Yes Lord

I wonder how many times God has spoken to me and I missed it?   I want to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that when God tells me something I not only hear it but I jump and say yes.  In Acts 9 Saul was busy persecuting the church.  Jesus blinded Saul and sent him to a godly man named Ananias.  When Jesus called Ananias, he said "Yes Lord."  That is because he was used to hearing from God.  I have heard God's voice on many occasions.  Not audibly, but make no mistake, it was from God.  Do I always say yes Lord?  I'd like to say yes but I'm sure I have missed Him.  I want to hear more and see more.

Unless someone explains?

This week has been a crazy one.  My mother in law just got out of the hospital rehab yesterday so my writing has been limited.  Today I was studying in Acts 8.  Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel with an Ethiopian Eunuch.  I noticed a few things.  First, Philip allowed the Spirit to lead him.  Second, the Eunuch was reading from the Old Testament and had just come from worship.  This leads me to believe the Eunuch was seeking.  We need to always look for what God is doing in the lives of others.  What really struck me was when Philip asked the Eunuch what did the passage that he was reading mean?  In Acts 8:31 (NIV) it says, 

How can I, he said, unless someone explains it to me?

How many people are out there for us to explain what the Bible has to say?

All Things

Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I truly believe this.  But it isn't a quick fix.  God works all things but in his timing.  We are in one of those stuck times.  We had to move my wife's mom in with us 2 years ago.  To say it has been stressful has been an understatement.  She doesn't treat me badly but she is horrible to my wife who cares for her anyway.  She had to go to the hospital in extreme pain last week and we were afraid they were going to send her back with us and we weren't prepared for the condition she is in.  God did do a miraculous thing by getting her in a rehab hospital.  But she is acting crazy there.  We don't know what to do.  We are trying to honor God by caring for her but don't know if we can anymore.  Maybe the rehab will help.  It did last time.  But last time we saw vast improvement.  We have not seen any this time.  She looks pretty bad.   We physically and emotionally don't know how much we can do.  God will have to step in.  That is probably where he wants us anyway.

Follow

I've mentioned this many times on this blog for all one of you who read it that I read a lot of leadership books and listen to a lot of leadership podcasts.  I took an organizational leadership class this spring where the professor argued against leadership and more on followership.  I struggled with his view but have gone a little more to his side than before.  The reason is everywhere I read about Jesus calling his disciples he tells them to "Follow Him."  I don't see anywhere where Jesus said go be leaders.  In John 21, the disciples tried to go back to their old lives.  Jesus wasn't having anything with it because He called them to follow Him.   He had them haul in a huge load of fish.  To me, He was showing them that they would be fishers of men as He had told them before.  He also told Peter three times to follow Him.  He didn't tell him to lead.  He said to follow.  I realize when I'm leading Jesus can't.

Stop doubting and believe

Yesterday things looked pretty bleak.  We were told there was no way that our mother in law could go to rehab.  She had to have an epidural first.  But her doctor did not come to the hospital even though the buildings are connected.  We were going to have to bring my mother in law home without any way of caring for her in the condition she was in. 

The day before in my devotion time God told me she would not be coming home.  I don't know if that was permanent or just for a short time.  Then when we got the news she had to come with us I felt I missed what God had told me.  You can believe me if you want but I clearly heard him in my prayer time. 

Then my wife went to the hospital yesterday expecting to have to bring her mom home.  My wife is weary and we had no idea how we were going to care for her.  She needs an adjustable bed and we don't have one.  Then my wife called and said a miracle happened.  Somehow her doctor decided to take her in his office even though she needed to be free of antibiotics for a week.  Not sure what happened.  Also, rehab was taking her that night.

You can believe what you want but this was a miracle.  This doesn't solve all of our problems.   But God showed me that I need to stop doubting and believe.  We were told there was nothing that the doctors or hospital could do.  But God could.

Stuck

Ever felt stuck?  This week has been one of the hardest in the last 2 years.  Mother in law's health is getting worse.  Wife's job is in a demanding season.  Mother in law had to go to the hospital because she refused to let my wife take care of health concerns.  Hospital wants to send her home today.  We have no way of caring for her.  My issues with ministry are complicated.  Confused.  Not sure why God is allowing the things in my areas of ministry to go on.  Is God done using me?  I don't get it.  Not even sure why I'm bothering to do get D.Min and going to the other ministry school I'm enrolled in.  We were supposed to refinance the house the day my mother in law went into the hospital.  Maybe God doesn't want us to.  Maybe we are supposed to move.  Need wisdom.

Greater Things

I haven't blogged much this week because I just finished a 17-page research paper for my D.Min.  But I have been writing and keeping up my Rule of Five.  This morning I was reading in John 14:12 (NIV),

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 

It got me to thinking.  Have I really seen "Greater Things?"  I've seen great things.  I've seen people's lives changed and marriages saved.  I've even seen healing.  All of those are amazing.  But have I seen people raised from the dead?  Have I seen limbs grow back or blind receiving their sight?  Maybe I've relied more on my power and not enough on God's power.  My prayer today is that I see greater things.

Lord if you had been there

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.  Other than Jesus, there are not many people who can say they died and rose again.  Of course, Jesus is the only one who never died permanently except for two in the Old Testament who never died.  But that is a whole nother subject. 

In John 11 Jesus hears that his "friend" Lazarus is sick.  You would think if Jesus healed a bunch of strangers he would jump at the chance to save his friend's life.  But Jesus hears the news about Lazarus and stays an extra 2 days.  The thing is Jesus knows what he is about to do.  He has a plan but no one else knows about it.   Lazarus' sisters were Mary and Martha and they were very close to Jesus.  One would expect Jesus would heal Lazarus just for them.  I would imagine after Lazarus died their faith was rocked.  They knew Jesus could heal their brother. Finally, Jesus gets there.  Lazarus was in the tomb for 4 days and the Hebrews believed by this point it was impossible for someone to rise from the dead.

I love John 11:32

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Mary and Martha knew Jesus had the power to heal their brother but he didn't.  I've felt that way.  I know Jesus has the power to do things but for whatever reason, He chose not to.   But this story ends well when Jesus heals their brother.  He had the power all along but chose to wait so he could do something greater.  Maybe that will happen soon in my life.

With friends like this who needs enemies

I'm amazed at how vicious social media has become.  The sad thing is how Christians rip each other.  Sunday, Pastor David Platt was asked to pray for President Trump at the last minute.  Platt agreed and then was roasted by Christians from all sides.  Some said Platt shouldn't have prayed for him.  Some were upset that Platt sent out an explanation as to why he did pray for him.  Jerry Falwell Jr. actually said something crude about Platt on Twitter.  What is our world coming to?  Christians tearing each other apart?  Why?  Christians should be praying for each other and supporting one another.  Instead, this gives the non-Christian community more reason to stay away.  We can do better.

Spirit without limit

I was studying in John 3 this morning and I read something I had never noticed before.  Naturally, John 3:16 gets all of the publicity from this passage.  But in verse 34 it says that God gives the Spirit without limit.  What I'm not sure is if this is only for Jesus or is this for all Christians?  I pray God gives me more of the Holy Spirit and it is without limit.