Some Won’t Get It

Have you tried to teach someone something and they just didn’t get it? Were you frustrated with them? Did you attempt to use a different approach or analogy? Were you finally effective in getting your point across? Do you know people who won’t believe the gospel?

Teaching can be a challenge. We have some students who need to learn one way and others who learn another. Some learn simply by hearing and writing. Others learn through visual aids. Still others learn by physically doing. As teachers, we need to discover how our students learn.

Telling others about the gospel is no different. Sometimes we need to merely speak of the gospel, tell the stories of Jesus, and state why He came for the person we are speaking with to understand. In other cases, we need to speak of history, prophecy, and present archeological evidence for them to understand and believe. We may need to use pictures, graphs, and timelines to get them to understand.

We may be discouraged when someone we want to accept the gospel simply does not understand or will not believe. We should not beat ourselves up. As Paul tells the Corinthians, it is Satan and our culture that will keep them from understanding. They have submitted to the influence of popular belief rather than believing the Word of God.

Unfortunately, it is their failure to believe the gospel and accept Christ as their Savior that will be their demise. Our hearts may ache for them. We may be distraught because they are a family member. Yet, we cannot forcibly cause them to believe. What can we do? Pray that God changes their heart. Ask him to send his Spirit to work on them from the inside out. We can continue to plant the seeds and pray that God gives the growth.

I pray we all continue to teach the gospel. I pray we try to understand how to reach different types of people. I pray each one of us will plant seeds and ask God to give the growth. Teach others the gospel. Use different methods. Plant the seeds of the gospel. Ask God to give the growth.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The Beloved

Have you ever tried to learn something new? Was it at school? Was it for work? How long did it take you to learn it? Did you read through it multiple times to commit it to memory? Was there a specific number of times you had to read it to retain the information?

Learning something new can be difficult. I have had to learn many new things as I’m sure each of you have. As I was learning material to pass a project management test, I was told I needed to read the material three times to retain. I did that and passed the test.

Often, when things are repeated, we become upset at the person repeating the information. Yet, I have seen teachers say something, stomp their foot, and repeat it, letting the students know they would be tested on that specific point later. If the student wrote that information down, it would be the third time hearing or writing the information. It gives them a better chance of retaining it.

We all need to be reminded of information from time-to-time. It is no different with Biblical information. We need to be reminded of the stories. We need to read them again. In some ways, it is like revisiting our own history, remembering something we learned as a child or during a different time of our lives. It becomes special.

God often repeats himself in the Bible. It is no different when it comes to Jesus. God repeated at the transfiguration what he had said at Jesus’ baptism—he calls Jesus his Son and his Beloved. At the transfiguration, God tells the three apostles with Him to listen to Him. It is both a command and great advice. Something we should do as well.

I pray we all read the Bible multiple times. I pray we revisit the stories we know and reread them. I pray each one of us will listen to Jesus, following His commands and His advice. Read the Bible. Read your favorite stories. Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus’ commands. Follow His advice.

Mark 9:7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

Amazing Vision

Are there historical figures you would like to see? Are they great leaders? Are they wonderful poets and writers? Are they trailblazers who reach new heights? Would you love to see heroes of the faith? Can you imagine speaking with them? What would you say?

Think about meeting George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Imagine a conversation with Mark Twain or Louisa May Alcott. Consider the stories the Wright brothers or Sojourner Truth could tell. Would you be in awe meeting and speaking with them?

Now, take a moment to consider being one of the apostles with Jesus when suddenly transfigured before their eyes and became so bright white they could hardly look at Him. Then Elijah and Moses appear out of thin air and begin talking with Him as though they have been friends for ages. What a spectacle that would be!

It is rare to see people who are making history, who are busting through glass ceilings, who are blazing a trail into a new field or work. It is even rarer to see people of great faith who are doing wonderful things for God. We have a choice when we witness them. We can sit back and watch. We can denigrate and despise them. Or we can support them and join the work.

The apostles had already joined Jesus and had witnessed another reason to stay with Him and support Him. They would carry this amazing vision with them into their ministry after Jesus left them. We, too, can share this vision with them. We can be amazed at what God can do. We can be inspired to follow Jesus and strive to further His work on this earth.

I pray we all are inspired to work with Jesus. I pray we are amazed at what God can do and has done. I pray each one of us will follow Jesus and seek to carry out His work on earth. Be amazed at God. Be inspired by Jesus. Seek to do His work. Know that He has called you. 

Mark 9:2-4 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Wait, Hope, Remain

Do you like to wait? What have you put your hope in? What does it mean to you to remain or to be steadfast? Have you grown weary? Do you need to be reenergized? Are you holding on to your faith and putting your hope in God?

We don’t like to wait. Sometimes our hopes are nothing more than mere wishes. It is challenging to be steadfast and hold on to our principles. We grow tired of the constant battle. We need a new source of energy and determination.

If we are going about our daily tasks in our own strength, growing tired and weary will happen. We only have so much stamina, regardless of our desire, education, and training. Sooner or later, we will crumble like a dried-out potato chip.

It is only as we remain in God that we gain the new energy we need. The word “wait” in the third line can be translated as wait for, hope, or remain. In other words, the prophet was stating so long as we put our faith in God and stand strong in our belief, God will renew us. We release our timeline and follow God’s. We give up our will to follow his.

God answers our plea for help, even if he does not answer in the way we prefer. Though we live in a world filled with chaos, hate, discord, prejudice, and abuse, we can rise above the fray. It is in our submitting to him that we can truly soar above the chaos on wings like eagles. It is in our submission that we can live the abundant life Jesus said He came to give us.

I pray we all seek to remain in God. I pray we give up our will to be in his. I pray each one of us will wait for the Lord by putting our faith and trust in him. Remain in God’s will. Put your hope in him. Wait for God to show the way. Have your strength renewed. Soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths will faint and be weary, 

and the young will fall exhausted; 

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles, 

they shall run and not be weary, 

they shall walk and not faint.

Have You Heard?

Today’s questions come from our Scripture passage. Take a moment and read them first. They are rhetorical questions. The prophet Isaiah knew the Israelites knew, heard, been told, but may not understand. We are in the same boat today.

We have heard about God. In fact, there is a growing curiosity among the young, the very young. Children in school are asking questions. We have even seen a few cases in the news or courts in which teachers have been accused of bringing up the subject of God…falsely.

Children are curious by nature. They are sponges who soak up everything they hear. It is their parents who may not want to know about God. Why? They had a bad experience with someone in the church. You know? That can happen in Walmart, Home Depot, or Kohls. They don’t stop shopping at those stores because they had one bad experience. Yet, they will stop going to church for that reason.

Isaiah has the same situation on his hands. The Israelites had been led astray. They had worshiped idols. They had turned to evil. They also had been taken into captivity as punishment for their sins as a nation. Isaiah is reminding them of God, who had chosen them. He is seeking to turn them back to God.

Sound familiar? We live in the same situation today. Perhaps we have not been taken into captivity by another country, but we are prisoners of our culture. We need to be reminded just as the Israelites need to be reminded. God is far greater than any ruler, person, or nation on this earth. We, like children who are curious, need to seek to know God better and build a close relationship with him.

I pray we all seek to know God better. I pray we seek to build a closer relationship with him. I pray each one of us will turn our hearts back to God and join his children to worship him together. Know God better. Build your relationship with him. Give God you heart. Be curious. Worship him together.

Isaiah 40:21-23

Have you not known? Have you not heard? 

Has it not been told you from the beginning? 

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, 

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; 

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, 

and spreads them like a tent to live in; 

who brings princes to naught, 

and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Fear the Lord

Do you seek to prove yourself to others? Are you a weightlifter? Do you want to be stronger physically? Do you seek to be stronger mentally? Are you seeking to have power or authority over others? Why do you seek strength or power? Is it to boost your self-esteem?

Humans have sought power for thousands of years. It may be physical strength or mental strength or political power. We often seek it to outperform or to rule over others. Physical strength is rewarded with trophies and medals. Winners are put on a pedestal.

Those who seek power often desire to tell others what to do. It may be in our workplaces or in the political arena. Though many seek that power to make things better, many also seek it out of personal ambition, seeking personal glory. We seek the power for selfish reasons. But that does not please God.

The Psalmist tells us that God is not impressed by physical strength. And why should he be? He is the one who has given us the strength we have. We are to recognize that God has given us the body we have and give him thanks for it. Realizing God has blessed us to be who we are is a step in the right direction. Thanking him and using the talents he has blessed us with for his glory is the next step.

God honors those who fear him. Yes, that word means to be afraid. We may balk at that based on what we have been taught. Yet, it makes sense. When we realize the awesome power God has, we should be afraid. Our fear should cause us to submit to him and put our hope in him, since we also know he has our best interest at heart. Putting our hope in him and loving him because of his power and love for us is what pleases God.

I pray we all recognize God’s awesome power. I pray we submit to him. I pray each one of us will put our hope in him and love him with our whole heart. Recognize God’s power. Know that you cannot impress him. Submit to his will. Put your hope in God. Love God as he loves you.

Psalm 147:10:11

His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 

nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;

but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Communicate Well

How well do you communicate across generations? If you are a few decades old, can you speak the language of the teenager? If you are a teenager, can you speak the language of the elderly? Is it important to you to be able to communicate across generations?

Communication is the key to relationships. If communication is poor, the relationship will be poor. It does not matter if we have wonderful things to offer, if we don’t communicate well. That applies to generational and cultural differences in communication.

The Apostle Paul knew that communication was important to building relationships. He knew that building relationships was how he could spread the gospel. He states in today’s passage that he became all things to all people, so that he could save them through the gospel. He made it a priority to learn to identify with and communicate with people of various backgrounds.

We would do good to learn this lesson from Paul. Learning to communicate with different generations and cultures will allow us to build relationships, which can lead to spreading the gospel and saving people. After all, each of us has been given the great commission, even if we are not all evangelists.

This may mean learning to speak with people we work with in a way they understand our meaning. It may mean we learn cultural values, so we can effectively relate to their situation. It certainly means we must set aside our own preferences, put ourselves in the other persons shoes, and have conversations that are meaningful to them. If we are unwilling to do that, we are unwilling to carry out Jesus’ command to spread the gospel.

I pray we all decide to learn to communicate with all people. I pray we seek to understand their culture and language. I pray each one of us desire to spread the gospel effectively to all people. Learn the language. Learn the culture. Seek to understand. Spread the gospel. Save people.

1 Corinthians 9:22b-23 I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Obligation

What obligations do you have? Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of them? Have you taken time to list your obligations? How many of them are obligations and how many are things you want to do? Do you know you have an obligation to God?

Our to-do lists may be longer than our arms. We may be so busy we feel we cannot take time to list all we need to do. Our list is maintained in our heads, which leads to us forgetting to do something. We feel overwhelmed, which can lead to depression.

Despite what many may think, as a pastor I understand. My wife has said I am busier now than when I worked as an enterprise architect for a large IT company. She is 100% correct. Unless you are a pastor or married to one or a child of one, you don’t fully comprehend all they have on their plates. The work is never done, even though they often work ten or more hours per day.

There are many jobs like that. It is especially true the higher in management you ascend. By the time you reach middle management, forty-five-to-fifty-hour weeks become normal. On top of that, there are family commitments. Throw in vacation and recreational events, and there is no time left for personal time.

Yet, just as Paul states he is obligated to proclaim the gospel, so are we. We call it the great commission. It is the commission Jesus gave the apostles…and to us. Why does Paul carry out his obligation? So that the gospel is given free of charge (1 Corinthians 9:18). We should have the mindset of Paul. Bringing eternal life to others without looking for any return other than the joy of seeing people come to Christ and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior.

I pray we all seek to fulfill our obligation to God. I pray we prioritize our to-do lists to we can spread the gospel. I pray each one of us will set a goal to bring at least one person to Christ every year. Fulfill your obligation to God. Spread the gospel. Bring someone to Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!

Dedicate Yourself to Prayer

How often do you pray? What priority do you place on prayer? Do you pray every day? Do you pray multiple times per day? What are your prayers composed of? Do they include thanksgiving? Do they include praise? Or are they only composed of wants?

Prayer should be an important part of our daily lives. Often our prayers include our wants. We ask for healing of a loved one or ourselves. We ask God to guide us in the search for a job. We may occasionally thank him for specific blessings or answer to our requests.

There is nothing wrong with making requests of God. In fact, Jesus tells us to make our requests. He even states that anything we ask will be given to us…if it is in accordance with God’s will. That “if” can be a test of our faith. We wonder why God doesn’t heal a loved one. We may even blame him for the person being ill. We must remember that God does not cause the illness, we live in a broken world. But he also may choose not to heal the person for a reason we do not understand…yet.

But how dedicated are we to prayer? We see Jesus got up early to spend time in prayer with the Father. This after a long night of healing people and casting out demons. He knew that He must rely on the Father to guide Him along the path laid out for Him. He knew He needed to submit to the Father’s will to be the perfect Lamb of God.

We, too, need to dedicate time for prayer, for conversation with the Father. It is in our conversations with the Father that we grow our relationship with him. It is through conversation we gain an understanding of who God is and what he desires for us and how we fit into his will. Through our dedicated conversations with him our prayers become more in line with his will, and we see more of our prayers answered the way we want because our will is the same as his.

I pray we all dedicate time to be in conversation with God daily. I pray we seek to know God’s will. I pray each one of us will align our will with God’s will and our prayers become more effective. Dedicate time for prayer. Spend time in conversation with God. Align your will with his.

Mark 1:35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

Healing Touch

How special is touch to you? Does it bring you comfort when you are sad? Does a hug from a family member bring you joy? Does it depend on who is touching you? Do you consider touch part of being sociable with others? Do you consider touch to be part of healing?

Touching can bring us great joy. It can provide us comfort when needed. Generally speaking, we all need human touch. Of course, it should be the right touch at the right time. When it is, it can be healing for our soul. It can be an expression of caring and love.

Touching is far more a part of our lives than we realize. Whether it is holding hands or a caring caress, patting someone on a shoulder or a playful slug to the shoulder, a handshake or a sportsman’s hug. Touching occurs throughout our daily lives.

Touching is especially important when we seek to comfort one another. Praying with someone who is sick typically includes holding their hands. When someone is grieving, we often hug them and allow them to cry on our shoulder. It is often the touch that provides the healing we need.

Have you noticed that most of the healings Jesus performed include touch? Today’s passage is just one example of how Jesus touched someone and healed them. Jesus took Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand and her fever left her. It is the compassion of Jesus that comes through in His touch. Our compassion can also be reflected in our touch.

I pray we all express our compassion through touch. I pray we provide comfort through touch. I pray each one of us receive the healing touch of Jesus in our lives. Be compassionate. Comfort one another. Express your compassion through touch. Provide comfort with a hug. Experience the healing touch of Jesus.

Mark 1:30-31 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.