But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 'Why was this ointment not sold for three denarii and given to the poor?' he said this, not because he cared about the poor, bit because he was a thief, and having charge to the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. John 12:4-7
Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' disciples. He walked with Jesus. He talked to Jesus. He listened to Jesus. He laughed with Jesus. He ate with Jesus. He slept near Jesus. He was amazed by Jesus. He was confused by the words and actions of Jesus. He followed Jesus. For three years, he was right there with Jesus and he knew Jesus. Judas betrayed Jesus!
There are many who believe that if a person has heard enough about Jesus then that person will have no other real choice by the believe in Him. It is a nice thought, and those of us who do believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have accepted Him, it is hard to understand why others don't. I, honestly, can't fathom how others don't or don't want to. After experiencing peace where there was not room in the circumstance for peace, I can't understand not wanting to experience it. After hearing His voice speak to my heart on innumerable occasions, I can't believe others never want to hear Him. After praying for healing from pain and experiencing a flow come over me and the pain be gone, I can't imagine that there are people who would rather live with the pain. After having a part o Scripture, that I've read over and over again, suddenly become amazingly clear, I can't imagine choosing to walk around blindly. I can't imagine not having the comfort of knowing I will never be alone. I can't imagine making major decisions without asking for His guidance to make the right choice. Some people have walked the Christian life and chosen to walk away, so why would I expect those who haven't to accept Him at the last moment because they have heard.
Judas didn't believe. If the ones who were right there with Him, missed out on truly knowing and accepting Him, then it is dangerous for us to believe people just need to hear about Him enough to accept Him. Judas actually hear Jesus speak and still betrayed Him.
So what will it take? What do people really need to come to acceptance of Christ? Well, since Judas wasn't the only one who walked with Jesus, t seems there is no one way to come to Him. Andrew heard Him speak and believed. He ran and got Peter and told him abut Jesus and Peter believed. James and John were simply called and they believed. The woman caste at Jesus' feet to be stoned was forgiven and she believed. The woman at the well was told all her sin and she believed. Some needed to feel His healing touch to believe. Some needed to see Him heal others to believe. Some needed to hear His words of love to believe. Some need to hear the harsh truth of their lives to believe. Some needed to be taught by Him to believe. It isn't different today.
There are people who grow up in church, hearing the Word, and they believe. Others need a miracle of love to flow into the ugliness of their situation to believe. They need someone to hand them a bowl of soup and a slice of bread. They need someone to take them into their home after their own family has abandoned them. They need a doctor who performs the right procedure or dispenses the right medicine, but also prays over them for them to believe. They need someone to look beyond the money, cars, houses to see that they are trying to fill the incredible void in their life with things. They need some to hold their baby while they tend to the boo boo on the toddler's knee. They need someone to listen; someone to feed them; someone to laugh with them; someone to talk to them; someone to show they the Way.
Every person needs something different to come to Jesus. Yet thy all need the same thing, they need an open heart. Judas heard, walked, laughed with Jesus, but his heart wasn't open to Him. Don't just assume that being in church your whole life means your heart has been open to accept Him. Don't assume that if a person hears enough about Jesus they will accept Him. It is far too important to just assume that words in our lives or others is enough. We need to seek how to reach people. I have a friend who is not a believer, and I pray about how to share Him with her. For now, God has told me her heart isn't open, so I simply need to be her friend. Do I worry that's no enough? Of course I do. Yet until her heart is open, words just won't be enough. Be prayerful of how to reach others and be ready to talk, laugh, listen, cry, or do whatever that person needs.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Saturday, June 16, 2018
God Wins!
I got a message from a friend telling me about a work situation of one of her sons. In the end he needs a new job due to the situation, and she mentioned how mean people are, how it seems that they are taking over. Instantly a phrase came to me, "God Wins!"
I have personally heard this phrase for me and had to cling to it as the mean, ugly, and even evil actions of others have gotten me down. When I felt like there was no answer, "God Wins!" would come to my mind.
See God has already won. Jesus made sure everyone, even satan knew that when He died and rose again. Satan knows it, but he wants to take as many people down with him before the end as he can. He still wants our focus to be one of wondering if good triumphs or not. He wants us to question whether God really won, and doubt that He will ultimately raise our hands over our head and declare, that because we are His, we win too.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying if I want to take something that isn't mine I get to declare, "God Wins!" and just take it. This isn't about me getting more stuff, more power, more anything. If anything it'll mean less, less pride, less selfishness, less anger, etc. I would like less of those things. I will gain in other areas though, go deeper in them. More joy in knowing Who I belong to; a deeper relationship with God; more trust that He will continue to show His faithfulness even as I and others don't show much of any.
"God Wins!" helps me look to God instead of the circumstances. It helps me shut up the overdone thoughts that have spun any number of horrible scenarios. It helps me calm my wildly beating heart and racing pulse. It makes me see the sunlight shafts bursting through the clouds of life. "God Wins!" is my reminder that He already has, but some battles need to be played out for me to see His victory. He has already been to the end of the battle, but I need to continue on until I get there to see it.
If you know me personally, then you know I hate Christian catch phrase, otherwise know as Christianese. This phrase is not just a unicorn riding a rainbow phrase like so many Christian catch phrases make me think of. It is a personal reminder to focus on the fact that He has the the victory, and although I don't know what that looks like yet, He has it all planned out. If the phrase helps you focus like that then please use it freely. However, if you want to put it on a t-shirt and maybe there will be a rainbow, puffy clouds, and a galloping unicorn, please don't. :)
I have personally heard this phrase for me and had to cling to it as the mean, ugly, and even evil actions of others have gotten me down. When I felt like there was no answer, "God Wins!" would come to my mind.
See God has already won. Jesus made sure everyone, even satan knew that when He died and rose again. Satan knows it, but he wants to take as many people down with him before the end as he can. He still wants our focus to be one of wondering if good triumphs or not. He wants us to question whether God really won, and doubt that He will ultimately raise our hands over our head and declare, that because we are His, we win too.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying if I want to take something that isn't mine I get to declare, "God Wins!" and just take it. This isn't about me getting more stuff, more power, more anything. If anything it'll mean less, less pride, less selfishness, less anger, etc. I would like less of those things. I will gain in other areas though, go deeper in them. More joy in knowing Who I belong to; a deeper relationship with God; more trust that He will continue to show His faithfulness even as I and others don't show much of any.
"God Wins!" helps me look to God instead of the circumstances. It helps me shut up the overdone thoughts that have spun any number of horrible scenarios. It helps me calm my wildly beating heart and racing pulse. It makes me see the sunlight shafts bursting through the clouds of life. "God Wins!" is my reminder that He already has, but some battles need to be played out for me to see His victory. He has already been to the end of the battle, but I need to continue on until I get there to see it.
If you know me personally, then you know I hate Christian catch phrase, otherwise know as Christianese. This phrase is not just a unicorn riding a rainbow phrase like so many Christian catch phrases make me think of. It is a personal reminder to focus on the fact that He has the the victory, and although I don't know what that looks like yet, He has it all planned out. If the phrase helps you focus like that then please use it freely. However, if you want to put it on a t-shirt and maybe there will be a rainbow, puffy clouds, and a galloping unicorn, please don't. :)
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Friday, May 25, 2018
When I Was Judged
When I was young I played with my brothers and neighbors in the woods; climbed barbwire fences, climbed trees; ate pears straight from the trees; played wiffle ball; swam in our above ground pool; tobogganed and sledded in my neighbor's pasture; ran across the hay fields; made mud pies; thrilled over finding barn kittens in the hay loft; and never knew there was anything wrong with that. I learned there was something wrong with my country life when the town girls in school made fun of me for it. Obviously, now I look back and know better. There was nothing wrong with living on our farm. I wish, almost daily, that I still lived on a small farm with barn cats and even chickens, which I've been afraid of since I was attacked by a rooster when I was three.
I didn't know there was anything wrong with being the child of divorced parents until my closest friend's mother made it know that my mother was bad for being divorced. I didn't realize that I wasn't good enough to be her friend because of it. I love that she remained my friend anyway, even though I always felt the judgment in her mother's eyes. Once, again, I now know that there was nothing wrong with me because of my parents' martial status.
I worked at a retreat during the summers when I was in college. People of all ages came there usually for a week at a time. A friend I worked with told me some of the teenage girls thought I was conceited because I didn't look at them when I passed them; I didn't interact with them. I remember laughing because that was the farthest thing from the truth. I didn't interact with them because they seemed so cool, so popular, and I felt inferior to them. I rarely saw any value in me.
When I was young I used to say, "I'm cute! I'm sweet! And everybody loves me!" Deep inside I knew it wasn't true but I wanted to believe it. Not everybody loved me, some didn't even like me. Some didn't like me because my family had less than theirs. Some didn't like me because of my parents. One girl in college didn't like because I thought her boyfriend was cute, but I thought that before she even came to my college. I also never did anything besides think he was cute. I remember being shocked that she even disliked me so much over a thought. I was definitely not the only girl who thought so. Some people didn't like me, and I didn't even know why. I still don't.
We all have character flaws that we aren't aware of. I always wonder how it's possible that we don't know what it is, but they are so obvious to others. I know many of my character faults, but often wonder what is it I don't know about myself that turns people off to me. I ask God about it from time to time. That He reveals it to me and helps me work on it so I no longer have it.
Right now I am experiencing one of these time when something about me makes someone else not like me. A time when I don't understand why someone wants to be nice to my face, but then behind my back is trying to get rid of me. In the past, I would just cower and let the person walk all over me. This time I believe that God wants me to stand up against this. If I am at fault then that would be one thing, but I've never done anything but my job and let others do theirs. Some day I know I will look back and see the value in this, how God will use this time to help others. How do I know, because in many of the above mentioned situations in my life I have been able to help students who go through the same or similar situations. I marvel at how He uses even our deepest hurts to help us and others.
I didn't know there was anything wrong with being the child of divorced parents until my closest friend's mother made it know that my mother was bad for being divorced. I didn't realize that I wasn't good enough to be her friend because of it. I love that she remained my friend anyway, even though I always felt the judgment in her mother's eyes. Once, again, I now know that there was nothing wrong with me because of my parents' martial status.
I worked at a retreat during the summers when I was in college. People of all ages came there usually for a week at a time. A friend I worked with told me some of the teenage girls thought I was conceited because I didn't look at them when I passed them; I didn't interact with them. I remember laughing because that was the farthest thing from the truth. I didn't interact with them because they seemed so cool, so popular, and I felt inferior to them. I rarely saw any value in me.
When I was young I used to say, "I'm cute! I'm sweet! And everybody loves me!" Deep inside I knew it wasn't true but I wanted to believe it. Not everybody loved me, some didn't even like me. Some didn't like me because my family had less than theirs. Some didn't like me because of my parents. One girl in college didn't like because I thought her boyfriend was cute, but I thought that before she even came to my college. I also never did anything besides think he was cute. I remember being shocked that she even disliked me so much over a thought. I was definitely not the only girl who thought so. Some people didn't like me, and I didn't even know why. I still don't.
We all have character flaws that we aren't aware of. I always wonder how it's possible that we don't know what it is, but they are so obvious to others. I know many of my character faults, but often wonder what is it I don't know about myself that turns people off to me. I ask God about it from time to time. That He reveals it to me and helps me work on it so I no longer have it.
Right now I am experiencing one of these time when something about me makes someone else not like me. A time when I don't understand why someone wants to be nice to my face, but then behind my back is trying to get rid of me. In the past, I would just cower and let the person walk all over me. This time I believe that God wants me to stand up against this. If I am at fault then that would be one thing, but I've never done anything but my job and let others do theirs. Some day I know I will look back and see the value in this, how God will use this time to help others. How do I know, because in many of the above mentioned situations in my life I have been able to help students who go through the same or similar situations. I marvel at how He uses even our deepest hurts to help us and others.
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