Coming Down From The Mountain...

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don't be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

(Matthew 17:1-9, NIV)

The story of the Transfiguration is a very familiar one to most of us that have grown up in church. Peter, James, John, went with Jesus to the mountaintop and saw something that just blew their minds. Jesus was transformed into his heavenly form and spent some time talking with Moses and Elijah, two very famous prophets from the Old Testament long since dead. It was such a great experience that Peter wanted to build shelters for each of them so that they could stay as long as they wanted, but the experience was over way too soon for them. The prophets left and Jesus returned to his earthly form. At that point, they headed back down the mountain, and that's the part I wanted to focus on.

You see, those three disciples just had an experience that no one would believe. I'm sure it stirred their hearts and ignited a passion they thought would never die. Sadly, just a short while later, these three, along with everyone else, left Jesus alone to die on the cross, denying they ever knew him. That time on the mountain top was quickly set aside and forgotten when the problems down below kicked in.

I've been following Derry's experience with his senior high group at their camp. I see such a fire in their eyes that they are ready to go out and change the world for His glory. I've been there, too, moved to action by a book, scripture, sermon, or concert...but all too often, the flame flickers out and dies as I get back into my normal routine and face all the problems, pressures, and temptations in my daily walk. Later on in this chapter Jesus says if we only had the faith of a mustard seed we could move mountains. Just imagine what we could do for Him if only a few of us had that kind of faith!

So, that's my prayer for today for myself and all those around me, including those campers: that we find fresh fire to renew our hearts for God, and that we keep that fire burning no matter what obstacles we face.

Here's hoping we don't forget about the mountaintop when life finds us in the valleys.

"Give Me A Sign!"

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

(Matthew 16:1-4, NIV)

"Just give me a sign!"

How many times have you prayed that? Come on, be honest....I know I've prayed this dozens and dozens of times. When I've been looking for direction I'll pray that God will give me the wet or dry fleece that He did for Gideon. When I feel I just need more time I'll pray that He'll stop the sun in the sky like He did for Joshua. When I'm lost I'll pray for a cloud by day and fire by night just like the Israelites did.

Life is hard, and most of us hate making decisions, especially ones that can affect our lives greatly and the lives of those around us. It's easy to pray for a miraculous sign from God, because that takes all the pressure off us. If we get it, great, and if we don't, we can blame it on God. It's a "win-win" for us, right?

Problem is, though getting a sign would be great, I think God's disappointed we're even asking, just like Jesus was disappointed with the Pharisees. Just like them, we've got all the information we need to make the right decisions in our hands. They had the Bible just like we do. To ask for a sign, I think, is to dismiss all the lessons and histories contained within that book. The Pharisees believed that if they could only see a miracle, a sign, that they would finally believe, but Jesus knew that no matter what He did, they would always find a way to blame or dismiss Him. Sadly, we're not much different today.

We know it takes faith to follow Jesus. Peter's walk on the water a few chapters ago showed us that...but we also need to read and study God's word. If you don't, it's like having the instructions to put together a model, but just winging it instead. You may end up with something that looks right on the outside, but I don't believe the foundation will be secure.

Here's hoping we stop praying for a sign and start reading about the ones He's already shown us.

The Latest On Me...

Really, still no news to report. As far as I know, my blood pressure is down to a safe level, and my platelets are up, but that can change from day to day. I still don't have an appointment for the biopsy yet, but I've been told that it will be a needle biopsy instead of the open biopsy, which will make recovery much easier. I do have an appointment with the nepharologist tomorrow, and I'm hoping to know more then. I guess I just need to have some patience, right? On the plus side, dialysis is going well, and I feel pretty good most of the time. So, that's it for now, thanks again for the prayers, note, cards, and calls...they really help brighten my days!

Playing "Hard To Get"..

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon‑possession.”

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

He replied, “It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.”

Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour."

(Matthew 15:22-28, NIV)

When you first read this passage, it's easy to get caught up in what seems to be a poor attitude by Jesus. I mean, He basically blew off her request three times, calling her a "dog" at one point in the conversation. He seems rude and unfeeling toward the woman, and it seems to go against all that we've been taught about Him...but on a second look, I think I see what His plan was.

I think Jesus knew all along what that woman wanted...I just think He wanted to know how much she wanted it. This woman had three chances to lose faith and walk away from Jesus, to accept defeat and leave in shame. Instead, she kept working and asking for Jesus to heal her possessed daughter. She was so persistent that the disciples basically asked Jesus to heal the kid so the woman would just be quiet and leave them alone.

Jesus told her that he came only for the Jews, but she did not quit. Jesus told her that she basically wasn't worth the time and effort, but she did not stop. In fact, she defended herself by telling Him that even the dogs got scraps from the master's table. Satisfied of her faith, Jesus granted her request and healed her daughter.

It's a great story, but you wonder if the disciples got the point. Instead of looking at the woman's great faith, persistence, and perseverance, they just were glad to have that chatterbox gone. You see, what I get from this passage is that God doesn't always hand us everything on a silver platter. Sometimes we have to work for it. Sometimes the road is rough and filled with many obstacles. Sometimes we see where He wants us to be and we give up before we even start, saying it's too hard and we just can't do it. I know, in my life, the greatest lessons I've learned and the closest I've felt to God have been on the other side of the great valleys and trials of my life. I don't think I would have learned the same lessons without those hardships.

Here's hoping God doesn't make it too easy on us today.

Keep Your Eyes On Him...

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.”

“Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

(Matthew 14:25-32, NIV)

I made some new friends yesterday.

After our small group finished our lesson, I went over and introduced myself to a new couple that came to our class. I quickly learned that this family had recently lost their 3 year old daughter tragically just a couple of weeks ago. I told them that I had been praying for them and I asked how they were doing....and I was blown away by their response.

I know they miss their little girl terribly, and I'm sure there are times when the grief is still fresh and heavy on their hearts, but the perspective they had on it was amazing. They were assured that she is in heaven and having a great time. They know God has a purpose in all of this, even if it's hard to see right now. They asked for an invitation to be given at her funeral, and a number of people accepted Christ, including one of his daughters. This turn of events hasn't broken them...in fact, it's set them on fire to share God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness with everyone they know, because they know all too well that today could be the last chance they have to share it.

As our conversation ended, God was working on me a little bit. I've been getting all kinds of praise for how I'm handling my health situation. I don't quite understand it, but I still appreciate hearing it, and it's easy to be prideful about it...but listening to my new friend speak, I realized that my faith is so small compared to his. I can't imagine losing one of my children and not being furious with God for quite a while. Just like Peter in the passage above, I just felt like God was saying "You of little faith...you think you've got it all, but you're not even close, my friend...if you really, truly had faith, there's nothing we could do."

God put this couple in our class yesterday for a reason...to show me a little perspective on my current situation, and to remind me that no matter where I'm at in my walk with Him, I've still got a long way to go. I'm thankful they were willing to follow His lead to share such a personal story of grief with someone they just met.

Here's hoping when the storms of life are raging, I can keep my eyes on Him.

"I Will Give You Rest..."

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30, NIV)

Is there anything better in life than watching a sleeping child?

One of my favorite things to do as a young parent was to rock my kids to sleep. Not only did you have the sense of accomplishment, but there was just something about watching that little bundle just snooze away. There's such a peace about their faces, and the quiet of the room just envelopes you. It's such an intimate time just between the two of you. My kids are getting older, but I still, from time to time, steal a glance at them while they're out at night. There's just such a simple beauty in seeing them rest peacefully.

I think God loves to watch us rest for the same reason. He knows how busy we keep ourselves, filling every possible moment with activities or work. He knows how worn out and frazzled we become trying to be everything to everyone all the time. He knows that this pace will overwhelm even the best of us over time, so like a good father He just waits for us until we wear completely out and finally climb up in His arms to be rocked to rest. He loves that time because it's just you and Him, nothing else pulling or pushing for your attention...just the two of you together.

I know it's hard to find that time in our daily schedules. We have to make time for it. We should never be too busy for Him, because He's never too busy for us. Not only do we need to rest physically, but spiritually and emotionally, too. Life can be pretty hard at times, and we all need a chance to re-charge our batteries.

Here's hoping you take some time to rest in His mighty arms today.