If Jesus is the answer, what was the question?

Too often in life we answer before we really listen and hear what the other person is asking.  One night at the table, a little boy asked; “Mommy and Daddy what is ‘sex’?” Astonished by his question, the parents grasped at the air to find a answer to the question that they thought that wouldn’t have to answer for several years. Mustering up all the strength they could, they sat the little boy down and spent the next several minutes vaguely explaining where babies come from. 

When they were finished, they asked the little boy if he had any questions, hoping of course that he had none. The little boy said; “I’m not sure what the two of you were trying to explain to me. I asked what sex was because I needed to know if I was an “F” or an “M” so that I could check the correct box for school.”

Too often in life we answer before we really listen and hear what the other person is asking. Let me ask you a question; when someone is going through a struggle, do you really hear what the question is that they are asking? Or are you so quick to give them a “religious answer” that you really don’t listen to what they are really trying to communicate?

In our effort to give something to ‘stop-the-bleeding’, we lose potential ground to really share what we do know. I think that John Maxwell said it best; “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

If Jesus Is the ANSWER, what was the question that they were asking? We can wear the latest WWJD bracelets and still never take time to actually ask, “What would Jesus do?” BEFORE we give an answer to someone’s question.

I love the following story from the Bible because in it I see Jesus taking the time to stop and perhaps listen to His Heavenly Father as to how He was to answer a moral question from some religious leaders. They had the Law; but what would be the answer that Jesus’ Father would have Him say?

 ^“Now early in the morning He (Jesus) came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” ⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:2-11)

Jesus only did and said what Father would say or do. And so, He waited until He heard clearly what to do.  

Another time when the religious leaders challenge Jesus the Bible tells us;  “Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19)

If Jesus Is the ANSWER, what was the question that they were asking?  

I want to be like Jesus; learning to wait and listen when someone is going through a struggle; really hear what the question is that they are asking before I give them some quick answer. How about you?

It will mean giving God your heart, giving up your dreams, giving up your pride and laying down your rights - laying it all down, for the sake of Him and His ways; His answers. It will (once again) mean surrender so that we can truly have the answers to the questions posed to us.

Do you know this Jesus? Call 1-888-NEED HIM. Someone is waiting to talk with you right now.

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

I Knew What I Was Getting Into

by Misty Edwards

I knew what I was getting into when called you.
I knew what I was getting into when I said your name, but I said it just the same.
I knew what I was getting into and I still want you.
I knew what I was getting into.

I knew what I was getting into and I still chose you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still want you.
I knew what I was getting into when I said your name, but I said it just the same.
I knew what I was getting into.

And I am not shocked by your weakness.
And I am not shocked even by your sin.
And I am not shocked by your brokenness.

I knew what I was getting into and I still want you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still like you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still chose you.

Cuz only I can see the end from the beginning.
And only I can see where this is going.
And only I can see the end from the beginning.
And I see in you the seeds of love.
And I see in you strength when all you see is your failure and all you feel is ashamed.
I can see deeper than that.
I know you better than that.

I knew what I was getting into when called you.
I knew what I was getting into when I said your name.
I said it just the same.
I knew what getting into and I still want you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still like you.

Your only at the beginning.
You've only just begun and I know where you are going
And all you can see in the moment is that your hurting.
And all you can see in the moment is that your aching.

I knew what I was getting into when I called you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still want you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still like you.
I knew what I was getting into when I called you.

Just don't give up.
And don't give in.
If you don't quit. You win, you win.

Just don't give up.
And don't give in.
If you don't quit. You win, you win.

Everything is in my hands.
It's going to be alright.
Everything is in my hands.
It's going to be alright.
It's going to be okay.
Everything is in my hands.
It's going to be alright.
It's going to be Okay.
And you don't have to pretend to be something or someone your not.
Cuz I know you better than that, even better, even better than that.
Listen my Beloved.

I knew what I was getting into when I called you.
I knew what I was getting into when I said your name.
I said it just the same.
I knew what I was getting into and I still like you.
I knew what I was getting into and I still chose you.

“Entropy”

This week we really have had great weather! But, a few weeks ago in September, the outside air temperature was thirty six degrees when I woke up; just the day before, the temperature was seventy degrees. I saw that the high was forecasted to be only fifty eight degrees; which was quite a change from the ninety degrees we had two days before. How had the weather in September become so cold so quickly? 

I knew that eventually my body would adjust to the cold temperatures and I would enjoy the cold crisp air, which is a good thing for playing hockey; both indoors and outside. I was glad that I would be inside today at a church attending a conference since my body had not yet acclimated to these cold temperatures. But, how had the weather in become so cold so quickly?

The conference that I attended in September was a follow up to one that took place approximately six months before at another church location. The previous conference had significant impact as I was stepping into an extended time of seeking the Lord. My life was alive and my relationship with the Lord was growing hotter.

As I thought about what I needed to do before I left the house today, my mind wandered to 1995; to a different conference that was held at the same church where today’s conference was being held. During that time sixteen years ago, I was deeply impacted and my love for the Lord was also growing hotter.

That day in September, my “spiritual temperature” felt as though it was thirty six degrees; how had I become so cold so quickly? I still loved Him and was grateful for what He had done in my life, but my passion for the Lord had become colder. How had I become so entropic?

Entropy refers to the degree of disorder in a system. As energy is transferred from one form to another, some is lost as heat. As the energy decreases, there is disorder in the system; and thus the entropy; increases. And, everything goes from order to disorder; from hot to cold. In other words, everything eventually deteriorates and wears out. 

What it forces me to realize that I can NOT go perpetually on one experience (or two or three for that matter). As disheartening as this may sound, I believe that this may be how God set it up to be; at least in our time on the earth since man chose to go against God’s plan when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. (Read Genesis chapter 3 in the Bible).

We need Him, more than we may realize, on a daily basis even more than we need food and water; and, moment by moment, more than we need oxygen to breathe. He is our total resource for EVERYTHING; and that includes being able to walk out the life of a Christian that is warm and “on fire” (“Christianos” in the Greek. a Christian, that is, follower of Christ)

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)

 

He started this and He will complete it (“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (Philippians 1:6)

He will come and show you what you need to stop doing (sin) and what to start doing so that your walk will be pleasing to God  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:7-9)

 Looking to get warm towards God? Call Toll-Free: 1-877-2GRAHAM (1-877-247-2426) Call between 7:00 a.m. and Midnight Eastern Time  or Call 1-888-NEED-HIM 

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

Joy of Joy

I live in Minnesota and our time with warm (or cold) weather isn’t always subject to the dates on the calendar. It isn’t unusual to have warm temperatures and snow in the same month.

Four weeks ago in mid-September, we had the first frost of the season and the plants in our yard and in our garden took a bit of a toll. Temperatures since that time have been getting colder and the amount of hours that the sunlight has appeared has been less and less.

Ah, but this week in October, the daytime temperatures were in the eighties! The trees were starting to peak in brilliant colors! Flowers were blooming; vegetable plants were producing fruit. The sun was shining; it almost looked like it was summer. Except, it wasn’t, it was October.

Today, I went out to my gardens and found that the ever-bearing raspberries that we planted in June had some fresh raspberries that were almost ready for picking (joy of joy, I said to myself).

Our raspberry bushes produced their last berries in August and I have been content to live off of the berries that I froze on a daily basis during the six-week growing season. We did plant some ever-bearing plants so that next year we would be able to get another crop of berries into November. I should note that normally you don’t get berries in the same year that a new plant is planted; so we were looking forward to next year’s growth.

As I wandered through the rest of the yard and our other gardens I noticed the vast amount of rose bushes that were still producing buds and flowers. And it didn’t seem to matter what variety we had growing; all of the buses were producing beautiful flowers. It’s funny to me because we actually spent no time this year caring for our rose bushes and this year we had the best and longest lasting flowers ever!

Behind all of what was growing in my yard today and the warm weather is a God, a wonderful Creator who loves us so very much and wants us to experience His joy; to experience life with Him.  And He comes amidst all that we have and “jumps out” and says; “Hi. Here I AM! Can you see me through all of what I have made for you?”

So today, joy was brought to my heart upon seeing so much growth and life in our gardens and seeing the beautiful colored leaves against the “October-blue” skies. “Joy of joy”; I said again to myself as I thanked God for opening my eyes to see the wonder of His creation in my own yard. He revealed Himself in what He had made as the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

 Psalm 65:9-13  (NKJV)

^“You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
¹⁰ You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.

¹¹ You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.
¹² They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, And the little hills rejoice on every side.
¹³ The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.”

Are you ready to get new life? Have you tried to clean up your life with no success? Are you tired of trying to do it your way? Call 1-888-NEED –HIM; someone is waiting to talk with you.