Kissed by the Spirit

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8 (NASB)

Our capacity to maintain peace and contentment in Christ, depends on how we invest our thoughts. It’s what scripture has always taught, and is now supported by scientific research. 

I’m sure I am not the only one who needs reminding of this principle. 

Investing thoughts is similar to investing money. If we invest our thoughts in negative, stressfull thinking, we will reap anxiety and stress which is damaging to both body and soul. If we invest our thoughts in gratitude, as the heroes and heroines of the bible did, we will reap a spiritual profit in return. 

A mind filled with gratitude can help us sleep better in the storm, pray calmly in a lions’ den, sing praises in a fiery furnace and slay our giants with a single stone. There is a truth found by uniting science and scripture to rewire our brain for the good.

God created our human bodies with chemical messengers that regulate our nervous system.

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter known as the “happy hormone.”It’s the brain chemical that brings us a sense of well being. Research has found that if we intentionally dwell on good times, good people, positive experiences, past and present, we will increase our production of Serotonin, which has a significant impact on mood. 

Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone.” When thoughts are  focused on negative or stressful experiences, it increases the production of Cortisol throughout our bodies. Prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol disrupts sleep patterns, suppresses the immune system, raises blood glucose levels and increases depressive symptoms.

There are medicines that block Cortisol, but we can choose to invest our thoughts on the good and the positive aspects of life, and produce more Serotonin. How we invest our thought life can help to maintain a sense of well being. 

God is the one who wired our bodies this way, but thankfully, science now confirms it. Scripture is “living and active” and pierces through the division of soul and spirit, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

(Hebrews 4:12)

If scripture has such an organic living effect on our soul and spirit,  it can surely help us overcome the negativity producing depression. Memorizing scripture has helped many people to stay positive in difficult times. One way to invest in good thoughts, is by reading or memorizing God’s word, which has a living and active effect on us.

One of my favorite verses to recite to myself in troublesome times is,

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4:13)

Our attitude is so easily affected by how we talk to ourselves. Research indicates that self-talk activates the brain’s reward system, and leads to improved mood and cognitive performance. By allowing the Holy Spirit to police our thoughts, we can speak to ourselves and inspire our faith with an attitude of gratitude. 

Whether we invest our thoughts in memorizing scripture, reading inspiring books, listening to music, or hearing faith inspired stories on Christian TV or radio, we can change our brain chemistry by finding good things to dwell on. 

I recently had a chance to put this into practice.

One brief, negative conversation can drag us down emotionally and leave a knot in the stomach, which happened to me one day. 

I prayed and tried to leave it in God’s hands, which is easier said than done. I felt grieved until later that same day, when I received a phone call from a friend who now lives in California, who was once my dog walker. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from her, and it turned out to be a therapeutic phone call. In some mysterious way, that call was like a healing balm sent from Heaven. I was overwhelmed with gratitude, and realized the knot in my stomach was complete gone afterward.

God knows that He wired us this way, which is why He inspired Nehemiah to say, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” 

(Nehemiah 8:10)

Paul knew it when he told us to find “anything”worthy of praise or excellence to be thankful for. The brain chemistry of investing our thoughts in gratitude for good things, is as old as the bible itself. God is telling us to think about whatever is right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent or worthy of praise.

Serotonin flows from happiness, and happiness flows out of gratitude, and gratitude doesn’t depend on having perfect relationships, good health, close families or financial security. It depends on how we manage our thoughts of gratitude.

Gratitude leads to confidence in a perfect God who is our steady anchor in a very unsteady world.

Scripture tells us that our true citizenship is in Heaven, which is an invisible kingdom that cannot be shaken. It’s a kingdom that dwells within us, giving us the resilience to do all things through Christ, who is our source of strength. 

We are unshakable people  because Jesus is unshakable and He lives within us.

Lord, thank you for the science that proves what your word has declared centuries ago. Help us to keep our thought life well invested, that we may dwell in your peace. Amen

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:20 (NAB)

Once in a while, I flip through radio channels, and hear an old song, that I forgot about. One day the old country hit song by Garth Brooks, was playing, called, “Friends in low places”. 

The song speaks of finding refuge in a favorite bar, hanging out with old friends, as the whiskey and beer chases all the blues and heart break away. 

As I listened, I thought of how friends who share our faith are  friends in high places, rather than low places. Based on what Jesus promised us, where two or three gather in His name, He is in the midst, and if He is in our midst, that puts us in very high places.

Every person who believes in Jesus is a brother or a sister, and through Him, we are one family. 

We are many parts but one body, as Paul told the first century church. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

We don’t need to think alike, or share the same opinions. We may have totally different styles of communicating and possess different gifts from one another, but if we worship one God, and share in loving His son, that makes us all friends in high places.

Each time we agree in prayer with other believers, Jesus is there among us, by His Spirit, which means that the most essential part of heaven is in our midst.  

So, our place of refuge is not a tavern, but any place where two or more can agree in prayer. The power is in our prayer, not the place, because Jesus will join us anywhere we go.

Whiskey and beer may chase the blues away temporarily, but only the blood of Jesus and the power of His Spirit can cleanse, renew and bring lasting peace. We could never earn all that is given to us by His grace and promise. Every  Christian friend is a friend in high places, through the power of prayer in Jesus’ name. 

Lord, thank you for friends in high places and the gift of your presence, who is with us everywhere, when we gather by faith in your Name. Amen

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am He,” Jesus said. 

When Jesus said, “I am He”, they drew back and fell to the ground.”

John 18:4-6 (NIV)

John’s gospel shares this unusual occurrence that preceded Jesus’ arrest. This is probably the most overlooked incident in the gospel during the arrest of Jesus. We get so focused on Judas and his betrayal that we miss out on these awesome details in John’s gospel. 

As the group of armed soldiers, Chief priests and Pharisees asked for Jesus of Nazareth, He answers them, “I am He”, and that group of  men instantly drew back and fell to the ground. How odd it was for the whole group to suddenly fall backward to the ground, when Jesus simply said, “I am He.”

It’s such a curious visual of the earthly powers of authority who gathered in numbers to arrest Jesus, armed with torches and weapons, and as they closed in on Him, those few words spoken knocked them off balance and they fell to the ground. It should have been embarrassing that the mere words of Jesus caused men of authority to have their knees buckle and collapse in His presence. They quickly stood back up but there is a spiritual significance in their falling down. 

The phrase that Jesus spoke to them was a divine phrase, going all the way back to Mount Sinai when God first called Moses to deliver His people from slavery. The phrase “I AM” was spoken before the first Passover lamb was ever slain, at the start of the miraculous Exodus story.

Jesus now spoke the same words with divine authority at the final Passover, knowing He was the Lamb of God, being led to the slaughter, once and for all. In that moment, power flowed from His mouth as it did from the fire of the burning bush on Mount Sinai, centuries earlier.

Jesus connected the old covenant to the new when He uttered the same words, “I AM,” as His divinity thundered into the souls of those men who came to arrest Him. They should have knelt in worship to Him, but instead, their ability to stand in His Presence was taken away for a brief moment.

The same words once filled Moses with reverence for a holy God who spoke to him from a fire. Jesus still says these words to all who believe in Him today. He is holy but describes Himself now as gentle and lowly of heart, asking us to learn from Him. 

(Matthew 11:29)

He brings comfort to our souls by whispering, “I AM here with you.”

We still fall in His presence, but in a different way. He meets us where we’re at, in whatever sorrow, doubt or fear that we may be struggling with. He invites us to let go and fall into His arms. It takes trust to fall into the arms of Jesus, and trust is not an emotion or a feeling, it’s a total surrender.

To fall into the arms of Jesus is to fall into the arms of love. Through all the worries and burdens of life, we may wonder at times if He is really with us and He still answers us by saying, “I AM”.  His words can still make knees buckle and strong men fall, but instead of falling to the ground, He invites us to fall into His loving and merciful arms that will hold us forever. 

Lord, we surrender our burdens to you and willingly fall into your arms, as you strengthen us to reflect your love and mercy to others. Amen

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

2 Samuel 9:7 (NIV)

This is a story which proves that God sees all the innocent victims of war and it stirs His heart with compassion. This story is about a young handicapped orphan, touched by God’s heart of mercy. He changed the boy’s destiny, giving him new life, hope and restoration. 

Mephibosheth was King Saul’s grandson, the son of Jonathan, who was David’s closest friend. The young prince was born perfectly healthy, until one day, King Saul and his son Jonathan were both killed in battle. The remaining royal family was scattered, and fled for their lives as the enemy raided the land. 

A nursemaid who cared for the young prince took his hand to flee the palace and escape, when he suffered a fall and broke both his legs. Mephibosheth was only five years old when he became a paralyzed and disabled orphan. The enemy confiscated all the wealth and land which was his by inheritance, so the young boy was not only handicapped and orphaned, but homeless as well. 

A family friend took Mephibosheth into their home, in a city called Lodebar. It was a city of total desolation after the war, and the very word, Lodebar, translates to  “Nothing”. So he was literally living in the land of “Nothing” as a nobody, who went from being a royal prince to a disabled pauper. It all happened through a series of events, which the little boy had no control of. 

Anyone who has ever lost their health, a loved one, a home, their income or even their sense of self worth, can probably relate to the misfortune of this young boy. We may know someone who needs some type of restoration, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or financial. 

Mephibosheth was completely helpless, left as a handicapped homeless orphan, but God is attentive to the prayers of the destitute, especially children. (Psalm 102:17) 

Eight years later, after David became King, he brought victory to his people and freed them from their oppressors, and finally there was a period of peace, prosperity and blessing during his reign. 

During this period, David wanted to show kindness to any surviving relative of his beloved friend, Jonathan, so he sent out a search party to find any of his surviving relatives. Mephibosheth was found in Lodebar, and brought to the king’s palace. 

Out of love for his friend, King David adopted Mephibosheth and restored the land due to him by inheritance, but most of all, he  restored his dignity. He lived in the royal palace for the rest of his life and dined with the King’s children. He went from prince to pauper, but restored to prince again, as an adopted son of King David.

God is our King, who searches for all those who feel like they are living in the land of Nothing, as a nobody. He has also prepared a place for all His children in a heavenly kingdom, seating us at His table, as His own beloved sons and daughters.

Until that Heavenly banquet, God has given us a purpose to fulfill. We are a part of His search party to seek and find all those who feel like nobodies living in a land of Nothing. We are to go out on the highways and the byways, showing His kindness and bringing dignity to others, by inviting them to His banquet table. Whatever they have lost, can be restored by becoming joint heirs with His son, Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:17)

King David saw great worth in Mephibosheth, just as Jesus, our King, sees great worth in each of us, looking beyond our past or shortcomings. He restores our dignity, baptizes us into His family, and invites us to His banquet table. He even calls us by His name-Christians.

God loves us so much, that His heart’s desire is to restore us, as Peter once wrote,

“The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” 

(1 Peter 5:10)

Hidden within many bible stories and parables, God repeatedly shows Himself as a good King, a good Father, or a good Shepherd. He is always searching for the lost and the broken, who are living like nobodies in a land of Nothing.  

Lord, help us to live as children of the King, and to comfort those who feel like nobodies in this world, that they may discover your restorative love and grace. Amen

“In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35 (NAB)

Helping the weak and keeping  the words of Jesus in our minds was the advice of Luke, who wrote the book of Acts. Luke said that Jesus taught that it’s more blessed to give than to receive, but giving can involve things much greater than money. 

Our response to someone in the present moment might require the giving of our attention or our time, even when it’s inconvenient, which can be a greater gift than giving money. It’s easy to miss an opportunity that comes in the present moment, while we are driven to focus on where we need to go, what we have to do and who we need to see. In that driven state of mind, we might easily miss someone sent to us. 

The Spirit of God speaks to us through a series of moments throughout each day, sometimes by prompting us to notice someone who is otherwise, unnoticeable. God notices all people, and He desires to show mercy to each one, but He likes using people like us to do it.

A busy mother recently shared how she was on an errand in a grocery store with her young children beside her. Being pressed for time and checking her watch, an elderly stranger began to strike up a conversation with her. Her first thought was that she had no time for conversation, but then she took a moment to pause and give attention to her. She gave her time to listen to a kind lady who wanted to talk, and afterward, they were both blessed.

How often during a busy day, filled with errands and agendas, might we miss the person sent to us in a present moment? There will always be someone who we were meant to give something to, whether it’s our time, attention, a kind word or a gift. It’s what Jesus meant about reaping more when we give than when we receive.

Giving our time and attention to a person who is often overlooked could be the most generous gift they have ever received. Noticing those who usually go unnoticed, can bless them in a rich and lasting way. It’s all part of the lessons I’m learning through my visits at the Nursing home. 

One day last week while sitting at a table with the residents, one resident had his aunt visiting him. She bought him a can of soda from the vending machine, and then gave money to his friend who sat next to him, so that she could buy a can of soda too. A third person sitting with us already had their own beverage to drink, and I had brought a beverage from home. 

So, four out of five people sitting at the table now had beverages to drink, except a resident named Mary Beth, who was sitting next to me. As we were talking, she never asked for a beverage for herself. 

I couldn’t help but notice that she was left out, so I pulled $2 from my wallet and gave it to her, to buy herself a beverage. She was overwhelmed with gratitude over that $2, so much so, that she couldn’t stop thanking me for buying her a can of soda pop. It was as if I gave her a gift of great value. 

Although her gratitude seemed disproportionate to a small gift, it occurred to me that it wasn’t the money or the beverage that made Mary Beth so grateful. Knowing that she never receives any visits from family or friends, I think buying her a drink made her feel special in that present moment. 

That whole experience made me more aware of who is in my present moment, that might benefit from anything I can give, even if it’s only a smile, a kind word or a simple gift of a canned beverage. Like the stranger in the grocery store or any person who feels unnoticed, God sends them along our way, into the moments of our day, so that we can give them our time and attention in the spirit of God’s love.

Lord, remind us that it’s the little acts of kindness during the brief present moments of our day, that bloom into the biggest blessings for all. Amen

“Because he knows my name I will set him on high.

He will call upon me and I will answer;

I will be with him in distress;

I will deliver him and give him honor.”

Psalm 91:14-15 (NAB)

The words in this Psalm are spoken by the Lord, telling us if we know His name and call upon Him, He will answer and deliver us in the day of our distress. At the time the Psalmist was inspired to write this, he didn’t know the name of God or the name of the future Messiah. The Holy Spirit inspired David to write about a special name, which was not yet revealed. He had no idea that the holy name was “Jesus.”

God’s name has always been hidden throughout the history of the Old Testament. Moses heard the voice of God, and listened to His words in the flames of a burning bush, and on top of a thundering mountain, but God never revealed His name to him. When Moses directly asked God what His name is, He answered, 

“I AM who I AM.”

To this day, the most religious sects of Judaism consider it sacrilegious to say or write “God.”They refer to Him as the Most High or the Eternal One. In Jewish literature, His name is spelled 

“G-d”, omitting the middle letter, in reverence for the One who is too holy to write or even utter the word, God. They usually refer to Him as, “Hashem”, which means 

“The Name.” 

The Hebrew reverence for God’s unspoken name began in ancient Israel and remained a mystery for thousands of years, until the day something unprecedented happened. The “Most High” God visited a young Jewish virgin from Nazareth, named Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph. On that day the Spirit of Almighty God overshadowed her womb and she conceived the Messiah and Savior of the world, who is both human and divine. 

In one of the most incredible moments of human history, God revealed His holy, unspeakable name for the first time to that young Hebrew virgin girl. The angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her that the name of the divine son in her womb is Jesus, pronounced “Yeshua.”

It’s the holiest and most powerful name in the universe, because it belongs to the second person of the Trinity. When God became flesh, He revealed His sacred name to Mary first and then to Joseph, second. It’s the name above all names, never revealed to Moses, or to the holy prophets of old, nor to any of ancient heroes of Israel, like David, Samson, Gideon, Joshua or King Solomon. 

It’s just like God to first announce the name of His only beloved Son, to a poor and humble young virgin girl in Nazareth. 

Since then, the name of Jesus has been revealed to the rest of the world. Jesus told everyone who believes in Him to ask anything in His name and He will do it. He encouraged us to keep asking, seeking and knocking in His name, because the bible says there is no other name given among men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Since that day, God’s name is no longer kept secret, and He doesn’t need to be called by vague titles like Hashem, I AM, Eternal One or the Most High. The name of Jesus is a gift to the entire world, and has been openly shared with all generations as well as those yet to come. Jesus stands ready to intercede for any person who calls upon Him, because He is the divine Mediator, the One who brings all of mankind back to His Father. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Jesus healed and delivered many people in the three years of His ministry, and those people had no profound or wise answers to give the Pharisees when they were questioned. They only knew that they were once blind, crippled, lame, deaf or spiritually bound, but were made whole by a man named Jesus. Knowing His name was enough back then and it’s enough for us today as well. 

The once nameless God who spoke to Moses in a fiery bush and a thundering mountain, has transcended Sinai’s stone tablets, putting His law in our hearts and His name on our lips. God is with us in our distress, when we keep His name on our lips. 

David didn’t know the name of Jesus, but it was revealed to us. Now we can trust Him to comfort, protect, heal, deliver, forgive, save and direct us, while blessing us with His peace, all in His name.

Lord, thank you for the precious gift of your name, Jesus. Invoking your name gives glory to God, showers us with mercy and brings a part of Heaven to earth. Amen

“And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Mark 5:34 (RSV)

In most gospel accounts of healing, a sick person was brought to Jesus, because their healing was usually initiated by friends or family. A paralytic had good friends, who made a hole in the roof to lower him down to Jesus, because of the size of the crowd. Parents brought their children to Jesus, or invited Him to come to their home to heal them. Everyone had someone in their life, who played a supportive role in their healing, which is what a faith community is for. 

It’s a blessing to have the support of family and friends, but there are going to be times in everyone’s life, when our problems still leave us feeling isolated or alone. The woman with the hemorrhage was completely alone, but determined in her effort to see Jesus and receive healing. Having no one to bring her to Him, she inspired herself, saying, “If I but touch His clothes, I shall be cured.” 

(Mark 5:28)

Scripture doesn’t explain her situation, or why she came to Jesus alone. We are only told that she suffered with a hemorrhage for twelve years, so she had to be physically weak. According to Jewish religious law, her condition would make her unclean to touch or be near. By all those factors, she was a stranger, alone, untouchable and very weak. As if that wasn’t enough, she needed to find a way to get through the dense crowd, in order to touch the edge of Jesus’ clothing.

She was different from the rest of the crowd, believing that she only needed to touch the fringe of His garment, to be healed. She had self directed faith, without a single friend or relative to help her out.

There will be times in our life that, although we have family and friends, we still need to exercise our faith alone. In those moments, we need to inspire and direct ourselves to trust in Jesus. We may need to go to church alone, go to the doctor alone, pray alone, have medical tests alone, or troubleshoot various problems alone. 

It is in those times, that we must speak faith to ourselves, by touching Jesus, which is the kind of persevering faith, that unleashes the divine power of God.

With all that she was dealing with, the woman could have easily allowed herself to withdraw and indulge in self pity. She could have prayed, but sat alone, waiting to see if Jesus would ever notice her, but instead, her actions initiated her miracle. 

The woman in this story pushed through a crowd, reaching out with all of her strength, and unleashed His power of healing, before Jesus ever laid eyes on her. 

One unnamed woman, caused Jesus to abruptly stop walking and look around. She touched the hem or fringe of His garment, and a surge of power went out from His body to hers. He turned to the crowd and asked who touched Him. When He met her and learned her story, He was impressed with her faith, calling her “daughter”, and telling her that her faith has healed her.

Jesus could feel power leave His body, but in His humanity, He had no knowledge of who touched Him. In His divinity, He knew that healing power went out from Him, at that precise moment. As I read this, it made me wonder how faith caused power to leave His body and heal hers. It’s amazing that it all started by speaking faith to herself. She had self directed, persevering faith which led to action, and unleashed the divine power of healing.

Maybe we should always be speaking faith to ourselves. Jesus called her daughter, though He wasn’t old enough to be her father. He was reminding us that we are all sons and daughters of our Father, in Heaven, who we pray to with confidence because He loves us.

Jesus praised her, which teaches us that even when we feel weak or alone, God’s love is enough for us. As we motivate ourselves with words of faith, we unleash His power to receive a miracle. Jesus is also saying to us, “Your faith has healed you, Go in peace.”

Lord, give us the courage to speak faith to ourselves, to continue to reach out and receive a miracle. Amen

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Jeremiah 31:3 (RSV)

God’s love for us is what motivates Him to remain so steadfast in faithfulness towards us, even when we are not. Everything God does for us is out of love. Jeremiah wrote so many wonderful scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

Just like Jesus, Jeremiah hoped to stir the hearts of people to return to God, but instead, both men suffered ridicule, public disgrace, arrest, and imprisonment. During Jeremiah’s time, the nation was in a crisis and God called him to speak His words to the people. He said things that were profound but also brought him to tears, which is why Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet.”

He lived during a time of political instability and extreme moral decay. His nation was under the threat of Babylonian captivity, and though his words were mostly ignored, the influence of his writing was much greater after Jeremiah’s death. Some of the most hope filled and beautiful verses in scripture came from this weeping prophet, whose tears bore much fruit later on.

God told Jeremiah that He loves us with an everlasting love. His book is a book filled with words of hope, promises of restoration, and descriptions of the complexity of human nature. 

God inspired Jeremiah to write about His unwavering love and good plans for each of us, saying “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) 

It was through Jeremiah, that God promised the Israelites, who lost their faith and turned to idols, that He would make a new covenant with them and renew their faith. God loves prodigal nations as much as prodigal children. How is such love and mercy even possible, considering the faults and faithlessness of His chosen ones? 

It’s possible only because God sees great worth and value in each one of us, even if we cannot see it in ourselves or others. He speaks to individuals for years in subtle ways, though it may not click within them until later in their lives. God keeps pouring His abundant grace upon us all.

(Romans 5:20)

It reminds me of what Jesus said in Revelation to one of the churches, “Your last works are greater than the first.” Our last works are wherever we are today in our present state. God doesn’t dwell on the past, He is the ever present God of today. There are people who once might have been apathetic or lukewarm regarding devotion to Jesus, but they have had a renewal of faith, so that their current faith and works are greater than their earlier days.

Other people may have spent an entire lifetime, having worked, served, and loved Jesus, faithfully throughout the years. Through many trials God has produced a spiritual endurance within them. Because of this, it can also be said that their last works are greater than their first. Whether we are life long faithful believers or re-committed believers, we equally receive His love, mercy and faithfulness, simply because God is good. 

The Lord spoke to Jeremiah, about how highly valued we are in God’s eyes. He loves us with an everlasting love, and we could never do one thing to earn that kind of love, because it’s unconditional. No wonder Jeremiah wept so much.

If we could fully understand right now, how much worth and value God sees in each of us, we would probably collapse, overwhelmed with awe at such love, and weep like Jeremiah. It’s never too late to become who God meant us to be or where God meant us to be. He is a God of fourth quarter victories and last minute turn arounds in all lives.

The only thing that keeps some people from understanding the His steadfast love for them is pride or self hatred. A minister who counsels hundreds of depressed people each year, once said that pride and self hatred are fraternal twins, which coexist and trap people, fluctuating between the two. 

Jesus, however, is a chain breaker, and He breaks through the lies of self hatred and sets  captives free from pride. God sees our worth and our value in ways that we cannot see in ourselves, and which no other human person on earth will ever see in us. 

Lord, we thank you and praise you for your steadfast faithful love and the great value and worth you see in every human being. Amen

“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

Then Judas, the one who would betray him,said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Matthew 26:22,21 & 25 (NIV)

As often as we have heard these scripture passages from the Last Supper, read every year at Easter,  it never occurred to me that all the disciples except Judas, called Jesus “Lord”. Judas called Him “Rabbi” or teacher, which indicates that Judas knew Jesus as a teacher, but not as his Lord. 

I recently heard a Christian speaker say that Judas had his Christology all wrong. He had three years to learn, but he never grasped who Jesus really was. Christology is the study of who Christ is. Jesus was both God and man, based on what He said, such as, “I and the Father are one”, or “No one takes my life from me, I lay it down.” 

When we believe Jesus is who He said He is, we can surrender our lives to Him, trusting that only good will come out of it. A speaker once shared a prayer that he wrote, calling it a daily prayer of Permission and it goes like this:

‘Lord, I give you permission today to use me in any way you desire, and please give me the grace to see your hand in action, so I can give you all the glory. Amen’

I really liked the prayer and on the Monday after Easter, I prayed it for the first time, before heading to the Nursing Home. That day I was sitting at a table with two people and five other residents came and joined us. One of them started sharing his faith in Jesus who gave him strength to recover from a stroke.  I shared a bit of my own life story of faith, and before I knew it, Jesus became the center of our discussion for most of my visit. A few people quietly listened, but most shared their own faith in Jesus. I could see the effect of that prayer of permission, which I prayed that morning. Not every person is at the same place in the journey of faith, but God is still drawing them. His grace certainly surrounded that table and He was glorified through the conversation about His goodness.

Many people are finding out that Jesus is more than a betrayed Rabbi, who suffered at the hands of evil men, and was executed. They are recognizing that Jesus is not merely a good teacher or a prophet sent from God. He is the divine Son of God who willingly offered Himself for us, and He lives to draw more people to Him each day. The cross reveals the relentless love of God for the world and His resurrection assures us of the life changing power that He has given us. 

 He was Lord at His birth and He is our Lord today. Augustine said that to fall in love with God is the greatest human achievement, and when we live in His love and truth, we will gladly give Him permission to use us in any way He desires. 

Lord, we worship you in spirit and in truth, as the Lord of life who loves us with divine, unceasing and ever merciful love. Use us in any way you desire. Amen

“The Lord inhabits the praises of His people.”

Psalm 22:3 (KJV)

One day someone appeared to Joshua, calling himself the commander of the army of the Lord. He bowed in reverence before the Heavenly visitor, who proceeded to give Joshua detailed instructions to follow, that would lead to the fall of Jericho. 

Those instructions involved marching around the city after positioning the priests to carry the ark of the covenant, with the military forces at the front and back of the line. They were told to march around Jericho once a day for six days in silence, but on the seventh day, to march around the city seven times and then blow trumpets and rams’ horns, along with loud shouts of praise to God.

Joshua led the people to follow the instructions and afterward, the ground shook and rumbled, then opened up and the walls of Jericho collapsed straight down into the earth. The city was in the hands of the Israelites and they won the victory, not by their might, but by obedience, in marching, praying, blowing trumpets, shofars and shouting loud praises to God. 

As strange as this story sounds, the excavations done in the 1950’s support the biblical narrative of the Jericho walls. Archaeologists found evidence of walls that collapsed straight down into the earth, instead of falling outward. Both the story and the remains of Jericho date back to around 1400 B.C.

The theme drawn from the Bible story of Jericho has always been that obedience and worship are the pathways to victory and of defeating our spiritual enemies, but there’s also a message about the variety of ways that God receives our worship. 

The Jericho march involved a prescribed number of days and times to march, having trumpets and rams horns prepared to blow at a precise moment, and the order to first march in silence for six days. All the while they carried the golden ark of the covenant, a relic and artifact representing God’s holy presence. On the seventh day, they erupted in loud shouts of praise, as the Heavenly visitor instructed Joshua and the people to do.

The Jericho march followed a definite ritual, and yet it shows us that worship is not limited to one form, but expressed in different ways. God cannot be put in a box, because he accepts all kinds of prayers, whether they are written or spontaneous, repetitive or spoken once, in silent, meditative reverence or accompanied by instruments of music and loud shouts of praise.

There’s no whisper too silent, and no shout of praise too loud, to please God when it comes from a sincere heart. Most people tend to abide by the type of worship of the particular custom they grew up with. Different customs use different expressions of worship, but whatever style we worship in, God always looks at the heart. Even Jesus pointed out that a person may do everything that seems proper, yet their heart could be far away from Him. (Matthew 15:8) 

Thank God for reading our hearts.

I have a friend whose priest recently corrected her for saying “Amen” too quietly whenever she receives communion. She felt reprimanded for speaking softly.

The other side of that situation is a Pentecostal church, whose congregation is so loud with shouts of “Amen” and “Hallelujah” that visitors frequently complain of it being too noisy for a church service.

To all those complaints, I would just say that God is not deaf, and He’s not nervous either.  He accepts praise and worship that comes from a sincere heart, and at any decibel level. The Psalmist wrote that the Lord “inhabits” the praises of His people. When we worship God, He draws near to us, and the walls of doubt and fear  seem to collapse. Whether our hearts lead us to worship in silence or with shouts of praise, all forms of praise bring God closer to us because He inhabits praise.

The story of Joshua reminds us that there is a time to be still and quiet before God, and a time to shout or sing loud praises to Him. Sincere believers will adjust to worship however their heart leads them to, and no one knows the heart of a person, but God. We can express love and praise to God in any form or decibel level and His Spirit responds by being in our midst.

Lord, We praise and thank you for the many ways to express our love for you, and that you look at the heart of every person. With that we say, Hallelujah and Amen.