"Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.'” Luke 8:50 (NIV)
There was once a man named Jairus who the Bible describes as a synagogue leader. His responsibilities would have been to conduct services, select participants and supervise the worship. In Christianity, the equivelant might be a worship leader, deacon or even minister. In any case, Jairus had a daughter who was very near death. Knowing of Jesus and his capabilities and knowing that he was in the area, he ran to him, fell at his feet and begged him to come to his home and save his daughter.
As a parent, I do not have to imagine what Jairus was going through. I remember writing in my daughter's baby book as she lay in my arms just days old that it was my job and my promise to love her and protect her from all threats. I found out as Jairus found out that you can't protect your babies from everything. I found out that there are things for which there is no defense. I found out what it is like to see her lying in bed and praying that God would just let me trade places with her, knowing all the while that it was nothing more than a desparate father's wish and that it could never happen. I know what it is like to be utterly helpless and reduced to wracking sobs. But like Jairus, I also know what it is like to have hope and faith in Jesus.
Beloved, there are so many things that are beyond our power to affect. We wonder why these things happen while struggling to hold on to God with everything we've got. Our faith is stong but it is SO hard and it hurts so much. It is particularly hurtful to have to stand by and watch someone we love struggle in their affliction. Jairus was told that his daughter had died and to stop "bothering" Jesus (Luke 8:49). But praise God, Jesus said to not be afraid and to just believe. Jesus went to his home and healed his daughter.
My name is Lee and I am the worship leader at the O'Fallon Church of Christ. I humbly solicit your prayers for my daughter who is hurting, for her mother who is hurting, for her siblings who are hurting and for her father who is hurting. I am at Jesus' feet, begging for him to fix my little girl. I believe in him. I believe him. And I believe he will.
Committed,
Lee
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Evidence of the Unseen 10/22/2013
"Now Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.' So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.' So he went up and looked and said, 'There is nothing.' And he said, 'Go back' seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, 'Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.'” 1 Kings 18:41-44
God had placed the land of Israel into a great drought due to the wickedness of the people, most notably Ahab, the king. If you have ever heard of Jezebel, she was his wife and was responsible for contributing to the king's idolatry, killing the prophets of God and building a group of priests dedicated to a pagan deity. In a great showdown between the One True God and the pagan deity, Baal (the pagan deity) was shown to be non-existent and God was shown to be alive and supreme through the obedient work of His prophet Elijah. Subsequent to this, all of the failed prophets of Baal were destroyed thereby resulting in God relenting from withholding the rain from the land.
Hebrews 11:1 famously says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). In a conversation with Ahab after all was said and done, Elijah said that he heard a major thunderstorm. The fact that his servant scanned the horizon six times before so much as seeing a tiny cloud seems to belie this. But does it?
Beloved Elijah had the ultimate trust and faith in God. He had seen Him work in his life too many times to deny or doubt anything He said. To him, the word of God became as fact even though something He said may not yet have come to pass. We must also take the word of God as fact. When He tells us that He loves and cares for us, we must accept it as we do that of a loving parent. When He tells us that He sent His only begotten for our reconciliation, we must treat it as if we witnessed it ourselves. When He tells us that we have been saved from destruction, we must feel as secure as we do in our comfortable homes during a storm. And when He tells us that heaven will be our home, even though others may not yet see it, we must know it as a foregone conclusion.
Torrential rains came just as God promised and Elijah said. The land was replenished and the people were saved. Believe God. Nothing and no one in life is more true.
Committed,
Lee
God had placed the land of Israel into a great drought due to the wickedness of the people, most notably Ahab, the king. If you have ever heard of Jezebel, she was his wife and was responsible for contributing to the king's idolatry, killing the prophets of God and building a group of priests dedicated to a pagan deity. In a great showdown between the One True God and the pagan deity, Baal (the pagan deity) was shown to be non-existent and God was shown to be alive and supreme through the obedient work of His prophet Elijah. Subsequent to this, all of the failed prophets of Baal were destroyed thereby resulting in God relenting from withholding the rain from the land.
Hebrews 11:1 famously says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). In a conversation with Ahab after all was said and done, Elijah said that he heard a major thunderstorm. The fact that his servant scanned the horizon six times before so much as seeing a tiny cloud seems to belie this. But does it?
Beloved Elijah had the ultimate trust and faith in God. He had seen Him work in his life too many times to deny or doubt anything He said. To him, the word of God became as fact even though something He said may not yet have come to pass. We must also take the word of God as fact. When He tells us that He loves and cares for us, we must accept it as we do that of a loving parent. When He tells us that He sent His only begotten for our reconciliation, we must treat it as if we witnessed it ourselves. When He tells us that we have been saved from destruction, we must feel as secure as we do in our comfortable homes during a storm. And when He tells us that heaven will be our home, even though others may not yet see it, we must know it as a foregone conclusion.
Torrential rains came just as God promised and Elijah said. The land was replenished and the people were saved. Believe God. Nothing and no one in life is more true.
Committed,
Lee
Monday, August 12, 2013
The Power of Witness
"-what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:3
Against the charges of Christ merely apprearing to be a man by a group called the Docetists, John offers the proof of witness to refute their falsehood. He offers, both in the Gospel of John as well as 1 John, the fact that he had heard, seen, watched attentively and touched the very Son of God and that he was not the only one to do so.
Then as now, matters are settled on the testimony of witnesses. It should be understood that there was a high threshold in official matters. Matthew 18:16 reveals that an acceptable burden of proof is established in the mouths of two or three witness. The humanity and diety of Christ was proven through the witness by God, the Holy Spirit and John the Baptist at his baptism, by Jesus himself and by the more than 500 to whom he appeared after his ressurection.
Beloved, today we do not have the pleasure or privilege of experiencing the physical Jesus as those did who lived 2000 years ago but we believe by faith. That faith was made possible through the mouths of those who did experience him. This should not be as foreign a concept as some would make it out to be. The same individuals who will not accept Christ because they cannot see or touch him today will accept as fact the words of witnesses in legal, legislative, news and even gossip matters. They should know that they are not the first to take this position. The apostle Thomas refused to accept the witness of his peers and brothers in the faith, declaring that he would have to see for himself. As it would happen, Jesus showed up and said to Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believe” John 20:29. Those same witnesses and the Lord himself have said that he will one day likewise appear to us all.
Believe.
Committed,
Lee
Against the charges of Christ merely apprearing to be a man by a group called the Docetists, John offers the proof of witness to refute their falsehood. He offers, both in the Gospel of John as well as 1 John, the fact that he had heard, seen, watched attentively and touched the very Son of God and that he was not the only one to do so.
Then as now, matters are settled on the testimony of witnesses. It should be understood that there was a high threshold in official matters. Matthew 18:16 reveals that an acceptable burden of proof is established in the mouths of two or three witness. The humanity and diety of Christ was proven through the witness by God, the Holy Spirit and John the Baptist at his baptism, by Jesus himself and by the more than 500 to whom he appeared after his ressurection.
Beloved, today we do not have the pleasure or privilege of experiencing the physical Jesus as those did who lived 2000 years ago but we believe by faith. That faith was made possible through the mouths of those who did experience him. This should not be as foreign a concept as some would make it out to be. The same individuals who will not accept Christ because they cannot see or touch him today will accept as fact the words of witnesses in legal, legislative, news and even gossip matters. They should know that they are not the first to take this position. The apostle Thomas refused to accept the witness of his peers and brothers in the faith, declaring that he would have to see for himself. As it would happen, Jesus showed up and said to Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believe” John 20:29. Those same witnesses and the Lord himself have said that he will one day likewise appear to us all.
Believe.
Committed,
Lee
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Believing In God vs. Believing God 5/23/2013
"Then Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.'” Judg 3:8
The context of this admittedly obscure passage of scripture is that a man by the name of Barak was told by God to take ten thousand men to a pre appointed place where He would deliver the enemy of Israel into his hand. This information was delivered by Deborah, a prophetess and judge of Israel. God was setting him up for success.
Beloved, it is easy to say that we believe in God. In fact, if you ask most people in this country whether they believe in the one true God, the answer would be a resounding yes. Unfortunately, that is where it usually stops. Believing in God is easy because it is conceptual. It requires no effort whatsoever to believe in an idea, a perceived fact or even an individual. Believing God, however, is an entirely different matter. Believing God means not only accepting as true His existence but conducting your life in accordance with this fact. It means accepting that if He can create the universe then He can most certainly take on flesh, walk on water, still storms, feed five thousand with a few fish and pieces of bread, call the dead to life, forgive our sins and save our very souls. It means having confidence that He can and will do what He says and it means conducting our lives in a manner reflective of that.
It is recorded in scripture, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" James 2:19. Essentially, believing in God is something even the devil can claim but do we believe Him enough to do what he says?
It is clear that Barak believed in God. He was of the house of Israel and he gave credence to the words of the one who God placed in a leadership position over them. It is just as clear that Barak did not believe God would deliver the enemy into his hand, opting instead to allow Deborah to have the preeminence in the situation. She, on the other hand, believed God would do what he said: "She said, 'I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.' Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh" Judg 3:9. The enemy was in fact delivered into the hands of a woman. Believe God.
Committed,
Lee
The context of this admittedly obscure passage of scripture is that a man by the name of Barak was told by God to take ten thousand men to a pre appointed place where He would deliver the enemy of Israel into his hand. This information was delivered by Deborah, a prophetess and judge of Israel. God was setting him up for success.
Beloved, it is easy to say that we believe in God. In fact, if you ask most people in this country whether they believe in the one true God, the answer would be a resounding yes. Unfortunately, that is where it usually stops. Believing in God is easy because it is conceptual. It requires no effort whatsoever to believe in an idea, a perceived fact or even an individual. Believing God, however, is an entirely different matter. Believing God means not only accepting as true His existence but conducting your life in accordance with this fact. It means accepting that if He can create the universe then He can most certainly take on flesh, walk on water, still storms, feed five thousand with a few fish and pieces of bread, call the dead to life, forgive our sins and save our very souls. It means having confidence that He can and will do what He says and it means conducting our lives in a manner reflective of that.
It is recorded in scripture, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" James 2:19. Essentially, believing in God is something even the devil can claim but do we believe Him enough to do what he says?
It is clear that Barak believed in God. He was of the house of Israel and he gave credence to the words of the one who God placed in a leadership position over them. It is just as clear that Barak did not believe God would deliver the enemy into his hand, opting instead to allow Deborah to have the preeminence in the situation. She, on the other hand, believed God would do what he said: "She said, 'I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.' Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh" Judg 3:9. The enemy was in fact delivered into the hands of a woman. Believe God.
Committed,
Lee
Monday, September 24, 2012
Belief is Not Enough 9/24/2010
"You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone." James 2:24
Talking the talk is an easy thing to do in life. Anyone can say anything they like. Anyone can make any claim they like. In order to be taken seriously, however, action must accompany the words.
Beloved, the same is true regarding our walk with the Lord. Anyone can claim to be a Christian. They may even go so far as to show up at worship. But is this enough? Is simply saying you believe enough to give the statement validity? James said, "You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder" Jas 2:19. What he implies is that belief is not righteousness in and of itself. Certainly no one would consider a demon who believes God exists to be righteous.
Belief is demonstrated by action. Faith is seen in deeds. We believe that airplanes can transport us safely around the world so we board them. We believe that our employers will pay us for our labor so we show up and work. We believe our beds will hold us so we get in them, rest and relax. If we believe that God exists and the Christ died for our sins, our deeds should demonstrate it. Broadly this can be accomplished through obedience to His will and word. Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. He that does not believe will be condemned" Mark 16:16. Because we believe, we obey the command to be baptized. Conversely, there is no need to obey this command if there is no belief.
Let us not judge one another's belief, but let us be fully convinced of our own by doing the things required of us out of love for Him who made us.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Talking the talk is an easy thing to do in life. Anyone can say anything they like. Anyone can make any claim they like. In order to be taken seriously, however, action must accompany the words.
Beloved, the same is true regarding our walk with the Lord. Anyone can claim to be a Christian. They may even go so far as to show up at worship. But is this enough? Is simply saying you believe enough to give the statement validity? James said, "You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder" Jas 2:19. What he implies is that belief is not righteousness in and of itself. Certainly no one would consider a demon who believes God exists to be righteous.
Belief is demonstrated by action. Faith is seen in deeds. We believe that airplanes can transport us safely around the world so we board them. We believe that our employers will pay us for our labor so we show up and work. We believe our beds will hold us so we get in them, rest and relax. If we believe that God exists and the Christ died for our sins, our deeds should demonstrate it. Broadly this can be accomplished through obedience to His will and word. Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. He that does not believe will be condemned" Mark 16:16. Because we believe, we obey the command to be baptized. Conversely, there is no need to obey this command if there is no belief.
Let us not judge one another's belief, but let us be fully convinced of our own by doing the things required of us out of love for Him who made us.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
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