Anyone who does not remain in me is
thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into
a pile to be burned. (John
15:5-6, NLT)
The words express an intense need to be
in Christ. Why?
With Christ, life will be fruitful . .
. productive.
To be in Christ means to purposefully
and continually live in His presence, power, and peace as an established
pattern of life.
Apart from Christ,
life will be nothing . . .
relationships . . . nothing.
marriage . . . nothing.
family . . . nothing .
job . . . nothing.
finances . . . nothing .
in the end . . . nothing will last
without Christ . . . life is wasted.
Stop.
Look.
Listen.
Meditate on what it means to purposefully
and continually be in Christ.
Learning with you to KICK START
the day by being in Christ.
At
the end of the day, the only adequate response in the “whys” of life is
to trust God, regardless of how powerful the “why” seems.
The Apostle
Paul said: Philippians 4:6-8 (Today's New International Version)
Do not be anxious
about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians
4:6-8
Unpack the verse: Do not be anxious about anything. The Apostle Paul is clear
that there is absolutely anything we should be anxious about, which includes
the “whys” of life. Underline the word, “anything,” in your mind.
But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. The word, “but,”
indicates there is something more to do in anxious times. We are told we
need to pray with thanksgiving, which pulls us away from anxiety. Think
on the words, “in every situation.” What is left to worry about?
That said, it is
difficult to turn away from worry. So.
Begin by giving thanks. Of course it can
be difficult to figure out what to give thanks for. Begin with simple things:
God, thank you for
giving me breath today . . . for the air I breathe . . .
Gratefulness moves us
towards peace.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Peace is received
as we move away from worry, giving thanks, intentionally uniting with the life
of Christ.
Actively engaging
with the presence of Christ is not only a life-time decision but a daily
decision which results in unexplainable peace . . . a well-being of the mind,
body, heart, and soul.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if
anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
The battle of the “whys”
occurs in the mind. So . . . the focus must be on the presence and power
of Christ . . . rather than on the unanswerable “whys.” Moving from the
“whys” is crucial in letting go of worry
. . . trusting God for things we don’t understand . . . trusting God to be good
and great . . . trusting God to be a God of more . . . trusting regardless of what
we see in the moment.
I am the first to say
. . . that is impossible . . . when life is difficult . . . but . . . through
the presence and power of Christ . . . all things are possible. We are promised: I can do all this through
him who givesmestrength (Philippians
4:13).
We can live without
worry. We are promised.
Intentionally become
still and know the presence of God.
Surrender the “whys”
of living.
Experience the
incomprehensible-unfathomable-immeasurable peace of Christ.
Pray and give thanks.
Stop.
Look.
Listen.
Learning with you to
KICK START the day . . . without worry.
One thing is for sure . . . the individuals that live the best life . . . are
the ones that do not define their life by their struggles but by their
purpose. No big surprise . . . but a big deal when it comes to
living the best life.
Deuteronomy records Moses, at the end
of his life, delineated the best life:
If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all
your soul all the commands I have given you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the
nations where he has scattered you. (Deuteronomy
30:2-3, NLT)
Moses made it clear that we are to live
beyond our circumstances and even our own life; our context is not to be
centered on self but rather to be obedient to God. The thing is . . .
obedience is alignment with the ways of God . . . through love.
Live the best life.
Look beyond your circumstances.
Seek the purpose of God.
Learning with you to KICK START the day
. . . living the best life.
They heard the
message and asked Christ to come in to their life.
Now what?
What do we do the day after
Easter?
It is too easy to be preoccupied with
things that seem important and miss what more God has . . . living with the
purpose God has planted deep within the heart . . . in the power that has been
gifted to us.
Of course it means that we must be
willing to live outside of the box, freed from the schedule, ready for whoever
and whatever God sends our way.
The thing is . . . preoccupation . . .
will define our life if we allow it. There is a fragile line
between focus and preoccupation.
How we see life . . . our perception .
. . is crucial to being focused on God rather than being preoccupied with stuff
. . . being ready for God to break in.
Developing
perception through faith is crucial: Faith is the confidence that what we
hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot
see. Hebrews 11:1, NLT
So. We must intentionally refuse to be preoccupied with the stuff of life in
order to see with faith that God is
Reality. Purpose. Meaning. Power.
Be ready for God to break in to your
day . . . every day.
Learning with you to KICK START
the day . . . ready rather than preoccupied.
Passover in Jerusalem . . . the week Jesus made
his way to the cross. The Jewish people came from faraway places to celebrate
Passover. The city was crowded and unusually busy. So. People made
arrangements to set up camp outside of the city during their stay. Most likely,
the disciples, including Judas, had set up camp outside of the city at the
Mount of Olives . . . in an olive grove . . . called Gethsemane,
translated as “Olive Press.”
As the disciples and Jesus made their way back to
the camp from the Passover Meal, which we know as the Last Supper, they sang.
(See Mark 14:26).
It was the Jewish tradition to sing six Psalms, chapters113-118, after the Passover meal. Think
about some of the last words sung from Psalm 118: 21-24 . . . that echoed in their
hearts and minds as they made their way back to camp:
21I shall give
thanks to You, for You have answered me,
And You have become my
salvation. 22The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief
corner stone. 23This is the LORD'S doing;
It is marvelous in our
eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be
glad in it.
Jesus sang the prophetic words that
he was about to bring to fulfillment . . . worshiping God the Father . . . knowing His call
of duty . . . accepting the death march . . . to the cross.
They came to a place named Gethsemane;
and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." Mark 14:32
Jesus went to pray. It was what he needed to
do. He was faced with the unimaginable
task of carrying the weight of sin.
Prayer is action. Prayer is where guidance,
peace, strength and, yes, divine power is received.
And He took with Him Peter and James and
John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. Mark 14:33
And He said to them, “My soul is
deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." Mark 14:34
Look at the dynamics. Jesus left some of the
disciples in one part of the campground and proceeded to take three of them to
confide in . . . to understand and share his utter grief. You see when we
come close to Jesus . . . when we give everything to Christ . . . then
Jesus shares His burden . . . His heart with us.
And He went a little beyond
them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the
hour might pass Him by. Mark 14:35
And He was saying, "Abba!
Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what
I will, but what You will." Mark 14:36
Jesus prayed with everything he had . . . he knew
his call of duty . . . but certainly . . . in all of his humanness . . . it
would have seemed to be the most horrific thing to do . .. for he was to go to
the cross . . . choosing to be stripped of his power . . . experiencing every
sin of humanity … sin the things that are not of God . . . the things that we
do without God . . . the things that we do turned from God . . . the things
that God can’t look at . . . or participate in. Jesus’ call was not only
to experience an excruciating torturous physical death . . . but an
excruciating torturous spiritual death . . . to do something He had never done
. .. to be without God the Father . . . there would be no presence of God . . .
it would be hell.
Jesus was overcome . . . and already alone . . .
his friends . . . did not understand . . . and yet he would suffer the most
horrific death . . . a death that can’t be fathomed . . . He had not only been
sent to serve but to save . . . the breaking in of the new . . . the powerful
coming of the kingdom of God . .. unprecedented suffering . . . birth
pangs for all of creation . .. that all might be made new . . . released from
the power of sin . . . into a relationship with God. The decision was
made . . . he would keep on the death march. It was His call of duty.
Can you imagine experiencing anything,
life or death, without the presence of God?
The death sentence was for him alone . . . in the
end . . . no one . . . no friends . . . no Father would do the job with Him . .
. and he accepted His call of duty.
And He came and found them
sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep
watch for one hour? Mark
14:37
Watch and pray so that you will not
fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Once
more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found
them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to
him. Mark
14:38-40
And He came the third time, and
said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour
has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
"Get up, let us be going;
behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" Mark
14:41-42
The powerful words, “yet not what I
will, but what You will," changed the course of history. We
are called to be alert . . . to share the burden . . . to be prepared for the
betrayer of the soul.
Jesus accepted the call to finish the march of
death . . . to be completely alone . . . separated from his Father.
He chose to go into the darkness of sin, to take the weight of all humanity’s
sin. It would be a hell that no one has ever experienced.
Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . as
Jesus did . . . answering the call to duty.
Jesus made the ultimate decision in the
Garden of Gethsemane to continue the death march to the cross. That said,
the horror of the cross would be something that was unimaginable: to be
separated from the presence of God, the Father. The thing is . . . Jesus
had never experienced life without the presence of God. So
He prayed. (See Mark 14: 32-42)
Can you imagine . . . in one
breath . . . knowing the presence of God . . . and in the next . . . being
emptied out . . . to be abandoned . . . left without the presence of God?
Take time to pray and
meditate. . . acknowledging Jesus as He took ground in the Garden of Gethsemane:
Jesus . . . thank You for choosing the way
of the cross at Gethsemane. Thank You for putting on humanity’s sin. . .
going into the darkness . . . away from God . . . freeing us.
For You Are God . . . Jehovah –
Yahweh: Unchanging.
Eternal. You are Life and give life . . . abundant life. You
guide and satisfy needs in the difficult desert places of life . . . giving
strength and sustenance transforming the desert place into a well-watered
garden.( SeeIsaiah 58:11)
You are God . . . Elohim - Creator . .
. mighty One . . . Strength . . . Maker of all things: You
create with purpose . . . there are no mistakes and never a plan B. With
every fiber of my being I want to live the life you have provided for me to
live. Through Your workmanship , created in Christ Jesus for good works, You
have prepared the Way to live beyond circumstances. (See Ephesians 2:10).
You are God . . . El Elyon - Most High
God (Sovereign Over All): You are in control of the past,
present, and future. Regardless of what happens . . . You are present and
powerful. May You be blessed El Elyon . . . the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ. (See Ephesians 1:3).
You are God . . . Adonai - My Lord, My
Master: All I have
belongs to you . . . relationships, circumstances, possessions, power, whatever
it is . . . I give it all to You. Jehovah, "You are my Adonai. I
have no good besides You." (See Psalm 16:2).
You are God . . . El Roi - God Who Sees:
You
watch, seeing and knowing what happens. You see the heart.You are near to the brokenhearted, saving
those who are crushed in spirit. (See Psalm 34:18).
You are God . . . El Shaddai - God Almighty: You
fulfill Your promises. Your grace is sufficient, for power is perfected
in weakness The power of Christ may dwell in me. (See 2 Corinthians
12:9)
You are God . . . Jehovah
Jireh - The LORD Will Provide: You provide every need . . .
including the way of salvation. And Abraham said, "My son, God
will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." (see Genesis 22:8)
You are God . . . Jehovah Rapha - The LORD our Healer:
You lead and instruct the way to healing. There is no God besides You .
.. Life Giver . . . Healer . . .Rapha.Deliverer.I surrender my mind,
heart, soul, and strength to Your healing presence.(See 2 Corinthians
12:9).
You are God . . . Jehovah Roi - The Lord is My Shepherd:
You are personal and intimate in every
area, drawing me into Your care. LORD (Jehovah) as my Shepherd (Roi), I
shall not want.(See Psalm 23:1)
You are God . . . Jehovah Sabaoth - LORD of hosts (of
armies).You formed the mountains and created the wind and declare Your thoughts
to us.You make the dawn from the
darkness in the night . . . peace in the midst of violence . . . Holy is Your
name.(See Amos 4:13)
You are God . . . Jehovah Shalom:You are Peace . . . and have issued a peace to all that is beyond
all comprehension . . . that guards the heart and mind.
Amen
. . . so be it.
Give thanks for the power of the prayer of Jesus that shifted
every detail of the universe to put the plan of God into place.
Take time to pray in the same power.
Believe that there is always something more in that power.
Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . in
the power of prayer.