Kenneth Winter's Blog, page 24

Graves into Gardens

The word “grave” can conjure up a lot of different images in our minds. Most often it is the reminder of our own mortality – particularly if we have recently received the unwanted news of a critical health diagnosis, either for ourselves or a loved one. Or it can come upon us suddenly as we are thrust into the totally unexpected loss of one who is near and dear to us. Those events bring us face-to-face with the harsh reality of our mortality and the fragility of life, whereas otherwise we view it through a much “safer” philosophical lens, knowing that all of our bodies are one day destined for the grave.

But the word “grave” can also point to a concerning moment or event in our lives that has nothing to do with our mortality. It is a loss that has been brought on by forces or events beyond our control. It can be an accidental injury that is life-changing, even though it is not life-ending. It can be loss due to the decisions or actions of another that have led to a relationship that has been torn apart. Our grave moment can be the unexpected loss of a job or finances. Whatever it is, it is a matter of grave concern with serious implications that could have a devastating impact on our lives and the lives of those we love. 

It can also point to our own unfortunate decisions. We find ourselves facing grave consequences because of our own wrong choices or poor decisions. Our decisions have destroyed relationships, caused harm to ourselves or others – physically or otherwise, and destroyed our own credibility and the ability of others to trust us.

There are many faces to the graves we encounter – whether they are of our own making … or not. But there isn’t one of those faces … or one of those graves … that has not been overcome. The Lord Jesus tells us through the prophet Isaiah that the Father sent Him, not only to overcome the grave of physical death and spiritual death, but also the graves of every kind:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”(1)

The writers of the worship song “Graves into Gardens” (lyrics below) encapsulated the message recorded by Isaiah in the words:

You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You're the only One who can

You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You're the only One who can

It doesn’t mean we will escape all of the graves; some of them are unavoidable. Physical death is a reality for all of us (unless Jesus returns to take those of us who are His followers home before we die). The mortality rate is 100%. But the reality is that even the physical grave isn’t the end. Jesus conquered death and the grave.(2)

Most of the other “graves” (that are not of our own making) are a reality because we live in a fallen world. But Jesus has overcome all the graves of this world.(3) He is able to lead us through them and take what others may have meant for bad and turn it into good.(4)

And even the graves we have dug for ourselves through our own sinful actions have been redeemed by Him.(5) He can take the sin and shame of our lives and transform it for His glory. Nothing is beyond the reach of His mercy … His grace … and His salvation.

The apostle Paul said it well when he wrote that we are more than conquerors over the grave:

“… through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(6)

I think it’s fitting that the day that Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb, she turned and saw one who she thought was the gardener.(7) Because the reality is that the grave was transformed into a garden that day – once and forevermore. And the Gardener Mary encountered is the same Gardener you and i will encounter in the “grave” experiences of our lives. No matter the “grave” you are experiencing today, turn to the Gardener, entrust it to Him, and He WILL turn it into a garden that brings glory to Him.

* * * * *

(1)  Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJ)

(2)  1 Corinthians 15:55-57

(3)  John 16:33

(4)  Genesis 50:20

(5)  2 Corinthians 5:21

(6)  Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)

(7)  John 20:15

Graves into Gardens  

I searched the world
But it couldn't fill me
Man's empty praise and treasures that fade
Are never enough

Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire is now satisfied
Here in Your love

 

Oh, there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord, there's nothing,
Nothing is better than You

I'm not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws, 

Lord, You've seen them all
And You still call me friend

'Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There's not a place 

Your mercy and grace
Won't find me again

 

Oh, there's nothing better than You
There's nothing better than You
Lord, there's nothing
Nothing is better than You

You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You're the only one who can

You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You're the only one who can
You're the only one who can 

Songwriters: Brandon Lake / Christopher Joel Brown / Steven Furtick / Tiffany Hammer

© 2020 Elevation Worship

Elevation Worship – Graves into Gardens

Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash

Breath

We are acutely aware in these days that there are many things we permit to divide us. But there is one that should unite us all. 

We can live our lives without a lot of the things that hold great importance to us. We can live without the possessions we hold dear. We can live without the positions that bring us self-importance and self-worth. We can even live without the good health and relationships that bring our lives enjoyment and purpose. And, for a period of time, we can even live without the food and water that bring nourishment to our bodies. But take away our breath and we immediately cease to live.

Breath is the one thing that distinguishes the living from the dead. Adam didn’t become a living person until God breathed into his nostrils.(1) Though muscles and flesh formed over the dry bones, they did not come to life until God breathed into them.(2)

You could say that breath is the most precious gift God has given us, short of Himself. And in many ways, breath is not only a gift from God, it is an expression of Himself that He has given us. It was God’s breath that filled Adam’s nostrils, and through him that has filled ours. It was God’s breath that not only brought life to those dry bones, but also continues to bring life to ours. The very breath that we breathe is His.(3)

Breath is not a respecter of station … or ethnicity … or age.(4) It can’t be bought … or sold … or traded.(5)We can’t see it. We can’t hold it. i dare say, we don’t even think much about it, unless we find ourselves struggling to take it in. But through it, He gives us life.

He gave us all breath for a purpose. He gave us all breath for His purpose. He gave us all breath that we might praise Him.(6) The writers of the song (lyrics below) got it right:

It's Your breath in our lungs,
So we pour out our praise.
We pour out our praise.
It's Your breath in our lungs,
So we pour out our praise to You only.

The breath in our lungs literally is His … not ours. We didn’t create it. With all of the tremendous medical knowledge that God has given us over the years, we do not have the ability to prolong it beyond its ultimate conclusion. Breath has no territorial or racial divides.(7) Since we didn’t create it, we don’t get to decide for what it should be used. Oh yes, we can make our own choice as to how we will use it … but that doesn’t change the purpose for which it was given to us. It is a precious gift given for a precious purpose.

The current quarantine does not prevent us from fulfilling the purpose of our breath. True, we may not be able to gather as we once did, but we can still praise from where we are – from every corner in every neighborhood on every road or path in every city of every land. We’re not limited as to a time for praise. We can pour out our praise at every moment of every day – because the One who has given us breath is great … and worthy of our praise. Our praise is merely returning to Him that which has always been His gift to us from the beginning. 

Yes, He is the Giver of life(8) … the Giver of light … and the Giver of hope. He is the restorer of every heart that is broken. So, together let’s pour out our breath in praise … as a multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language(9) … because great is our Lord!

* * * * *

(1) Genesis 2:7

(2) Ezekiel 37:5-6

(3) Job 33:4

(4) Psalm 62:9

(5) Job 34:14-15

(6) Psalm 150:6

(7) Isaiah 42:5

(8) Psalm 104:30

(9) Revelation 7:9

 

Great Are You, Lord 

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

 

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

 

You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord

 

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only

(Repeat)

 

And all the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
Great are You, Lord

(Repeat 2x)

 

It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It's Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
To You only

(Repeat)  

Songwriters: David Leonard / Jason Ingram / Leslie Jordan

Great Are You Lord lyrics © Essential Music Publishing, Capitol Christian Music Group

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

But God ...

The flood waters prevailed, but God remembered and brought him to dry land.(1)

His enemy intended it to harm him, but God intended it for good.(2)

The battle is not yours, but God’s.(3)

Your flesh may fail, but God is your strength.(4)

We were dead in sin, but God saved us.(5)

i have come to believe that those two words – “but God” – are actually a powerful promise to those of us who are His children – particularly when we are facing the impossible. Multiple times throughout the Bible, those two words are preceded by a statement that, left to stand on its own, describes an ominous reality. Then and now, that reality can be a terminal disease, an undefeatable enemy, a ruthless attack, a tragic turn of events or devastating news of any kind. 

Apart from those two words, the situation or circumstance is pretty much “a fait accompli”. Apart from those two words, Noah and his family would have drowned, Joseph would have remained a slave or a prisoner, and the Israelite people would have been overrun by a great horde. Apart from those two words, disease would be free to accomplish its worst. Apart from those two words, sin and death would be undefeated. Apart from those two words, there would be no hope, and there would be little, if any, joy. Apart from those two words, our eternity would be bleak, and our fates would be sealed.

As Paul said, apart from those two words, we would be dead in our trespasses and our sin. Apart from those two words, we are to be pitied because there is nothing we can do to escape the inevitable. Apart from those two words, we are locked in a prison from which there is no hope of escape.

But God … made a way. By His mercy, by His love and by His grace He has the final word. As our Creator, He has power over disease. As our Crucified Savior, He has defeated sin. As our Risen Lord, He has defeated death. As our Almighty God, He is able to accomplish anything and everything in a way that brings Himself the greatest glory. As our Banner, He goes before us to lead us. As our Shepherd, He walks with us to comfort us. As our Rearguard, He goes behind us to protect us.

But God … will see it through. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He has proven that what He begins He completes. He has demonstrated that He is willing to do whatever it will take. He has already shown that He is willing to give all that He has to accomplish His purpose – after all, He gave His only Son.

But God … will always have the last word. We will never know the truth of any situation until we have heard from God. He is the One who made the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise. He is the One who defeated the mighty Egyptian army and a giant named Goliath. He is the One who made the walls of an impenetrable city come tumbling down. He’s the One who made the sun stand still and the storm to stop. He will do whatever He needs to do to bring Himself the greatest glory … even when we can’t see how.

But God … can be trusted, because He is trustworthy. God’s action or words may not be the ones we wanted to hear. That’s when we need to trust that He’s God … and we’re not. He endured the anguish of allowing His own Son to be brutally beaten and spat upon. He permitted Him to be put to death on a cross. All for our ultimate good and His glory. And no matter the outcome we may immediately experience, we can be assured that even this situation that we are encountering will end the same way – for our ultimate good, and His glory.

You may be facing the impossible right now. You may be walking through an impossible journey. My prayer for you is that you will hold onto those two words … but God! Because “but with God, ALL things are possible!”(6)

* * * * *

(1) Genesis 7:24-8:1

(2) Genesis 50:20

(3) 2 Chronicles 20:15

(4) Psalm73:26

(5) Ephesians 2:4-5

(6) Matthew 19:26

Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash

The Place Where The Reeds Grow

As we journey through the wilderness of our lives, God will often lead us, just like He did the Israelites, toward our own “Pi-hahiroth” (“the place where the reeds grow”).(1) It lies on the west bank of our Red Sea, between Migdol (the high place) and the sea and is opposite from Baal-zephon (the place where the idols are worshiped). It will appear to those watching that we are confused or disoriented, but take heart – the LORD has led us right to the place He intends – the place He will use to bring glory to Himself through our lives.

He has not led us to Migdol - the high place – the mountaintop. Occasionally He does lead us to enjoy that mountaintop experience where He will recharge our spirits and give us rest as we bask in His glory. But we weren’t created to stay in Migdol, though He knows we can easily be tempted to stay, just like Peter, James and John were at the Mount of Transfiguration. No, His mission for us is in the valley at Pi-hahiroth.

Neither has He led us to Baal-zephon – the shiny place – where the culture around us tells us we need to go. Our culture would tell us that Baal-zephon has all the answers, and we will find all that we desire and all we would ever want within its boundaries. Sadly, when the shine has worn off, it will also take us where we do not want to go at a cost far greater than any of us can ever imagine. Many would attempt to deceive us and tell us that God wants us to enjoy all of the pleasures of Baal-zephon, but they would be wrong. He knows that path will ultimately lead us to destruction.

He has led us to Pi-hahiroth – the place where the reeds grow. The ground is right for just that purpose. The reed is not known for its strength – for it has none - or for its beauty. It is a tall, coarse grass with few distinguishing features. No, in and of itself there is nothing special about the reed. But look what the Master can do with it! He can turn it into a musical instrument, through which He can make beautiful melodies of praise. He can turn it into an arrow, which He can use to defeat His enemy or carry His message to others. Just as the Egyptians used the papyrus reed to make paper, He can turn the reed into a palette on which He can write His story of His glory. He can take that reed together with other reeds and form a weaving frame on which He will weave His beautiful tapestry. Yes, left to its own devices, the reed can do nothing, but in the hands of the Master, the reed becomes an instrument of His glory. And the Master determines when the reed is ready to be used, and just how to use it.

Today, you may find that God has led you to Pi-hahiroth – the place where the reeds grow. As Paul wrote, “God deliberately chose things the world considers … powerless to shame those who are powerful” and “things, counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” He has you just where He wants you, that He might use you as an instrument of His glory – even on this side of the Red Sea. He has planned this so that He will receive great glory and that the world may know that He is the LORD. Trust Him as you camp here, for as long as He intends – until He leads you to the other side.

* * * * *

(1)Scripture:  Exodus 14:1-4 Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses: "Tell the people to march toward Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, opposite Baal-zephon. Then Pharaoh will think, 'Those Israelites are confused. They are trapped between the wilderness and the sea!' And once again I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this so I will receive great glory at the expense of Pharaoh and his armies. After this, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!" So the Israelites camped there as they were told.

Adapted from The Journey Begins, Ch. 6

Photo by Casey Murphy on Unsplash

A Confident Cry

In Exodus 2 (below), God was preparing to go global with the announcement of His glory to the entire world – and He had chosen a people through whom He was going to accomplish His purpose. But even though they were His chosen people, they found themselves in bondage to Pharaoh. And they groaned under the weight of their oppression – they groaned to the point that they could no longer endure. Then, they turned to the One who could deliver them from their bondage.

The people cried out to God. Their deliverance began with the people calling upon God. Deliverance will always begin with our recognition that the solution to the problem is beyond ourselves and dependent upon God – that we are powerless in and of ourselves. Repeatedly throughout Scripture, God tells us to call upon Him – that we must come to the end of ourselves and call out to Him. The first step of deliverance is admitting we have a problem and we cannot fix it ourselves – and only God can.

God heard their cries. God has promised us that if we seek Him, we will find Him. Just like the mother’s ear is attuned to the whimper or the cry of her child, even more so is the ear of our Heavenly Father. And there is nowhere we can go that He cannot hear us, if we will call out to Him.

God remembered His promise. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had made a covenant that through this people all the families of the earth would be blessed – that He had chosen them to be His people through whom He would accomplish His purpose for His glory. And our God has made that promise to His adopted children – those who name the name of Christ – that we have been grafted into the Vine with all the rights and privileges of a joint heir – and He has chosen us to be His children through whom He accomplishes His purpose for His glory. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us; He has promised that what He begins He completes, and He has sealed His promise through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. 

God looked upon His people. His eyes looked upon them with compassion and with purpose. The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). He has fixed His children in His gaze – nothing in our path escapes His attention – and He desires to marshal every resource at His disposal to strengthen them and equip them for His purpose.

God acknowledged them as His children. It was one thing for the people to acknowledge Him as God; but in His acknowledging them as His children, He is acknowledging His love for them and His commitment to them. Yes, He is their Creator; but He declares ownership when He acknowledges them as His creation – and He declares that they are a part of His purpose. 

As John wrote in his first epistle, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” God revealed this pattern to the children of Israel when they stopped groaning to themselves under their bondage, and cried out to the One who could make a difference. We, too, can and will experience our deliverance, if we will cease groaning to ourselves, and will turn from ourselves and call out to Him. We can then call unto Him with that same confidence – a confidence that He has assured through His Word, He has enabled through His Son, and He has sealed through His Holy Spirit.

 * * * * *

Scripture:  Exodus 2:23-25 Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

Excerpted from The Journey Begins, Ch. 1

Photo by Cristofer Jeschke on Unsplash 

Who Am I?

i saw a piece of graffiti on the boarded windows of a store today. It read, “I’ll stop breaking your windows when you stop hurting my friends.” i’m not posting the statement to stimulate debate on the statement itself. That debate doesn’t solve the problem. i’m posting it as an example of the turmoil all of us are walking through right now. Unless you live under a rock at the top of the highest mountain in the middle of the most isolated island, you are dealing with the implications of this upheaval. 

You may be on the front lines risking your life as a first responder. You may be one of the peaceful demonstrators that are seeking change. You may be one of those who has been on the receiving end of unjustifiable violence against your person or your property. You may be one of those who, like the author of the graffiti, is on the “giving” side of that violence. You may be one who is asking when things will calm back down so we can return to the way things were. You may be one who is responding that we will never go back to the way things were, because we can’t go back there.

We’re struggling with where our identity comes from in the midst of one of the most divided times in history. We’re divided over race. We’re divided over whether “black lives matter” or “all lives matter.” We’re divided over sexual identity. We’re divided over monuments – and what they represent. In the midst of all this, we’re also divided over whether to wear masks or not wear masks. The only one who is not divided is that solitary person i mentioned earlier who is  hiding under a rock at the top of the mountain on that isolated island – because he or she doesn’t have anyone with whom to be divided!

We hear calls for unity … for reconciliation … for reparation – and we all know those calls are not new. The division prompting those cries has been going on for a long time – not only within the history of this nation but also for the millennia that predates us.

Throughout history we have labored to divide ourselves. We have divided ourselves over our nation of citizenship, our ethnicity, our race, our sex, our level of education, or our level of wealth (or lack thereof). We divide ourselves over whether we live on the north side, or the south side, or the east end, or the west end. We divide ourselves over whether we live in the hood or the burbs, the city or the countryside. We divide ourselves over our personal assessments of who deserves privilege and who does not. We divide ourselves over our politics and our religions. And on and on.

So, in the midst of all of this division, is there any way for us to be united or reconciled?  Do we just give up and stop trying? No, we do not! But as the saying goes – insanity is doing the same thing, the same way and expecting different results. There is only one place we will ever find true unity, reconciliation and reparation. It won’t come through our protests – peaceful or otherwise – no matter how well-intentioned they may be. It won’t be accomplished through violent acts. It won’t come through the laws we strike down or the new ones we enact. It won’t come from the monuments we tear down or the new ones we erect. It will not be dependent on the actions or inactions of our political leaders or the decisions made by our supreme court justices. It will not be the product of conservative, moderate or liberal views. It can only occur at one place. And that place is not the base of broken-down monuments … it is at a place that is a whole lot more gruesome than that … it is at the foot of the cross where our Savior’s blood was shed.

If we truly desire to find the solution – once and for all – in the midst of one of the most divisive moments of our lives, we need to change the question from whose lives matter to “who am i?” The apostle Paul wrote to a people who were divided over their beliefs, their religious backgrounds, their ethnicities and their leaders. They were dealing with discrimination and prejudice. And he told them the only way they could come together was to be “crucified with Christ.” He told them by so doing, it would no longer be them (in all of their dysfunction and division) who lived, but it would be Christ who lived in them. And the life they would live out would be a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved them and gave Himself for them.(1)

Every difference disappears at the foot of the cross. Every disagreement disappears at the foot of the cross. Every prejudice. Every bias. Every offense. Every trespass. Every transgression. We become united at the foot of the cross. No life is left out at the foot of the cross.

But at the foot of the cross, it becomes a personal issue. It’s not about what did that person do to me, or what did they do to us, or even, what do we do to fix it? It simply is … am I willing to be crucified with Christ? Because if i am, then “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”(1)

And then – and only then – do we finally experience – in Him – the unity, the reconciliation, the reparation and the restoration we seek. So, at the end of the day, it really is up to us. Will we be defined by what divides us, or will we be defined by the One whose we are? Are we willing to honestly ask the question … who am I?

(1)  Galatians 2:20 ESV

Photo by Pearl on Lightstock

All To Him I Owe

One of my favorite stories in my novel  Through the Eyes of a Shepherd  is about a fictional little boy who was encountered by two of the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent out into the villages throughout Galilee. i thought it would be fun to connect him with another little boy we actually see (though he is unnamed) in the Gospels. It became a very touching account that reinforces foundational biblical truth.

i originally told the story through the eyes of the shepherd Shimon. But in the book i am releasing next year, i retell the story through the eyes of the little boy himself. i’m posting the new story here this week because i think it is a truth that we all need to be reminded of again and again – particularly as we walk through these challenging days. As in all of my stories, some of the events and some of the people are fictional – but the truth they tell is trustworthy! This is longer than a blog post; it is a short story. But i pray you will find it worth the read.

________________________________

My name is Jonathan and I am ten years old. My parents and I live in the village of Chorazin in northern Galilee. It is a smaller village than most, with about one hundred families calling it home. I have lived here all of my life. Most of the buildings in our village were built using a black volcanic rock that is found nearby. It gives Chorazin a very different appearance. Everything is a beautiful color of ebony!

The village is surrounded by groves of olive trees. My dad once told me that some of the trees date back to the days when our patriarch Abraham was a boy my age. Those trees produce the finest tasting olives you have ever eaten! Many of the families in our village make their living from those olives. The olives of Chorazin and the olive oil they produce are traded far and wide throughout the region.

Our family is one of the few families who doesn’t earn its living from the olives. My dad is a shepherd. He raises sheep and goats. Just recently, he began to let me help him shepherd the flock. But that wasn’t always the case!

You see, I am actually my parents’ third child. Both of my older brothers were still born. My parents named my oldest brother Samuel, and our middle brother David. Though they never lived outside of my mother’s womb, we remember them always. Each year we recognize their birthdays and I think about what they would be doing at this age. I would have liked to have known my older brothers. I would have liked to have been able to play with them, confide in them and learn from them. My parents and I talk about the day when we will all be together in heaven. I so look forward to that day!

My mother tells me that she and my father named me Jonathan because it means “God has given” and they knew I was His gift to them. They tell me that I brought joy back into their home and their hearts.

I was just a few months old when they discovered that I had been born deaf. Some of our well-meaning neighbors asked them if there was unconfessed sin in their lives for which God was punishing them. I don’t think they meant to hurt my parents with their words, but I know that they did. 

Despite their sadness over my deafness, I will tell you that as best as I can remember my early years, I don’t remember my parents ever looking at me without a smile on their faces and joy in their eyes. I have never known a day without love – and I am so grateful to Jehovah God for His goodness to me!

While I was still very young, my mother began to teach me signs I could make with my hands that my parents and I would know represented words. The first words she taught me were “I love you!” As time passed, my vocabulary of signs became pretty extensive. Sometimes it was fun to know that no one else knew what my parents and I were saying to each other … but other times it was hard. The other boys in our village never wanted to play with me. Often when we were with other people, I would see them talking and so wish I knew what they were saying. I did learn some words by reading lips, but I wasn’t very good at it. And since I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t speak, so it made it difficult when I was around other people.

I spent all of my time growing up in the company of my parents. One or both of them was always with me. On a few occasions, my dad took me with him as he watched over the sheep, but he was always afraid that something might happen to me while his attention was directed elsewhere. Since I couldn’t call out to him, and he couldn’t call out to me, he thought it would be safer if I stayed home with my mom.

One day, not too long ago, two strangers came to our village. They told everyone that they were followers of a Man named Jesus. My parents told me that one of the men stood up in our synagogue and talked about this Jesus. Many of our people had heard of Him. It was said that He had made the deaf to hear, the blind to see and the lame to walk. It was even said that He had restored life to the dead. My mom had told me that the prophet Isaiah had long ago written about a Man who would come and do these things. The man who spoke in the synagogue said that Jesus was that Man!

My parents talked all that day and night about whether Jesus could enable me to hear. My dad wasn’t sure. He didn’t want me, or them, to be disappointed again. But my mom decided they needed to find out! So, the next morning, after my dad had taken the sheep and goats into the hills to pasture, she brought me to our neighbor’s home.

The two followers of Jesus, whom I later learned were named Shimon and Simon, were staying in our neighbor’s home. My mother asked them if Jesus could heal me so that I could hear. She explained that I had never heard a bird sing, or the sound of the wind when it blows, or even the sound of her voice. She asked, “What do I need to do so that my son can hear?”

One of the men – Shimon – began to talk to her. I had no idea what he was saying, but I later learned that he was explaining that Jesus had sent the two of them to our village. He apparently had sent other men out in pairs to other villages as well. He had told them to preach the Good News and heal in His name. Shimon told my mother he would pray and ask God to bring hearing to my ears.

I saw a tear drop begin to trickle down my mother’s cheek as she gently placed her hand on my shoulder and directed me to walk toward the man. I had no idea what he was going to do, but I trusted my mother – so I would trust this man. He placed his hands over my ears. I looked up and could see that he was speaking. At first it was still just silence to me, but then something happened! All of a sudden there was something different taking place. I couldn’t have described it at the time, but I was actually hearing sounds – and those sounds I now know were words. I didn’t know what any of them meant at the time, but the man was saying, “… Father, we ask You to unblock his ears and enable him to hear so that he and his parents, and others in this village might believe on Your Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” 

As he took his hands away, I immediately raised my hands to my ears. I was experiencing a new sensation! For the first time in my life I could hear! I didn’t fully realize it yet, but God had given me hearing… for His glory and the glory of His Son! I looked at my mother with excitement. I didn’t know any words to speak, so I told her with signs, “I can hear!” Then she spoke to me. She spoke my name, “Jonathan!” I had never heard anyone speak my name. I had never heard my mother’s voice … until that moment!

Suddenly tears flowed down my mother’s cheeks. She and I embraced each other for a long time! Meanwhile, the two men and our neighbors were shouting and giving glory to God! And quickly the news spread throughout the village! My mother and I left to find my father. As we ran toward him on the hill, my mother shouted to him, “He can hear! Jonathan can hear! God has given him hearing!” My dad looked at me at first with disbelief, but when he saw the smile on my face, he wrapped his arms around me, drew me close and shouted heavenward, “Thank You, God!”

Later that day I went to find the man who had prayed for me. I wanted to know more about the Jesus who had enabled me to hear. Even though I could now hear sounds, I didn’t understand what most of them were. That would take some time for me to learn – but my parents and others would teach me.

The two men remained in the village for two more days. I began to understand that the man who had prayed for me was named Shimon. I learned to say his name – after I first learned to say “Mama” and “Papa!” And then I learned to say “Jesus!”  I remained close to Shimon for his remaining time here. Though I did not understand most of his words, my heart told me that he was speaking truth. 

Before they left our village, Shimon again prayed for me. This time he asked God to make me into one of His mighty men – one who God would use to lead others to salvation and to bring great glory to His name. If I had understood what Shimon was praying, I would have told him that Jehovah God had already begun to do that! As they left, Shimon told me he would see me again!

A few days later, I was on the hill watching our flock with my dad. He was teaching me how to be a shepherd … and we were learning how to talk to each other. Off in the distance, my dad and I spotted a large crowd gathering in the valley. Just a little ways up the hill from the crowd was a Man who appeared to be speaking to all of them. Everyone in the crowd was paying close attention. My dad said we were going to lead the flock closer to Him so we could hear what He was saying.

As we got closer, I noticed that there was a group of men standing near the Teacher. Suddenly I realized that one of them was Shimon! I began to wave to get his attention. I could tell that he now saw me, as he waved back! I asked my father for permission to go see him. My dad said, “Yes, stay in a place that I can see you and you can see me. And take your sack of food with you!” With that, I was off as quickly as I could run. When I arrived by his side, Shimon waved at my dad to let him know I was there, and he would keep an eye on me.

As we sat down on the grass, I asked him if the Man speaking was Jesus. He smiled and nodded his head. I didn’t truly understand most of what Jesus was saying. Shimon was able to explain a little bit to me. But I was just happy to be sitting with Shimon and listening to Jesus’s voice.

As the afternoon continued, some of Jesus’s followers approached Him and said, “Send the crowd away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”(1) 

But His followers were surprised when Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary, you feed them.”(2) Even I could understand that! But what was Jesus planning to feed them with?

I looked at the crowd, and then I looked at Shimon and said, “That’s a lot of people to feed!” I may not have known all of my words, but I knew my numbers, and it would take a lot of food to feed them. 

Jesus turned to one of the men and asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”(3) The man replied, “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all of them!”(4) The man seemed to be a bit put off when Jesus immediately responded, “Don’t look at what you don’t have. Look to see what the Father has already given you. How much bread do you have? Go and find out.”(5)

While Jesus and the man were talking, I tugged on Shimon’s sleeve and showed him the food that my mother had placed in my sack. Though I couldn’t understand all of what was being said, I had a pretty good idea, and I wanted to help any way I could. 

Shimon turned to another one of Jesus’s followers and showed him that I was offering to give all I had. The man called out to Jesus and said, “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”(6)

I didn’t wait to hear Jesus’s answer. I stood up and walked over to Him to give Him my small sack of food. I wasn’t thinking about how little I had. I wasn’t thinking about how little it was compared to the great need. I just knew that I owed Him everything I had. As I handed the sack to Jesus, I looked into His eyes. He looked back at me with an expression that was both tender and welcoming. I knew He would know what to do with the food in my sack. He smiled and thanked me as he took the sack from me. 

After Jesus received my food, He looked at His followers and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”(7) 

As I stood there at His side, Jesus said to His followers, “Tell everyone to sit down.”(8) Once they had been seated, Jesus lifted the sack toward heaven, and gave thanks to the Father for the food … and for my faith. He then began to break the loaves into pieces, giving the pieces to each one of His followers to distribute to the people. They continued to carry the bread from Jesus to the people until everyone had received enough bread. 

Then Jesus did the same with the fish. After everyone had eaten as much as they wanted and they were all full, He said, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”(9) 

They filled twelve baskets to the brim with the leftover pieces of bread and fish. As the twelve baskets were set side by side, I looked up at Jesus and smiled. Yes, He had known exactly what to do! And I knew from that moment that I always would be able to trust Him! Jesus wrapped His arm around me and told me that He was proud of me. He told me that I had shown everyone there what it meant to have faith. And He told me to continue to trust Him by faith.

Just before He directed me to return to Shimon’s side, He said, “Tell your parents that Samuel and David are fine. The Father is watching over them, just like He is watching over you. You will see your brothers one day, and they will see you and your parents. It will be a great day of celebration! And I will be there as well. Until then, Jonathan, follow Me!”

Shimon and Simon walked me back to rejoin my father on the hill with our flock. They carried two of the baskets of bread and fish and gave them to my father for our family. Though my dad had seen what took place from a distance, he was still overwhelmed to see and receive the baskets of food. Shimon told him that Jesus’s miracle had all begun with my unselfish act. And he said everyone had learned from me that day. Then he said goodbye and returned to join the rest of the followers of Jesus.

I don’t know when I will see Shimon again or when I will next see Jesus. But I know that I will. It may not be in Chorazin; it may be in heaven … with Samuel and David. Because the One who stood before me … the One who had given me the gift of hearing and so much more … also gave me a promise. And I will trust Him with all that I have … and all that I am.

Excerpted from The One Who Stood Before Us, Ch. 16

Copyright © 2020 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

First published on kenwinter.org 17-Jun-20

(1)  Luke 9:12

(2)  Matthew 14:16

(3)  John 6:5

(4)  Mark 6:37

(5)  Mark 6:38

(6)  John 6:9

(7)  Matthew 18:3-4

(8)  John 6:10

(9)  John 6:12

Photo by Liz Masoner on Lightstock

Do Everything In Love

The apostle Paul closed his letter to the believers in Corinth with those simple words almost two thousand years ago – do everything in love!(1) And those words couldn’t possibly be more relevant to us today. The strength of the message not only lies in its simplicity; it lies in its completeness.

DO – It’s not a passive word; it commands action. It means we don’t just sit and watch; we get up and act. It’s not a reactive word; it’s a proactive word. We need to initiate. It’s not enough to simply agree. Now is the time to act.

EVERYTHING – It doesn’t leave anything out. It includes our words – those that we speak, those that we post, those that we tweet and those that we think. Now is not the time to be careless with our words. Words can divide. Words can offend. Words can inflame. But if we use our words carefully, they can unite. Instead of hurting with our words, we can bring healing with our words. Words can encourage. Words can build up, instead of tear down. 

But “everything” doesn’t stop with just our words. It includes our attitudes and actions. It includes what we are doing and what we are not doing. It means we can’t justify destructive behavior by claiming good intent. It means that our words, our attitudes and our actions must all be in alignment.

IN – If we are “in” something, we are surrounded by it. We’re not on the outside looking in. We’re not partially in and partially out; we’re fully committed. And if we’re not “in”, we are out. We can’t pretend to be in – we either are, or we are not.

LOVE – That brings us to the defining word. And Paul wasn’t talking about a love that is here today and gone tomorrow. He was talking about a love that 

is patient and kind; 

does not envy or boast; 

is not arrogant or rude;

does not insist on its own way; 

is not irritable or resentful; 

does not rejoice at wrongdoing; 

rejoices with the truth. 

 

It is a love that

bears all things, 

believes all things, 

hopes all things, 

endures all things.

 

It  never ends, and

It never fails!(2)

We would do well to heed Paul’s words – do everything in love!

(1) 1 Corinthians 16:14

(2) 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Photo by Dewang Gupta on Unsplash

Who Is My Neighbor?

“The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”(1) Some things never change: “The man wanted to justify his actions.” That practice goes back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve sinned, and they tried to justify it! And we have been trying to justify our sin ever since! What sin? Every sin – including the sin of racial bigotry, ethnic discrimination and inhumanity against our fellow man.

Over the past week, we have been bombarded with tragic reminders of the continuing destruction that results from the sin of racial bigotry and ethnic discrimination. But it didn’t just start in recent weeks, it goes back hundreds of years in this nation, and thousands of years in human history. Each one of our previous generations has made its own feeble attempt to ignore, deny, justify or even advocate for its existence. But as we have again been reminded this week, it is still with us in all of its destructive ugliness. Pastor Tony Evans has been quoted to say, “Racism isn’t a bad habit. It isn’t a mistake. It is sin. The answer is not sociology, it’s theology.”

The religious leader who asked his question to Jesus had no interest in changing his own behavior. Rather, he was seeking justification for his sinful behavior. Interestingly, Jesus responded with a story that spoke to the very heart of the sin of bigotry, discrimination and false justification. 

By the way, Jesus never said that this story was a parable. It could very well be an actual occurrence in the life of one or more of the people that Jesus was addressing at the time. Don’t forget, Jesus knew everything about everyone who was within the sound of His voice. The same Jesus, who more than likely had written in the dirt the secret sins of the religious leaders who had brought forth the woman caught in adultery, was able to use actual events in the lives of some of those within the sound of His voice to teach a truth. Perhaps it was an experience straight out of the life of the religious leader who had asked the question. Perhaps it is an experience straight out of our lives!

The enmity between the Jews and Samaritans went back hundreds of years. They had justified it through their religious beliefs. They had passed on their hatred from one generation to the next. The hatred had become so intense among the Jews that the Pharisees were known to pray that no Samaritan would be raised at the resurrection. And Jewish boys learned at a young age that if you really wanted to insult or belittle someone, you would call that person a Samaritan.

You know how the story goes. A Jewish priest and Levite both pass by a Jewish man who has been robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of a road. It is a Samaritan who stops and has compassion on him. The Samaritan shows love to someone who very probably hates him because of his ethnicity. He risks his own life by stopping on this dangerous road and he spends money out of his own pocket to care for him. And he wasn’t seeking any credit or honor for what he was doing. Instead, he felt compassion and “showed him mercy.”. There was no earthly reason for him to do what he did – giving of his time and his resources – without expecting anything in return.

The story was in response to the religious leader’s question. And the question had been in response to what Jesus had previously said: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”(2) The Samaritan didn’t do for the Jew what the Jew had done for him. He didn’t do it because he thought the Jew would do the same for him. He did it because that’s what “loving your neighbor as yourself” means.

Loving your neighbor doesn’t only mean that you don’t hold enmity toward another person because of their race or ethnicity. Loving your neighbor also can’t be passive. The religious leader had wanted to have an intellectual discussion about “who is my neighbor?” Jesus forced him to consider one in need. How easily do we talk about abstract ideals and never personally provide any practical help? Getting involved personally will require getting your hands dirty. It will require allowing yourself to be inconvenienced. And there’s always the possibility that your effort won’t be appreciated. The “expert” wanted to make the issue philosophical; Jesus made it practical! 

Our response to the issues of racial and ethnic discrimination also cannot be philosophical; it must be practical. Earlier this week I listened to the heartfelt response of Pastor Bryan Loritts on a podcast as he outlined three key areas where our response must be seen:

It begins in the family. Racism is a learned behavior. If you want to eradicate it, dads, moms, you have to see yourself as the tenured professor of your home and you’ve got to teach and disciple your kids into a healthy anthropology that sees and bestows dignity on everybody and refuses to treat people less than or greater than because of the color of their skin. 

Also, it’s government. …We don’t put our hope in government…. We want to leverage government to enact just laws…. The problem is government can change laws; it can’t change hearts….

So, thirdly I would say the Church. … We’re not just dealing with behaviors. We’re not just dealing with expressions. We’re dealing with the essence; and the biblical perspective says, ‘I do racist things because I have a bad heart.’ If I want to really root that out, I can’t just deal with your hands. I’ve got to deal with your heart…..

The picture we see of the Church in the Bible is people from every language, people, tribe and nation gathered around the throne worshiping God. And we can’t be sending out missionaries from our churches to see that accomplished around the globe if it’s not happening in our churches at home. Our churches need to be an example of people of all races and ethnicities coming together as “neighbors” in proximity and empathy with one another, as together we present our worship to the God who created us all.

It is long past the day that we need to draw the line in the sand and say we will no longer walk past the one lying on the side of the road. We will no longer justify our sin. Rather, we will repent of our sin and love our neighbor as ourselves – all of our neighbors!

Portion excerpted from Walking With The Master, Ch. 47

(1) Luke 10:29

(2) Luke 10:27

Mile Markers

Mile markers along the side of the road can be very helpful – particularly when you are on an extended journey. They can help you keep track of where you are in your journey and the progress you have made. They can provide you with a reference point for something you saw or experienced along the way. They can sometimes help you get a better view of what may be coming up ahead. And they can help you keep the longer view versus the myopic view of only that which is immediately in front of you.

Mile markers are helpful in all kinds of ways – but not only on physical journeys. Mile markers can also be very helpful on our spiritual journey. This week has marked two notable mile markers for me. One was 24,000, and the other was 29. 

i have now been alive more than 24,000 days! Yes, i celebrated the 24,000th day since my birth this week! No cards or balloons, please! That’s what the COVID-19 quarantine will do for you – cause you to explore the most random of things! That revelation prompted my son-in-law to pull up the timeanddate.com site and check the equivalent for the other members of our family. i will let them tell their own discoveries – but i will tell you that my youngest grandson was celebrating his 283rd day – which, of course, made a big impression on him!

i am not going to compute the hours, minutes or seconds equivalent of 24,000 days because my fingers and toes will not allow me to count that high! But … i am mindful that each and every one of them is a gift from the Lord. And i don’t know how many days – if any – still lie ahead in my journey, but i will trust that God has ordered my days however many there may be – from beginning to end! He knew what each and every one of those days will hold for me – just as He does for you – from before we were born.

We are children of the sovereign and almighty God. He created us for His purpose. Long before we were born, He knew the plans He has for us – plans to give us a future and a hope – and He still knows! (Jeremiah 29:11) That’s why the writer of proverbs could say with confidence, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

My second mile marker this week was that i am now 29! Now some of the math whizzes have already confirmed that there is no way i can be over 24,000 days old and 29 years old! And you would be correct. However, the “29 years” represents my “re-birth-day”. Don’t let my gray hair and follically-challenged head fool you. In “re-birth” years, i’m a millennial! On this day in 1991, i surrendered my life, and fully entered into a personal love relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. 

Many of you know my story. i had “prayed a prayer” when i was six years old at a Bible Club meeting in the basement of my grandparents’ home. i had “walked the aisle” at a citywide evangelistic crusade when i was ten. Soon after, my pastor “baptized” me at the church my family was attending. To the best of my knowledge, i had “done” everything that i was supposed to “do” to know that i was “saved”.

There was only one flaw in my thinking. i had missed the whole truth of the gospel! You see, i thought the gospel was all about me! Don’t misunderstand me – i knew that God had paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sin through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son. And i knew that it was a sin debt that i could not pay. But you see, i viewed it as all about me – my sins being forgiven, and my eternal destiny being assured. Now don’t misunderstand me, both of those statements are truly by-products of salvation – but they are not God’s primary purpose. God’s ultimate purpose is not about us – it’s about Him! His purpose and plan for our lives is for us to walk in a love relationship with Him – expressing our worship of Him and being used by Him to bring glory to His name. 

Think of the picture that John describes in the Book of Revelation – as he describes the multitude from every tribe, tongue and nation gathered around the throne of God worshiping Him. Look in the book of Genesis – before sin entered the picture. The Lord God walked about the garden with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. It was a picture of a loving relationship between the Creator and His creation. A relationship that was destroyed by sin. A relationship that Jesus came to restore – and to restore not solely for the hereafter – but also for the here and now.

Jesus made the way – not so we would just pray a prayer and move on – He made the way for us to walk in the fullness of the relationship for which God created us – to love Him, to honor Him, to worship Him, to glorify Him – with our whole heart, soul and mind. And yet somehow i had cheapened it, as if it represented some type of eternal life insurance policy for me – redeemable upon my death. 

On the days leading up to May 26, 1991, the Lord had been opening my eyes to the truth that i had settled for so much less than He was offering. i had leaned on my own understanding and settled for a consumer’s imitation of the truth. i had settled for worthless talk and godless behavior. i had settled for a consumer’s Jesus who saved me from what i deserved but was okay with me living my life my own way as i saw fit. 

But, on that day, the Lord brought me face-to-face with the truth that “if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21) God had created us to be vessels for His honor, sanctified and useful by Him for His purpose and prepared, as we walk with Him, to be used by Him for every good work. He created us to walk with Him – not for our purpose but for His. He saved us from our sin so that we could walk with Him – yes, in the cool of the evening – but also in the heat of the day and the darkness of night. He saved us to worship Him – not with a portion of our being – but with our all. So, on that day twenty-nine years ago, i turned it all over to Him – and on that day (as Jesus described it to Nicodemus in John chapter 3), i became reborn.

i share this with you as one who is grateful to my LORD that He didn’t give up on me. He actively pursued me – and in many ways, He still does. Because i know that apart from Him i can do nothing. i really had nothing to give Him – nothing to bring Him. It’s all by His grace. So, on this day, with those two mile markers clearly in my view, i just want to thank Him – praise Him – and worship Him through this feeble attempt to express my love for Him.

And my hope and prayer is – no matter the mile markers that are in your view right now – you too can look at them knowing that you too have come to that place – trusting the One who knows the plans He has for you – plans to give you a future and a hope!

Photo by Jake Blucker on Unsplash