"After the Fall" Series - I'm Not Mad at You

The events, falling over 100 feet at 120 mph from the face of a cliff, on July 21, 2002 took a big emotional toll on Craig and Steve.  Both have relived the fall in their minds countless times.  Steve still chokes up when admitting that the accident has been “trying on a bunch of different levels.”  He has had to deal with his own feelings of guilt, as well as the pain of watching a good friend suffer.  But instead of blaming Steve, Craig credits him for saving his life.

Now, place yourself in Craig’s situation.  Do you think you’d harbor any anger or resentment at your climbing partner?  After all, you trusted him to belay you, but he let you fall.  If he had just kept the rope attached, or made sure he heard what you said, you wouldn’t be lying here in this hospital bed scared of what the future has in store for you.

But you see, that’s how Satan would have you think.  That’s how our society would have you think because Satan is ruler of this world.

How many times have you heard in the media this question, “This person really hurt you so how do you feel about him/her?  What do you want to see happen to him/her?”  And if the interviewee doesn’t respond with the anger and revenge desired, the media questions his motives and tries with other forms of questions to get him to express some form of hate and revenge.

Satan wants nothing more than for you and me to focus on all the pain, the grief, and the struggles.  He points a finger to the one who has caused all this heartache for you and your family.  He wants this person to be in the spotlight – like a close-up shot on a video camera.  He wants you to become angry.  He wants you to blame this person for all your struggles.  He wants you to believe that anger and revenge will bring contentment and peace to your soul.

But that’s totally wrong.  If you want a soul that has peace, that is completely satisfied, then don’t blame someone else for all your problems.

So what about Steve?  What must it have been like for Steve to hear from his buddy that the fall was an accident and that his buddy was not mad at him?  After all, Steve had extreme guilt for the pain he had caused his friend.

Let’s be real, unless our hearts are as cold as ice, we would feel the same way.  We would have a hard time, an extremely difficult time, forgiving ourselves.  We’d always be wondering how we could ever make this wrong – right again.

So what impact do you think Craig’s forgiving attitude has had on Steve?  On Steve’s relationship with other people?  On Steve’s relationship with God?  I really believe that if Craig doesn’t forgive Steve, the guilt would eat away at Steve until he could no longer function as a respectable, descent human being. Steve still is emotionally attached to the event – the tears and choked up voice we saw in his testimony.  There’s no question:  the guilt would wear him out physically, and he would never find peace of heart and mind.  This catastrophe would haunt him the rest of his life.

But that’s the beauty of forgiveness.  It not only released Craig from anger and hatred that would have kept him from mental, physical, and spiritual healing.  It also released Steve from the pain and torment that goes along with the guilt of hurting someone else – the guilt that comes when you and I sin toward God.

So always keep in mind that:  Forgiveness brings healing to both parties involved.

King David shares a testimony with us in Psalm 32.  It took him a while, but he realized what failing to acknowledge and confess sins in his life were doing to him.  Allow me to paraphrase verses 3 through 5.

·        Verse 3 - When I held onto my sin (which we can only guess what it was) my body began wasting away because of the burden and guilt of my unconfessed sin.

·        Verse 4 - Day and night, God kept reminding me of my sin and it began to wear me down to the point of exhaustion.

·        Verse 5 - Finally, when I acknowledged my sin before God and tried to hide it no longer, He forgave the guilt of my sin.

Many say God’s word isn’t relevant today so therefore we can’t use it as an absolute in telling us how to live. I wish they would read it. They’d find out differently. It matches so closely with our society that you would think it was written for today.

Listen to what Christ said about an unmerciful servant in the Gospel of Matthew.  He said, there was a servant whom was brought before the King to settle his account.  He owed the king millions of dollars.  The servant didn’t have this kind of money so the king declared he would take the servant’s wife, children, and possessions and sell them to repay the debt.  (I know some of you men right now might be thinking that sounds pretty good, but STOP!  You’re going to miss the point.)  The servant fell to his knees begging and pleading that the king would give him more time to pay off the debt.  The king took pity on the servant and cancelled all of his debt.  (Man wouldn’t that be nice if our Mortgage Companies forgave us our loans?)

But here’s the point Christ want us to see.  The same servant left the King’s throne and went head hunting.  He found his buddy who owed him a few dollars.  He grabbed his buddy by the throat and began choking him, demanding that he pay back the few bucks.  His buddy finally frees himself from the choke hold and falls to the floor gasping for air.  When he finally gets his composure, he begs the servant to give him more time to pay off the debt.

Well, what did the servant do at this point?  Was it:  A)  Did he remember what the king had generously done for him and likewise do the same for his buddy?  Or B)  Did he continue in his fit of rage and have his buddy thrown into prison until the debt could be paid?  If you answered B, you are correct and the prize is:  the satisfaction of knowing your Bible.

But the story doesn’t end here.   There were some tattletales, other servants, who went and told the king all they had seen.  The king was distressed by the news and called the servant back to his throne.  The king scolded the servant, reminding him of all his debt that had been canceled because of his begging and pleading.   He asked the servant, “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your buddy just as I had on you?”  

The king didn’t wait for an answer.  He quickly had the servant thrown into prison where he would be tortured until he could pay back the millions of dollars he owed (which in reality meant never and scripturally meant the judgment of hell).

Christ concludes the story with these words, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”  (Matthew 18:35)

He also tells us these words in Matthew 6:14-15, right after he taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer:  “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Those aren’t my words.  Those are Christ’s.  And I think He knows something about God that a lot of people don’t want to admit or accept – God will not accept us failing to forgive the person who hurts us, even in the most criminal way.

God says to you and me in my words, “I put up with your misfortunes and sins against me all the time.  I grant you grace and mercy constantly.  I forgive you.  But, I will not accept you failing to do the same for those who sin against you.  I want you to show the same grace and mercy to others as I have shown to you.”

Wow!  Those are tough words, but they’re the truth as given to us in the Bible.

So if Craig does what Satan would want him to do – to blame Steve and never forgive him – Craig will not find peace, his own sins won’t be forgiven, and his body probably won’t heal because of all the resentment he would be harboring for Steve.  His focus would be on Steve and not on what he would need to do to help his body heal.

But if we go back to David's testimony in Psalm 32, we see what happens when sin is no longer covered up and hidden from God.  (Yea, be real - like we can ever hide our sin from God!) 

Listen to David’s joy that resounds in his words because he has been released from this burden of guilt that surrounded him while he tried to hold onto his sin.

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.   Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him, and in whose spirit is no deceit."  (Psalm 32:1-2)

Forgiveness is not solely for the benefit of the other person, though it sure did help Steve to know that Craig had forgiven him.  Instead, forgiveness also benefits you and me.  Forgiveness brings about healing.  Forgiveness releases us from the guilt of our mistakes.  Forgiveness brings us peace of heart, mind, and soul, and allows us to function as God intended.  

And the best thing about forgiveness is that it gives back to us the life we want.

"After the Fall" Series - I'm Scared

The first hours and days after Craig’s accident were filled with uncertainty.  His doctors didn’t know whether he would live, or what his condition would be if he did.  Craig’s family, friends, and coworkers felt helpless.  All they could do was pray – and they did so nonstop.  When Craig regained consciousness and could scribble brief messages on a tablet, some of his first words were “I’m scared.”  And I wonder, who wouldn’t be if you were Craig?

So how have you felt when you have faced a crisis?  What was your initial reaction?  Were you scared?  Did you stay positive and think the best?  Or, did you assume the worst would happen?

In the midst of the turmoil, how easy or difficult was it for you to place the situation completely in God’s hands?  Did you try to stay in control?  Did you hang on to worry and fear?  Or, did you take comfort in the fact that God was in charge? 

Did you tend to pray more – or pray more fervently – when confronted by the frightening situation?  Or, was it just too difficult to talk to God because of your anguish with Him?

I heard this quote on the radio some time ago.  Can’t remember who said it, but it was this:  “The same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay.”

Some of us have been through our share of crises.  Others of us have them to look forward to.  No matter who we are, we are guaranteed we are going to face them.  

So what did the speaker mean by this quote?  Well, sometimes crises and frightening circumstances soften people’s hearts toward God – they are drawn closer to Him.  They cry out to Him during this time of fear and uncertainty asking Him to forgive their mistakes and to help them to get through the trial they are facing.  On the other hand, sometimes crises and frightening circumstances can harden people’s hearts toward God – they are pushed farther away.  They yell out in anguish – something like, “If you’re a God of love, how could you let my child die?  Why didn’t you heal her?  I cried out to you to make my baby well and you ignored my cry!  How could you do that?  She’s so young and had such a promising future, but you snuffed out her life before she ever had a chance.  As far as I’m concerned, I don’t need you!”

So where should we stand when facing crisis and frightful circumstances?  Or maybe a better way to ask it is, where should we be heading? 

If we’re throwing our hands toward heaven and asking, “Why me Lord?  What have I ever done?” we will find that these are valid feelings – feelings we’ve seen expressed throughout the Bible by Saints of the Bible.  But beware, if we hold onto them they will take us far from where God wants us to be.  This attitude cripples us.  It keeps us from having peace.  It keeps us from knowing joy.  It denies us from having understanding.

We need to keep in mind that God didn’t create the messes we face in this life.  This is tough to hear, but humankind did.  In the beginning, God made everything good.  But the problem is, we disobeyed God in the beginning and this disobedience is now part of our nature.  This sin, which is passed from generation to generation, has brought about the tears, the pain, the misery, the hard work, the disease, and the death that we face in our lifetimes.

But you know what?  The beautiful thing about God in the midst of this mess is that He’s now here to pick up the pieces of our broken lives and put us back together.

Remember this nursery rhyme?  Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.  Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.  All the king’s horses and all the king’s men - couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again!  But you know what?  God could!  And that’s what He is doing in this fallen world for you and me, if only we’ll allow Him.

Fear is going to come.  It’s an emotion God created within us.  It’s not a bad emotion because it can save our lives.  Think about it, what if you were hiking and ran into a black bear with her cubs?  What would you do - go pet the cubs, or turn and walk away slowly?  Fear says, “Get out of Dodge,” and that’s exactly what you better do if you don’t want to get mauled.  

Fear is what keeps me from getting too close to the edge of a high cliff.  Fear  is what keeps me from committing crimes because the documentaries “Scared Straight” did their job on me as teenager.

You get the idea.  Fear will keep you alive and out of harm’s way.

But fear coupled with worry is not good, and is what we need to fight against.  God knows that fear coupled with worry will stop us dead in our tracks, keeping us from achieving what God wants us to be.  Fear and worry together is a deadly potion – it’s just like the deer in the headlights.

Psalm 27:1 reminds us that we should not worry when facing a crisis.  It’s been turned into a song.  It goes like this:  The Lord is my light and my salvation.  The Lord is the strength of my life.  So I will not be afraid.  No I will not be afraid.  Because, the Lord is my light, the Lord is my light, the Lord is my light.

Is there any need to worry?  No, God will direct us (light), will watch over us (salvation), and will be our source of strength.

Now let's look at Philippians 4:6-7.  

Verse 6 says – "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  

The persons who are throwing their hands to heaven, who are telling God they want nothing to do with Him and His Son, are hardened.  This is one passage they don’t want to have quoted to them when they are in the midst of a trial.  But for the believer – the follower of Christ – the one drawing closer to God – this is sweet to the ears.  Why? It’s because verse 7 tells us the consequence of our attitude and action if we choose to follow through on what we learned in the previous verse.  

Verse 7 says – "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  

Guard against what?  Worry.   Guard against whom?  Satan.  The verse tells you, you’ll have an inner tranquility, a peace that will overcome you and keep you from anxiety and worry, which many times lead to depression.  It also tells you that Jesus will keep Satan from attacking your emotions (your heart) and from attacking your mind with bad thoughts.

When both verses are combined together we see their relevance; we see their power.  Together they tell us that if we choose to refuse to be anxious about anything, but rather present our concerns and petitions with a thankful heart to God, we will have the peace of God, beyond understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  

So the Big Idea we can take from this scripture is:  Peace is yours for the taking in the midst of crisis.

Caroline and I would like to say we are there – that there’s nothing that will trip us.  We feel we’re getting there through much experience, and we've found out we much prefer using God as our source of strength rather than using ourselves and others in the midst of crisis.

By far, the most trying crisis in our lives was the birth of our daughter in 2003.  And if you don't know, she was born with Down Syndrome and a heart defect.  Yet through it all – the hospital stays, the surgery, her future with a disability – we have been able to place it in God’s hands.

When people would call to encourage our spirit, they would tell us how we encouraged theirs.  People could sense and feel the peace we had in our hearts.  This peace protected us from the fear, worry, and anxiety that Satan would have used against us in this trial.  This peace allowed us to focus on and minister to others who were coming into the hospital waiting room or the Ronald McDonald House who were facing similar crises with their babies and children.  Our strength was in Jesus and therefore Satan had no stronghold – he left us alone.

Catastrophe, crisis, trial, and tribulation are inevitable in our lifetimes.  There’s no escape because we’re part of a broken world.  Science says through evolution that things are to get better.  But, when you live in the real world, you know better.  There’s just too much pain and suffering that you experience yourself, and you’re always hearing and seeing that things really aren’t getting better, but worse.

The wonderful news is that God is here for you – He’s here to pick up the broken pieces.  But the only way He can is if we allow Him to transform our thinking about crisis.

So do you want peace, a peace that God is with you and will see you through the crisis you now face and will certainly face in the future?  If you do, then ask for it and believe.  It’s then that life can throw anything your way and your faith will persevere to the end.        

"After the Fall" Series - A Big Mistake

Ever said one thing and had it totally misinterpreted?  A time where you said something jokingly, but it was taken seriously, and actually became a real source of tension in the relationship?   I think we’ve all had some experience with our actions and our words being misinterpreted. 

And what usually happens when we think we are saying one thing, but it’s misinterpreted by the one listening to it?  What happens when God tries to tell us something important and we fail to hear it?  The answer is problems; sometimes pretty serious problems.

Steve and Craig were best friends - climbing buddies.  And there are several layers of protection built into rock climbing and its equipment.    In fact, Craig’s friend Bill said the sport is “completely safe…..unless there’s a miscommunication.”  And that’s exactly what happened with Craig and Steve.  Each thought he was the one who was going to be belayed – secured by the rope.   As Craig said, “We made some small mistakes that added up to one big one.”

So let's look at communication.  And what we need to take from today’s message is the answer to this question:  What can we do to make sure there is no breakdown in communication with God and others?

Well, not many of us are rock climbers so let’s make this thing called communication real to us.

What happens when men communicate their love for their wives using her love language?  It’s like this:    A Kansas cyclone hit a farm house just before dawn one morning.  It lifted the roof off, picked up the beds on which the farmer and his wife slept, and set them down gently in the next county.  The wife began to cry.  “Don’t be scared Mary,” her husband said.  “We’re not hurt.”  Mary continued to cry.  “I’m not scared,” she responded between sobs.  “I’m happy ‘cause this is the first time in 14 years we’ve been out together.”

Gentlemen, let’s not let a cyclone, or any other natural phenomena, do our job for us.  Let’s take her out on a date.  We will know when we’ve communicated love to our wives.  She’ll be happy, maybe even have tears in her eyes.

What happens when a husband only tries to communicate his feelings for his wife using only words?  It’s like this:  Husband says, “Dear, I love you terribly.”  Wife responds, “You certainly do.” Again men, terribly is probably not a good word us to use to describe our emotional feelings for our wives, especially when we have not shown her in any other ways.

Or, what happens when a wife calls upon her husband to fix a problem she has created?  It’s like this:  Wife: “Honey, I can’t get the car started.  I think it’s flooded.”   Husband:  “Where is it?”  Wife:  “In the swimming pool.”   Husband:  “It’s flooded.”

Ladies, men like to fix problems.  It’s how God made us and it’s what makes us feel important.   But don’t wait until the problem is too large before you tell us you need help.  When it’s in the pool, it’s too late.

What about Parent-Child relationships?  What happens when a father tries to communicate to his son he needs to get a job?   Father says, “Why don’t you get yourself a job?” Son replies, “Why?” Father responds,“So you could earn some money.”  Son again says,  “Why?” Father says,  “So you could put some money in a bank account and earn interest.”  Son says, “Why?”  Now the father in anguish says, “So that when you’re old enough you can use the money in YOUR bank account……and you would never have to work again.”  And the Son says, “No problem.  I’m not working now.”

Can’t you hear what the son is thinking during this conversation? “Dad, why should I get a job and earn some money?  I already have a bank account through you, a roof over my head, a bed for my body, food to eat, and a car with a full tank of gas to drive."

The lesson to be learned here for parents is, if we want our children to do something, we’ve got to tell them.  A hidden message behind a question doesn’t always work, especially when they see right through it.

Or, what about a mother who tries to instill in her eldest son the concept of sharing with his younger brother?  “Darling,” scolded the mother, “you shouldn’t always keep everything for yourself.  I have told you before that you should let your brother play with your toys half of the time.”  “I’ve been doing it,” said her son, “I take the sled going downhill and he takes it going up.”

Oh my!  That speaks for itself.

So how important is communication in our lives if we want to have peace; if we want our loved ones to know they are loved; if we want to have a job done right; if we want to hear the voice of God telling us how to live?

I would say, Communication is critical.

If we want to have peace with others, we need to communicate openly and honestly.  People need to know our intent in what we are saying.  Otherwise, what we say may be misinterpreted, thus causing a riff. 

Let’s be real, if we want a marriage to last and remain strong, we need to communicate our love often in words and action.  Wives need to understand what communicates love to their husbands.  Your husband will let you know if you ask him.  And husbands, the same is true of you.  Work together in finding ways to communicate your love to one another.

If we want our children to do what we ask them to do, we need to communicate clearly what we want them to do – just saying, “clean your room” doesn’t mean it will be cleaned the way you-want-it-done.

If we want to hear the voice of God, we need to be still and listen; for communication is a two-way street and listening is just as important as doing the talking.

I know at some point you and I have messed up what we were were trying to communicate, whether to a loved one, a boss, a child, or anyone in general?  And it isn’t a pleasant feeling when we have had to go back and try to make right what we improperly communicated.  Yet, God understands the mistakes we make in communicating.  Sometimes it is our fault for the miscommunication.  Other times it is the fault of the one not listening intently to what we’ve communicated.   In either case, God asks that we give our best in trying to share what needs to be shared.  He asks that we start today in trying to communicate as He has communicated with us.

In Luke 18:31-34 we see Jesus speaking again to the twelve apostles about his death.   Here we see the apostles literally go off for some quiet time with Jesus.  They hear Jesus’ words, but they don’t understand what He is trying to communicate to them.  You and I think, “How can He be any clearer?  He told them He’d be handed over to the Gentiles (anyone not a Jew), who will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him, and will kill Him.  Then after that, He will rise again in three days.”

So why don’t they understand what He is saying to them?  They don’t understand because they were not really listening.  They tuned Him out.  They probably thought His words were ludicrous because no one can kill the Messiah – let alone touch Him.  He is almighty.  He is God’s son.  How can anyone harm the one God has sent to save His people?  How can anyone harm the one who has healed the blind and the lame, who has raised the dead back to life, who has performed all kinds of miracles?  He’s invincible.  In today’s terms, He’s Superman.

But you see, if they were listening, they would have heard Him say, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.”  That should have been their clue that God had already spoken these words.  Now would be the time for them to be fulfilled.

Yet, we can find ourselves in the same boat as the apostles.  We tend to take away from a conversation the parts we want to hear.  But as James 1:19 tells us, we need to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”  This is sound advice.  If we’re quick to speak before we think about what we will say, the Bible says our lives will be a mess (Proverbs 13: 3).  But that same verse says that we will be considered wise and our lives will be peaceful – fulfilling - if we will guard what we say.  And the best way to guard against something you will regret saying later is to listen intently to what others are saying to you through their words and their body language.

As a follower of Christ, I should be doing everything I can do to make sure breakdown in communication does not occur on my part.  I don’t have any control over the other party’s actions, but I do have control over mine.  I should be the one guarding what I am saying; the one listening intently to what others are saying to me; the one asking for clarification if I’m not sure I understand what the other person is saying.

Communication is critical in our relationship with others and especially with God.  If our communication lines are open to what God is telling us, He will direct us to communicate wisely with the people in our lives.

Remember Craig said, “We made some small mistakes that added up to a big one.”  Well, it would be a Big Mistake for you and me not to keep our communication lines open to God so that He can mold us into the person He wants us to be.  For you see, if God can’t transform us into the person He wants us to be, then we might as well figure we’re going to continue to struggle to communicate with others.  Let’s allow God to transform our thinking, our heart, our being.  Then, and only then, we will be able to clearly communicate what God desires us to communicate.

"After the Fall" Series - That's Incredible

Ever had a time in your life where you couldn’t explain what just happened?  A time where it seemed like someone was on your side?  Did you make comments like, “Wow?   That was luck” or, “What a coincidence!” to describe what just happened?  But, do you really believe in luck or coincidence?  Do you really think things just happen by chance?

Now, there are some in this world that truly believe that the only reason the universe exists today is because of a “Big Explosion.”  This explosion, called the “Big Bang Theory,” happened to cause all life as we know it to come into existence.

So we’re going to do a little experiment to test this theory.  Now, what is the chance, the probability, that when I put Lego blocks in a bag and shake them that all the pieces will come together to form a car?  Well, let’s see.  Nothing.  Maybe I was too specific.  Maybe I just need to shake it and see what the universe decides it wants the outcome to be.  Let’s try again.  Still nothing.   Maybe I’m not shaking hard enough; after all it was a “Big Bang” that was needed to make the universe come together.

I guess you were right.  The chance was zero.  I just thought I could make it happen if I just had a perfect scenario – if I picked all the correct variables to use at the right time.  That’s why I have such a hard time understanding how some can believe that life just happened by chance – that it was a coincidence – that it was just plain luck that all of us are here today.

Well, Craig DeMartino didn’t think, and neither did his friends and family, that his survival from a 100 foot fall from the face of a cliff at approximately 120 mph out in the middle of nowhere was luck or coincidence.

The questions we need to ask in respect to Craig's story are these:

What would have happened if Steve, his climbing partner, hadn’t stayed calm?  What would have happened if Steve hadn’t brought his cell phone that day, which he normally didn’t do?   What would have happened if Steve couldn’t get service on his cell phone to dial 911?  What would have happened if there weren’t 3 park rangers working in the meadow below the cliff that day?   What would have happened if Craig hadn’t landed vertically on his feet?  What would have happened if a tree was not in the line of his fall to help reduce the force of his fall?  What would have happened if the two doctors at the hospital the day of his accident were not specialized surgeons?  What would have happened if they had not assisted in this case?

What if?  What if?  What if?  And if we truly want to answer these questions, we could probably say that Craig would be severely disabled or worse yet, dead.

So do you think that miracles, I mean the extraordinary ones, only happened in the Old Testament with events like: 
·         God parting the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross on dry ground to escape from the Egyptians (Exodus 14:21-31),

·         like:  God keeping Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from burning in a fiery furnace (Daniel 3:19-30),
·         like:  God shutting the mouths of the lions so that Daniel would not be harmed (Daniel 6: 15-24),
·         like:  God allowing the widow’s oil and flour jars to never run dry during a time of drought (1 Kings 17:7-24),
·         or like:  God sending a large fish to swallow Jonah and vomit him onto the shore of Nineveh so that the Ninevites might be saved (Jonah 1:17-2:10

 Do you think that miracles, I mean the big ones, only happened in the New Testament with events like:
·         Jesus feeding the four thousand men with only seven loaves of bread and a few fish (Mark 8: 1-13),
·         like:  Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding banquet (John 2:1-11),
·         like:  Jesus healing the blind, the lame, and the sick (throughout Gospels)
·         or like:  Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-12:19)?

So do you think miracles, the extraordinary ones, the big ones, only happened in the Bible?  I don’t think so.  I don’t think so.

Allan Holland tells his story.

Several years ago I had a stroke that left me paralyzed on my right side.  Back home on our farm I learned how to walk again, how to write, even how to drive our tractor.  I could control its throttle with my left hand, the brakes with my good foot, and turn the steering wheel with one arm.

And then one day something went awry.  While mowing the grass, I hit a concrete block.  The left wheel jumped, and I was knocked out of the driver’s seat, my right foot caught between the brake pedals and my body dangling over the side.  On and on the tractor went, my head bouncing six inches above the mower’s whirling blades.

“Mike, Mike,” I screamed for my son.  The tractor was heading for a barbed wire fence.  I’d either be crushed under the tires, or the wires would rip right through me.  But suddenly the motor stopped.  The wheels and blade stopped moving.  My paralyzed leg relaxed and I fell gently to the ground.

I lay there stunned.  Why had the tractor stopped?  It was in gear, the gas was locked in full throttle, and the tank was full.  My son and mother came to help me into the house.  “What stalled the engine?” I stammered.  They dressed my wounds, and my neighbors came to see if I was all right.  “I’m fine,” I replied, “but what stopped the tractor?”

Someone said it might have been the grass, someone else suggested a faulty ignition wire.  “Go look for yourself,” I said.  There was no grass clogging the mower blade.  And as far as the ignition, they could see for themselves.

I was saved fourteen years ago; when the tractor started up on the first try, I knew He was still my Savior…..and now my literal Savior.

Craig’s story is a modern day miracle.  Allan’s story is also.  Both stories go beyond what science and mathematics would define as natural.  To put it simply, both stories are supernatural, both are incredible and unexplainable.  Both stories clearly remind us that God is actively involved in His creation.

God has used miracles throughout time to show His power and His compassion.  God has used miracles to get people’s attention with the intent that they would change their lives.  God has used miracles to help encourage and strengthen other people’s faith.

But even though miracles have always existed, and still do, some people will still refuse to believe in them and in the one who performs them.  Even in Jesus’ day, with all the miraculous things He did, people still didn’t believe; many claimed His power was not from God, but rather from the devil.

So, our Big Idea is:   God still performs miracles.

Why did He perform miracles then and why does He still perform them today?  He does them so that the world can see and believe in Him.

Now, God won’t perform a miracle every time we want a miracle.  I mean I prayed for my daughter’s Down Syndrome to go away and that her heart defect not need to be repaired via surgery.  Well, her Down Syndrome is still prevalent and it took the gifted hand of a pediatric heart surgeon to give her the repair she needed to thrive.   But, even though my prayer was not answered through the supernatural power of God, God still has given us a high functioning daughter whose heart was repaired so well, that no doctor can hear any murmurs.  I guess the miracle sometimes comes in how you look at your circumstances.

But as I said, God won’t perform a miracle every time we want a miracle.  Sometimes He heals a disease and other times He doesn’t.  Sometimes He spares a life from catastrophe and other times He doesn’t.  

Why?  Why won’t God answer every prayer with a miracle?  I know the answer is as simple as this:  God won’t perform miracles all the time because then people wouldn’t love Him for who He is, but rather would love Him for what He could do for them.  And God wants people to accept Him not for what He can do, but for what He has already done – providing a way for the forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of His Son.

But I hope you don’t believe miracles are for the past.  I hope you don’t believe that a miracle can never happen for you.  I hope you believe that we as a church will always pray with the expectation of a miracle.  I hope though if you want to see God for who He is – if you want to see miracles, you must believe.  You fail to believe; chances are you won’t see a miracle.

So don’t underestimate the power of God to do a miracle in your life or in the life of someone you know.  You just never know when God will use you to tell a story That’s Incredible – a story of how He has miraculously worked in your life.

Jesus Refuses - Part 3

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed 2 of the 3 big ideas from Matthew 12 on Things Jesus Refuses To Do.  And what we’ve noticed is that the things He refuses to do are actually for our benefit.  We’ve noticed that Jesus is not in the business of making our life hell, but rather is in the business of picking us up from the hell we experience here on earth.  We’ve come to understand from Matthew 12 that Jesus refuses to be impatient with sinners and that He declines to dampen the spirits of those who are exhausted.  And thank God for these attributes because it gives a greater picture of a Jesus who loves us and wants to do what is best for us – a God who cares for His creation even though His creation has turned its back on Him.

As I have said before, Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship, and healthy relationships allow for uniqueness, mistakes, and faults.  And even though Jesus refuses to be impatient with us and declines to dampen our spirits, He also asks for our obedience. 

But most people don’t have a problem with Jesus’ patience with sin.  They love this characteristic.  It’s very encouraging.  What they have a problem with is Jesus’ command to obey, which means I must change from my sinful ways.  Yet, even though obedience requires a sacrifice of my will, it is to me the most encouraging word with regards to my future. 

If I choose to obey Jesus, the more I become like Him and need not fear of the day when Jesus does come again to judge for sin.    Obedience results in favor – God’s favor.  And who doesn’t want that?

If we look closer at Matthew 12:  14-21, we see a third point about Jesus:  Jesus declines to enter where He’s not invited.

What Matthew wanted to show the readers of his Gospel is that a prophecy given in the book of Isaiah (verses 18 – 21), written some 700 years prior to Jesus, matched exactly this Jesus he and others were proclaiming to be the Messiah.

After all, how many times did Jesus say, “Don’t tell who I am and what I’ve done”? How many times did Jesus walk away from the conflict the religious leaders of Israel were trying to create?     How many times did Jesus reach out to the weak and unfavorable?  How many times did Jesus have to be arrested, tried and beaten, and crucified?   How has the world been impacted by this man named Jesus?

If we look closely at this Old Testament quotation, the longest in Matthew’s Gospel, we see the broad answer to these questions.  It summarizes the quiet ministry of the Lord’s servant, who will bring justice and hope to the nations.  It shows a Jesus that doesn’t want to argue and fight with people to get them to believe.  It shows a Jesus whose His ministry exuded of confidence because He understood who He was.  And it shows us that He wants people today to understand that He is not an intruder.

Jesus says in Matthew 7: 8, “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

And in Revelation 3: 20, Jesus says, “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Notice in both these passages that Jesus is not forcing His will on us.   He is not forcing us to knock on His door. 

Matthew 7: 8 shows a Jesus who so wants to be in our hearts that He will never deny anyone who asks to come into His presence – He will open the door for those who knock at His door.

Nor, is He making us open the door when He knocks and speaks.

Revelation 3: 20 shows a Jesus who so wants to be in our hearts, that He’s knocking, but will only come in by our invitation –  He will only come in when we open the door.

So how can it get any better for mankind?  I mean, we have a Jesus who is patient with us despite our sin, a Jesus who is there to encourage us and pick us up in the midst of our problems,  and a Jesus who does not force His way on anyone.

I mean, we have a Jesus who can be Savior if only we invite Him to come in as our Savior and to change our lives.

And today is the day to say “yes”.  You’ll never regret it.  In fact, I’ve never heard any say they regret the day they allowed Jesus to enter their lives.  But, I’ve heard many say they regretted they had not done it sooner.