Matt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
There is a particular style of architecture known of as ‘mission style’. As-in, “that is a ‘mission-style’ home.” When you look at a ‘mission-style’ home it is very recognizable because it holds certain distinctives of design which are common only to mission-style homes. They have a similar kind of earthy, cottagy, woody look, and are commonly seen on the west coast of the United States and almost nowhere else. Inside, generally speaking, they are also filled with mission-style furniture. You know the look. It is instantly familiar.
In Matthew 28, Jesus was telling us – no – commanding us to make sure our spiritual homes are recognizable for their mission-style of architecture and furnishings as well.
There should be no doubt about what you are about, if you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ.
On Christmas Eve, at the conclusion of our service, we watched in warm rapturous joy as the glow of the small candle fires overcame all the darkness present in our part of the universe. Light is like that. It has an amazing quality. It has complete power over darkness. When one wants to drive out darkness, all that is necessary is to present light. Of course, this is a powerful illustration of the ministry of Jesus Christ – but it is also an illustration of the ministry of Jesus Christ through us.
This is what Jesus is commanding in Matthew 28, in the passage known of as ‘The Great Commission.’ We often think of mission work as that performed by ‘missionaries’ on foreign shores. But missionary work is simply extending the Light of Christ to another person, and that takes place no matter where you are – and Jesus is saying it should be an identifying quality of your life. Everyone looking on should be able to see it and know it for what it is: Mission-style living.
How many people know you are a Christian? We are identified by so many things. American. Man or woman. Adult or youth. Hair color. Height. Weight. Eye color. Republican or democrat, or other. Dolphins fan, or other. Good cook, or not. Whatever. We are completely comfortable with being identified with everything we are in the world. It’s who we are. What about Christian? Can people look at you and tell? How so?
- Pastor Bill
Friday, December 28, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
JPS 12.23.07
Matt 2:8 And he (Herod) sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
At Cape Canaveral this past Thursday they launched a rocket with an expensive payload. On-board was the most recent version of a GPS satellite, which the NASA spokesman proclaimed to be the latest and greatest version of this global tracking system. Indeed, the letters G-P-S stand for ‘Global Positioning System,’ and this satellite will continue and enrich our ability to locate where we are - and where anything else is, on the face of the earth to an accuracy of about 3 feet.
GPS is a great thing! When I was recently in The Ukraine, we set out on a trip across the country by car. They have few accurate road maps to begin with, and then we faced the additional challenge of several detours which were the result of railroad construction. They would place a single detour sign which would divert you, but there were no subsequent detour signs to re-direct you back to your original route once you on the detour route. This brought great anxiety, as there were many opportunities to head the wrong direction, and heading the wrong direction is not a good thing when you are in the middle of nowhere in The Ukraine. Only one thing saved us – and that was the fact our driver, George Markey, had GPS on his I-Phone. We weren’t even certain of the GPS, but it proved to be correct each time, and we made it to our final destination.
Oh how we hate to be lost, especially when we don’t really know where we are and not certain of where we’re going. Jesus has been our guide, and He is meant to be understood to be our guide in an even more important way. Being lost on this planet is bad enough - being lost for eternity is worse than never being born.
Jesus is The Way, and He always has been. He desires we be certain of that. To the wise men, accounted as kings from the earth, this principle was demonstrated very early in Jesus’ young life on earth. The wise men sought Jesus, (whom they probably knew of as a result of the prophecies of Daniel,) and they found Him by supernatural guidance. The same is true for all men who seek Jesus with earnestness. He will always provide the Light to be found by Him. And there will never be any doubt about being lost once you are found.
- Pastor Bill
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
At Cape Canaveral this past Thursday they launched a rocket with an expensive payload. On-board was the most recent version of a GPS satellite, which the NASA spokesman proclaimed to be the latest and greatest version of this global tracking system. Indeed, the letters G-P-S stand for ‘Global Positioning System,’ and this satellite will continue and enrich our ability to locate where we are - and where anything else is, on the face of the earth to an accuracy of about 3 feet.
GPS is a great thing! When I was recently in The Ukraine, we set out on a trip across the country by car. They have few accurate road maps to begin with, and then we faced the additional challenge of several detours which were the result of railroad construction. They would place a single detour sign which would divert you, but there were no subsequent detour signs to re-direct you back to your original route once you on the detour route. This brought great anxiety, as there were many opportunities to head the wrong direction, and heading the wrong direction is not a good thing when you are in the middle of nowhere in The Ukraine. Only one thing saved us – and that was the fact our driver, George Markey, had GPS on his I-Phone. We weren’t even certain of the GPS, but it proved to be correct each time, and we made it to our final destination.
Oh how we hate to be lost, especially when we don’t really know where we are and not certain of where we’re going. Jesus has been our guide, and He is meant to be understood to be our guide in an even more important way. Being lost on this planet is bad enough - being lost for eternity is worse than never being born.
Jesus is The Way, and He always has been. He desires we be certain of that. To the wise men, accounted as kings from the earth, this principle was demonstrated very early in Jesus’ young life on earth. The wise men sought Jesus, (whom they probably knew of as a result of the prophecies of Daniel,) and they found Him by supernatural guidance. The same is true for all men who seek Jesus with earnestness. He will always provide the Light to be found by Him. And there will never be any doubt about being lost once you are found.
- Pastor Bill
Thursday, December 13, 2007
I Give Up 12.16.07
2 Chron 20:15 And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.”
Jehoshaphat finds himself in an unenviable position. As king he must display boldness politically, or it is likely he will not be king for very long. Boldness on the part of leaders is what inspires loyalty on the part of followers, especially when fear is involved.
Here the nation of Judah finds itself in a fear-provoking situation, with a pending attack from three people groups from the east, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Edomites. We are not told how many are in the attacking group, but it is enough that Jehoshaphat’s 1.06 million-man army is an extreme underdog.
There are many times in life when we face obstacles that appear larger than life itself. A bleak medical diagnosis. An untenable economic prognostication. An unbounded addiction. These are all times when we are more likely than not to regard our situation as “hopeless,” or at the very least dire. We think: “There is no way I can sit still in this situation – UNLESS – I just give in.” Giving in is an attractive alternative because it frees our mind to wallow. We allow ourselves to wallow in doubt, wallow in misery, or maybe even to wallow in self-pity. “Why me?!” Or possibly, “Why is God punishing me?!”
Perhaps Jehoshaphat felt exactly that same way. It was a reasonable assumption for God to be judging the nation because of Jehoshaphat’s sin in his entering into relationship with the family of the evil king Ahab. 2 Chron 20:3 tells us as much. Jehoshaphat feared. A simple statement that we readily understand. We ALL know the fear of the Lord – especially when we remember our sin.
But rather than giving in to his fear, and wallowing in a ‘Why Me?!’ mindset, Jehoshaphat set an example for his people and for us as well. He doesn’t give in, he gives UP. Rather than allowing fear of death, or shame of sin to cause him to run from the Lord – and to give in, Jehoshaphat remembers the Word of the Lord, and he runs to the Lord – and he gives UP.
What is it that Jehoshaphat gives up in this situation? He gives up his pride over his position. He gives up his notion of invincibility. He gives up any pretense that he is undaunted. He gives up any mantel of greatness, or political power. He allows himself to be seen as weak and hopeless in his own strength. And he begins to simply give up praise and worship to His God. Oh, and he also gives up his sin.
And because he did not count his weapons, or the number of his horses, or the numbers of his chariots, or the number of his armed men of valor, Jehoshaphat never had to use them. You see, this battle belonged to the Lord. So does yours.
- Pastor Bill
Jehoshaphat finds himself in an unenviable position. As king he must display boldness politically, or it is likely he will not be king for very long. Boldness on the part of leaders is what inspires loyalty on the part of followers, especially when fear is involved.
Here the nation of Judah finds itself in a fear-provoking situation, with a pending attack from three people groups from the east, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Edomites. We are not told how many are in the attacking group, but it is enough that Jehoshaphat’s 1.06 million-man army is an extreme underdog.
There are many times in life when we face obstacles that appear larger than life itself. A bleak medical diagnosis. An untenable economic prognostication. An unbounded addiction. These are all times when we are more likely than not to regard our situation as “hopeless,” or at the very least dire. We think: “There is no way I can sit still in this situation – UNLESS – I just give in.” Giving in is an attractive alternative because it frees our mind to wallow. We allow ourselves to wallow in doubt, wallow in misery, or maybe even to wallow in self-pity. “Why me?!” Or possibly, “Why is God punishing me?!”
Perhaps Jehoshaphat felt exactly that same way. It was a reasonable assumption for God to be judging the nation because of Jehoshaphat’s sin in his entering into relationship with the family of the evil king Ahab. 2 Chron 20:3 tells us as much. Jehoshaphat feared. A simple statement that we readily understand. We ALL know the fear of the Lord – especially when we remember our sin.
But rather than giving in to his fear, and wallowing in a ‘Why Me?!’ mindset, Jehoshaphat set an example for his people and for us as well. He doesn’t give in, he gives UP. Rather than allowing fear of death, or shame of sin to cause him to run from the Lord – and to give in, Jehoshaphat remembers the Word of the Lord, and he runs to the Lord – and he gives UP.
What is it that Jehoshaphat gives up in this situation? He gives up his pride over his position. He gives up his notion of invincibility. He gives up any pretense that he is undaunted. He gives up any mantel of greatness, or political power. He allows himself to be seen as weak and hopeless in his own strength. And he begins to simply give up praise and worship to His God. Oh, and he also gives up his sin.
And because he did not count his weapons, or the number of his horses, or the numbers of his chariots, or the number of his armed men of valor, Jehoshaphat never had to use them. You see, this battle belonged to the Lord. So does yours.
- Pastor Bill
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Gift That Keeps On Giving 12.09.07
2 Chron 14:6… he (Asa) had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest.
Any child growing up in these prosperous United States probably has many things on their mind as we draw near to Christmas Day. Toys of epic proportions dancing through very young minds is the expected and even encouraged deal in these times.
After all, when we were growing up wasn’t that the case? As parents we only want what we had only moreso for our children. That is part and parcel of the American dream. And so we, as children, were very much encouraged to dream – and to dream bigtime – about the gifts that we might receive, and we remember our parents vicariously enjoying our experience as they looked on.
The generation that came before us was raised in the Depression. They knew value. They knew cost. They didn’t mind telling you so. I can’t remember how many times my dad told me about receiving an orange for Christmas – and liking it! But my dad also enjoyed looking on as I anticipated my Christmas goodies – now that times had changed for the better. And so, as I counted down the days of Christmas to my James Bond attaché case, or my stadium electric football, or my Daniel Boone coonskin cap, the minutes seemed like days, and the hours seemed like months, and the days, well, the days seemed like years. So agonizing, and yet so tantalizing at the same time.
The gifts never lived up to advanced billing. I still own none of them except in memory. The James Bond attaché case was cheap plastic. The electric football game wasn’t a realistic as it appeared, and the coonskin cap was really rabbit fur, and it didn’t look like the one Fess Parker wore on TV at all.
But the anticipation…ah…the anticipation. And so it goes. We find ourselves repeating and continuing the American dream, as we likewise encourage and stimulate our kids to dream BIG dreams in these days leading up to Christmas. You see, we understand (with maturity) that when it comes to material gifts, the anticipation is the best part. The anticipation far outweighs the real thing. The gift in the hand is always somewhat disappointing. (NOT worth two in the bush.)
Lost in the midst of all of this, in competition with all the world’s effort, is a far better gift: The rest that comes from God. The Lord looks on as a Father, and, I think, loves to see the same anticipation in His children that we love to see in ours. Only the Father knows that the rest of the story is the best part – not the anticipation. There is only one gift that keeps on giving – and that gift is the best The Father could offer, and His Name is Emmanuel – God with us! In Jesus alone there is true rest. (Satisfaction.)
- Pastor Bill
Any child growing up in these prosperous United States probably has many things on their mind as we draw near to Christmas Day. Toys of epic proportions dancing through very young minds is the expected and even encouraged deal in these times.
After all, when we were growing up wasn’t that the case? As parents we only want what we had only moreso for our children. That is part and parcel of the American dream. And so we, as children, were very much encouraged to dream – and to dream bigtime – about the gifts that we might receive, and we remember our parents vicariously enjoying our experience as they looked on.
The generation that came before us was raised in the Depression. They knew value. They knew cost. They didn’t mind telling you so. I can’t remember how many times my dad told me about receiving an orange for Christmas – and liking it! But my dad also enjoyed looking on as I anticipated my Christmas goodies – now that times had changed for the better. And so, as I counted down the days of Christmas to my James Bond attaché case, or my stadium electric football, or my Daniel Boone coonskin cap, the minutes seemed like days, and the hours seemed like months, and the days, well, the days seemed like years. So agonizing, and yet so tantalizing at the same time.
The gifts never lived up to advanced billing. I still own none of them except in memory. The James Bond attaché case was cheap plastic. The electric football game wasn’t a realistic as it appeared, and the coonskin cap was really rabbit fur, and it didn’t look like the one Fess Parker wore on TV at all.
But the anticipation…ah…the anticipation. And so it goes. We find ourselves repeating and continuing the American dream, as we likewise encourage and stimulate our kids to dream BIG dreams in these days leading up to Christmas. You see, we understand (with maturity) that when it comes to material gifts, the anticipation is the best part. The anticipation far outweighs the real thing. The gift in the hand is always somewhat disappointing. (NOT worth two in the bush.)
Lost in the midst of all of this, in competition with all the world’s effort, is a far better gift: The rest that comes from God. The Lord looks on as a Father, and, I think, loves to see the same anticipation in His children that we love to see in ours. Only the Father knows that the rest of the story is the best part – not the anticipation. There is only one gift that keeps on giving – and that gift is the best The Father could offer, and His Name is Emmanuel – God with us! In Jesus alone there is true rest. (Satisfaction.)
- Pastor Bill
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Sharing What You Know 12.02.07
2 Chron 9:2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.
The queen of Sheba has come to Jerusalem to see the man the world knows of as the ‘king of kings.’ Solomon has become very famous, and all the world’s kings - and queens, in this case - are coming to him to seek his wisdom.
Of course we know the source of Solomon’s great wisdom is God. We remember God coming to Solomon at night, in 2 Chron 1:7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
Solomon’s reply was very wise – and corresponded with God’s will for his life. And so, Solomon’s desire was granted in abundance. 2 Chron 1:11 And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life--but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king-- 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."
Solomon had not asked for personal gain, he had asked for a ministry gift. And in this case, the gift he asked for was granted because it matched the position he was called to. Solomon’s request for wisdom had been based on his self-less desire to help the people by being a better ruler over the people. Because God loved the people, God granted that request.
It is officially the “Christmas Season.” Welcome! There may be no greater time during the year for sharing your faith with others. This is a time when what took place in Solomon’s life becomes such a wonderful example to us. The queen of Sheba came seeking answers to all the questions she had on her heart. Do you think some of those questions may have pertained to God? Do you think some of those questions may have pertained to, “Why are we here,” and “What is our purpose in life?”
If you were in Solomon’s place, how would you answer such questions? “Ahhh,” you might say, “but I’m NOT Solomon, nor do I have his wisdom!” Agreed. But have you asked God for it? Do you think God would desire to use the celebration of the birth of Christ as a season in which those who know Him might explain to those who do not know Him what it means to know Him?
“Where will I get such wisdom as that of Solomon?” 2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The answer: In the Word of God, as instructed by the Holy Spirit. It is amazing how when we spend time alone with God in His Word, how we become more confident in knowing what to share because we are sharing what we know. Time is short! This is the season of sharing!
- Pastor Bill
The queen of Sheba has come to Jerusalem to see the man the world knows of as the ‘king of kings.’ Solomon has become very famous, and all the world’s kings - and queens, in this case - are coming to him to seek his wisdom.
Of course we know the source of Solomon’s great wisdom is God. We remember God coming to Solomon at night, in 2 Chron 1:7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
Solomon’s reply was very wise – and corresponded with God’s will for his life. And so, Solomon’s desire was granted in abundance. 2 Chron 1:11 And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life--but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king-- 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."
Solomon had not asked for personal gain, he had asked for a ministry gift. And in this case, the gift he asked for was granted because it matched the position he was called to. Solomon’s request for wisdom had been based on his self-less desire to help the people by being a better ruler over the people. Because God loved the people, God granted that request.
It is officially the “Christmas Season.” Welcome! There may be no greater time during the year for sharing your faith with others. This is a time when what took place in Solomon’s life becomes such a wonderful example to us. The queen of Sheba came seeking answers to all the questions she had on her heart. Do you think some of those questions may have pertained to God? Do you think some of those questions may have pertained to, “Why are we here,” and “What is our purpose in life?”
If you were in Solomon’s place, how would you answer such questions? “Ahhh,” you might say, “but I’m NOT Solomon, nor do I have his wisdom!” Agreed. But have you asked God for it? Do you think God would desire to use the celebration of the birth of Christ as a season in which those who know Him might explain to those who do not know Him what it means to know Him?
“Where will I get such wisdom as that of Solomon?” 2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The answer: In the Word of God, as instructed by the Holy Spirit. It is amazing how when we spend time alone with God in His Word, how we become more confident in knowing what to share because we are sharing what we know. Time is short! This is the season of sharing!
- Pastor Bill
Building Houses 11.25.07
2 Chron 6:2 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever."
Due to the downturn in the housing market, we are seeing record low numbers in housing-starts in the U.S. these days. If no one is buying, there is no point in building. In our own local community, there are probably hundreds of unoccupied houses right now.
But God has promised to occupy any house which is built for Him. Not many people believe that anymore, and it is tremendously unfortunate for our city, our county, our state, and our nation – let alone the world.
Not many even attempt to begin to build or remodel a house for the Lord…too much planning…too much faith required…too much up-front investment, and a lack of belief in the certainty of a return on the investment.
And so our nation is in a greater state of disrepair all the time. People continue to live in their old houses, and despite some effort, (works,) those houses ultimately fall because they are built on weak foundations, and because a painted exterior cannot stop the unseen rot which is occurring within.
I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. When we used to visit inner-city D.C., we would see many hundreds of row-houses that looked awful. Whole areas of the inner-city were depressed, and the thought of putting any investment into those houses seemed a huge waste of time, money, and effort. It had been 100 years or so since major areas of the city had any maintenance whatsoever. Large parts of the city were ugly, depressing, and crime-riddled. (At that time Washington was the murder capital of the U.S.)
But then something wonderful began to happen. An investor with faith here. An investor with faith there. An isolated house on this block or that block. It was puzzling that anyone would take the risk, but the results were amazing. It seems once one house on a block was remodeled and made new, then others would follow. Rather than the new house being destroyed by the ugliness and crime present, the new houses inspired the owners of the old houses in disrepair to fix their houses to bring them up to the standard of the newly remodeled and beautiful homes. Soon, whole neighborhoods were converted, crime was driven out, and the inner city became one of the most sought-after areas to live, and one of the areas of greatest return on investment.
All it seemed to take was one house on a street, or in a neighborhood, to kick off a whole round of renewal and restoration. David first, and then Solomon knew this about Israel. They knew the difference building a house for God could make for Jerusalem and for the nation. Now, what about the street you live on?
- Pastor Bill
Due to the downturn in the housing market, we are seeing record low numbers in housing-starts in the U.S. these days. If no one is buying, there is no point in building. In our own local community, there are probably hundreds of unoccupied houses right now.
But God has promised to occupy any house which is built for Him. Not many people believe that anymore, and it is tremendously unfortunate for our city, our county, our state, and our nation – let alone the world.
Not many even attempt to begin to build or remodel a house for the Lord…too much planning…too much faith required…too much up-front investment, and a lack of belief in the certainty of a return on the investment.
And so our nation is in a greater state of disrepair all the time. People continue to live in their old houses, and despite some effort, (works,) those houses ultimately fall because they are built on weak foundations, and because a painted exterior cannot stop the unseen rot which is occurring within.
I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area. When we used to visit inner-city D.C., we would see many hundreds of row-houses that looked awful. Whole areas of the inner-city were depressed, and the thought of putting any investment into those houses seemed a huge waste of time, money, and effort. It had been 100 years or so since major areas of the city had any maintenance whatsoever. Large parts of the city were ugly, depressing, and crime-riddled. (At that time Washington was the murder capital of the U.S.)
But then something wonderful began to happen. An investor with faith here. An investor with faith there. An isolated house on this block or that block. It was puzzling that anyone would take the risk, but the results were amazing. It seems once one house on a block was remodeled and made new, then others would follow. Rather than the new house being destroyed by the ugliness and crime present, the new houses inspired the owners of the old houses in disrepair to fix their houses to bring them up to the standard of the newly remodeled and beautiful homes. Soon, whole neighborhoods were converted, crime was driven out, and the inner city became one of the most sought-after areas to live, and one of the areas of greatest return on investment.
All it seemed to take was one house on a street, or in a neighborhood, to kick off a whole round of renewal and restoration. David first, and then Solomon knew this about Israel. They knew the difference building a house for God could make for Jerusalem and for the nation. Now, what about the street you live on?
- Pastor Bill
Can I Help You? 11.18.07
One of the things I had to get used to when I first moved to the deep south, (Mississippi,) was that they actually attempt to wait on you in department stores. This was completely foreign to my growing-up years in the Washington, D.C. area - where no one ever spoke to anyone else - and they certainly didn’t wait on anyone cruising through a department store.
But in the south, the minute you walk into a department store, someone will buzz over to where you are with the question, “May I help you?” Why I was ever offended by the notion of someone attempting to help me, I’m not sure, but for some reason it was off-putting that you couldn’t just move around on your own without someone watching your every move. Soon I discovered, (once I got used to the idea,) that this was done in order to be “friendly.” There was no offense intended – just a desire to be as accommodating as they possibly could be. Where I grew up, nobody cared if you lived or died, much less if you had any questions or needed any directions to find what you were looking for.
The fact “being friendly” is a foreign concept is pretty strange if you think about it. Why shouldn’t everyone be friendly?
God is.
2 Chron 1:7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
Isn’t that a startling question coming from God? Here is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, appearing to Solomon in a dream, basically saying, “May I help you?” “Do you need any help?” “Please ask!”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Lord posed that question to us – placing Himself in a position to meet our needs? And yet, that is exactly what Jesus declared about Himself, as both an example and as an exemplar to us. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…To serve…me? And…you? This is an incredible new paradigm! (Only it isn’t new.)
Religion has long locked us into the mode of thinking that we are beholden to God - and we are – for everything, and in everything we are to rejoice and to give thanks! But how about this revelation that God desires to serve us? It sure sounds like the basis of a relationship doesn’t it? And, it sounds ultimately practical, since God HAS the power to meet all of our needs. So why do we so often hesitate to ask? How we need the wisdom of God to make it through these last of the last days! “I sure wish God had asked me to ask of Him like He did Solomon!” Oh…but He has…
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
- Pastor Bill
But in the south, the minute you walk into a department store, someone will buzz over to where you are with the question, “May I help you?” Why I was ever offended by the notion of someone attempting to help me, I’m not sure, but for some reason it was off-putting that you couldn’t just move around on your own without someone watching your every move. Soon I discovered, (once I got used to the idea,) that this was done in order to be “friendly.” There was no offense intended – just a desire to be as accommodating as they possibly could be. Where I grew up, nobody cared if you lived or died, much less if you had any questions or needed any directions to find what you were looking for.
The fact “being friendly” is a foreign concept is pretty strange if you think about it. Why shouldn’t everyone be friendly?
God is.
2 Chron 1:7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
Isn’t that a startling question coming from God? Here is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, appearing to Solomon in a dream, basically saying, “May I help you?” “Do you need any help?” “Please ask!”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Lord posed that question to us – placing Himself in a position to meet our needs? And yet, that is exactly what Jesus declared about Himself, as both an example and as an exemplar to us. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…To serve…me? And…you? This is an incredible new paradigm! (Only it isn’t new.)
Religion has long locked us into the mode of thinking that we are beholden to God - and we are – for everything, and in everything we are to rejoice and to give thanks! But how about this revelation that God desires to serve us? It sure sounds like the basis of a relationship doesn’t it? And, it sounds ultimately practical, since God HAS the power to meet all of our needs. So why do we so often hesitate to ask? How we need the wisdom of God to make it through these last of the last days! “I sure wish God had asked me to ask of Him like He did Solomon!” Oh…but He has…
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
- Pastor Bill
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