The Way

Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life.

John 14:6

Today, I was honored to speak at Nan Kingsley’s funeral. Nan’s testimony is alive in my heart. She lived a life of faith and courage. As I walked to the graveside and prepared to share a few words with the family and friends who gathered, I reflected on the words of David. His perspective as a shepherd is comforting. The words of the sheep spoken to the shepherd provide assurance. As my footsteps took me between the graves of those who have gone home before me, I meditated on David’s words, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear because You are with me. The presence of the Good Shepherd is irreplaceable. When Jesus was preparing for his own death, He affirmed the deep truth contained within the Psalm. Jesus said, “I am the way”.  Jesus is the way “through”. No matter the depth of the valley. No matter the magnitude of the challenge. Our way “through” is Jesus. Even in death, Jesus is the way through to our eternal home with Him.

Seeing people as people

He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." Mark 8:24

It's a strange statement from a blind man that Jesus is healing. At first, the healing seems incomplete. The man opens his eyes and sees people walking around like trees. A moment later, Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes and his sight was fully restored. The man saw everything clearly. It seems to me that sometimes we live out this story in reverse. We begin to see people as people. Slowly, we lose our vision. We lose our ability to see people as real people. A strange scar tissue develops over our vision: the scars of experience, hurt and disappointment. Only God's grace can wash over the lens. Perhaps we develop a certain cynical view of people. In one way or another, we cease to see with the vision that God gives. Early in his life, God helped Bonhoeffer to develop vision that would allow him to see what was taking place as Hitler's influence grew.

Every day I am getting to know people, at any rate their circumstances, and sometimes one is able to see through their stories into themselves..here I meet people as they are, far from the masquerade of the "Christian world"...people who feel homeless in both senses, and who begin to thaw when one speaks to them with kindness - real people.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Listening to God

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel who had appeared to him twice.

1 Kings 11:9

Leonard Sweet asks a great question in his book, “Summoned to Lead”. Sweet asks,

“What do you hear when you listen? Your calling came from God, but now others are calling. How can you lead if you can’t hear?”

Well, Solomon, how do you respond to Sweet’s question? We may never become the “king” of a “kingdom”, but we face the same challenge as Solomon. God has called us. God has summoned us to lead others in their relationship with Christ. Yet, we hear many other voices that call to us. Although discernment is vital, our challenge moves well beyond our ability to recognize the voice of God. We must be willing to listen to God above all others. Solomon lost the battle on this front. He began to value the voices of his wives above the voice of God. Although God had spoken directly to Solomon, the voice of God began to fade amidst the other voices in his life. Certainly, none of us has as many wives as Solomon had. But, I am confident that we receive many more messages on a daily basis than he did. I pray that the message of God rises above all other messages in your life today.

Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.
1 Kings 11:2

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. So, we might as well be prepared for all kinds of messages about “love”. Here’s a reminder from the life of King Solomon. Solomon is remembered for several things. Some things are good; some not so good. Just to keep it simple, think of the 3 “W’s”: Wisdom, Wealth and Wives. When the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, Solomon asked God to give him “an understanding heart to judge” (1 Kings 3:9). God granted Solomon’s request and we remember him as a man of wisdom. At one point during his reign as king, Solomon’s annual income was 25 tons of gold aside from what came from “traveling merchants and income from traders and the kings of Arabia and from the governors of the country” (1 Kings 10:14-15). Safe to say, Solomon was wealthy. Sadly, Solomon is also remembered for his seven hundred wives. That brings me to my consideration of 1 Kings 11:2. Solomon held fast to “them”, seven hundred wives. Not only did Solomon turn his heart toward many wives, he turned his heart toward their gods. He held fast to his wives and let go of his devotion to God. It’s a good lesson. Love moves us to act. Whether good or bad, we move toward the objects of our love. It’s good to take inventory of the things we “love” and determine whether or not our devotion to God is shifting or growing stronger.  

Preparation

If you're nervous it means you're unprepared.

Eli Manning

The Super Bowl winning QB said a mouth full didn't he? Few of us will ever have the opportunity to play on a stage as large as the Super Bowl, but his words caught my eye. Just like Eli, I prepare for Sunday every week. He throws passes. I throw words. Sometimes people ask me about how I prepare, so here's a look at some other differences and similarities between Eli and me.

1. Unlike Eli, I love practice as much if not more so than the game - no , I don't stand in front of a mirror and go through my message. I am referring to my time studying the Bible and listening to God. That is something I cherish.

2. I have to know defensive schemes. Eli can call an audible at the line and adjust. A part of my prep is to recognize that people have many defensive mechanisms that oppose the transformation that comes from hearing, receiving and applying the Message of God's Word. Eli has an offensive line. I depend on prayer and the Holy Spirit to prepare the way.

3. Eli studies film. So do I. I watch and learn from gifted speakers. And I watch video of myself to learn from my mistakes and laugh at my frequent bloopers.

4. Eli is quick to give thanks to his teammates. My sermons do not stand alone. I am blessed with a great ministry team. We share a passionate desire to communicate God's love on Sunday.

Kindness

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan." (2 Samuel 9:7 TNIV)

These are the words that David spoke to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son. David was the king. Mephibosheth was the grandson of the previous king. During this time, it was common for the family of a previous ruler to be treated treacherously by the next ruler. That explains why David spoke the words, "Don't be afraid". Mephibosheth did not expect kindness from King David. In fact, he had reason to fear. These three words appear quite frequently in the Bible. Most of the time, “don’t be afraid” was spoken by God or a messenger for God. This opens our eyes to a significant description of David. He was described as “a man after God's own heart”. On this particular occasion, David’s actions reflected the heart of God. This week we will have multiple opportunities to extend the kindness of God toward people who may or may not expect to receive kindness. In fact, their lives may be filled with fear. Kindness can begin to dispel their fears and open the door for the love of Christ to enter in.

1 Samuel 16:17-18

So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.” One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”

1 Samuel 16 provides a magnificent picture of leadership development. The life of David is amazing. Often, in the business world we speak in terms of “transferable skills”. It is the ability to apply a set of skills learned in a previous job to a new situation. David’s development extends well beyond transferring skills and adapting to new challenges. The narrative material in 1 Samuel coupled with the Psalms that are attributed to David allow us to see his faith and trust in God develop. David exercised his faith and he used his skills to glorify God. Consider the last phrase, “The LORD was with David”. This week, God will give each of us opportunities to exercise our faith and apply the lessons we have learned through our life experiences. Certainly, we will face new challenges. But, God is never surprised by those challenges. We must cultivate our awareness of His presence in our lives and trust in Him. Wouldn’t it be great for others to take notice of the fact that the LORD is with us?