Jesus and His Huge Truck

I am a follower of Jesus.

I want to always be a follower of Jesus.

But sometimes, I feel like Jesus is driving a really big truck down a very narrow, hilly road. He's not even going the speed limit and I'm struggling to keep my patience as I keep sliding out of my lane to see what's down the road.

I hang my head out the widow hollering for Him to speed up.

I get no response.

I sometimes honk my horn and yell

"Can you go a little faster here? Time's a wasting!"

He just waves and smiles.

He's absolutely in no hurry.

It's like He's got all day.

Well I don't.

I have only a little bit of time.

I need to get on with this 'plan' He has for my life. Why is He driving so slow? Why is this taking so long to get there?

He's driving this big, huge truck and I can't see around it. Why doesn't He let me lead? Or at least drive. He can be 'co-pilot'.

A couple of times, I've had the idea to take a short cut 'cause I thought I knew where we were going. When I got there I waited and waited and waited...

I thought He'd be cool with my resourcefulness.

I though He would be impressed with my initiative.

I thought when He finally got there He'd say "Wow dude! You sure saved a lot of time. I wish I had thought of that!"

But He never showed.

He was still going down His road.

And it was a long ways from mine.

So then I had to get from where I was, back to the road He was on.

It shouldn't be hard...

He goes so slow...

Wow! It took like 20 years.

When I finally caught back up with Him, He was still smiling and singing.

Drives me crazy.

He knows exactly where He's going.

And He's never in a hurry.

When I ask if I can at least have a hint as to where we are going, He just smiles and says "Follow. And don't miss opportunities as we drive."

Opportunities?

What opportunities?

Then I see that guy holding a sign.

It says something about 'Will work for food.'

Oh.

That's why He drives so slow.

He wants to takes His time so we have the time to serve others as we go. If I'm doing 70 down the interstate, I get there really fast but all I've done is drive. No one was helped.

I didn't help change a flat tire.

I didn't help an overheating car.

I didn't help that family with stranded on the side of the road.

You know the one.

They have all those kids.

The hood is up but no one is stopping to help.

Ok Jesus.

You lead. I'll follow.

I will enjoy the scenery and do my best to give a cold drink of water to someone who is thirsty, and food for someone hungry, and clothes for someone without...

I'm sorry for my impatience.

You are the Man!

RP

Walking In The Power of the Spirit

“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!" Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NLT

God promised to be with His people everywhere.

Even in battle.

No, especially in battle.

So after the Exodus.

After the Law is given.

After all the exploits God has shown to reveal His power.

It's showtime.

The 12 spies are sent to check out the promised land.

They come back with a split verdict.

Joshua and Caleb are stoked.

Excited at what will be theirs.

The ten? Well, not so much.

Afraid. They were afraid.

And fear spreads faster than the plague.

The people join in the fear and planned on stoning

Moses and Aaron. Even finding new leaders that will take them back to Egypt.

Egypt? Really?

You really want to go back to slavery and lack

when right in front of you is prosperity like you've never imagined?

So, how does God feel about all this?

He is hacked!

God is really angry.

Wipe 'em all out kind of angry.

God is angry because His people doubted His power.

And rightly so.

He parted the Red Sea for crying out loud!

The people saw the walls of water as they walked through, standing straight up as though in attention. They saw the Sea come back together to destroy Pharaoh's army.

They felt the mountain shake with just His presence.

Manna.

Quail.

Water from the rock.

How much more evidence did they need?

Why would they be afraid?

But alas, I look in the mirror and I'm astonished at my own lack of faith in His power.

Jesus said to the man with the demon possessed boy in Mark 9.

"What do you mean, 'If I can'? Anything is possible if a person believes."

Somewhere along the line I've been duped into thinking God doesn't do miracles today. That He doesn't do things like He used to. That was only a sign for the early church. Really?

Has God had a power outage?

Has He been exposed to kryptonite and somehow lost strength?

That's absurd! Of course He has the same power He's always had.

Maybe I'm the one with the problem.

I justify my lack of belief by hiding behind that famous phrase 'If the Lord wills'. Yes, it's always 'if the Lord wills'. But the Lord wills I walk in the power of His Spirit.

Why would Jesus tell His disciples "it is best for you if I go away, because if I don't the Counselor won't come"? John 16:7

See? That's the problem.

I've treated the Holy Spirit as a though He were that guy who sits next to the principal's office giving me sage advise on where to go from here.

I'm afraid I've deeply hindered the power of the Holy Spirit working in my life at the risk of being 'charismatic'.

Here's what I know.

With man nothing is possible,

but with God all things are possible.

Paul told Timothy

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity,

but of power, love and self-discipline" 2Timothy 1:7

And again,

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20 NLT

I insult God's power when I walk as though He limits it today.

When I ask and don't really believe.

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. ”

I'm afraid I've gone through my life with faith smaller even than a mustard seed.

And mustard seed is really small.

How small has my faith been?

Today, I choose to believe I walk in power.

Not my power. Oh no. Never!

The power that is at work within me.

Today, I say, "Holy Spirit I choose to live with your power working in me and through me...whatever that means."

Oh, and by the way.

We are at war.

God is with us!

RP

Saved By the Good Things We Do?

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesian 2:8-9 NLT

I was watching a TV show the other day.

It was a show where Barry McGuire, the Jesus Movement musician from the 60's, was being interviewed.

Since I love that music, even today,

I was watching with interest.

It was going great.

Barry was funny and energetic.

Then he said something that horrified me.

Yes. Horrified.

"God has given us a blueprint for happiness and it's the 10 commandments".

"What?

No way Barry. You've got it all wrong!!!"

I yelled, as though he could hear me.

"No! No! No!

The 10 commandments are a blueprint for condemnation!"

Followers of Jesus.

Please read and understand.

Jesus fulfilled the law on the cross.

We are no longer under law.

We are under grace. Romans 6:14

We don't live under performance salvation any longer.

That was the old way.

And it only brought condemnation and death.

Read the next verse. Verse 10.

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works..."

We are saved to do good works.

We don't do good works to be saved.

"I'll show you my faith by what I do." says James.

Let's take a fresh look at this.

Moses came down from the mountain after

receiving the law and 3,000 people died.

The law is the tree of 'Knowledge of Good and Evil'.

When you partake of it, you die.

Jesus came down from the mountain after fulfilling the law

and 3,000 people were brought to life.

Jesus is the 'Tree of Life'.

When you partake of Him, you live.

Please, please, remember.

The veil was torn from top to bottom so that through Jesus, we have direct access to the Throne of God.

We really need to stop trying to sew the veil back together.

We cannot be saved by works.

We cannot be saved by the law or by anything written under the Old Testament.

If we could, Jesus died for nothing.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21 NIV

Jesus wants you and I to know, He is the way, the truth and the life. And no one gets to the Father accept through Him.

Period.

Your good works are NOT the exception.

Our minds need to change from works 'to be saved'

to works 'because I'm saved'.

I have experienced a radical change in my life

since I let Jesus be my Savior.

I quit trying to earn what I already have.

The burden is lifted.

Jesus is the performance that I believe in.

I'm free to love, give and share.

RP

Too Hard for Jesus?

In Mark chapter 9:14 we find Jesus, Peter, James and John

coming off a mountain-top experience.

The Transfiguration.

The three had just been given a glimpse of who Jesus really is.

The other nine were down below arguing

with the religious leaders. Again.

When the crowds saw Jesus they ran to Him.

People still do that when we exalt Jesus.

Jesus asked. "What are you arguing about?"

He knew what was going on even though He wasn't physically there.

His disciples went curiously quiet.

Finally someone spoke up.

“Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.¹⁸ And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

After ripping His disciples, He turns to the family and asks them a question.

“How long has this been happening?”

Their reply;

“Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Jesus had just come off the mountain and already this is His third encounter with faithlessness.

1) The Religious Leaders (we expect that from them).

2) His own disciples (they're still learning).

3. The family of the demon possessed boy.

There is so much great stuff in this story.

But let's remember something really important.

Please notice this:

Notice how Jesus was not intimidated by the situation.

Notice how He wasn't concerned that His own disciples were in over their heads.

I don't see Jesus quaking in His sandals

over this spirit that refused to obey the disciples.

I don't see Him huddling with the 12 putting a strategy together based on the latest and greatest research study.

I don't see Him pacing or even the least bit concerned.

Jesus walks in and takes complete control of the situation.

He wasn't in over His head.

Never has been.

Never will be.

The only thing that has ever left Jesus stumped is lack of belief.

Friends, whatever we face,

our God is not left stumped over what to do.

Trust in Jesus in all situations.

Even the seemingly impossible.

Even if you've tried your very best.

Walk in the confidence of Jesus.

With God, nothing is impossible.

RP

I Wish I Believed God...More

God told Eve:

"you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die."

Satan told Eve:

“You will not certainly die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Eve was convinced by Satan that the Lord
did not really intend to keep His promise.

Or maybe she misunderstood God.

Or maybe God was trying to keep a secret from her.
(that would drive most women over the edge)

Bottom line...
She didn't believe God when He made a promise.

But before I get too sanctimonious,
a couple of things in her defense.

1) She had no history with God to know His promises never fail.
2) She had no concept of death...she had never seen it.

Had she known all she knew 5 minutes after... 5 minutes before,
I'm not so sure she would have made the same choice.

This was also the first time she had been lied to.

Nevertheless, she listened, believed and all of
human history changed in one fateful bite.

Let's move to today.

We have the Bible and some 5,000 years
of history to prove He means what He says.

God's promises can be trusted.

He told Noah it was going to rain...It did.

He told Abram he was going to have more
kids than he could count...And he did.

He told Joshua, canaan was theirs...And it was.

He told David, the Messiah was going to come
from his lineage...And He did.

You get the point.
Many promises...All fulfilled.

Jesus also gave us some promises.

Promises like...

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all these things will be added unto you."

or...

"You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

or...

"Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you."

or...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. "

We have history to show that God's promises always come through.

We are not like Adam and Eve.
We can see a legacy of fulfillment.

You know what's sad?
What's really sad?

Sometimes I still don't believe.
And I suffer great set backs and limit my success
because of my unbelief.

I have no excuse really.
I see God coming through time and time again.

Yet, I still want control.
I still want to call the shots.

In the words of Dean Trune
"I want to be comfortable."

Crazy, huh?

So, even when I read and memorize great verses like-

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more
than I can ask or imagine according to His power at
work within us."

I shrink back.
And my faith leaves me wishing I had more.

Shame really.
Satan still lies. And sometimes I still believe him.
He tells me God's promises are not for me.
He tells me I'm not worthy. Or God's not listening.

I willingly exchange the truth of God for a lie.
Sound familiar?

But today...

Today I resolve to be more like Peter, Andrew, James, John
and the rest, who gave up everything for the sake of the call.

So that when I read verse like this, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ."
I've already grabbed my coat and am out the door.
Pursuing.

Bottom line...
Believing what He says.

RP

How Can God Love Me?

God's loves is like a perfect oven.

If you set the temperature at say 500 degrees,

no matter where you measure the temp, it's always

the same. 500 degrees.

Never hotter. Never cooler.

His love is perfect.

He can't love anymore. He can't love any less.

It's just as it is. Perfect.

That's why He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Jn 17:23

He knows no degrees to love.

His love is complete.

And He loves everyone the same.

Perfectly.

He doesn't love you any less because of your past.

And He won't love you anymore if you never, never, ever sin

even one more time in your entire life.

His love is not based on your performance.

It is based on His character.

And His character is love.

He does not love you any less because of sin.

And He does not love you more because of Christ.

He demonstrates His love through Christ.

He loves you because He created you.

And to show His love for you, He did the impossible.

God opened heaven and promised eternal life

to every believer in Jesus.

Remember the 'Tree of Life' in the Garden.

God protected it after our fall.

He put a mighty angel in front of it to guard it.

Now, through Jesus, we can eat of that fruit.

We have the promise of eternal life from a tree.

Calvary's.

That's how He demonstrates His perfect love for us.

Know He loves you, not based on your merit.

It's based on His character.

He loves you totally and completely.

Perfectly.

It's who He is.

That's the Good News we are to go and share.

God loves us so completely, that He sent Jesus.

RP

God Loves Abundance

Ever notice how much the Lord loves abundance?

Do you ever look at the stars?

He didn't just make a few... He made gazillions.

And He named every one of them.

Ever notice trees?

Now that it's almost Fall, you'll really begin to notice them.

And when your out raking leaves,

notice the abundance He puts on every tree.

How about our bodies?

He didn't just make us out of a few cells,

He uses trillions.

How about the angels of heaven?

"Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. Rev. 5:11 NLT

He didn't just make a few angels,

He's made millions and millions.

Yes, my friends, the Lord loves abundance.

Even after He made everything, He wanted more.

"Be fruitful and multiply"...not add.

Jesus reflects that desire for abundance.

After He fed the 5,000.

After everyone had their fill.

12 basketfuls left over.

Not just enough.

Not just scraps.

12 basketfuls.

hhhmmmmmmm.

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. ” Luke 5:38

Your Savior is not stingy with anything.

Especially His grace.

Your salvation is not hanging by a thread.

His sacrifice was more than enough.

His grace is far greater than your sin. Than my sin.

One drop of His blood was great enough

to atone the entire universe.

And yet He poured it out for us in abundance.

Look around you.

See His abundance.

It's everywhere!

Remember His love for you and

how abundant His grace is for you.

There's no shortage.

There's infinitely more than enough!

Praise be to Jesus and His amazing, abundant grace.

RP