Power in The Name

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I know you have heard it, someone gets mad and says, “Jesus Christ!” or to be funny as you walk into the room you hear “O Lord.”  I am sure that these get to you, so try these comebacks and maybe you can witness at the same time.  For the loud exclamation of “Jesus Christ” bounce back a “where!”  I have often thanked my students and others who release an “O Lord” when I walk into the room with, “I really look like Jesus” or “See they think I am God.”

These are quaint comebacks but the underlying thought is interesting. People are using the name of Jesus by calling on His name.  Now I will grant that many times it is not edifying, but they are unconsciously acknowledging Jesus as a power.

They could be using any name, like their favorite singer or band if they just wanted to make a flashy statement.  Could you image someone getting mad and blurting out, “O bomb ma!” But as you know they don’t.

I have heard that there is a God-shaped hole in every person, maybe people using/misusing His name is an attempt to work at that void.

Be Still and Know God #2

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Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I AM God. 

“Know” is yada it means knowing by observing and reflecting on things or by experiencing it.

I really did not deal with the knowing part of the verse in the first study, mostly because I did not have an idea of how too. But talking before a church service with my Pray Partner Team, more or less on this subject it gave me some direction.

How do you know God and how do you know God was the two questions that came out of that conversion.  No, they really are not the same question. Let me try again.

Do you know God by studying, praying and or fasting?  Then, how do you know God: Savior, Healer, Teacher, the Big Man upstairs, is He my Lord or your Lord or Someone you visit three times a year?

A problem I had with this question was the people that read their Bible cover to cover every year and have read it in several translations and do a lot of good things and Jesus will still say, “Depart from me for I never knew you (Matthew 25:41).” Brother Darwin helped with this question when he stated a difference between logos and rhema words of God. People can have a logos word by reading and that is all they ever have; then there are people who have had a rhema word and it changes them. Rhema words are those special words that speak to your heart and change you in some way.

Back to yada and my questions of “how do you know God?” If you want an answer, you will have to have both, as an example let me use two of my favorite examples – Peter and Paul.  Peter “grew up” with Jesus, he walked and talked with Him, healed, ministered and listened to Him teach – truly a logos experience. Peter also denied Jesus but because Jesus loved him after the denials he had a rhema experience.  Paul also had logos as a Pharisee but tried to destroy the church until he had his rhema experience (Acts 9). He then spent the rest of his life experiencing Jesus as he ran his race.

Follow Me – The 13th Disciple

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Oh! You mean the guy in Acts. No, I mean the ones that were invited and never followed.

But let’s start with the one in Acts 1:20 – 26.  Matthias was the one picked over Joseph/Barsabbas/Justus; both had met certain requirements but God used the roll of the dice to pick him.  Ok, casting lots (rolling dice, modern counterpart), picking a stone from the Urim and Thummim (Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 28:6), flipping coins or drawing straws it was still God choosing and the disciples believing that He could direct the “lot.”  Nothing is recorded about him after this brief mention in Acts and the Catholic Encyclopedia has several possible stories of his life and times but nothing of any relibality. If you are triskaidekaphobia he can be the 2nd 12th disciple.

I am talking about a legitimate number 13 like the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:17 and Luke 18:18, who got a “come follow me” from Jesus OR the person in Luke 9:59 who had to bury his father first. We don’t even know if the man was dead, probably not because he “would have stinketh by then!” These three stories lead to a discourse about the cost of following Jesus and the promise that if you leave everything you will get that and more back.

Has it cost you something? Did you leave anything behind and not tried to replace it?

The phrase “follow me” carries the idea of choosing to be on a road with someone and going with them.  Paths and ways are another study but there are four things you can do on a road: 1. Stay on it and go with Him. 2. Turn and go the other direction. 3.Just get off. 4. Stand still.   Hot, cold or lukewarm.

I started to rethink this topic after looking at the Man of Gerasenes and his desire to follow Jesus and the Master’s redirecting him stay at home and witness there. Why?

Was he not ready? Had he already paid the price and this was his reward? Was he, because of his experience, in a different place in “the walk” than the twelve and Jesus knew they would not mix?

The picture of St. Matthias is from http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stm17001.jpg

The Number 10

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After I wrote the Number 13 blog someone asked about the number 10. Things happened  and I lost the comment without replying. So here is an answer.

Ten is a complete number; it shares that title with several other numbers according to my Bible dictionary. That may be why there were ten specific commands written on Moses’ tablets.  It is also a natural number – ten fingers. Now if you put those two ideas together it is a great training aid; one command for each finger.

The other number tens that I always think of are in the Book of Revelations and are connected with the Beast-ten horns/kings in Revelation 17:10.

The Man of the Gadarenes and Me

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The Man of the Gadarenes and Me

by Mark

Among the tombs, lost from those who cared, lost from those who feared.

In the bars hiding from today.

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Clothed in broken chains meant to bind him.

Never good enough, fear of rejection, tired of trying

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Solitary among the dead, like them, only breathing.

Is this all there is?

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You’re too close, the chains would warn.

Join this, try that, buy another beer

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His shrieks and cries were calls of help; anger was heard.

Anger lashing out at those who love you

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When he saw the Master, the One that could save, his demons yelled.

I am ok, I was raised in church

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Though fear held on, he came to rest at His feet.

Jesus forgive me, thanks for never letting go

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Clothed and in his right mind, willing to follow Him anywhere.

Freed, not perfect but ready to try again

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His new Master said, “Go tell.”

Write your testimony on the blank lines.