Terrifying Power

Does this photo terrify you?

I get the willies just looking at it. I wouldn't want to walk there much less ride my mountain bike. Take note that his wheels are not on the ground. And that "ground" is only a narrow ledge.

These are the Cliffs Of Mohan where one false move sends you 600 feet to the Irish rocks & Atlantic waves below.

Crazies - that is riders - exult in "riding the edge." Navigating the terrifying treachery of this trail includes jumping four foot gaps & riding along four inch ledges. I question if they are riding the edge of sanity.

Terrifying.

Flashback nearly 2000 years from Irish Cliffs to dusty Nazareth. Mark 6:1-6. Jesus goes back to his hometown synagogue the first time as a Rabbi. He is initially welcomed. Miracle making, powerful preaching rock star of his day. Yet, familiarity with "the carpenter" & contempt for "Mary's son" with no mention of his earthly father allowed his hometown crowd to label & dismiss him.

Mark 6:5 offers terrifying truth, "He could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few sick people."

The previous chapter plus, Mark 4:35-5:43, delivers a potent story trio with one purpose: displaying Jesus' awesome power. Jesus' power over nature, 4:35-41, calming the storm. Jesus' power over evil, 5:1-20, casting out the legion of demons. And 5:21-43, Jesus' power over sickness & death. Yet, here in his own hometown we learn the power of unbelief.

Mark 6:5 is one of the boldest statements of the Gospels. It tells us something Jesus will not to.

Jesus is God in flesh. Omnipotent. He CAN do anything. Yet Jesus chooses to limit his limitless power in accordance with the faith of people.

Terrifying.

Mark 6:6 reports of Jesus, "And he was amazed at their lack of faith." The only other time Jesus is said to be amazed in the Bible is by the faith of the Centurion who believed Jesus could heal his sick servant from a distance by word alone (Luke 7:9). Yet, the LACK of faith in his hometown amazes him.

What about you?

What do you think God can't do?

He can't change me. I'll have this habit forever.

He can't change them. They will always be that way.

He can't change the situation. I shouldn't even pray about it.

Do you realize that your lack of faith may be THE very reason he has not changed "it" whatever it is?

Terrifying.

You have power to stop the very thing that you need. You hold the keys to terrifying power. The power of unbelief.

Confess. Repent. Ask for faith.

May we live by faith fearing only of the holiness of God with no fear of our own faithlessness.

Humility Welcome

A dear Friend just delivered a great line that I must share.

"We welcome humility."

Let that marinate on your mind.

Profound.

We welcome humility because Jesus lived it & calls us to live it as well. Love one another. Honor one another. Serve one another. Lay down your life. Be honest. Confess your sin. Share your life. And you can think of many more.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the...

Did you guess, the humble?

Yes, God gives grace to the humble.

Liar Liar

Have you told a little white lie? Did you just lie about that?

How about the boldface lie? So completely unbelievable.

I've named a few more lies for us to consider.

• The 7-11 Lie: Lying for convenience.
• The Avis Lie: Lying to sound like you tried harder.
• The BK Lie: Lying to get it your way.
• The Awning Lie: Lying to shade the truth.
• The Chiropractic Lie: Lying to gain better position or posture.
• The Rebound Lie: Lying when a shot at the truth didn't work.
• The Hopscotch Lie: Lying by skipping the truth.
• The Underpants Lie: Lying to cover your backside.
• The Bluelight Lie: Lying about what you paid for something.
• The Airbrush Lie: Lying to make yourself look better.
• The Plastic Surgery Lie: Lying by exaggerating the truth.
• The Dirty Diaper Lie: Lying when everyone knows you are.
• The Spandex Lie: Lying by stretching the truth.

You may have some other creatively named lies to contribute through comments below. Please do. Our creativity is a gift.

Truth, however, is always the BEST gift.

The LORD detests lying lips,

but he delights in men who are truthful.

Proverbs 12:22

Difference Deference

ToMAYto. ToMAHto.

Difference. Deference.

God made me me. He made you you. He does nothing by accident. He makes no mistakes. Differences are His design. Without them a sad sameness world it would be.

Differences teach us. We do not need to homogenize our differences. We do need awareness where our differences may be an offense or threat to others. Christlike love compels me to humbly temper my differences in deference to others. I seek to honor others above myself. I strive to love others as I do myself.

Differences teach us. Awareness. Humility. Ourselves. Communication. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Cooperation. Variety. Unity. Functioning together as the Body of Christ.

I can do the relational math.

Different + different = bad deal.

Different + different = disturbingly difficult.

Or, as a Christ follower, the same equation comes out... different.

Different + different = God’s design.

Different + different = mutually beneficial.

A symphony has different instruments playing different parts in one composition led by one conductor. Differences are unified. Each instrument playing it's own part in it's own time. At other times that instrument is silent in deference to others.

A good meal has different dishes with different ingredients coming together to be pleasing as whole. Chili powder, caustic alone, is tasty when combined into the dish that bears it's name. Sugar, tasty alone, is even better when combined with other ingredients to bake your favorite desserts.

A human body has different parts with different functions that work together as a unified whole. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Verse 12 states, "The body is a unit, though it is make up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ."

Rather than complain or ignore or avoid differences - particularly within local church bodies - let us celebrate & appreciate & embrace differences. Differences are God's gifts to be used to bring glory to His name & growth to His Kingdom.

It takes maturity. It takes humility. It takes deference.

It offers unity. It offers peace. It offers joy.

Difference deference.

Longer Shorter

Al-mooooooos-t home. Same way I drive home from church all the time. 6.3 miles. East on Highway 2. South on 56th. East on Cavvy. South on 59th. 6.3 miles. Yet. Since I've been gone for two long days. Didn't sleep well either of the past two nights. Ate too much while visiting with colleagues. And road weary from all the miles. These last miles seem longer the shorter the distance is to home. Longer shorter.

On my mind. Near a year ago now I lost a good friend. A man who I respected like few. A man who held the admiration of all. A man of character. A man who fought cancer for months. And won. Relocating to a mansion on a street of gold. Yet. It was tough to see him go. His passing came slowly. The days seemed longer the closer he got to his eternal home. Longer shorter.

Thoughts now of a my last marathon. Absent here so far. 26.2 miles. Fort Worth Cowtown Marathon. Same race that I'd run a year previous. A hilly course, but much, much better weather this year. Yet. I was undertrained. Too few miles those months before. Too little consistency as well. Too fast on my first half. Too spent on the second. Those last miles. Those last few miles. Seemed so much longer the closer I got to the finish line. Longer shorter.

Longer shorter is not real.

It just seems real.

Road weary. Sickness weary. Race weary.

Weary.

But ready to be welcomed. Ready to be at the end of the road. End of the earthly journey. End of the race.

Weary.

But expectant of things to come.

That expectation. That makes longer shorter.

Would that I live each day as a gift with the urgency of eternity pressing me to live every moment fully here.

Longer shorter.

Why Bother?

A caffè latte is an espresso made with steamed milk, topped by foamed milk. The latte is the most popular espresso drink. As such, the latte has lots of jargonized options.

Some folks avoid coffee shops due to cost. Others due to spousal promises of caffeine avoidance. But some folks, like me, avoid them for fear of the the vocabulary. You gotta speak coffeese.

One such coffeese named latte came to mind while reading this morning. But I wasn't drinking one. Nor was I dreaming of one in caffeine withdrawals. I was reading, remember?

It is called a "Why Bother." A decaf, sugar free, nonfat latte.

Yes. Why bother? You just removed all the best reasons for drinking it! The caffeine, sugar & fat. All gone. What have you got left?

Why Bother latte? Because you can.

Why bother Jesus? Because he can.

Mark 4:35-5:43 is a potent story trio with one purpose: displaying Jesus' awesome power. Jesus' power over nature, 4:35-41, calming the storm. Jesus' power over evil, 5:1-20, casting out the legion of demons. And, here in 5:21-43, Jesus' power over sickness & death.

Jairus, a synagogue ruler with a dying daughter, falls down pleading before Jesus. "Please come & put your hands on her so that she will be healed." I am a Daddy who loves his little girl. I've got welly eyes & a lumpy throat as I feel this.

Jesus went with Jairus. Jairus hoped in Jesus.

But then, a woman, a woman with an issue of blood catches Jesus' attention along the way. The woman is healed. But Jairus' daughter dies.

Bad news bearers ask, "Why bother the teacher any more?," in verse 35.

Why bother?

Dead is dead.

Dead is final.

Jesus might have healed her while alive.

Now she is dead.

Jesus can not have that sort of power.

Why bother?

But. Thanks be to God, Jesus is more powerful than earthly anything even faithless anyones.

Goes verse 36, "Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, 'Don't be afraid. Just believe.'" The little girl was raised from the dead.

Why bother?

Because Jesus can.

(All Scriptures references NIV.)

XYV

With a gleeful snicker, most any kindergartener can demonstrate their newly acquired alphabetic ability to an unzipped friend, “XYZ.”

You might have been the embarrassed-and-hopefully-not-scarred-for-eternity recipient. Or you could have been the thinking-you-were-clever-and-glad-it-wasn’t-you deliverer of the phrase. XYZ.

Examine. Your. Zipper.

As adults we may still use the phrase. We may still snicker. Or be embarrassed. Depending on which end of the phrase we are on.

How about a new phrase that more often & more seriously applies to adults? XYV.

Examine. Your. Values.

Just as the downed zipper may expose the garments we think are guarded, so too do our words, or lack of, & our actions, or lack of, speak of our values.

No matter what you say.

No matter what you do.

Your values are showing.

XYV.