Here I Am

Sometimes when I have extra time in my day I will peruse YouTube and watch funny videos. I ran across one by Mr. Bean called “Mr. Bean Goes to Church”, maybe you’ve seen it, if not, look it up, it’s worth the watch. In this video Mr. Bean is very inattentive at church. His mind is obviously wandering causing him to loose his place in the hymnal, eat a piece of candy and fall asleep. This is an exaggeration of course but it is also a good example of spiritual fatigue.  There is a story in the book of Acts about a young man who was sitting on a window ledge listening to the Apostle Paul preaching. It was well into the night and the young man started to fall asleep. To everyone's horror he fell out of the window and down three flights. (Acts 20:7-12) They thought of course that he was dead but Paul stretched his body out over the boy and he regained consciousness. Was this young man just overly tired or was he experiencing spiritual fatigue?  In this story about Paul’s sermon, th...

“God don’t make no junk” is a popular phrase that has often been used in our society. It was made famous by the African American singer and actress Ethel Waters who penned it in her memoir His Eye is on the Sparrow.  I often read other people’s blogs and find that a great number of people have self-esteem issues and feelings of undesirable self worth. They are facing difficult emotional problems and when reading these posts I find myself saying, “God don’t make no junk”. We are all made in the image of God. What does that mean? It means that we are all specifically crafted to project God’s character. In Genesis 1:27 it states “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them..” We have the characteristics of God and he is not about junk and neither are we.  Because we are like God we are considered very valuable to him. Psalm 139:13-14 says,”For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fea...

I was reading in the Bible today about the Woman at the Well, a story found in John 4:1-42. In this story Jesus was traveling through Samaria, he traveled far and was thirsty. He stopped at a well and found a woman drawing water, he asked her for a drink.  The woman did not understand why Jesus was talking to her because she was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew; Samaritans and Jews did not associate with one another. It is also surprising to Jesus’ disciples that he was talking to a woman. Jewish men did not talk publicly to unknown women, especially a Samaritan woman. It is also strange that the woman was drawing water at noon, the hottest part of the day. Most women went to draw water when it was cooler. All of these clues added up to this woman being an outcast, someone others did not want to associate with. She went to the well when others weren’t there, she knows she is undesirable.  Jesus learned that this woman was a great sinner, for she was married five times and the m...

I was reading the Bible and was struck by the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. When Jesus was thirty years old, the Holy Spirit led him into the desert to be tempted by the devil for 40 days. (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13) When we think of Satan it is common for us first to think of him in the form of a man, maybe wearing a red suit with horns on his head. We all know of course that this is not how the evil one looks but he can take on many forms. In Genesis three he is most famously found in the form of a snake. In the New Testament he is shown several times in the demons that Jesus exorcised. Also in the New Testament Satan confronts Jesus through Judas. In the story of Jesus’ temptation scripture doesn’t say what form Satan takes but I imagine him in human form or as a fallen angel. So with his ability to take on any form we can imagine him alive and well in today’s society. Jesus was tempted by Satan at the beginning of his ministry to prove that Jesus was sin...

My husband just called, my father-in-law just died. What do I say, what do I do? I have never been good with death. All I know is that my father-in-law is with God. I know that to be true. Death is just a transition, going from one form of existence to the other.  Jesus died on the cross so that we may be together with him in heaven. There is a beautiful description of physical death in the book of Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things will pass away”. In the book of John when Jesus’ friend Lazarus dies, Jesus says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live”. (John 11:25) Jesus tells her about the resurrection of the dead and that she will see Lazarus again. Thus it will be with us, our earthly bodies will die but our spiritual bodies will be born. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 26, “for all die in Adam, so all will be ma...

In the book of Joshua, God commissions him to lead the Israelites into the promised land after Moses’ death. In chapter one, and throughout the book of Joshua, God repeatedly tells him to be “strong and courageous”. In fact, “be strong and courageous” is repeated many times in the Bible, not only to Joshua but to others.  When God commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites he repeats “be strong and courageous” three times in chapter one. Why does God repeat these words so many times? Does he feel Joshua may not be up to what God is asking? Does he think Joshua will back out on him? Does he feel Joshua is weak in spirit?  Joshua had big shoes to fill, that was certain. What if he could not live up to being the kind of leader that Moses was? Can you imagine working with someone your whole life and then being asked to be in charge after he left his position? The amount of pressure would be intense; it could bring fear and uncertainty.    In Joshua’s calling, does God cal...

My daughter is a pet sitter. For a fee she will come to your home and take care of your pet while you are away. When most people think about a pet sitter they think about a cat or dog but my daughter will sit for any animal, this week she is sitting for a bearded dragon.  Bearded dragons are not my favorite animal in the world and I have to be honest in saying that I probably wouldn’t take care of it. Like any other pet they need to be fed daily and taken out of their cage for exercise. They need love and affection and a light to keep them warm. They also need a hiding spot in their cage so they can feel secure when stressed.  Bearded dragons may be disgusting creatures to me but they really have some of the same needs that we have. God cares for us much the same way my daughter cares for the bearded dragon. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.  Bearded dragons of course need to be fed. Unli...

I was reading chapter one in the book of Jeremiah and read about his call to ministry. God spoke to Jeremiah and told him he wanted him to be one of his prophets. Jeremiah was reluctant and made an excuse as to why he couldn’t fulfill this role. “..truly I do not know how to speak for I am only a boy”. Jeremiah was telling God, thanks but no thanks. He didn’t think people would listen to him because he was too young but God told him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you…” In the book of Exodus, God called Moses. God told Moses that he wanted him to deliver his people out of Egypt, but Moses, like Jeremiah, told God he could not do it. Moses was being stubborn. God told Moses that his brother Aaron would speak for him and Moses obeyed. God repeatedly pursued Moses until he no longer found an excuse not to lead his people.  Both Moses and Jeremiah had their doubts about being able to pursue God’s wishes for them. God however gave his promise that he would be with them and he ...

Ever have one of those days when you just feel emotional for no reason? If you are a woman, you know what I’m talking about. When I was going through menopause I experienced mood swings, sadness and anxiety on almost a daily basis.  I was reading about the death of Lazarus in the Bible and started thinking about the emotionality of Jesus. Mary and Martha had notified Jesus that their brother Lazarus was ill. Jesus and the disciples went to Judea but were delayed four days. By the time they got to Bethany, Lazarus had died. John 11:33 says “..he was greatly distressed in spirit and deeply moved.” John 11:35 says “Jesus wept”. These verses show just how deeply disturbed Jesus was, he showed great emotion. Jesus’ emotions are not always visible to us in the Bible, but here, his emotions are clearly felt.  Jesus also shows great anguish when praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 says, “In his anguish he prayed more earnestly and his sweat became like great drops of blood...

Koinonia is an ancient Greek word that means fellowship. Fellowship is an integral part of church membership, it transforms believers into a solid supportive community. Today I went out to lunch with a group of ladies from my church. Some I have known for years, others I had just met. I had a great time talking about our everyday lives and our church affiliations. After lunch I started thinking about fellowship, is it really a necessary part of our Christian lives? The answer is yes!  I have a brother-in-law who believes that church is wherever you make it. He does not believe in participating in an active church. He stays at home, reads his Bible on Sunday and watches pastors on TV. That to him is church, but I have to believe that something is missing.   Koinonia is vital to church members, it builds community, provides encouragement and models what Christ would do. Jesus enjoyed Koinonia, he ate with tax collectors and sinners often. I can’t help but wonder what they talked...

​One of my favorite classic TV shows is “Leave it to Beaver”. This show displays a common theme throughout the show. Wally and/or the Beav cause some sort of trouble then here come Ward and June. They review what Wally and the Beav have done, come up with a solution and they forgive them. This show always ends on a happy note and Wally and the Beav are free to begin their next adventure. While watching the show today I thought about how this show mirrors how God treats us in our lives. We get into trouble, God lets us know he doesn’t like our actions, he tells us he loves us and he forgives us over and over again.  When thinking about getting into trouble, I can’t help but think about 1st and 2nd Kings. In these books the kings are doing wicked things, usually worshipping false idols. In 2nd Kings 17:17 it says, “They made their sons and their daughters pass through fire; they used divination and augury; and they sold themselves to do evil…”   This to me is the epitome of all ...

​I am currently reading from the book of Ezra and the story of God’s people rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra 1:1 through 6:22.  In this story, King Cyrus of Persia declares that the temple of the Lord was going to be rebuilt. God’s people heard this call and went to work. While building, God’s people were finding that not only was the physical temple being restored but their spiritual temple inside of them as well. Rebuilding the temple has many significant meanings to the lives of God’s people in Biblical times as well as in our lives today.  Working on the temple in Biblical times gave the people something to believe in. Today, more than ever, we need to have the same thing; some bit of hope to hang on to. If you’ve fallen away from God, you can easily reestablish your relationship with him by confessing your sins or committing to a prayer life. Nothing life altering, just a few stolen moments each day chatting with our Lord; just talk to him like you would a friend....

Recently I went to church and the sermon was on Jesus’ first miracle, changing water into wine. At that moment I thought, “I’ve heard this story a thousand times, what more can I learn?” Then as I was half heartedly listening a light bulb went off in my head.   In the Bible story (John 2:1-13) Jesus, his disciples and his mother, Mary, went to a wedding in Cana. There they were having a good time, or I expect they were, when Jesus’ mother said to Jesus, “The wedding hosts have run out of wine”. Jesus declares to his mother “What concern is that to you and me?” (John 2:4)  Jesus decides to help out anyway and instructs the servants to fill six jars full of water. They did so and served it to the chief steward who couldn’t understand why the hosts had saved the best wine for last. Usually the best wine was served first and the lesser wine was served last after the guests were drunk. At this moment our pastor explained that the wine Jesus supplied was symbolic of Jesus filling th...