What To Do With Your Pain:

Matthew 9:21
"She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."

I was reading this passage in Matthew 9 last night, and was struck by the faith of this woman.  I never thought about her condition before, but in other passages of scripture it describes her as a woman with a bleeding disorder, who had been bleeding for years upon years.  This was not a small thing.  I don't know why but I never before realized the struggle that this must have been for her.

I can only imagine the debilitation of such a disorder in the time where modern medicine and medical conveniences didn't exist.  Just getting out of her house must have been a feat, much less taking the time to find and follow this man who claimed to be able to heal and forgive.

She believed that she would find comfort in the presence of Jesus, and she did whatever it took to get close to Him.  It may have cost her embarrassment, humiliation, and shame- but she sought after it as though it were her final hope.  And ultimately, it was. 

That's faith. 

Faith that was recognized by Jesus. 

I can't say that I understand the struggles and difficulties that come with severe and chronic illness, but I do understand pain.  I may not have experienced physical pain like so many have, but I have definitely experienced emotional pain, relational pain, and sometimes even spiritual pain.

I was struck by the faith of this woman...because I know what it feels like to be in pain and need a healer.  But it's easy to want healing...and a whole other thing to seek it out.

I am challenged by her diligence, and her drive to find Jesus, to follow Him, and to touch Him.  I want that for my life.  You see, I believe He has the power to heal, to cleanse, to fill...but I fail to seek Him, to follow Him, and to touch Him in my life.

I want that kind of faith.  A faith that doesn't just believe...but one that acts on my beliefs.  

Maybe you too are dealing with some sort of pain in your life, in need of a healing touch.  Maybe your strength is gone, your body is weak, and your mind is confused.  Maybe you believe in a God who can heal, comfort, and transform...and take that pain.

Be diligent to find Him, to follow Him, and to touch Him.  Make time for Him in your day and invite Him into your pain.  Let your beliefs bring you close to the God who heals...and allow yourself to be made new in His presence. 

 

Those Are Some Very Nice Ashes:

Isaiah 61:3
To give them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, praise in place of discouragement... 

I found myself getting discouraged last week.  It was one of those weeks in which I felt overwhelmed by the suffering and sorrow around me.  Not sure if you know this, but people are hurting in some really serious ways.  Friends, family, and clients.  It was just one of those days.  I had just finished listening to stories of brokenness, pain, and sadness only to be ushered into more. 


Sometimes it seems as though all this life has to offer is pain.  The truth is, I almost gave into that discouragement. 

And then I saw God at work. 


I met a young man recently who is climbing out of some serious pain...into something beautiful.  I see God at work in His life, and I am watching Him take this pile of ashes- and turn them into something incredible. 

I witnessed an artist a few months ago, take some dirty ashes on a plain piece of paper- and within just a few moments, out of the ashes I could see the most incredible picture.  She painted the most beautiful painting I had ever seen.


I'm reminded of this painting as I witness the life of this young man.  I'm reminded of a God who takes the most horrific and twisted pile of ashes we have to offer- put them into his nail pierced hands, and begin to work.  It takes paint to create something nice, but it takes ashes to create something incredibly beautiful.  The real beauty lies in the artist's ability to create something out of nothing. 

It's true.  He can do that.  And he does it every day.  I need to remember that as I look into the pain of the people around me, and as I look into the sorrows from my own life.  For every person caught in a pit of ashes, there is the hope for something beautiful. 

Will you allow Him to begin his masterpiece?

Why Everyone Thinks Christians Are Crazy:

2 Peter 2:1-3
¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 

I was flipping through the TV channels this morning and came across a show titled "Religious Program" in the TV Guide.  I decided to take a look.  Unfortunately, what I came across was far from religious.  


A Reverend (he has the nerve to call himself that), by the name of Peter Popoff was selling his "Miracle Spring Water" , claiming that this water would help you wipe away your debts by the "supernatural power of God".


I couldn't believe my eyes.  Here is a man, absolutely abusing his authority and misusing the name of God for spiritual gain.  I don't know about you, but in my opinion, this is a clear example of why many people think Christians are totally crazy.

Let me clarify by saying- this is not true Christianity. 

The word Christianity when pulled apart means Christ-likeness.  Those who know anything about Christ know that he was the furthest thing from a lying, stealing, fire-breathing evangelist out to make an extra buck.  In fact, Jesus Christ was nothing short of pure love.  He came as an advocate for the weak and the poor.  He came to heal the sick and mend the broken-hearted.  He came to love unto the point of death...and even then, to love more.

I find myself angry.  Less angry with Petter Popoff (although he did tick me off) and more angry with the Christian subculture at large.  Though you and I may not be guilty of TV scams, we have not always represented Christ as we should.  We have been greedy, arrogant, and prideful at times.  We have been harsh, judgmental, and straight up mean.  We have represented our SELF, far more than we have represented our Savior.  And though our sins may not be plastered on national TV, they still grieve the heart of God.  It's about time things change.

Christians, we can only do so much in preventing the misrepresentation from others- but we can do incredible things as a body if we will each take a look at ourselves and ask Jesus to give us direction in how we represent his name.  Ask him to open our eyes to the poor, the broken, and the needy.  Ask him for humility, love, and compassion. 

It's not too late, for there is still time for our Lord to save us from ourselves. 



      

Powerful Stuff- Stay Outta The Way: On Transformation

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I've been a Christian for most of my life.  Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for that fact.  But one thing is for certain, having been exposed to Jesus for so many years of my life, it's easy to become numb to the power that actually exists in Him.

For that very reason, I really enjoy spending time with people who haven't been exposed to Christian culture their entire lives.  It's a needed reminder to me of the life changing transformational power that is only in Christ.  I was spending time with a good friend of mine this weekend who has not been saved her whole life.  Hearing her share of God's transformational work in her life was inspiring.  From old to new.  A being that is now totally unrecognizable from that which it was in a matter of years.    


I have another friend who inspires me.  Almost losing his life to years of drugs and alcohol, completely immersed in addictions and depression- God pulled him out of his mire and called him into a new life.  Just like that.  In an instant.  From old to new.  If you met him now you would never believe the life from which he came. 

God's transformational power....sometimes over a period of years....sometimes instantantaneously.  It never get's old to me.   


It's like the people of Ninevah.  So immersed in their sin, but with one calling of the grace and mercy of God they shed their old selves for the new.  That's the miracle working power of our God.  It's so incredible that just witnessing these transformations is enough to make a person believe. 

If nothing else, it's definitely challenged me.  Because I am so apt to forget the incredible power of Christ, I tend to take on more work than belongs to me.  I am referring to the effort that I put into transforming my own life, but more importantly- I am referring to the effort I put into trying to "help" transform the lives of others. 

Let me give you an example.  I brought a friend to church recently.  I was hoping and praying that everything would go well, from the people greeting her at the door, to the music that was sung, to the "perfect sermon" that the pastor chose to preach that morning.  Everything from where we sat to what we said was fueled by the desire for her to come to know Jesus. 

Ultimately, the desire is a good desire.  My heart breaks for her and I long to see her transformed by the powerful work of Jesus.  I long to see her reach the destiny that God has designed for her.  But I get in the habit of forgetting that Christ's power in her life has nothing to do with me...and everything to do with Christ. 

God's spirit is so powerful.  It cannot be manipulated, fabricated, or created outside of anything but Him.  If you find yourself relying more on your work and the work of those around you than Him than something has gone terribly wrong.  Lay it down.  You are carrying a burden that does not belong to you.  And in the end, when left up to Christ the results are 100% miraculous.  They cannot be ignored or denied.  You will witness the beauty of a new creation where beauty may have seemed an impossibility.  The old had gone the new has come.  That is the power of Christ.  So, to anyone who tends to be like me: do us all a favor....stay out of the way. :)

The Gift of Impossibility: Lessons Learned from my Grandma

Proverbs 3:5
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding”

“The condition for a miracle is difficulty, however, the condition for a great miracle is impossibility.”—Angus Buchan


Trust. To be honest, that’s a word I haven’t had much experience with. Let me explain. It’s not that I don’t have people in my life that I can trust. That’s not the case. It’s just that I live in such a way that there is little need for trust. I am self-reliant. I am independent. Many times, I am all that I need. I avoid the impossible and focus on the probable. Trust is not part of the equation because frankly, I don’t allow it to be. It’s safer this way.

But to be honest, I am realizing something new. I am learning that in order for there to be great reward, there must be great risk. I have felt that challenge placed on my heart lately in everything I have read, in my time with God, and in my interactions with others. One specific interaction that has challenged me in this area is my relationship with my grandmother.

I’ve been interviewing my grandmother, trying to capture the story of her life while I still have time. By looking at her sweet, soft, wrinkled face, you would never believe how adventurous her journey has been. She has lived a life filled with risks, never relying on what she knew logically, but always trusting God completely.

One story she told me brought her back to her early months of marriage. Her father had died at a young age, and she was married young as a result of this. But even at the age of 15, she was a woman who understood the meaning of trust- I guess she had to in order to survive.

One day her husband (my grandpa) came home from a week of traveling as an Evangelist in the countryside of Egypt, with not a penny in his pocket and not an ounce of food in the house. Though the week had been fruitful spiritually, it had not been fruitful financially. He came home that evening with no money and no courage to explain.

“Necima”, he said, “Let’s fast and pray this evening.” He could not get himself to tell her that they had absolutely no money for food, and he did the only thing he knew how to do- cry out to God.

Without one question, without one complaint, without one doubt- she did what she did best- she trusted. She trusted her husband, but primarily, she trusted God. They fasted and prayed together that entire evening and through part of the night. They trusted God because they had to. They trusted God because there was no other option. They trusted God because their very lives depended on it.

An early knock on the door brought the mail delivery man with a single envelope. When my grandpa opened the envelope, there lay a pile of cash- with no name, or note to trace it back to the giver. God had proven Himself faithful. He could be trusted.

My grandpa ran to tell my grandma the news and the reality of their financial situation before the envelope arrived. God had defied logic and he had defied their “own understanding”. With great risk came great reward.

That’s the beauty of our God. He challenges us to trust him. He challenges us to put our faith in Him when it makes absolutely no sense. He challenges us to rejoice in the soil of impossibility, for it becomes fertile ground for the miraculous to take place. Fertile ground for trust to sprout. Fertile ground to draw closer to our God in ways we never imaged.

Lord, may you challenge us to walk boldly on the road of impossibility. May you increase our trust in You and decrease our trust in ourselves every single step of the way.