I ♥ Disciples

I ♥ Disciples. Te amo Disciples. Ich liebe disciples. Different ways to say the same thing: I love disciples! I would so wear this on a T-shirt. Why do I love disciples? There are lots and lots of reasons but I’ll share only a few.

Number one reason: These guys are a little thick. The Sons of Thunder ask Jesus if they could sit at His right and left hands when His kingdom came. They don’t quite understand who He is. The disciples sit in a boat with one loaf of bread and argue about not having any food; this is not long after Jesus feeds yet again another large crowd (4,000 according to the gospels) and these guys pick up seven (yes, seven!) baskets of leftovers. They know who Jesus is but they forget at the same time.

Number two: Their faith was wavering at times. Picture this scene: Peter (my favorite disciple and, at times, bonehead extraordinaire) hops out of the boat and is walking on water. For a moment, you cannot tell him a thing – he is the man. His faith takes him to an impossible place. And then he realizes where he is. His faith wavers. He begins to sink. Or at the time of Jesus’ arrest, the disciples were scattered and afraid. This Man who had been healing the blind, causing the deaf to hear, making the lame to walk, casting out demons, and healing all other sorts of maladies has been arrested and they are afraid. They are scattered like sheep and my guess is that they feel pretty faithless right now.

Number three: They grow up. These guys give me hope because they persevere and continue to follow Jesus. They let Jesus heal them and forgive them of their sins. Can you imagine how Peter must have wept when he realized that Jesus forgave him for his denial? Thomas’ doubt turned to belief after he felt the scars in Jesus’ hands and He realized that His Lord loved him even when he doubted. 12 men following Jesus, sticking to their commitment, continuing through dark times and wavering faith, going on to do great things for God’s kingdom.

Without a doubt, I ♥ Disciples

Sons of Thunder

Don’t you love that name?  You can’t just speak it in a normal voice; you have to make it in that wrestling-announcer guy’s voice.  It has to be booming and large, starting low and rumbling to a crescendo as you say “Sons of Thunder”.  At this, crowds should arise from their seats roaring wildly while waiving logo banners, wearing SoT t-shirts, hats, and foam fingers as they wait for James and John to make their entrance into the frenzied arena.  (Okay, maybe, just maybe, this is a little too contemporary idea of the receptions experienced by James and John.)

How do you become the Sons of Thunder?  James.  John.  These guys were two of Jesus’ closest companions.  They were with Him in the garden before His crucifixion and they were with Him when He was transfigured.  They spent time with Jesus and, in the process, the Sons of Zebedee became the Sons of Thunder.

Do you know why they earned this name?  Because Jesus knew them.  He knew that they were impulsive and impetuous.  He knew their desire to be great and He knew their passion for Him.  Jesus knew them intimately.

Sons of Thunder, indeed, they were appropriately named by their Lord.  I can almost see Jesus chuckling when He first said this out loud.  Maybe it struck Him as funny in a way that they didn’t even know at the time.  However it was said, it was said because they walked with the Lord.

Jesus has a new name for you and for me (Revelation 2:17, 3:12).  He has named us because He has called us His own.

I can’t wait to get to heaven to find out what He calls me.

For interesting information check this link: Sons of Thunder

Be Quiet

"Be quiet." Lately I hear this from God. It is an imperative, a command, but I also understand that the choice is mine. God is telling me what to do to be obedient to Him but I have the option to obey or keep going about life as normal.

"Be quiet" to me is confounding. Why would God tell me to be quiet? Doesn't He realize that He made me the chatty person that I am??? Does Michael Phelps have a life outside of the pool? I'm not convinced he does. This is how I see me with no words: I am a swimmer in a waterless pool, Eric Clapton with no guitar, Maya Angelou without a pen.

So what now? The idea of me without the spoken word confirms to me that my sense of humor comes from my Father. Obviously Daddy likes a good laugh, too.

Stay tuned. I know that I can trust God so now I will sit in silent confusion and wait to hear what He tells me next.

This is going to be a good.

Satan's Paycheck vs God's Retirement Plan

Do you ever wake up and wonder, "Is faith worth it? Is perseverance worth the pain?" Maybe you don't but some days I question these things.

When is the last time you slept in on a Sunday? Do you know that life exists on Wednesday nights outside of school walls? Do you look at your beat up (fill in the material blank) and compare it to that of your neighbors and you think that theirs is better because they don't tithe? Do you wonder it would be easier to let your child dress according to the current fashion and not fight the tiresome battle that comes with raising children by Christ's standards? Do you wish you could, just once, throw out the gossip/slander/curse word without the accompanying twinge of guilt?

Face it - some days Satan's paycheck looks pretty good. It seems like those folks on Lucifer's bankroll have an easier road to walk and that there is a big fat paycheck to go along with it. In comparison, the rewards of the Christian may not always seem to as lucrative as that offered by the devil; there are days when I feel downright underpaid.

Take a good look at the fine print, though.

Satan's payroll shows that the lines marked 401(k) and Retirement are not only blank, they're in the red. When that paycheck is spent, the employer is going to come to call and he will collect those that are his and he won't be gentle about it. The devil is going to remind his people that they owe him for what they received in this life and that they will pay a heavy price by spending eternity suffering in hell with him.

For the Christian, the details of the retirement plan show hope beyond what hope should be capable of. The investment of the believer is secured in a place where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20). The ROI for the Christian is beyond unreal; words cannot describe what God has given for us. And when He does come to call those who belong to Him there will be only happiness and joy are we sing His praises for all time.

God's word tells us that the road to hell is broad and, in contrast, that the way to life is narrow and not many people enter through that gate (Matthew 7:13-14). Put in that perspective, God's retirement plan looks just fine to me.