The law of requisite variety

“Routine is one key to spiritual growth. . . . But when the routine becomes routine, you have to change the routine.”- Mark Batterson

As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 11 of The Grave Robber, he asserts that if we want to get well, we need to hear what we’d rather not hear and do what we’re disinclined to do.  He adds: “You can’t expect God to do the supernatural if you aren’t willing to do the natural.”

Pastor Batterson notes that during his college basketball career, he had reconstructive surgery for a torn ACL in both knees.  When he got up out of bed for the first time following surgery, the blood rush to his extremities created pain so acute he almost passed out.  So, it truly was an amazing feat for the invalid not only to stand up, but also walk after thirty-eight years.  He changed his mat-sitting routine.

Similarly, if we want to experience the miraculous, we need to change our routine.  Mark states that, according to the law of requisite variety, “the survival of any system depends on its capacity to cultivate variety in its internal structures.”  In other words, prolonged equilibrium or routine becomes counterproductive.

If we continually exercise the same muscles in the same way, they start adapting and stop growing.  We need to disorient them.  The same is true in the spiritual realm.  Small changes in routine start with a small step of faith.  But, Mark states, “that one small step often turns into a giant leap.”

Today’s question: What spiritual routines could benefit from revitalization?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Self-fulfilling prophecies”

 

The law of requisite variety

Point-blank questions

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”- John 5:6

Mark Batterson begins Chapter 11 (“Self-Fulfilling Prophecies”) of The Grave Robber by reporting that, in November of 2004, a group of elite medical researchers met at Rockefeller University in New York City.  They ultimately determined that most of our health problems are caused by factors under our control.

Most of our major health problems, Pastor Batterson notes, could be solved by making a few minor changes.  However, a wish or a whim won’t result in lasting change.  We have to want to change.  Mark offers his working definition of want: “the sanctified desire and matching discipline to do what needs to be done, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes.”

Jesus elevated formulating the right question to an art form.  Some of Jesus’ most poignant ones are the point-blank questions.  One was the catalyst for His third miracle.  Jesus didn’t assume the invalid really wanted to get well.  Only someone who wants help truly can be helped.

Mark points out that it’s easy for us to become accustomed to our crutches.  Our situation won’t change if we keep sitting on our security blanket, choosing safety over transformation.  Yet, every blessing from God comes with the responsibility to steward that blessing.

Today’s question: Following your vocation loss, what crutches or security blankets do you need to throw away?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The law of requisite variety”

Point-blank questions

God is able

“God won’t answer 10o percent of the prayers you don’t pray.”- Mark Batterson

As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 10 of The Grave Robber, he observes that even though miraculous healing is the exception rather than the rule, if we assume God’s answer will be no, we don’t give Him a chance to say yes.

Pastor Batterson says we would be incredulous if a major league baseball player refused to step into the batter’s box because he didn’t get a hit every time up.  Yet, Mark emphasizes, that is how many of us approach prayer- “we let a few strikeouts keep us from swinging for the fences.”

To experience the miraculous, the author notes that we must come to terms with the fact that the particulars- who, what, when, where, and how- aren’t up to us.  We can’t answer our own prayers.  Furthermore, most miracles in the Bible seem to happen to people who make the fewest assumptions.  They don’t know what God can’t do.  Mark explains:

“God is able.  That’s my only assumption.  And any other assumption is a false assumption.  He is a God who can make the impossible possible. . . . God doesn’t always answer my prayers how I want or when I want, but I live with an unshakable conviction that God is able.”

We can’t keep doing the same thing if we want God to do a new thing.  We need only one assumption: God is able.

Today’s question: What false assumptions have you made following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Point-blank questions”

 

God is able

God"s opinion

“With God all things are possible.”- Matthew 19:26

“Nothing is impossible with God.”- Luke 1:37

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t- you’re right.”- Henry Ford

In Chapter 10 (“Very Superstitious”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson emphasizes that when the Bible says the same thing two ways, it’s doubly important.  Yet, we all too often make false assumptions about what is and isn’t possible.  Pastor Batterson states that embracing the word impossible is the primary reason we don’t experience the miraculous.

When we let logical assumptions trump our theological needs, before we realize it our reality becomes defined by our finite, human assumptions instead of divine revelation.  The invalid at the Bethesda pool was way past his prime, living on borrowed time.  In Jesus’ day, even if you lived past your second birthday, the average life expectancy was only forty.  This third miracle was a way to prove His power knows no logical or chronological limits.

As Mark points out, it’s not too late for us either:

“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.  If’ you’re breathing, it means God’s not finished with you yet.  You are never past your prime.  But if you want a second chance, you need to seek a second opinion- God’s opinion.”

Today’s question: How difficult has it been for you to eliminate the word impossible from your vocabulary?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God is able”

 

God"s opinion

Sweat equity

“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.  Earning is an attitude.  Effort is an action.”- Dallas Willard

Mark Batterson points out in Chapter 9 (“The Seventh Hour”) of The Grave Robber that the distance the royal official traveled between Capernaum and Cana is a twenty-mile uphill climb at a five percent incline.  Some miracles, like healing the official’s son, require sweat equity.  While our effort can’t make miracles happen, our lack of effort can keep them from happening.  Miracles cannot be earned, but effort may be the catalyst.

As Mark has written in All In, most of us only are willing to follow Jesus to the point of inconvenience- no further.  Following Jesus becomes problematic when it necessitates a detour in our plans.  Mark states: “If you want to experience a miracle, sometimes you have to go way out of your way.”  God just may want to see how serious we are- if we’re willing to walk to Cana.

Pastor Batterson emphasizes that the common denominator among miraculous answers to prayer is perseverance.  People don’t just pray like it depended on God, they also work as if it depended on them.  Some miracles happen in stages.  We need to pray again and again and again.  Mark encourages us not to let fear become a factor:

“Sometimes we let fear keep us from praying for a miracle because we feel like we will have failed if God doesn’t answer the way we want.  That isn’t failure because the answer isn’t up to us.  The only way we can fail is failing to ask.”

Today’s question: What has helped you persevere in prayer?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s opinion”

Sweat equity

God Speed

In Chapter 8 (“God Speed”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson states that Jesus’ second miracle- healing the royal official’s son- “redefined reality by defying the four dimensions of space and time.  It was a long-distance miracle in real time.”

Back in 1964, James Stewart Bell published a groundbreaking paper that disproved the principle of local causes.  This meant that everything in the universe is interconnected, regardless of distance.  The relationship between particles is mediated by the Fifth Force Himself.  Pastor Batterson observes that one reasons we have difficulty believing God for miracles is we think of Him as being subject to the very laws of nature He created and instituted.

“Instantaneous nonlocality” is a technical term describing “an invisible link between particles that defies the four dimensions of time and space.  Albert Einstein referred to it as “spooky action at a distance.”  Mark adds that Einstein’s reference isn’t a bad definition of prayer.  Prayer defies space-time limitations and has  no expiration date.  Prayer operates at God Speed, as do miracles.  Mark explains:

“Miracles rarely happen on our timeline.  And you can’t give God a deadline.  But you can trust His timing.  He’s never early.  He’s never late.  He’s right on time, every time.”

Today’s question: How does the principle of God Speed affect your thinking regarding miracles and prayer?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Sweat equity”

 

God Speed

Holy confidence

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”- Matthew 10:29-31

“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side.”- Abraham Lincoln

As Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 7 of The Grave Robber, he states that Ethiopia has a long history of Christianity because Philip unquestioningly obeyed God, encountering an Ethiopian eunuch on a desert road.   God only told Philip to take a specific road- not what would happen or why he was heading toward Gaza.

Pastor Batterson states that’s where most of us get stuck, because we want God to reveal the second step before we take the first.  To take that step of faith, we need holy confidence.  In ancient Israel, a sparrow was the cheapest ticket item in the food market.  The Father’s concern for such little birds shows He cares about every minute detail of His creation.

Mark emphasizes we’re born on a cosmic battlefield between good and evil.  Reality is defined by our reaction to adversity, as Mark notes:

“You cannot control your circumstances, but you can live with holy confidence, knowing all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes.”

Our hurt can become someone else’s healing, our worst day transformed into our best day.

Today’s question: What Scriptures of Christian authors have strengthened your holy confidence in God?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God Speed”

Holy confidence

Supernatural synchronicities

Mark Batterson states in Chapter 7 of The Grave Robber that it’s God’s job to set up supernatural synchronicities.  Our job is to see them and seize them.  In order to do this, we must love people when they least expect it and least deserve it.  We must be willing to do someone a favor without asking for one in return.  That will be a catalyst for many a miracle.

Pastor Batterson lives in Washington, D. C.  There the key card that swipes the door of opportunity is your social network.  That scenario was much the same for the royal official who sought Jesus’ help two thousand years ago.  On the political level, this official had access to the who’s who of the Roman Empire and Jesus was subject to his authority.  But in the spiritual realm, the authority of the King of King reigned supreme.

While it might seem that the royal official had every earthly thing he wanted, his power could not control and his money could not buy his son’s health.  He recognized that only Jesus had what he needed.  Applying this realization to us, Mark notes:

“Miracles are way beyond our human ability, but they are well within our authority as the children of God.”

Today’s question: Following your vocation loss, how have others been able to witness your faith in the Jesus they need?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Holy confidence”

New addition to Crown Jewels: “Four traits of gratitude”

Supernatural synchronicities

Nowhere by accident

The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

“Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”- John 4:49-50

As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 7 of The Grave Robber, he cites the carefully crafted benediction of then Senate Chaplain Dr. Richard Halverson.  Dr. Halverson believed his most important pastoral function was pronouncing this benediction, week in and week out:

“You go nowhere by accident.

Wherever you go, God is sending you.

Wherever you are, God has put you there; He has a purpose in you being there.

Christ, who indwells you, has something He wants to do through you where you are.

Believe this and go in His grace and love and power.”

At the conclusion of Dr. Halverson’s funeral in 1995, he reminded his congregation for one last time, giving the benediction himself that he had prerecorded.

Although we may not be where we want to be, Pastor Batterson reminds us that God can use us right there- even if we’re on an uneventful trip to the grocery store.  Wherever we are headed, God is setting up divine appointments along the way.  These appointments are harder to recognize closer to home because we are operating on autopilot.  Mark adds:

“Don’t be in such a hurry to get where you’re going that you miss the miracles along the way or the miracles that may be out of your way!”

Today’s question: How does Dr. Halverson’s benediction impact your desert, land between journey?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Supernatural synchronicities”

Nowhere by accident

Divine appointments

Mark Batterson begins Chapter 7 (“Supernatural Synchronicity”) of The Grave Robber with a question regarding history’s most improbable circumstances as well as our daily happenstances: “Coincidence or providence?”  As believers, we know, as Pastor Batterson states:

“There are no coincidences.  Only providences.  No accidents.  Only divine appointments.”

Mark tells the story of his friend Kevin Ramsby, pastor of Revival Tabernacle in downtown Detroit.  Kevin ministers to gangbangers and drug addicts.  At 3:00 AM on August 4, 2009, Kevin was stabbed thirty-six times during an armed robbery.  Six of the wounds were millimeters away from killing him or paralyzing him for life.

At Wesley’s sentencing, Kevin not only forgave his attacker, but befriended him.  Because Wesley’s family and friends have disowned him, Kevin is his sole contact outside of prison.  Pastor Batterson explains that forgiveness is simple, yet difficult:

“The true test of our faith is not our actions.  It’s our reactions.  It’s relatively easy to act like Jesus.  It’s much harder to react like Him.”

Kevin’s courage and God’s grace transformed a horrific attack into a divine appointment for each individual on the police force or on the medical staff that attended Kevin and came to faith because of Kevin’s act of forgiveness- made possible solely by the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Mark concludes: “Accident?  Or divine appointment?  It depends on your reaction.”

Today’s question: What divine appointments have you encountered following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Nowhere by accident”

Divine appointments

One nudge

In Chapter 6 (“One Nudge”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson observes that in most instances we miss the miracle that is right at our fingertips because we’re too close to the situation.  Most miracles are initiated by a nudge, most effectively from someone with whom we have a relationship of trust.  Yet, it’s easier to believe God for a miracle for others than it is to believe God for a miracle for ourselves.  We need a nudge from a fellow believer.

Mark adds that, whatever situation we find ourselves in, God has us exactly where He wants us- even if it’s not where we want to be.  Mark cautions us not to “look for the exit before you look for an opportunity.”  God is setting the stage for us.  So when the Holy Spirit give us a nudge, we need to obey it.  If we don’t, we’ll never know what we missed.  If we do obey, the Wild Goose chase begins.  Pastor Batterson notes that Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit An Geadh-Glas, or “Wild Goose.”

Discerning those small nudges is the first key to experiencing the miraculous.  For the wedding couple at Cana, the third day of their wedding had to be the defining moment of their lives.  When they  reminisced about their wedding reception, Jesus’ miracle of turning their water into wind jogged not only their memory, but also their faith.  That is what miracles do.

Today’s question: During your desert, transformational journey, what nudges have you received from the Holy Spirit?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Divine appointments”

One nudge

God"s anointing

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!"”- Abraham Kuyper, Dutch theologian

Referencing the all-encompassing anointing John speaks of in his first epistle (1 John 2:27), Mark Batterson states that “it doesn’t matter what you do, God wants to anoint you to do it.”  And this anointing isn’t just for ordained clergy, it’s for everyone.  As Mark explains, the anointing is the it factor in any endeavor.

Pastor Batterson emphasizes that we simply need to ask for God’s anointing to receive it.  He adds these words of advice:

“And you can’t just seek the anointing.  You have to seek God.  Get into God’s Word and God’s presence.  The closer you get to God, the closer you’ll get to His anointing.”

Mark observes that Jesus used the most basic building block in nature as the raw material for His first miracle, a profound reminder for us that Jesus needs little or nothing to work with.  Anything is possible with God.  We need that object lesson because we tend to grossly underestimate God.  He is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Mark concludes:

“He [Jesus] is the catalyst for any and every transformation, whether it’s turning water into wine or sinners into saints.”

Today’s question: Do you currently feel God’s anointing in your life?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “One nudge”

 

God"s anointing

God ideas

“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.”- 1 John 2:27

Mark Batterson continues Chapter 5 of The Grave Robber with the story of Steve Stewart.  Steve was asked by the Water4Foundation to design a water pump that could work anywhere in the world for less that $50.  This was despite the fact that Steve had zero experience in the field of hydrodynamics.  Yet, confronted with this challenge to his engineering mind, Steve replied: “I didn’t know it wasn’t possible.”

As Pastor Batterson points out, Steve was halfway to a miracle.  For ten weeks he worked eighteen hour days.  Running out of ideas, Steve stumbled on a five-hundred-year-old Leonardo Da Vinci sketch of a water pump in a book he’d purchased in Italy ten years earlier.  Steve ultimately solved the problem at a cost of $17.84.

We might think Steve’s solution was a good idea.  But his solution was more than that.  It was a God idea.  God ideas change history.  Mark emphasizes that the key to this kind of miracle is the anointing:

“It’s a mysterious intangible that is difficult to define, but is supernaturally enables us to function beyond our ability. . . . It’s providential timing that results in supernatural synchronicities.  It’s divine favor that defies human explanation.  And the net result is that we become better than our best.”

Mark continues his discussion of this all-encompassing anointing in the next blog.

Today’s question: What God ideas have you experienced following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s anointing”

God ideas

Miracle within a miracle

“Awake, awake!  Rise up Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.”- Isaiah 51:17

Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 5 of The Grave Robber by stating that every atom in our body or in the universe is subject to God’s overriding authority.  Yet we need to remember that the laws of nature are miracles in themselves.  Pastor Batterson asserts: “So when God overrides a law of nature that He originally instituted, it’s really a miracle within a miracle.”

Mark is a lifelong asthmatic.  While he continues to pray for a miraculous healing of all his symptoms, he is thankful for the daily miracle of albuterol.  The drug literally has saved his life countless times.  Mark treasures his miracle within a miracle.

The miracle at Cana foreshadows Jesus’ last miracle.  At the Last Supper, Jesus “turned an ordinary cup of wine into a bottomless glass of grace.”  Jesus shedding His blood for us is the ultimate transformation.  Grace is the greatest miracle of all.

We drink the cup of blessing because Jesus drank the cup of wrath to the dregs.  Mark cautions that some of us sample God’s grace the way people sip wine at a wine-tasting.  We sip as if His supply of grace is small.  The only way to get intoxicated with Jesus’ love is to drink it to the dregs.

Today’s question: Do you believe the grace of God is big or small?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God ideas”

Miracle within a miracle

Thank God for water

“Joy is not getting what you want.  It’s fully appreciating what you have.”- Mark Batterson

In Chapter 5 (“Six Stone Jars”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson begins with the observation that water is the most basic chemical compound on earth.  Yet it also is the most vital.  But when is the last time we thought to thank God for water?

Pastor Batterson tells of the time he was on a trail in the Grand Canyon, about two miles from Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor.  His group ran out of water.  The temperature was 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade!  When Mark finally reached a water supply, he savored every sip of the tasteless liquid.  For the first time in his life, he saw water as a miracle from God.

Mark states we don’t appreciate God’s day-to-day miracles because “God is so good at what He does we take it for granted! What God does best . . . we often appreciate least.”  If we recognized these miracles, we’d live in constant wonderment and crack the joy code.

As we pray to God for a miracle, He hears our heart more than the words we choose.  Faith, not vocabulary, elicits His response.  Verbosity is not an indicator of trust.  In fact, Mark states, the more trust we have the fewer words we need:

“You don’t need to know what to say.  You just need to know where to turn.”

If we seek God first, before we need a miracle, He won’t be our last resort.

Today’s question: How would recognizing God’s day-to-day miracles during your desert, land between journey help you break the joy code?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Miracle within a miracle”

Thank God for water

Hello Dave

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.  My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”- John 14:23 (NIV)

“God is at home, it’s we who have gone out for a walk.”- Meister Eckhart

“Prayer is the most concrete way to make our home in God.”- Henri Nouwen

Following my Sunday organist duties at Berea Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, I retreat to my favorite writing spot, Starbucks #02351.  It’s Cheers on caffeine.  For an extended time I often was served by a barista nicknamed “Z”.  Using a Sharpie, Z would draw a smiley-face with large eyeballs on my venti coffee cup.  To the right of the face, she’d always write “Hello Dave”.  No visit was complete without her trademark “Z-balls”.  On Z’s last Sunday at Starbucks, she stepped away from her work station to give me a hug.  Little did I know that would not be my defining memory of Z.  A week later barista Linda handed me a parting remembrance from Z- a black tumbler with Z’s signature artwork inscribed in gold pen.

Starbucks is a place of rest and contemplation, a respite from the hurriedness of life.  It’s a second home, a place of my own where I’m accepted for myself.  In his book Soul Keeping, John Ortberg writes that in order for the soul to be well, it must be with, or find its home, in God.  The “with God” life is not characterized by extensive religious activity or trying to be good.  John defines the “with God” life as “a life of inner peace and contentment for your soul with the master and maker of the universe.”

The best place to initiate our life with God is in the small moments.  While it is easy to be “with God” during mountaintop experiences, John points out that such moments tend to be few and far between.  Not every day can be Easter.  We must be intentional in looking for God in the ordinary moments of everyday life, as John explains:

“Your soul will never find rest unless it finds its home.  We find it in the simple daily discipline of asking ourselves. ‘Is God here in this moment?’  If he is not, he can be.”

To paraphrase Pastor Ortberg, sometimes a Starbucks can become a cathedral where we find our home in God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgA_bsl84qo

 

 

Hello Dave

Catalyst for a miracle

“The right word at the right time can be the catalyst for someone else’s miracle.”- Mark Batterson

As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 4 of The Grave Robber, he reflects on another defining moment in the life of Jesus- His visit to the temple when He was twelve years old.  Luke 2:47 (ESV) states: “And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding.”  Pastor Batterson notes that we never can “underestimate the power of one well-timed compliment.  It has the power to change a person’s entire perspective on life.”

When we fixate on our sin rather than on Jesus’ forgiveness, it’s all too easy to forget that we are the apple of Jesus’ eye.  By changing water into wine at Cana, Jesus reveals how much God cares about the minute details of our lives, as Mark explains:

“God is great not just because nothing is too big.  God is great because nothing is too small.  If it’s a big deal to you, it’s a big deal to God.”

Pastor Batterson argues that simple, everyday miracles don’t happen more often because we’re not dialed in to the Holy Spirit’s still, small voice.  We must learn to tune in to the Holy Spirit and obey His promptings.  And when we do, no matter how ill-timed or insignificant those promptings may be, Mark states that we are moments from a miracle.

Today’s question: What Spirit-inspired promptings have been a catalyst for a miracle in someone’s life, including yours?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Hello Dave”

Catalyst for a miracle

The miracle of restraint

“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”- Graham Greene, English playwright

In Chapter 4 (“The Wine Maker”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson opens with this statement: “There are days.  Then there are days that define the rest of your life.”  Some days are ordinary or mundane (predictable), others change life dramatically (unpredictable).  Either way, Pastor Batterson notes, you aren’t the person you were before.

Whether it’s a planned event like marriage or an unplanned event like a vocation loss, Mark notes that “the bridge to the past is forever destroyed, and the future rushes in like a flash flood.”  The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11) was that new day for Jesus.  The Carpenter’s son from Nazareth performed His first miracle.

Pastor Batterson wonders how hard it was for Jesus to stay His miracle power for thirty years, especially when skeptics scoffed or bullies provoked- or to willingly stay on the cross to die for our sins.  The fact that Jesus held His hand may be the greatest miracle of all.  While Jesus’ miracle-performing power is impressive, His willpower not to use that capability is even more impressive- the miracle of restraint.

There is a lesson here for us.  As Pastor Batterson writes, “sometimes the greatest miracle is restraint.”

Today’s question: What Bible verses have been foundational in establishing the miracle of restraint in your life following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Catalyst for a miracle”

The miracle of restraint

The single greatest miracle

“Every now and then a man’s mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions.”- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 3 of The Grave Robber by stating that the single greatest miracle is the forgiveness of our sins, made possible through the crucifixion and resurrection of the sinless Son of God.  This miracle of salvation, however, is not the finish line.  It is the baseline.

Pastor Batterson then lists the seven miracles found in the gospel of John that are the foundation for this book:

1.  The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)

2.  Jesus Heals an Official’s Son (John 4:46-54)

3.  The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath (John 5:1-9)

4.  Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand (John 6:1-15)

5.  Jesus Walks on Water (John 6:16-21)

6.  Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (John 9:1-11)

7.  Jesus Raises Lazarus (John 11:32-44)

Pastor Batterson notes that, while the exploration of these seven miracles will stretch our mind, John’s original intent was that such exploration would stretch our faith.  Speaking about those miracles, Mark adds:

“They don’t just reveal what Jesus did, past tense.  They reveal what He wants to do in your life, present tense.”

The seventh miracle John describes is not the epilogue.  Rather, it is the prologue to the miracles Jesus wants to do in our lives.

Today’s question: How do you think this in-depth discussion of Jesus’ miracles will impact your life?  Please share.

Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “Hello Dave”

Tomorrow’s blog: “The miracle of restraint”

The single greatest miracle

Two trip wires

As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 3 of The Grave Robber, he wants his readers to clearly understand that only God can perform miracles.  God gets all the glory.  Yet, Mark adds that almost every miracle has a human element.  And while some miracles take a single step of faith, others require multiple attempts.

Pastor Batterson states that there is an invisible, impassible fence dividing the natural and the supernatural.  We can’t dig under it, climb over it, or walk around it.  But there is a gate in that fence, and His name is Jesus!

However, there are two trip wires Pastor Batterson has identified that keep us from stepping into the miraculous:

1.  Subliminal skepticism.  Because miracles, by definition, violate natural laws, we instinctively object.  Miracles defy logic.  We tend to explain away what we cannot explain.  Mark defines skepticism as a “predisposition toward disbelief that is prejudiced by past experience.”  Discernment is filtering or distinguishing what is false from what is true with the help of  Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  Falsehoods don’t negate truth.

2.  Dormant disappointment.  When our prayer for a miracle aren’t answered or miracles don’t happen the way we want, disappointment is our knee-jerk reaction.  As Pastor Batterson states, “we pull back on the reins of faith because we don’t want to feel the sting of disappointment again.”  If we want to experience the miraculous, we have to confront the dormant disappointment in our past.

Today’s question: Have you experienced subliminal skepticism or dormant disappointment?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The single greatest miracle”

Two trip wires

Intellectual idolatry

In Chapter 3 (“The Lost Miracles”) of The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson notes that Thomas Jefferson invented his own abridged version of Scripture- The Jefferson Bible.  Jefferson’s version reflected his life biases as a child of the Enlightenment.  Because logic and reason were the ideals of the Enlightened mind, miracles had no place in Jefferson’s Bible and were cut out.

While we find taking scissors to Scripture’s sacred texts hard to imagine, Pastor Batterson asserts that we cut and paste nonetheless:

“We pick and choose our favorite verses while ignoring the texts we cannot comprehend or don’ particularly like.  We rationalize the verses that are too radical.  We scrub down the verses that are too supernatural.  We put Scripture on the chopping block of human logic and end up with a neutered gospel.”

By creating God in our image, we commit intellectual idolatry.  Rather than living a life resembling the supernatural standards of Scripture, like Jefferson we subscribe to an abridged version of the Bible bearing a remarkable resemblance to us.

Pastor Batterson emphasizes that we need to follow Jesus’ teachings as well as experience His miracles.  If we follow Jesus, we’ll do what He did, as Mark writes:

“You’ll seek to please the heavenly Father first and foremost.  You’ll care for the poor, you’ll wash feet, and you’ll offend some Pharisees along the way.  You’ll also traffic in the miraculous.  and it won’t just be as an eyewitness.  It’ll be as a catalyst. . . . you are someone else’s miracle!  To God be the glory.”

Today’s question: How have you been a catalyst of the miraculous?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Two trip wires”

Intellectual idolatry

Inattentional blindness

As Mark Batterson continues Chapter 2 (“Miraculous”) of The Grave Robber, he discusses an experiment conducted by two Harvard University researchers more than a decade ago.  Popularized in the book The Invisible Gorilla, the researchers filmed students passing basketballs around in a circle.

In the middle of the minute-long video, a woman dressed in a gorilla suit walks in, beats her chest, and walks out- the entire sequence taking nine seconds.  Viewers were instructed to count the number of passes made by players in white shirts.  As a result, only half the test group noticed the gorilla.

The gorilla was missed due to a phenomenon called inattentional blindness.  Pastor Batterson defines inattentional blindness as “the failure to notice something in your field of vision because you are focused on something else.”

The first century Pharisees make a great case study.  Blinded by their legalism, the Pharisees couldn’t see past their religious assumptions.  They missed Jesus’ miracles.  Whether inattentional blindness is intentional or unintentional, Pastor Batterson notes that “it’s one of the greatest threats to spiritual vitality.  One of the truest tests of spiritual maturity is seeing the miraculous in the monotonous.”

Experiencing something for the first time is unforgettable.  Time seems to stand still in the presence of the miraculous.  We have to be vigilant so that the “cataracts of the customary”  don’t cloud our vision.  We need to maintain our awareness of the miraculous and the awe of God.

Today’s question: What has enabled you to see the “miraculous in the monotonous” during your desert, transitional journey?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Intellectual idolatry”

 

Inattentional blindness

Waiting on God

Waiting on God (Howard Books, 2015)

Waiting on God: Strength for Today and Hope for Tomorrow is the latest book from Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA since 1971.  He opens his book with the assertion that the word never can stir the deepest fear in the human heart.  Thus, the challenge of waiting on God is “the ability to keep hoping when the nevers of life bombard us.”  Dr. Stanley’s definition of waiting on the Lord provides the basic outline for this book.  Waiting on the Lord manifests an “expectant endurance that is demonstrated by a directed, purposeful, active, and courageous attitude of prayer.”

Our focus must be directed toward God, our Provider, rather than the object of our desire.  We need to center our thoughts less on our questions and more on the Father’s ability to answer them.  Even though we are tempted to figure out God’s plan and speed it along, we are to demonstrate confident trust that God is committed to seeing us through every trial we face and is raising up an answer to our prayers.

The second characteristic of godly prayer in waiting is being purposeful in pursuing the Lord’s plan.  When our main objective is a personal and intimate relationship with God, everything else will fall into place as the Holy Spirit directs us- bringing out the very best of who we were created to be.  God’s Word, prayer, and godly counsel are an integral part of this process.

Dr. Stanley notes that waiting passively is not what the Lord intended for us as believers.  While we are to be still in allowing the Father to work through our circumstances, we must be active in growing spiritually.  Perseverance is the key to receiving the very best God has planned for us and helping us endure the delay.

The fourth characteristic of waiting on the Lord, being courageous, is stretched and refined during our darkest times.  Yet, it is when we feel most unworthy and defeated that the Father is closest to us.  We are in a spiritual battle with Satan.  Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit- God’s Word.  The Father is “moving us toward the light on the most efficient and effective route possible.”  Confidently wait on the Lord, for the best is yet to come . . . always.

 

 

Waiting on God

Prerequisite for a miracle

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D. C.  His latest book, The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible, spotlights seven miracles of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of John.  Each miracle unveils a different dimension of Jesus’ power.  Seven miracles are seven signs, each pointing straight to Jesus.

Pastor Batterson stresses that this book is more than a course in miracles.  The focus is on Jesus, the only One who can perform them.  At the outset, the author offers a word of caution:

“Don’t seek miracles.  Follow Jesus.  And if you follow Jesus long enough and far enough, you’ll eventually find yourself in the middle of some miracles.”

Everyone, Pastor Batterson observes, wants a miracle.  But there’s a catch- the prerequisite for a miracle is a problem.  Yet, problems present the perfect opportunity for God to reveal His glory.  God can make our impossible possible!

Mark  relates the story (Chapter 2) of world-class violinist Joshua Bell and his three-hundred-year-old Stradivarius worth $3.5 million.  Playing incognito outside one of the busiest stops on the Washington Metro line and filmed by a hidden camera, only seven out of over one thousand people who passed by stopped to listen.  Similarly, Mark states that miracles are happening around us every day, but we will miss them if we don’t know how to look for them.

Today’s question: What is your response to Pastor Batterson’s word of caution concerning seeking miracles?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the latest addition to the Annotated Bibliography, “Waiting on God”

 

Prerequisite for a miracle

The best is yet to come

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived- the things God has prepared for those who love him- these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. . . . we have received the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”- 2 Corinthians 2:9-10, 12

As Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 7 of Waiting on God, he states that if we truly cherish our heart’s desire- respecting and honoring the Father- we will exhibit patience, faith, and obedience as we wait for the Lord to act.  We never should give up, especially when we’re on the brink of blessing from God and His answer is closer than ever.  We’ve invested a great deal of time, energy, prayer, and confidence in God.  We must not abandon our hope.

Dr. Stanley began Waiting on God with a list of “nevers.”  He prays that the principle and biblical truths he presented in this book will strengthen us in our time of delay:

“You can and should endure expectantly with the joy of knowing God will never let you down.  You can and should keep hoping even when the nevers of life bombard you, realizing that the Lord is the One you really hope for, and He perfectly cares for all that concerns you.”

We can know with certainty that the best is yet to come . . . always!

Today’s question: What sections of Dr. Stanley’s book have had the greatest impact on you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Prerequisite for a miracle”

Coming Monday: the Annotated Bibliography of Waiting on God

 

 

 

The best is yet to come

Soar on wings like eagles

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”- Isaiah 40:31

Charles Stanley loves to photograph eagles because they are beautiful as well as extremely interesting to watch.  Dr. Stanley marvels at the wonderful way the Father has created eagles to traverse the sky.  In Chapter 7 (“The Joy of Waiting: Reaping the Rewards”) of Waiting on God, the author observes that eagles would tire quickly if they relied on their own power to say aloft.  They wouldn’t travel as far.

Instead, eagles ride air currents to move effortlessly through the sky.  Just as the wind current carries the eagles, our trust in God carries us through every trial and delay.  When we attempt to use our own power to accomplish our goals, we experience a feeling of “utter, internal exhaustion.”  Dr. Stanley explains that, just as eagles wait for the right air current, we need to wait on God:

“When we wait upon God, He will become the powerful current beneath our wings- lifting us to new heights, supporting us in the journey, and taking us to our desired haven.”

Today’s question: What Scriptures have been instrumental in strengthening your resolve to wait upon the Lord?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The best is yet to come”

 

 

 

 

Soar on wings like eagles

Courageous praise

“Give thanks in all circumstances. for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 6 of Waiting on God with the final principle for persevering through dark times-courageous praise.  On the basis of our relationship with Christ, we express our thankfulness to Him regardless of our circumstances.

Dr. Stanley readily observes that it seems absolutely counterintuitive to praise God when “the stresses overwhelm you, your dreams are shattered, all seems lost, and you struggle just out get out of bed in the morning.”  Yet, without exception, Scripture admonishes us to praise God in every situation, for only praising God will minister to our spirit and lift our heart.  Our perspective changes.  We actively look for God’s help and deliverance rather than ruminating over the negative aspects of our life.

Especially during our darkest moments, giving thanks to God enables us to keep our focus on Him rather than dwelling on our circumstances.  As we find more and more areas of gratefulness, before we realize it we will be thanking the Father for the trial itself.  The greater the hurt we experience, the closer we draw to Him, as Dr. Stanley explains:

“You can express your gratefulness that He is teaching you to think as He thinks; love in the unconditional matter He loves; and forgive freely the way He forgives you.  Because when you do, it honors the Lord greatly, refreshes your spirit, and helps you endure courageously and victoriously.”

Today’s question: What has most helped you to endure your vocation loss with courageous praise?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Soar on wings like eagles”

Courageous praise

The sword of the Spirit

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”- Ephesians 6:16-17

As Charles Stanley continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, he reminds us that we courageously can face times of waiting by remembering that God is with us and has an important purpose for all we’re experiencing.  But there is a third principle that is crucial if our season of waiting is to end victoriously.  Dr. Stanley stresses we must realize that we are in a spiritual battle.  Disheartenment strikes at the depths of our soul because Satan strikes at the very core of our personhood- through what we think and believe.

The most effective time for Satan to torment us, Dr. Stanley states, is when we are waiting on God:

“He (Satan) know exactly how to pinpoint the most painful, vulnerable places in your life: the areas of fear, insecurity, rejection, anger, bitterness, pride, and guilt that so readily lead you to despair.”

When Satan moves in, we must confront his lies with the truth of Scripture- the sword of the Spirit.  As the Holy Spirit works in our heart, the Lord will identify Satan’s lies one by one and each us how to overcome them with His truth.  The Holy Spirit will lead, counsel, and strengthen us.

Today’s question: What powerful truths of Scripture have enabled you to confront Satan with the sword of the Spirit?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Courageous praise”

The sword of the Spirit

Enduring dark times

Today Charles Stanley completes his presentation of five reasons why the Lord allow us to experience enduring dark times.

2.  To prepare you.  Dr. Stanley notes that throughout Joseph’s thirteen years of enduring dark times in Egypt, God positioned him perfectly and spiritually for what would come next.  Dr. Stanley explains that is true for us as well:

“The Father readies your character and places you exactly where you should be, when you should be there, for maximum impact.”

3.  So others can witness His work through you.  It was obvious to all the Egyptians Who was helping Joseph.  The Lord completely orchestrated the events that led to Joseph becoming second in command under Pharaoh.

4.  To raise you up and place you in a position to bless others.  The Lord tirelessly refined Joseph’s character for those thirteen years so Joseph would be ready when his God-centered leadership was needed.  The same is true for us, as Dr. Stanley notes:

“Never underestimate the awesome encouragement you can be to another person or the example you set as a follower of Jesus during the difficult times of your life.”

5.  To change your perspective.  During his dark times, Joseph learned the importance of forgiveness and mercy because of the Lord’s great grace to him.  The author applies the lesson Joseph learned:

“If you are to endure courageously, you must center your attention on the fact that the Lord is responsible for your future and all that affects it.”

Today’s question: Which of Dr. Stanley’s five reasons strike a chord with you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The sword of the Spirit”

Enduring dark times

My Lifesong

“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.  hey will put their trust in the Lord.”- Psalm 40:3 (NLT)

“God is never a God of discouragement.  When you have a discouraging spirit or train of thought in your mind, you can be sure it is not from God.”- John Ortberg

My seventh-grade teacher at Timothy Lutheran School in Chicago was Mr. Werner von Behren, who also ministered as Timothy’s organist and choir director.  One morning, quite unexpectedly, Mr. von Behren called me to his desk.  Knowing my piano-playing skills from school talent shows, he popped the question: “David, the school band needs a tuba player.  Are you interested?”  I eagerly accepted and was introduced to Mr. Richard Daugherty, the band director and expert “teach a seventh-grader how to tie a Windsor knot” instructor.  The anaconda-like sousaphone he brought in could’ve swallowed me whole!  Eventually he found a dented, E-flat tuba with a tarnished brass finish- case not included.  I dubbed it my “Civil War relic”.  After grade school I took a twenty-two year sabbatical, until I joined Divine Shepherd’s (Milwaukee) brass band.  The director opened the case to reveal a gleaming, silver tuba!

Playing the tuba created a Lifesong that led to many joyful experiences, like being in the kid’s band in Luther South’s production of “The Music Man” as an eighth-grader.  Yet this pales in comparison to God’s joy.  John Ortberg (The Life You’ve Always Wanted) writes that God’s basic character is joy.  He is the happiest being in the universe- and since we are made in His image, we are to reflect that “fierce joy” in our life.

Satan, however, desires that we live in sorrow and despondency, a state he’ll live in for all eternity.  Misery loves company.  We cannot buy into the deception that our joy is dependent on your circumstances.  We must take responsibility for our joyfulness, exulting in monotony:

” . . . perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. . . . It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike, it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.”- G. K. Chesterton (Orthodoxy)

May we sign Jesus’ name to the end of each day, knowing that we’ve been faithful to Him, trusting in His promises and provision.  Let my Lifesong sing to you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEwB0pkes7U

 

 

 

My Lifesong