Reflections

Praying til Pentecost Day 27

"Do you love me more than these?" John 21:15

The death, and burial of Jesus initiated a crisis of faith for His followers. His death on the cross and placement in the tomb intimidated them and blinded them to the rebirth of their vision that only His resurrection could provide.

Crisis has been described as a dangerous opportunity. The Chinese combine the character for danger and the character for opportunity to form the word crisis. Life is filled with crisis. One of the least comforting contemporary proverbs of our day is, "We are either leaving a crisis, heading into a crisis or in the middle of a crisis." Not much hope out there these days.

Today I turn 60 years of age. That definitely registers pretty high on the old crisis meter. I can remember thinking that 60 years of age was ancient. I have a much clearer and generous perspective on that milestone today!

When I was 24 years old, I returned from two years of service in East Africa, and enrolled at seminary in Fort Worth. I made an appointment with the pastor of Sagamore Hill Baptist Church, and drove to the East Side and knocked on the door of the yellow, wood paneled parsonage on Hampshire. The man who answered the door was Dr. W. Fred Swank, pastor of Sagamore for 4o plus years. He was white-haired, pot bellied, wrinkled and sixty-six years old. I was stunned. I remember thinking, "So this is my future!?" Little did I know that 16 years later my family and I would move into that same parsonage, but that is another story.

Like I said, I have a totally different perspective on sixty today! I don't FEEL old. I may be in denial, but I find myself youthful in the one thing that matters most, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." I only seem to feel my age when I lose my confidence in the simple truth of that children's song.

I admit, I wince a little bit when I compare my passport photo of 1972 with my current picture. I feel like I am looking at an image of the son I never had. It is a little creepy to think that physical age can sneak up on you and transform your appearance, even while you are looking in a mirror every day. How does that happen?

Still, when I got up this morning, I did not FEEL sixty. I did not FEEL old. I felt fine. The crisis came when I tried to live like I was 22 years of age. I dusted off my road bike this week, and started out on a ride on a beautiful morning. The air was cool, and the sky was blue, and very little wind. It was a great day for a ride. What I ran into was a wall of reality. When I was 22 years of age, I rode my bike quite a bit. I even took part in a 60 mile race called Bear Downs my senior year at Baylor. I was young, fit, and a seasoned rider on the hills around Waco. I found out this week that Runaway Bay, Texas is home to the foothills of Mt. Everest. I was working my way back home after a brief, but leg burning ride when I looked up and saw my house on a far and steep hill. I had never noticed the incline when I was driving my car. I pulled into my driveway huffing and puffing, and could not dismount the bike without laying it down on the ground. At that moment, I did not FEEL sixty, I felt much older. The slow, steady climb up the hill revealed more about my birthday than I really wanted to know.

Crisis of faith may not be a crash at the crossroads of doubt and belief. It may be a fatigue that comes from a steady push up the hill. It is the little things that can cause us to stumble, or choke, like the rock in our shoe or the bone in our throat. They have a way of adding up over the years.

Prayer provides us the means to maintain constant fellowship or consistent companionship with the presence of the Risen Christ. Lack of personal time with Him has a way for cooling the flame of intimacy, and one day we wake up and realize that there has been a slow erosion of the love for the One who matters most.

When the disciples saw Jesus take His last breath on the cross, they thought that they had lost their capacity to have conversation with Him. When they heard He was alive again, they rejected the truth they heard. When He came to them in person, they ignored His command. They had great difficulty looking into the future because they were overwhelmed with the fact that things would never be the same again. What they could not see was the way the Risen Christ was trying to correct their vision, and prepare their hearts to believe the best was yet to come.

As I approach the home stretch in my years on earth, I find myself facing the same question Jesus asked of Simon, Son of John, "Do you love Me?" It is not enough to be faithful to the call of the Master. There must be a First Love relationship with Him. My body may not show it, but I find great renewal each day when I come to Jesus with a child like faith and trust to place the day into His hands. The mirror does not reflect the confidence of a child, but the image of the man. Still, I think I gain strength and comfort when I reflect over the past sixty years, and realize I have come this far by faith, and I will meet this crisis the same way. Happy Birthday to me!

Breakfast

Praying til Pentecost Day 26

"Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." John 21:10

"Come and have breakfast!" John 21:12

I love the invitation that the Risen Lord gave to His disciples. "Come and have breakfast." After they had been working all night long, Jesus points them to a great catch, and then prepares a warm fire and a fresh meal for His men. Maybe this is the forerunner of all those men's prayer breakfast that I have attended over the years.

Yesterday, I visited with an old friend of mine in Fort Worth. We have been able to stay in touch for over 30 years, but we do not get to see each other very often. He asked me to meet him for a cup of coffee before I headed back to The Bay. He wanted to know if I knew where the I-Hop was on Interstate 30 at East Chase. I told him I thought I could find it. The truth is, I could have driven there in my sleep. For six years, I took my daughters to breakfast two mornngs a week at that same I-HOP from 1992-1998.

Actually, from 1987-2001, I would take one daughter to breakfast on Thursday and the other on Friday. This is one of the smartest moves in parenting I ever made. I went to a lot of really bad "Burgee Keen" and "Mickey D" breakfasts before they discovered the I-HOP difference in 1992! I can't tell you how relieved I was to finally have a decent meal. The truth is, the breakfast time with them was never really about the meal. It was all about me spending time with my little girls and trying to build a personal relationship with them. I would hold the car door for them, and the open the door to the restaurant. I would hold the chair for them at the table, and treat them with every kind of respect that they deserved. I was coaching them on what to expect from a man. I would tell them when they were thumbsucking young to repeat these words if a boy ever tried to take them on a date and did not treat them with the respect they deserved. "TAKE ME HOME!"

A friend of mine had told me that rules without relationship always build rebellion. Early years in my ministry had been spent as a youth pastor, refereeing arguments between clueless parents and rebellious teens. I was determined to be more than a remote rule book to my girls in preparing them for the game of life. It was time well spent, and I do not regret a moment of it.

When we left Fort Worth to move to Georgia, the waitresses met us at our table to say goodbye. One of them said, "We have watched your daughters grow up here." That was the truth. My daughters grew from 12 years to 18 years of age, and 9 years to 15 years of age. They had moved from little girls to young women, and the waitresses had witnessed every stage in their rise to womanhood. That was not all. As I looked around the room in 1998, I could see other dads with their daughters. It had not gone unnoticed that I was having breakfast with my girls every week, and over the years the dads in the area got the message. They began to do the same thing with their girls. Yesterday walking around that IHOP was like stepping on holy ground for me. It was a real blast from the past. Later that evening, I met my daughters for dinner. They are now 30 and 26 years of age and accomplished, successful young women. I bought them dinner, but they took me out shopping and bought me a shirt and a pair of jeans for my birthday. We laughed and talked, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. I can't help but believe that the joy we had last night was connected to the breakfasts we shared all those mornings years ago.

Can you believe the invitation? "Come and have breakfast!" It is just like the Risen Lord to know what His disciples needed before they asked. He already had breakfast cooking before they hauled in and counted their catch.

They were encouraged to bring to the table what they had caught, but Jesus had everything under control. He has never been in need of our contribution to His Kingdom. He always invites us to participate in what He is already doing. His invitation was more about renewing their connection with Him than it was about the meal. Simpy put, the disciples needed to reconnect with Jesus. He offered them physical and spiritual nourishment at the same time. This is what I like to call the perfect comfort food.

I know that every one is not a morning person. I just want to remind people that mornings and evenings are the same to Jesus. There are no dawns and sunsets in heaven. There is only perpetual worship and fellowship at the throne of God. The Risen Lord has taken His seat at the right hand of the Father and He lives to intercede for you and me. There is never a moment of the day or night that He is not available to reconnect with His followers. Breakfast is served all day long at the International House of Prayer. The kitchen is open, and He is prepared to serve what you need the most, a fresh sense of His Presence.

Quote of the Day: "Come and have breakfast." Jesus

Halftime

Praying til Pentecost Day 25

"Children, you do not have any fish do you?" John 21:5

"Half Time" was a book written by Bob Buford. In 1996 it had a signficant impact on my life. After reading it, I wrote letters to approximately 200 friends and mentors. I told them I was reaching a personal milestone of 20 years of marriage, and 25 years of ministry, and as I approached the second half of my life, I wanted to make sure that I still had my ladder securely placed on the right wall. I enclosed a card, and asked them to share with me the three toughest questions they could ask me about...
1. My devotion to God.
2. My relationship to Dana and my two daughters, Ashley (17) and Allyson (13)
3. My call to the ministry

I kept the notes, letter, cards, and computer discs that I received from these men. As I approach the age of 60, I find myself being drawn to read Buford's book again, and a review their wise counsel.

When the disciples finally obeyed the command of Jesus, and returned to Galilee, they went back to what felt comfortable. They went fishing. Fishing on the Sea of Galilee was not a retreat into a hazy fog of relaxation, but it was hard work that required a great deal of sweat equity and long nights of casting and drawing nets before their was any payoff.

At dawn Jesus arrived on the scene. He was on the banks of the lake, and He called out to the disciples. Rather from the glazed eyes that come from sleep deprivation, or the distance of the boat from the shore, they did not recognize Jesus. They had spent the whole night fishing and had nothing to show for their labor.

It was not unusual for a spotter to remain on the shore and guide a boat to the ripples in the water that indicated a school of fish. Some people have speculated that Jesus was chiding the disciples with His remark. It was more likely that He was guiding them to a catch. It may have stung a little when a stranger pointed out the obvious to the weary fishermen, but they listened and obeyed what they heard.

The King James Version translates the words of Jesus in an way that provides a delightful play on words. He said, "Cast your net on the right side of the boat." (John 21:6a) The disciples had no catch to show for their efforts. They had obviously been casting their nets all night on the wrong side of the boat. The obedient response of the disciples resulted in a catch that almost sank the boat. "They were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish." (John 21:6b)

Buford wrote a decade and a half ago about the desire men have for significance in life. The first half of a man's life is spent on fighting for survival to achieve a degree of success. The second half is spent taking success and leveraging it into significance. The key is to know what is most significant in life and to give oneself to it with passion and purpose. There is a hole in a man's heart until he truly finds significance.

Some things never change, but changed men have experienced a change in the price tags of their lives. Peter was a fisherman by trade, but a disciple by heart. He once was motivated and driven by the goal of catching fish. The more fish he caught, then the more significant his life would be. After meeting Jesus, Peter was drawn to Him with a passion and a purpose that he had never known while fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called Peter out of the boat, and commissioned him to become a fisher of men. Peter had a roller coaster reputation. Therefore, on the surface he appeared to be a very unreliable fishing guide for men in need of a new life in Christ. People looked at the white water of Peter's life, and saw shallowness. Jesus looked at the man and saw depth.

When Peter was absent from vital fellowship and intimate communication with His Lord, he went back to his comfort zone, fishing. When Jesus guided him to a successful catch, it no longer had the same grip on him that it had once had. While they were struggling to haul in the greatest catch of their lives, John told Peter, "It is the Lord." (John 21:7) Peter threw on some clothes, and threw himself into the sea and swam one hundred yards to Jesus. He left the catch behind because he was drawn to Jesus. What was once considered a success to him was no substitute for the significance of a restored fellowship with His Lord.

Casting a net on the wrong side of the boat can be compared to climbing a ladder of success all the way to the top and finding out the ladder was leaning on the wrong wall. "Half Time" makes a case for readjusting the last years of our lives with an intensity on what really matters the most. As we enter the 25th day of "Praying til Pentecost" it is half time between the Resurrection of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost. Have you heard a word from God? Have you obeyed what you heard Him say? Are you still casting your net on the wrong side of the boat? Are you focusing too much time on matters of success, but still find yourself drawn to a desire for significance?

Take the next 25 days and invest them in developing intimate communication between you and your Heavenly Father. Jesus calls us to prayer as the means to refocus our attention on what matters most in life. He still asks, "Children, you do not have any fish do you?" Remember, Jesus knows the empty condition of your heart. He is not looking for information from us, but he is waiting for an admission from us. Dropping a tight white knuckled grip on the symbols of success empties our hands and our hearts to receive the most significant gift God can give. The gift of the Holy Spirit magnifies the Person of Jesus Christ and everything else that we once held dear, shrinks in significane to a renewed and continuous fellowship with Him.

Quote of the Day: "One of the most common characteristics of a peson who is nearing the end of the first half is that unquenchable desire to move from success to significance." Bob Buford

Warning Signs

Praying til Pentecost Day 24

"Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:29

Roadside traffic signs are some of the least appreciated message boards in the world. No one takes them seriously. The "YIELD" sign has to have the greatest inferiority complex. Does anyone ever really yield to the traffic that is already on the main artery? Usually the first response of most drivers is to speed up and squeeze in ahead of the opposition as if a checkered flag is just a few feet away.

The various speed limit signs do get not much respect either. Regardless of the number that is posted on them, they are always rounded up or ignored altogether. Unless there is the presence of the resident patrol officer or state police car, the warning sign does not get much notice.

Flashing lights on the dashboard of a car, or bells that ding with warning signals are meant to be aids in caring for a vehicle or to be careful to buckle up for a safe trip. People have been known to put black tape over the lights and disconnect the seat belt bells. They were the same people who inspired the great Madison Avenue campaign for an oil company, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."

The fifty days that separated the disciples from the gift of The Promise of the Holy Spirit were filled with unbelief. The unpardonable sin is the sin of unbelief, and Christ followers should be on the alert for any sign of it creeping back into their lives.

What are some of the signs that should not be ignored?

• Unstable in the face of crisis; talking more, and praying less.
• Nearsighted: determined to live on the basis of "Seeing is believing."
• Bitter: annoyed with God's habit of exposing lack of faith, and a lot of fear in your life.
• Embarrassed by the magnitude of God's promises and the wasteland of your reality.
• Locked in the prison of previous experiences and conventional wisdom.
• Impatient with the pace of events leading up to God's provision and deliverance.
• Exhausted by the effort it takes to make God look good to unbelieving people.
• Fear of consequences resulting from God's failure to get in on your agenda or on your schedule.

Jesus marveled or wondered at the unbelief of the people of His hometown who could trust Him to heal them, but could not find the faith to believe in Him as their Savior. His assessment of the day's work was different from those who had seen him perform miracles in their town. He was of the opinion that He had been unable to do any great work (miracle) there except heal a few people. The last word on the subject says much about what Jesus thought was important. "He wondered at their unbelief." (Mark 6:6)

When Jesus encountered an honest man who cried out, "Help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24) He met him at the point of his need, and helped him through the barrier of unbelief.

Principle: Unbelief is the flashing light on the dashboard of your faith that points out something is not right under the hood of your heart.

Jesus felt very strongly about unbelief in any form, and He especially warned against speaking any blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven. (Matthew 12:31)

In Greek language, "faith" and "believe" are clearly kissing cousins. They have the same root system, and bear a similar fruit. "Believe" is the verb form of the word "faith." To believe is more than an intellectual assent to a list of dogmas, the checking of the box on a membership card, the signing of a church covenant, or the successful completion of a catechism class. Belief is profoundly rooted in a faith. A person becomes a "believer" when they put their trust and confidence in the Person of Jesus Christ as their only hope of forgiveness and hope of salvation. Belief is an event and a process. It is an instantaneous response to the call of Christ on one's life, but it is also developed into much more by constantly placing it into action in obedience to His commands.

The Risen Lord came into the lives of His disoriented and discouraged disciples to deliver the good news of His victory over death, and the promise of the Holy Spirit who would be sent to them when He ascended into heaven. They would have difficulty grasping what He was saying until the Holy Spirit took hold of them. The result was a transformation of weak men into powerful spokesmen for the cause of Christ.

When the warning signs of unbelief are flashing in your face, and distracting you from the signs that God has posted along the way, don't forget to pray, "Jesus take the wheel!"

Quote of the Day: "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you!" John 20:21

Warning Signs of Unbelief

Praying til Pentecost Day 23

"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.' After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, 'Peace be with you.' " John 20:24-26

One of my favorite plaques is one that I saw written in an imitation Hebrew font with the words, "SHALOM, Y'ALL." It puts the unique Texas twang to the common Jewish greeting to give it a contemporary significance. God always has a way of taking the common things in life and making them uncommonly significant. Three times in the twentieth chapter of John, Jesus says, "Peace be with you." He most probably was making this expression in the popular Aramaic language used among the people of His day. It probably was the word shalom. Shalom was a greeting used among the people of Israel in ancient times, and it remains a popular expression among Israelis today.

When it is translated from the Greek word, eirene, it carries an implication of prosperity, blessing, quietness, rest, or simply peace. Shalom, the equivalent expression in Hebrew, could be used as a salutation or a sendoff. Coming or going it was always appropriate to give a word of blessing.

With this greeting, Jesus was trying to calm the storm in the lives of His disciples. He had already sent them two messages to leave Jerusalem and return to Galilee. He had visited them personally, but one of the remaining eleven had been absent. Eight days later the ten men who had seen Jesus personally tried to convince Thomas they had seen the Risen Lord. He remained unconvinced. His attitude and remarks have pegged him for over 2,000 years as "Doubting Thomas." His name has become synonymous with unbelief and lack of faith. What a bad rap!

The ten disciples who had seen the physical presence of the Risen Lord were still in the same room discussing their options eight days after His personal appearance to them. They were still in the city of Jerusalem, and not a step closer to Galilee. They had heard the truth from the lips of Jesus, but they had not obeyed Him yet. Thomas may have not believed what he had not seen, but the ten disciples had not obeyed what they had heard. Thomas was in a state of unbelief, but the ten were in a state of rebellion. They had heard, but they had not obeyed. Delayed obedience is still a virulent form of disobedience. It is no great substitute for immediate compliance. Delayed obedience is rebellion. Hearing and ignoring what they heard did not place the disciples above Thomas. They were still in the process of taking what Jesus said under advisement. No wonder the disciples are so popular among churches today. Every one of them could be the patron saint of delay.

Eight days later, Thomas was the only honest man in the room. When Jesus entered the room for the second time, Thomas was there. At least he knew, and admitted he was an unbeliever. The other ten men were posers. If they were true believers they would have left a note for Thomas, and left for Galilee. Their act of obedience would have said more to Thomas about their beliefs than all of their pleading and lecturing.

Jesus came with the words of peace to calm the choppy waters in their hearts. The disciples had heard from Him eight days earlier, but they were still trapped in the harbor of their own fears. They had yet to apply what Jesus had already told them to do. Praying and waiting for further clarification of explicit marching orders may make a person appear to be spiritually sensitive, and humble. It is a mere mirage of true belief. In reality, it is true rebellion. The next time we find the disciples they have arrived in Galilee. Their rebellion only postponed a reunion with the Risen Lord. Their obedience put them in a position to hear from Jesus again.

One of the first warning signs of unbelief is being unstable in the face of crisis. It manifests itself in talking more and praying less. The Chinese form the word crisis by combining two different characters. One of the characters is danger and the other is opportunity. They consider crisis to be a dangerous opportunity. Christ followers become Christ "ignorers" when they talk more about a crisis than they pray about it. Christ followers get trapped in this prison of doubt when they fail to apply what they know to be true. Discussing the truth is not as important as applying the truth. Applying the truth always brings about consequences. Delaying to obey the truth brings about consequences too. The wise Christ follower will obey what they know to be true, the first time they hear it, with the right heart attitude and leave the consequences in God's hands. Regardless of the fear, remember, Jesus says, "Peace be with you!"

Shalom y'all!
 

Receive

Praying til Pentecost Day 22

"Receive the Holy Spirit." John 20:22

The message of the Risen Christ to the eleven disciples included a mandate for His mission and the means to achieve it. First they would have to accept the mandate. Before there was any power for the mission, there would have to be an awareness of their weakness for the task. The scope of the vision, and the strength of the enemy made a daunting war look impossible to win.

God specializes in doing the impossible with some of the most improbable people. A quick look around the room at the faces of the ten disciples would not build up a lot of confidence. These were the chosen few who would lead the way in carrying out the world wide movement of God. Among them were a political zealot, a few fishermen, a tax collector, men with anger issues, and an assortment of other wannabees and underachievers. Thomas was conspicuously absent from the gathering mentioned in John's account. Eight days later he would receive a personal visit and a mild rebuke from the Risen Lord for his "seeing is believing" kind of faith. The prospects of Kingdom growth did not look good.

From the motley crew of men hiding out in fear of their lives would rise up and spread out around the globe the message of hope for a lost world. In a few short days they would be transformed into courageous and eloquent spokesmen for the cause of the Risen Christ. What they needed for this transformation to take place had not been received yet.

Jesus told them He would send them out to do what His Father had sent Him to do. He breathed on them and told them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." This was not a little bit of the Spirit, or an early spark of the "flames of fire" that would come at Pentecost. This was a forecast of the spiritual dynamic that would be in play in the post resurrection world. They would be leaving a physical relationship with Jesus, and entering into a spiritual relationship with the Spirit of Christ. To receive the power of the Holy Spirit, they would have to breath in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Their willingness to receive would be preceded by a breathless anticipation. They would have to be out of breath before they recognized the stale air of personal effort and marginal ability was not enough for them to carry out the assignment they had been given. The loss of the physical Presence of Jesus would be replaced by the Promise of God.

One of the great joys of being raised in a Texas church has been the phenomenal "dinner on the grounds" celebrations. It doesn't take much effort to find a reason to throw a feed at a church. Any excuse will do. People who are new to this kind of event are always flabbergasted by the amount of food that is piled up on the tables. They are always amazed at the way the system works. It may not be a "loaves and fishes" kind of a miracle, but it is a pretty unusual way to plan a meal. You bring what little bit you have to the table, and you get to take part in a buffet of bounty. Over the years I have watched people bring everything from a sack full of greasy bologna sandwiches to a pan full of burned bottom biscuits. It just didn't matter. They did what they could do, and they were welcome at the table. One hundred percent of success in this kind of deal is showing up with what you can bring to the table, in order to get in on what you will never receive by sitting at home and pouting about how little you have. Receiving an invitation to one of these gatherings is an experience you do not want to ignore.

The disciples had come to the end of their rope. They had talked the crucifixion of Jesus to death and still did not have a grasp on the power of His resurrection. They were not breathless in anticipation of the Risen Lord, but out of breath from conversation with one another. They had been presented with a series of problems, and their math did not add up. Prayer had not entered into the equation before Jesus entered into the room.

When Jesus breathed into the stale air of a locked room, He unleashed a dynamic that would change the lives of a few men, and they would lead the way to transforming the lives of millions of people. It would all begin with the word receive. To receive what the Spirit could offer to them, they would have to come to the point of their need. When they brought what little they had to the table, God provided abundantly all they would ever need to carry out His mission.

Praying men and women are still in a position to receive what the Spirit brings to the table. People who are breathless in prayer can expect to have power for the journey. "Prayer is how we set our sails to catch the breath of Heaven." G. Campbell Morgan

Quote of the Day: "We do what we believe in; all the rest is just religious talk." Peter Lord

Pass It On

Praying til Pentecost Day 21

"As the Father has sent Me, I also send I you. " John 20:21

The Risen Christ instructed His disciples that the baton of His mission on earth was about to be passed to them. God had sent His Son into the world to share the good news of salvation. Jesus was going home to be seated next to His Father, and He was leaving the eleven disciples behind to take on His mission to the world.

My athletic career reads like a Greek tragedy. It is not an inspiring collection of victories, but it does contain a few chapters of lessons learned in the agony of defeat. One of the greatest lessons I learned was from Coach Clyde Hart of Baylor University. He was my college coach, and is today recognized as one of the premier track coaches in America. I didn't have much to do with the embellishment of his credentials, but I do have an appreciation for the man and his methods. He had a personal interest in sprinters, and the relay races that required the safe passage of a baton from one man to another. He reminded us daily that the baton was the focus of the race. Victory did not go to the fastest man, or the fastest team, but to the fastest baton. Running fast without the safe delivery of the baton would mean defeat. Dropping the baton and finishing the race ahead of a team that was slower, safer and surer would not bring a medal. The baton was the key. We were told to watch our lanes, stay within the lines, focus on the baton, grip it firmly and not to let go until the next man had it in his hand securely. This is hard to do when the arms and legs are flailing, the "spit and vinegar" is flying and aggressive men are merging into a tight space with spikes on their feet and a finish line in their sights. In the midst of a great adrenalin rush, or intense collisions with the enemy the baton can be dropped. We were told to protect the baton, and not to come to the finish line without it.

The disciples were not being invited to enter a fitness program to develop their own spiritual strength. They were being passed the baton of the Gospel, the good news of salvation. They were going to be runners carrying the same message that Jesus had brought from God's lips to men's ears. Perhaps even more accurately, they were being given a commission in a marching army, and told to run to the sound of the guns. They were not heading to the finish line to receive a trophy, but they were being commissioned to charge to the gates of hell and attack.

Death had no hold on Jesus. The disciples were being forewarned that their mission in life was going to be focused on safely delivering the message of God. They were to pass on the good news of eternal life available to people through putting their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Only God knows what the disciples really heard, or understood when Jesus spoke these words to them. The chances are pretty good that they did not comprehend what they were being commissioned to do. At that moment, the challenge of the call was not so important to them as the reality of the Presence of the Risen Lord. When Jesus was with them, He made everything seem possible. Whatever He told them to do probably seemed secondary to the fact that they were within reach of a personal touch from Him.

The joy of His Presence has the capacity to overcome the fear of His mission. When Christ followers focus more on the details of the mission more than conversation with the Master, the demands of the system will always overshadow the Savior. Jesus offered Himself to the disciples first, and then He gave them an assignment.

The power of the resurrection was going to be released in the lives of the disciples through the Person of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the 50 days of waiting between Easter and Pentecost was two fold. This period of time brought the disciples to the end of themselves so they would be ready to receive The Promise of The Spirit. This 50 day delay also provided travel time that brought the greatest number of people into Jerusalem for a very popular feast day. God would seize the day of the Feast of Pentecost, and deliver His church to have a world wide impact through the lives of obedient Christ followers.

Contrary to popular belief, people really do love to get good news. They may not receive the baton of salvation the first time it is passed to them. The role of the Christ follower is to protect the baton, and pass it on again and again. Run to the sound of the guns, and pass it on.

Quote of the Day: "What powerfully poignant observations Jesus makes on the dangers of being around the Living Word and our still not responding, of having it fall on our ears only as optional pieces of information rather than as required hearing for personal change." Jack Hayford

The Presence

Praying til Pentecost Day 20

"He showed then both His hand and His side." John 20:2

"They gave Him a piece of broiled fish..." Luke 24:42-43

The Risen Christ revealed to the eleven disciples that He was not a spirit, and so much more than a belief, concept or an idea. He was a physical Presence with a real body that people could touch and feel. He was alive, breathing and able to enter into a fellowship with people He loved, and who needed to be in touch with Him. This was a foreshadowing of the kind of impact that the Risen Christ intended for His Body, the church, to have on people who needed a touch from God. The Risen Christ gave the disheartened disciples new hope. The Church of the Risen Lord remains the last great hope of the world.

When I was a small boy I was not a fan of fried chicken or fish of any kind. This was a severe theological dilemma for me. My pastor-father would often remind me that I could never become a preacher unless I could learn to eat fried chicken. He said it was the only meal I would ever see on Sunday when I went over to eat at someones home. Seriously, I remember where I was sitting when I first heard this. Never underestimate the capacity of a child to grasp theological truth! From the vantage point of my chair at the kitchen table of the church parsonage on 1426 South Fitzhugh in Dallas, Texas I could see a great spiritual battle shaping up. The other front I was fighting on was the regularly scheduled fish fries that the men of the church would hold. They didn't like it when I showed up with a hot dog in my hand. The "brotherhood" would often remark that I was in need of some kind of revival in my taste buds before I would be ready to be a preacher.

From the earliest birth pangs of the church, food and fellowship have played a vital role. The eleven disciples were sharing an evening meal of broiled fish. They had already heard two resurrection reports from very reliable witnesses. They had rejected both. Someone had said it was time to eat, and a meal had been prepared. They may have lost their hope, but they had not lost their appetite. In the middle of their meal, Jesus showed up.

After The Risen Lord reproached them for their unbelief, He took a piece of broiled fish and ate it. He was showing them how real He was, and dispelling any further disbelief in His physical Presence. He was in the room, and He was in reach.

Often, I have had people say to me, "Preacher, I'm sorry, but I won't be there with you on Sunday, but I will be with you in spirit." I can't say that their spirit was ever a source of real encouragement to me. I learned to respond to their "excused absence" with, "Thanks for leaving your spirit behind, but cash would be better."

Jesus did not show up in spirit. He showed up in Person. The eleven could see His body. They could touch His body. They could share their meal with Him, and He was able to partake of it. The Risen Christ gives us a glimpse in this encounter of what His Body, the church would be able to do.

The Body of Christ was never meant to be a list of dogmatic principles, a refrigerator of ice cold concepts, or a dust covered tome of stale philosophy. It was going to be established by the The Promise of the Father to provide a physical representation of the Presence of the Risen Lord in the world. It was going to be an exhibit of the capacity of Jesus to be in touch with people and to have fellowship with them. The Apostle John expressed the reality of this representation with the words, "As He is, so are we in this world." (I John 4:17) Thanks John, for keeping it real, and keeping it short and sweet.

When Jesus finished His rebuke of the disciples for their unbelief, He offered them a renewed fellowship with Him. This Sunday, all over the world, the faithful will gather together to hear the Word of God. It is meant to purge the body of believers from the cancer of unbelief and renew their personal touch with their Savior. In most cases food will be involved. It may be communion, coffee and donuts, breakfast, a brunch, dinner on the grounds or an evening banquet, but the people of faith will share a bite or two with one another. For the most part, these meals are intended to break down the barriers between people and draw them closer into fellowship with the local body.

It is interesting to me that one of the earliest encounters of the Risen Lord with His followers included the rebuke of unbelief, a fresh touch from His hand, and a little bit of comfort food. Sounds like an order of worship to me.

Quote of the Day: "The church has enough crowd pleasers already. What we need is a bumper crop of mature believers who are content to pray to an audience of one." Tony Evans

Hard Heart

Praying til Pentecost Day 19

"He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen." Mark 16:14 (Luke 24:38)

During his earthly ministry prior to His resurrection, Jesus shared his strongest words of rebuke for the religious elite. He did not suffer their foolishness gladly. He called them "whited sepulchres" and cleared the Temple of all their self-promotion and commercialism. He reminded them His house was to be a house of prayer.

After His resurrection, The Risen Christ presented a sterner voice to those who had been His followers. Whenever their belief in His Presence of His word did not match His expectation, Jesus would reproach them for it. He would not tolerate unbelief in Kingdom. This was cardinal sin.

• The couple on the road to Emmaus heard Him say, "O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe!"
• The eleven disciples heard, "He reproached them for their unbelief..."
• The Church of Ephesus heard,"I have this against you!"

I remember well a conversation with a church lady in Georgia that still chills my heart. She was upset that I didn't present a more politically correct image of Jesus. She wanted to hear about the "meek and mild Shepherd Jesus" of her childhood. She thought that I was sharing too much about the demands of discipleship and His call to reach out aggressively to a lost world around us. I listened as politely as I could, trying to remember Scriptural warnings about treating my elders with respect. I thought I had a piece of insight that might clear this up for her. I should have known better. I reminded her that the Jesus we worship was not comfortable with compromise of His Father's message, and even took out His rebuke out on people who had turned The Temple into a den of thieves. When I explained the shepherds of Jesus' day would commonly use their staff to discipline a wandering or head strong sheep by whacking it on the back or even breaking its leg, I thought she was going to get the vapors. She gasped out, "Well even Jesus sinned!" That is when I got faint. I told her that was not an option for the Son of God. Her response was a change of subject. She said, "You know there are people here who would not vote for you to be their pastor if the vote was taken today!" I responded by saying, "That's why you only get to vote once!" We were so done.

The Christ of the 40 Days was The Risen Lord. He was not an illegitimate carpenter's son living with a cloud of scandal over His head. He was the Son of God and a recent victor over death, hell and the grave. Satan knew He was alive, and Jesus was getting weary of the hesitancy of "The Eleven" to grasp the truth of the victory that He was trying to get into their hands.

The original group of twelve disciples had been cut down to eleven by the suicide of Judas Iscariot. They had hidden themselves away from the religious authorities and the street mobs. They had heard from the women about the Risen Lord and called their story nonsense and unbelievable. Peter had tried to confirm it with his own visit to the empty tomb, but had not seen Jesus. Now the couple from Emmaus had returned with their report of the Risen Lord and the eleven did not believe them either. When Jesus entered the room while the second message was being delivered, the disciples were startled and frightened. They must have looked like they had seen a ghost. It was not their finest hour.

The Risen Lord "reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen." Anyway this passage is translated, it does not produce an image of a sweet Shepherd gently humming a lullaby to the faint-hearted. Jesus immediately delivers a wake up call to the hard-hearted, by dealing with the cancer that will destroy the Body of Christ...UNBELIEF.

This Greek word translated "unbelief" is the source for the word "apostasy." Jesus was not giving the disciples a title they wanted to keep, but they had earned it nonetheless. His words were strong, and deliberate. This was not a hot headed anger as much as a cold slap in the face to an insult given to a superior. If a kinder word would have been appropriate, The Holy Spirit would have called for its use. This was a glass of ice water in the faces of the eleven, and it was meant to be a wake up call for them.

When someone was reproached or upbraided it was meant to defame their behavior as being unwarranted and unacceptable. It paints a picture of the Risen Lord taking their words of unbelief and throwing them back in their teeth. The word describes an action that included taunting, chiding and railing against the disgraceful behavior of a person until they were publicly humiliated. In the military, the upbraiding of a disgraced officer meant that his decorations and medals of past victories were removed from his chest and his shoulders as he was degraded and demoted in the eyes of his men. What Jesus was doing with the eleven was not pretty, and gratefully we are left with little detail of what He said. We only know that He does not coddle unbelief in His citizens, and He purges it from His Kingdom.

They should have known not to take the word of the Son of God lightly. They had been raised on the Scriptures of the Law and the Prophets. In the Old Testament, the concept of "hear" and "obey" are virtually synonymous. The Hebrew word for "hear" is "shema." No less than 40 times from Genesis to Zecharia this same word is translated "obey." When the call to "hear" went out it carried the implication of obedience. To hear was to obey especially then the word came from God.

Life Action Summits have a phrase about obedience that has stuck with me since March of 1995. "Obedience is responding to God the first time He speaks with the right heart attitude." Delayed obedience may ultimately be obedience, but there is the consequence of great liability from even the slightest delay to obey.

The Risen Lord had much to share with His followers. He was not holding out on them, but they were backing up from Him. Unbelief is a thief that robs the Christ follower from a life of hope and confidence in the word of God. It leads to a hard heart and an empty life.

The solution is found in cultivating a responsiveness to the voice of God. To hear is to obey. His wish is our command. The more readily we obey, the better we hear. Obedience is the world's greatest hearing aid. Hearing from God leads to an obedience to God. This cultivates a confidence, a trust or a faith in God's capacity to surprise us with more than we had hoped, and dreamed.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

Quote of the Day: "Our problem is not so much that God doesn't give us what we hope for as it is that we don't know the right thing for which to hope...Hope is not what you expected; it is what you would never dream...it is the zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks, and be there in the flesh to see our reaction." Max Lucado

Synergy

Praying til Pentecost Day 18

"And while they were telling these things, He himself stood in their midst. But they were startled and frightened and thougt they were seeing a spirit." Luke 24:36 (See Mark 18:14)

I have to admit a fascination with the concept of synergy. When two people cooperate to lift an object that neither of them can lift alone, they are able to do together what they cannot do apart. When two plow horses are harnessed together, they can lift much more together than they can by pulling by themselves.

Synergy is the very energy of teamwork, and it is the essence of power in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus offers His Person and His Power through His Holy Spirit to those believers who will admit their need for His Presence in their lives.

The Apostle Paul was convinced that an admission of his weakness was the key that unlocked the door to the power of the resurrection. He stated, "God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong." (I Cor. 1:27) To the same church he later explained, "'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore,...when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Cor. 12:9-10)

I have always enjoyed working with my daughters on projects around the house. When Ashley was a tiny two year old I taught her how to paint. One day, I was painting rooms in the house in Houston and she wanted to help. I gave her a wall and got her started with small brush and a bucket of paint. I showed her with my hand on hers how the brush needed to go up and down and the paint smoothed so there were no bubbles or streaks left on the wall. She was intent on doing what I said, and very precise. Eventually she got bored with the project and I was able to go over it with a more powerful roller and complete what she had started. Spending time with her was my real purpose in teaching her how to paint. I didn't need her help, but I wanted to spend time with her. This may be a clue to the reason God has chosen to call the disciples of Jesus to deliver His message and in the process of getting the message out admitting their need for help.

My previous positive experience in father/daughter bonding convinced me it was safe to get a little more aggressive with our youngest daughter Allyson. She was a three year old and she was intrigued with the way I hammered nails. I got her a hammer and placed it in her hands. She was excited. I cautioned her to let me help her. WE took some nails and began to pound them into a piece of scrap wood TOGETHER. It was a lot of fun for her and me. I had my hand wrapped around hers, and she had her hands on the hammer and the nails. It was a great synergistic effort. No harm! No foul! Everybody was happy. The next evening I returned home and was met at the door by a tearful toddler holding up a mangle little forefinger with both hands. Dana gave me the look. Somehow I knew this was my fault.

Allyson had found the hammer and the nails and started pounding them without my help. The result was an instant disaster. It was a mess! I scooped her up in my arms to comfort her, knowing exactly what had happened. She hit the nail very hard, but the nail was on the end of her own finger. After plenty of blood, ice and tears we came to an understanding. She would not hammer nails unless I placed my hands on top of hers to help her. If she would just admit she needed help, I could bring the power she needed for the task at hand. The power was in the presence of a father placing his hands on the hands of his child while the work was taking place.

"And while they were telling these thing, He Himself stood in their midst." Can you see the synergy that is revealed in that statement? "They" are the two disciples who had recently walked and talked with Jesus for seven miles on the downhill road to Emmaus. They had urged Jesus to stay with them longer, and share a meal. After He blessed the bread and handed it to them, they recognized their traveling companion as the resurrected Lord. The got up that very hour to travel back up the hill to Jerusalem, and faithfully and probably breathlessly delivered the news of their heart stirring encounter with the Risen Christ. The eleven remaining men of the original twelve disciples were not impressed. They had heard this wild story before and they chose not to believe these faithful messengers.

The word "While" triggers the concept of synergy in this passage. The messengers were not responsible for the response to their message. They were faithful to deliver the message and Jesus did the rest. This is a picture of the kind of teamwork that God is going to use to spread His message to a lost world. The message will require flesh and blood to knock on the door. However, the while the messenger is in the process of walking, knocking, and talking to those who need to hear the message, Jesus will take His stand in the midst of their efforts.

God invites the disciples of the Risen Lord to cooperate with Him in sharing the greatest story ever told. The power is not in the courage or the eloquence of the messengers. The power is in The Presence of the Risen Christ. Jesus showed up in the room "while they were telling these things." This is a foretaste of what is to come after the Promise of the Father is delivered to the faithful, and work of the Holy Spirit begins in the heart of every believer.

Prayer is an admission of weakness. Prayerless people are prideful people who would rather do things themselves and not be bothered with coming to God for any help. It is only when a person prayerfully admits their need for strength that the power of the Risen Christ steps in and provides His Presence in the midst of their need. The climate of prayer provides the right atmopshere for the Spirit of God to do what He does best, lift up Jesus. The messenger is not the focus of attention. Jesus is the focus. When a messenger faithfully delivers the message of Jesus, he has done his part. Jesus shows up "while" the messenger is giving a faithful witness of what he has seen and heard about Jesus . This is the synergy of the Spirit of God that makes the message effective.

The Risen Christ reveals the role of the Holy Spirit in His arrival at the room while the disciples were sharing their message. His Presence is always there whenever His followers are relaying His message. The power of prayer revealed the Presence of the Risen Christ to the two disciples at the supper table in the roadside inn near Emmaus. When the physical Presence of The Risen Christ left the room, they ran back up hill to share the good news with an unbelieving group of eleven discouraged men. They showed up to deliver the message and Jesus showed up "while they were telling these things." Praying for the Presence of Jesus to show up to honor the telling of His message is an admission of weakness. It is also an invitation for His power.

Quote of the Day: "The Holy Spirit never descends upon prayerless men. He never fills them. He never empowers them. There is nothing whatever in common between the Spirit of God and men who do not pray. The Spirit dwells only in a prayer atmosphere." E.M. Bounds