The Bread of Life

"You are my God; Early will I seek You..." (Psalm 63:1)

There's something about getting up early, at the crack of dawn, watching the sun come up. The house is quiet. The coffee is brewing. The hope and anticipation of a new day stirs the senses. Something causes me to lean forward and listen in the stillness. Draws me closer. Beckons me. Draws me in.

Closer to God. 

Having made their mass exodus out of Egypt, the nation of Israel wandered through the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. From Heaven, God provided their daily food—small, round, wafers of bread—as sweet as honey—as white as snow. 

They called it Manna.

It was there every morning at first light. Theirs for the taking. Free of cost. All they had to do was pick it up and eat it.

The only caveat—to pick it up early while it was still cool out. 

As the sun grew hot, the Manna began to melt and rot. It could not be gathered up in baskets and stored up for a week. They had to gather and eat the fresh Manna early, daily, in the first light of morning.

The Word of God—manna from Heaven for the follower of Christ—is like that. 

The Word is never so sweet as it is when gathered and tasted early, in the light of the dawn.When the mind is fresh, thoughts uncluttered from the cares and worries that will come with the heat of day, one can best ingest and meditate on the timeless truths of God's Word—manna from Heaven.

John; the Apostle of Love, recorded these breathtaking words from Jesus:

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

What Jesus was saying to an angry mob of religious people, furious that He would take away their precious written code of Law given them by Moses, He is also saying to us today: 

Only He can quench your thirsty spirit. Only He can fill your hungry soul.

The intellectual act of reading the Bible in of itself can never satisfy your hunger, thirst and longing—if you miss life-giving, intimate, spiritual, communion with Jesus in the process. Reading the word of God will be of no benefit to you, unless your hearts' desire is to meet with the God of the Word. Religion is dead without an intimate, personal Relationship with Jesus Christ.

Marriage—the Bride and the Groom—is a picture of Christ and His Church.

Imagine, if, you read a book about your spouse once a day, but never have any actual conversation, laughter, experiences, joy, or intimacy with  them?

What kind of a marriage would that be?

A cold, dull, lifeless one, for sure.

So what makes us think that Jesus is satisfied with that kind of dull, lifeless marriage relationship with us?

He's not. 

Are you?

Just as physical, spiritual, and relational intimacy between a husband and wife is a two-way street—you only get out of it what you put into it—so too, is our relationship with Christ.  

God says, "Draw near to Me—and (then) I will draw near to you."  (James 4:8)

Jesus wants a relationship with us where we freely and willingly choose to draw near to Him—to seek Him out in the first cool light of the morning—to cry out to Him when we feel alone and in need of His touch. 

He wants us to choose spending time with Him over the empty pursuits of life in this fallen world. And yes for me, that means to choose to spend time with Him more than my love for fly fishing. 

For some, it means to choose spending time with Him over watching football. For others, that means choosing Him over addictions to food, over entertainment, over shopping, over cars, over clothes, over money, over position in life, over career, over family, over children—even over spouse—if those things or people come between us and Him.

David wrote in Psalm 63, "You are my God—and I will seek You early." He gave personal priority and preeminence to his God—over everything, and over everyone else.

Is Jesus truly the Lord over your entire life? 

Do you, do I, show Him our daily devotion by giving Him the priority and preeminence over everything, and over everyone?

A friend of mine used to say about Christ's Lordship in our hearts: 

"He's either Lord of all, or not at all." 

This morning, I have to stare into the mirror of that reality and ask myself some tough, soul-searching questions about the state of my relationship with Christ.

Perhaps it's a good time for you to do the same.

As Jesus, the God of Love, says to me this morning, and everyday, so too, does He say to you:

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

And once again, something causes me to lean forward and listen in the stillness. Draws me closer. Beckons me. 
     —Draws me in...

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.

The Last 39 Miles

"My soul longs for You, like a parched land." (Psalm 143:6)

In my job I do a lot of driving. Up to 5,000 miles per month. For some, they may drive much more than that and not think anything of it. But for me, that's a LOT of driving.

My bi-weekly route takes me to the eastern part of the state, and my furthest client is over 400 miles from my home. The drive is through desert and farmlands. But in the blistering heat of August, it's mostly through parched desert.

The countryside gets more arid as I return west, towards a small desert town which includes an Air Force base. On much of that route, there is not even any sagebrush, but only six inch high parched grasses, rocks, the occasional antelope, a few rattlesnakes and red tailed hawk. From that small desert town, it's not too much further to get home.

After a long, arduous, three day journey, vision blurred, back aching, weary of avoiding crazed drivers and kamikaze semi trucks, who all seem to be trying to win some imaginary Baja 500 desert race, all I want to do is get home. 

To arrive alive.

I often stop at this last desert outpost for a cold drink, and a few gallons of gas if I need it, wishing there was an alternate road to get back home. A road less traveled, where there are no semi trucks, no speeding idiots out of control, no roadside crosses reminding me of the craziness and hazards of driving on this interstate. 

But this is the only way to get back to my final destination—to my home. These last few miles seem like they take forever. This crazy interstate seems like it will never end. I'm so tired. I just want to get home. Just a few more miles.

The last 39 miles.

Life is like that for me. 

I think for anyone in their 50's, and older, life in this crazy, fallen world has beaten us up. It wears you down. Makes you weary. The losses and disappointments of this life have left scars on our hearts, and in our souls. 

Oh sure, everyone younger than 50 has also experienced searing loss, disappointment and painful rejection in this life. I'm not in any way trying to minimize your very real pain and suffering. 

But I've discovered after my 53 years, that life gets harder on a person after living 50+ years. The body breaks down, for sure. But the weight of sin, the ugliness and the consequences of sin, and the downward spiral of this wicked world, have worn me down, discouraged my spirit at times and crushed my heart on a daily basis.

But most of all, it's the weariness of soul—from the waiting and longing for my eternal Home and my Eternal Father who waits for me there—that causes my parched soul to ache and thirst, until at last, I see Him face-to-face.

I long for Home.

Today I can totally relate with David as he, with pen in hand, etched out the cry of his heart and soul in Psalm 143, fearful and weary of fleeing from, and being hated and pursued by his enemies, longing for the refreshing of his soul that can only be filled by His Lord:

"My soul longs for You, like a parched land."

Does that resonate with your parched soul today?

The Psalms are perhaps one of the greatest gifts in all of Scripture to all followers of Christ down through the ages. For, even though the road is long, and the journey takes us through a dry and thirsty land, like the psalmist David, we too, have Jesus—The Great Shepherd—to Whom we can cry out, to refresh our parched souls.

Jesus said: (Revelation 21:6)

"It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life."

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.

"All who are thirsty... all who are weak... come to the fountain... dip your heart in the stream of life. Let the pain and the sorrow... be washed away... in the waves of His mercy... as deep cries out to deep. 

And we sing...  

Come, Lord Jesus, come..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKu_JjRtvAE

Chosen and Sent

"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God." - (2 Corinthians 5:20)

What is an ambassador?

"To be a senior, that is, (by implication) act as a representative (figuratively preacher): - be an ambassador."

An ambassador is one who is sent to represent, or re-present the sender. And similar to the photo above, in ancient times, an ambassador was always sent with a signet ring, with the sender's seal on it. That seal carried with it, the authority of the sender.

I've had some great discussions with friends recently where, they as a Christian, have been feeling like they should be "doing more." They are faithfully working hard at their jobs, supporting their families, being a good dad as best they can.

But like so many followers of Christ today, we ask Him, "Should I be doing more?" 

More for the Kingdom?

I recently encouraged a close friend who is struggling with these questions with the following proclamation: "We are not servants in the House—we are sons—sons of God." We don't have to jump through a bunch of religious hoops to be pleasing to our Father. He loves us as sons. 

But as His sons, God also sends us as His ambassadors.

We are sent to represent, or re-present our Sender.

And we are sealed with His 'signet' or seal—the seal of the Holy Spirit. We have been given God's authority to go and re-present Him to a lost and dying world—desperately in need of salvation—in need of the love, hope, peace and  freedom of soul and spirit that only Christ can offer them.

As Gods' ambassadors, often times we feel like being a husband, father, employee at our job, or even a parking lot attendant at the church is not 'doing enough' for the advancement of the Kingdom. We desire to be, we feel like we should be, doing more.

However, if we acknowledge God's sovereignty, we will realize that He has already placed us where He wants us.

The question we need to ask ourselves is, am I content with where He has me right now?

But along with that, we must determine if we are fulfilling the role of an ambassador where He has placed us.

We think of a "calling" as going off to Africa to be a missionary, or planting a church somewhere south of the border. But to think of our calling as just being a dad, or a husband, or working at the job God gave us. That doesn't seem to us like it's our calling.

But it is.

Paul wrote in his letter to his son in the faith, Timothy, that God, 

"Has saved us and called with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began." (2 Timothy 1:9).

When you're saved you're called—wherever God has you at that time.

Now, that doesn't mean God won't send you somewhere else. But that is only according to His timing and His will. The Bible says that if you are faithful over the few things that God has given you to be a good steward over, then He will give you more. Again, only according to His will and timing.

I've learned the hard way that when you try to 'make something happen' for God, that it only causes problems and you make a mess of things. God does not need you to make things happen for Him.  He needs you to be thankful and content with where He has you right now, and then to be still and listen for what He would have you do, moment by moment, and then just be obedient to that direction He gives you.

It's really pretty simple.

The hard part is staying patient and content and not trying to get ahead of God.

Just be still and know that He is God.

The body of Christ—the sum total of all followers of Christ across the world—is like a beautiful tapestry, made up of individual threads—covering the entire planet. We're not a bunch of loose yarns. 

God can't use a bunch of Lone Rangers, off doing their own thing.

God has you right where He wants you.

You may work on a construction site all day.  That's where God has called you. You may lie sick in a hospital bed. That's where God has called you. You may be unemployed and unable to work due to a medical limitation. That's where God has called you. You may drive long haul trucks across the country. That's where God has called you. You may be a mom who takes care of your children and your household. That's where God has called you. You may work in a hospital emergency room 24 hours a day. That's where God has called you.

God can use you wherever you are if you'll let Him.

Your co-workers on the job site already are, or will go through many difficult trials as you get to know them. Will you make yourself available to love them, listen to them and encourage them? Your neighbors across the street who don't know Christ need someone who will be a friend to them and love them through the loss of a family member. Will you put aside your feelings of being uncomfortable talking to someone you really don't know and extend the love and grace of God to them in their hour of need?

You are an ambassador of Christ.

Will you let God use you to re-present Him to those in need?

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Down But Not Out

"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Have you had one of those days when you just felt pounded and weary? Like you were the fighter on the mat, down for the count, and you just don't feel like you can get up again? Join the club.

The fighter pictured above appears to be all but done. The referee looks like he is ready to begin the final count. As always, I like to include a photo with each blog post, and this photo is rich in symbolism. 

The fighter down on the mat represents you and me. Pounded by our enemy, down on the mat, weary, wondering if we can get up again.

The referee represents the unbelieving world, ready to count us out, laughing us to scorn, mocking our faith.

The boxer standing over us represents our enemy, confident that he has won, daring us to get up again.

But is this the end of the story?

Not by a long shot.

Look again at the passage above from 2 Corinthians.

"Persecuted but not forsaken, struck down—but not destroyed."

Like so many of God's people, you may be at the point where you feel like throwing in the towel. You feel like you're just not winning this battle. "It's too hard." "I can't do this." "I'm not making it."... you lament.

However, what the world does not know, is that we have a Champion in our corner, fighting on our behalf. And the battle is already won.

We are the victors.

In Sunday School the pictures of Jesus portray Him as the gentle Lamb, meek and lowly. But the Lord who is fighting for us is also called The Lion of The Tribe of Judah. 

Read what the Prophet Isaiah wrote about Jesus—the gentle Lamb of God, (Isaiah 42:13):

"The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies."

As followers of Christ, we have the Book. We know the end of the story. Like actors in a play, we know the end of the script.

And we win.

During all the many times when you are down on the mat, unable to get up, cry out to your Champion—The Captain of your Salvation; the Victor: Jesus Christ. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.

The world has no idea who He really is. They think of Jesus as just a person of folklore, a good teacher, and maybe even a prophet if they believe in Him at all.  "He was a good man" they may say.

Here is what the Prophet Isaiah wrote of the babe born in a manger (Isaiah 9:6):

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

The baby boy born in a Bethlehem manger is The Mighty God. He is The Everlasting Father.

He is the Captain of our Salvation. 

And He alone is the One who will pick you up off the mat and dust you off, strengthening you, refreshing you, enabling you for another day's battle—which He will fight for you. 

"Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's." (Isaiah 17:47)

When two and a half million Israelite's were backed up against the Red Sea—nowhere to run—Pharaoh's chariots bearing down—certain death awaiting them; Moses, a man whose faith was in God, proclaimed:

"Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever." (Exodus 14:13)

How many times do we try to run in the face of trouble? Or try to fight our enemy in our own strength?

I love what Moses says: "Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord which HE will accomplish for you."

The battle is the Lord's...not ours. He will fight the enemy. And He will eventually remove them from our sight forever.

So, until the Lion of the Tribe of Judah returns for us, do not be afraid. Stand still, cry out to the Captain of your Salvation, and see the Salvation of the Lord.

Stay close to Jesus and trust in Him fellow believer. 

     —The victory is already won!

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.