get advice, or just be distracted with worry. Imagine how different things would be if my first response was running to God.

2 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭14-16
And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

Kings have counselors. At his disposal are the wisest and the smartest strategist and thinkers. Yet Hezekiah, when receiving the threatening news, skipped the “war room” and went right to the prayer closet. The real intriguing part of his prayer is that it was not one for protection or mercy, but it was notably one of worship. Hezekiah chose to sit in the shadow of the Almighty. His first response was not typical, as a matter of a fact, it was odd for a king. But in the end, the strategists of the kingdom enjoyed another day of life because the king ignored their expertise.

Oh to be a first responder like Hezekiah. This makes me think of an old hymn..

What a Friend we have in Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.

Closing Thoughts:
1. Learn to skip by the war room and make way to the throne room .
2. Learn to do more than ask and beg. Take time to worship.
3. God loves to respond to someone that recognizes His power and ability.

Silent Gospel

 

Forgotten. That one word would terrify most of us. While there are many longings of the human heart, the ones of being needed and important reign supreme. The fact is that we all desperately want to leave a legacy, an imprint on those around us. We want to leave one that is so deep that if we were gone, we would be the topic of everyone's conversation. We would be trending on twitter. There is obviously many mega themes throughout the Scriptures, but one that will make that wanted imprint indelible is to humbly love the needy and helpless. Actually, this one issue is a measuring stick of whether we are genuine God-followers or just coldly religious.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

One book that has greatly challenged my perspective and my heart on this theme is a one called,“The Hole in our Gospel” by Richard Stearns. In the book Stearns explores Jesus' call to love our neighbors and shows us how to use our time, talents, and money to heal a broken world. While there are countless ‘stop and check your heart’ quotes, I will highlight just a few in this post. (found in red)

1. “When we say we want to be His disciple, yet attach a list of conditions, Jesus refuses to accept our terms. His terms involve total surrender”.

Ouch. This goes contrary to the current culture of ‘me first’. The call of Jesus goes beyond what is comfortable, easy, and humanly possible for us. God wants us to live above all that or else we are attempting to steal glory from Him.

2. “Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything… If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito.”

3. “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just” Abraham Lincoln

There is no kindness too menial, and no gift too small in reaching out to those marginalized by a life of tough knocks. A giant bank account is nice, but God never calls us to save all we have for a possible future need. Whatever we have right now is what He is asking for us to use. If it is small, then it is still sufficient.

4. “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic [malicious] words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people”

5. “In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” Martin Luther King Jr.

6. “the rich man did not abuse Lazarus, didn't beat him or mistreat him; He simply ignored him, passing by him, day by day, with indifference… he was aware of the beggars plight, had the power to relieve his suffering– yet chose to do nothing… all too many [in the church] have been.. more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stain-glass windows.”

The biggest travesty of the church may not be that we did too little, but that we did nothing. Too many of us have so drown ourselves in technology, debt, and frivolous possessions that if a starving person was laying in our path to work, we would have to pat him on the back and tell him that help is on the way. And it is not just a resource problem, it boils down to a cold heart issue. Honestly we just don’t care. Try saying that out loud where you are right now. Go ahead. ‘I don’t care’. It is almost as difficult as saying ‘I am sorry’ right? Sometimes the truth hurts.

“I'd like to ask God why He allows hunger.. Injustice when He could do something about it.. But I'm afraid He'll ask me the same thing”

Oh boy. Is that not the truth? While we may wonder how a God of love could stand aside while people die of hunger and disease, we are walking on paper-thin ice. Everyday we could do something for someone in need. We would not have to venture on a plane trip to Africa or Papua New Guinea. We could go on a simple 15-20 minute ride to our closest town or city. We are so insulated that we think we only see such needs on the Nightly News or in National Geographic. God must wonder how we could see the need, and simply do nothing. And in doing nothing, we make the gospel a little more distant to those looking for love and God.

One last quote from the book. It is how I want to close. It stings me because I am guilty. I want to see people come to Jesus. I never want to be a cause of someone not coming to Christ. The distaste of our lack of compassion can really sting. This is how Mohandas Gandhi said it. “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Maybe we just need to slow down enough to be able to notice the most obvious needs of people.. Maybe its not a homeless man, or a starving orphan. It could be a co-worker, a neighbor, or a person that sat in your pew last Sunday. In being more aware, we give the gospel some context in their life.

Join me on www.goodreads.com to find what your friends are reading and what the a book is all about!

 

Edge Walkers

We are strange creatures..

We love having someone guide us, but we hate being led. We enjoy browsing a map, but not when we are lost. We look for a path through the woods, but enjoy wandering off of it more than on it.

Although we love the protective sense of boundaries, we also choose to walk the crumbling edge of the cliff behind the “no trespassing” sign. There is something about the challenge of, “Don't look”. Or, “this cannot be done”. The lure pulls us in like a mosquito to a soft bare arm.

What is it about our human nature that asks for boundaries but doesn't like being confined by them?

It's nothing new. Jesus saw the rebel heart in those around Him too. It was no more evident than with the man living under the tyranny of leprosy (Mark 1:40-45). This disease was cruel. Slowly, skin blotches white. Fingers and toes begin to rot. You feel the sting of death. Nothing is secret. Everyone knows. The lines are drawn and you are shunned. Your epitaph is being written. This will kill you.

Enter Jesus.

Hearing of Jesus' ability to heal, this man knows this is his chance. If not now, never. He begs and Jesus obliges. With one simple touch the world comes to a halt and he is healed. All evidence of leprosy has disappeared. He is a miracle.

Jesus gives one curious obligation. “See thou say nothing to any man”. Just give an offering at the temple and shhh. Jesus knew word of this miacle would spread on its own. So don't make a big deal.

Human nature to go against the flow kicks in. The desire to walk off the path hits overdrive. “Don't say anything” is just a challenge.

“But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city,”

Truth be told, the excitement of regaining control of his life from the slow death of leprosy was too much to contain. He knew what it was to have life slowly choked out of him. This leper felt the stares and disdain of those that avoided even a conversation. He experienced the heckles of those that assumed the judgment of God for some assumed secret sin. He lived with the lingering burn of self hate. Now his prison door has been flung open. His death sentence was canceled.

Really, this is our story of salvation. The disease of sin was undeniably killing us. It was spreading through us more rapidly than a wildfire. As our time of death inched closer, God came near. The Savior reached out and pardoned us.

Jesus told this man to hush, but he couldn't; Jesus tells us to proclaim Jesus and we run and hide.

This truth is just part of the larger picture. Really the problem is that we don't like being told what we should and should not do. Therefore, we leave the clear path to wander on the forbidden. We forsake safety for adventure. We want to look around the bend and be our own navigator.

The bottom line is.. It's not that we need new truth. For most of us, we don't need another message, another class, or another book. We just need to start to live what we already know. Application to known truth is at famine levels among us as believers.

What is that one thing God has been pestering you to do, that is still left undone? What is one simple expectation God has put out to you that you still refuse to submit to? Forgiving someone? Telling a co-worker about Jesus? Giving to a cause? Starting a converasation with an undesireable? Renewing a fight with a sinful habit?

Whatever it may be, It is right where you left the path, and the same place in which Jesus is waiting for you. Bad-aids in hand.

 

Prayer Seeds

What kind of a farmer are you? Weird question, right? Farmer or not, anyone knows that If you are intending to grow a crop of vegetables, it would take more than one seed. If you want good odds of a successful harvest, you would be better to indiscriminately toss bags of seed and then call it a day.

This was the failure of king Joash. When given the opportunity to determine the level of conquest over the enemy by firing arrows into the ground, he shot three times and relaxed. A frustrated Elisha barked out, “If you would have shot it five or six times you would have completely consumed your enemy! But now you will have only partial victory” (2 Kings 13). His lack of fervency cost the lives of many good soldiers. And a storied legacy.

This principle is just as true of prayer (Luke 11:5-10). The more seed you throw, the more prayers you pray, the more opportunity for God to show his eternal power.

Name something in life you need and want to see God do a miracle in. Think of…

  • ..The person you want to see God pour His blessing on in a heap…
  • ..Someone you want God to protect…
  • ..That situation you must have wisdom in…
  • ..That neighbor who needs salvation…
  • ..Your son that is walking away from God…
  • ..That family member in need of healing.

If your prayers were arrows, have you fired one time and stopped? Twice? Three times? Consider the possible damage for our passionless approach to prayer.

Did you ever consider banking up the prayers in advance? Before they are needed? Jesus confided in Peter about his weakness, I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail. In other words, its not that Jesus would pray for Peter’s faith, but He already did. In advance.

One idea that has proven to be a help to me and countless others is not any new creative idea. Its called a ‘list’. Just keep a listing of areas that need constant and persistent attention in prayer. This can solve the “pray once and forget” issue that stalks even the best intended believer. If you have ever had someone stop you mid-stride with a prayer request to which you agreed to remember.. This can keep you from being an accidental liar.

In case you were wondering, this is what David did. The book of Psalms is David’s prayers recorded. Psalm 72:20 simply says, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” David, the man after God’s own heart, was a man of prayer. Prayer awakens us and captures the attention of God. By the way, there is no such person as one that has prayed too much.

Remember, there are times that you don’t get something because you don’t ask. Other times we don’t get what we ask for because we asked once, with no passion, and relax.

If you were a farmer, and your prayers were seeds, would there be any hope for a harvest?

 

Book Allergies?

When I was in junior high, you couldn't bribe, pay, trick, or guilt me into reading. It was like telling a five year old boy to take a bath. One teacher handed out a summer reading schedule.. That was funnier than the Sunday comics. Read? In the summer? Not a chance.

Since then I have discovered the wealth there is in good books. I now believer that the poorest people are those that make no time to read.. Especially the Bible. Jesus asked a very sharp question of the religious people in his day. He looked them in the eye and asked (in our terms), “You mean you have not read about this?” (Matthew 12:3,5). Ouch! There is no way to know God outside of the Bible. Peter reminds us that all our spiritual growth hinges on our involvement in God’s timeless Book!

2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

The truth is…

  • A casual reading of the Bible will only give minimal reward.
  • An occasion reading of the Bible will only give minimal desire for it.

While God’s Word is the irreplaceable, supreme, and unrivaled goldmine of wisdom, there are also books that can open the world to us and change our lives. Paul recognized this too. While trapped in the Mamertine prison in Rome, he wrote a note to Timothy and asked him to bring the Scriptures AND some books for him to read when he visited.

2 Timothy 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee,and the books, but especially the parchments.

Charles “Tremendous” Jones, one of the biggest Christian promoters of reading good books in last century once said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

I plan to share highlights from some of the books I am reading or have read in some blog entries soon.

Don’t be trapped in the bubble of your experience. There is wisdom to be found in books. If you want to find some good books to read based on recommendations, start a membership with “goodreads”. You can do it online or on an app on your smartphone or tablet. It's easy and you can see the great “reads” your friends are recommending and why.

Let’s strive to NEVER have God ask us, “You mean you have not read?”

 

The Longest Hour

How many times have we been buried in a project at work, or maybe enjoying a great day at the beach and thought, “I wish there were 25 hours in a day”. Just one more hour. On the other side of the coin, I have a vivid memory of one class in my 6th grade year. I could take you to the room. I could probably find the actual seat (well. ok. So the seat in a landfill somewhere. But I could stand in the location of where my seat was). I was clock watching. Tick. Tick. Tick. The seconds felt like minutes. Could time actually go any slower? I thought I would be gray headed before the bell rang. I was bored and time was dragging.

I guess our perspective on time is all dependent on our circumstances. We want sunny days to be longer, and rainy ones to speed up!

The disciples faced this dilemma. Jesus asked one favor. It was the beginning of worst of His days. He could smell the sulfur of His betrayal and arrest. He was burdened. “Pray for me guys. I need your support. I have no one else to go to.” They knelt. He moved away. Prayer commenced. For Jesus it was intense and passionate. For His friends, it was.. well.. tiring and boring. Before they knew it, their eyes were rolling and they were in dream land. After discovering this disappointing situation, Jesus asked His closest friends a very pointed question.

“Could you not pray with me ONE hour?”

Whoa. Hold on. One hour? Really? Did Jesus really want His friends to talk to God for 60 minutes? While we don't know how short they fell of Jesus expectation, His question reveals something. Jesus anticipates His followers to do more than shoot off flare prayers only in moments of need. He hopes for more than a token thanks at lunch. He wants time with us. He wants us to want time with Him.

The real question for me is, Would Jesus ask me this same question? One Hour? Or would His question start with a smaller expectation? “Vinnie, couldn't you pray for just 10 minutes?” And if He did, what would my answer be?

What amount of time would God start at with you if He were asking you this question?

One hour. 60 minutes. If it was used for prayer, it could be the longest, or the fastest hour of your life. It depends on your circumstances and perspective.

 

The Best Words God Never Said

One day recently I was trying to encourage one of our students to journal what God was teaching them through their devotions. You would have thought they smelled a skunk. With their nose furled and forehead wrinkled, they muttered, “that's just not for me”. Without even thinking, I countered with, “Aren't you glad God didn't say that? What if Paul and David said that?”. Without intending to chastise, the words just tumbled out. But the question remains, “what if God never journaled?” What if Paul said, “writing is just not my specialty”? Whether Paul was gifted at writing or not, he did it. With God's direction, David, Moses, Mark, and Matthew journaled. They jotted down revelations of God to them. They shared the good and the bad. The highs and the lows of their spiritual journey. Paul tells us how we benefit from these journals in 1 Corinthians 10:11.

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

The Bible is our guide in life. Our instruction manual. Without it we would be lost in more ways than we can count. We would be doomed without its doctrines, stories, and principles. The journals written became a book compiled and preserved for you and me.

Before you write yourself off.. literally.. consider what you and others can learn about God through your experiences. How can God's works in your life be passed on unless you write? How soon we forget things that are not recorded somewhere! Consider keeping a journal. Paper or digital. Pen what God teaches you in the Word and in life. It may change the lives of those that will read it in ways we could never dream!

 

Front Row Seat

Witness to Fame

While I don't think I can make God famous [He has that all wrapped up already], I am a witness to some of the grand show He puts on. I remember the awe I had as a kid when I walked into the War Memorial in Rochester. It was home to my favorite hockey team and players. I would long to arrive early to watch warmups and leave late after all the players exited the tunnel. When the game was in full action, I was on the edge of my seat, undistracted even by the screaming popcorn salesman. The hockey players in white jerseys were heroes. I wanted to see every play. While I still love hockey, my anticipation has adjusted to see the “plays” God is making, not on the ice, but on His own world stage. I want to arrive early and stay late. I don't want to miss anything. And forget the nosebleeds.. I want a front row seat! “Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him” (Psalm 33:8)