His Name

Scripture: Acts 4:12 - Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Observation: The crippled man was healed by faith in Jesus (Acts 3:16). Peter and John, filled with the Holy Spirit, name Jesus Christ as "Savior" when asked by the Sanhedrin by what power or name the man was healed. Here, and in Exodus, God and God alone has stepped in to save His people. In Exodus 6, God tells the Israelites that they will know Him by a new name (I AM or Yahweh (personal, covenant God) usually translated as LORD). What is about to change? Exodus 6:6-7 says: Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

In Exodus, it's the Israelites being saved from slavery by the Egyptians. In Acts, it's all who put their faith in Jesus being saved from sin and death. In both cases, the ones being saved know God by a new name: Personal, covenant, Savior. Peter and John's response to this knowledge is found in Acts 4:20: "As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Application: When we put our faith in Jesus, we have been saved, and continue to be saved because we know Him and trust Him as our personal covenant Savior. It's not just a "ticket to heaven", it's a relationship with the God of the universe! Wow, as for me, I cannot help speaking about what I have seen and heard!

As I was working out this morning, I thought about where I was this time last year. I was definitely not doing sit-ups; I was waiting to have surgery. Even worse than that, I was hiding who I really was. Over the past 12 years, I had become very involved in church and had even been in several leadership roles. I was there nearly every time the doors were open. I studied the Bible, prayed, and worshiped. There was only one problem. I had not really put my faith in Jesus and made a covenant with Him. Yes, I believed in Him, but I did not really believe Him. When I prayed, I had a list a mile long, but I think I really viewed Him more like Santa Claus than someone who loved me enough to die for me. I was never really open and honest with Him for fear that I would mess up and say or do something wrong. I was completely wearing myself out trying to be "good enough" for my family, my friends, my church, and probably last but certainly not least...God.

God brought me through that surgery. We started having honest, real conversations. He placed on my heart that I needed to be baptized because I had never really made that covenant with Him. It was hard to admit to everyone I knew that I was not who I had appeared to be, and many people did not understand. He has been with me every step of the way, and a couple of times I have heard him whisper, "I'm well aware you skipped first base, but you just come on home with me and we'll start over together".

Much change has occurred in me in the past year, and in all of my relationships. Physically, I feel better than I have felt in years. But, the best change by far is that I now know Him as LORD and Savior.

Prayer: Lord, you know me inside and out. You know what makes me leap for joy and what makes me scared to death. Open my mouth, Lord, and put your words in it. Give me the courage to speak (not just write) them. Open my ears so that I can hear you over all the noise in my head and in my world. Open my eyes so that I can see the needs around me. Thank you for the awesome, amazing privilege of knowing you! Thank you for breaking down every wall that I built up and bringing me into your marvelous light! I love you!

1/27/11 - Is the Lord among us or not?

Scripture: Exodus 17:1-7

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink."
Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?"

3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"

4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

5 The Lord answered Moses, "Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

Observation: The Israelites had just been set free from slavery (they were setting out from the Desert of Sin). They had just been shown God's might and glory. They were following God into the unknown (which can be scary), and they began to have needs that were not being met. Instead of asking God to meet those needs, they began to complain, grumble, and quarrel, even saying they would be better off in Egypt (after all, they knew what to expect there). Even Moses waits until he gets totally exasperated to ask God for help.

Application: Heard around the Palmer breakfast table this morning: "I am so hungry, but I can't eat. I'm sorry; can you bring me your plate and go get dressed? But I'm hungry. I'm sorry, is there something else I can fix you? No, I'm hungry, but I can't eat!" By the time we got in the car this morning, I felt like Moses felt in verse 4: "What am I to do with these people?".

As I lead these kids God has given me, I must first recognize all that God has done for me and for all of us. He has led us out of the "Desert of Sin" into an abundant life in and through Jesus. Exactly where we are going and how we will get there is completely unknown to us (which can be scary especially for us planners), and there will be trouble and needs to be met along the way. Just as God was with the Israelites in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, God is with us through His word and Spirit. All He asks of us is that we seek Him and follow Him. How in the world can we forget that? Yet, somehow we do. We wait until we are completely exasperated to ask God for help. Sometimes, even then, we can't accept that the answer might be: "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14). Sometimes the best thing I can do for my kids is to be a good example.

Prayer: Lord, I am so sorry for all the times I have waited far too long to ask for your help. You have done so much for me and for all of us! Without a doubt, you are among us! I trust you with my family and my life. Forgive me when I seek you last instead of first. Give me wisdom as I raise my children...guide me as I attempt to teach them and guide them. Most of all, keep me, your child, on your path. I love you!

1/19/11 - From the lips of children

Scripture: Psalm 8:1-2

1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.

2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

Observation: God reigns, and all we need is the faith of a little child to recognize that. When we recognize that and praise God, we "establish a stronghold against our enemies" and "silence the foe and the avenger". As Brian said on Sunday, tell your mountain how big your God is!

Application: My daughter Jamie has been quite disturbed by this sore she has in her mouth. Every time she eats she gets very upset because something irritates it. I began to get very impatient with the whining at mealtimes and kept telling her she needed to "get tough". Yesterday at snack time, I overheard her praying over her Chex Mix: "God, please heal the sore in my mouth". Needless to say, I smiled and went over to her, listening to her and helping her finish the prayer. Sometimes I'm not sure who learns the most from this parenting experience, the parents or the children.

A lot of bad news and uncertainty has filled my week. I am tempted to either fret and worry about it or, as I advised Jamie, pretend it's no big deal. What I really have to do is give it to God, trusting Him like a little child and praising Him that He always knows what is best!

Prayer: Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Thank you for blessing me with these children and for using them to remind me of who you are. Right now, I give you all the "stuff" of this week; you know every bit of it. I trust you with my family, my friends, my church, and my life! When worry creeps in, I choose right now to tell that mountain how big my God is! You have given me more than enough reason to trust you with any mountain that is thrown in my path. I love you!

1/18/11 - Praying Psalm 5

Lord, you hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I
pray. Morning by morning, you hear my voice; may I not neglect to
seek you every morning, because you, Lord, bring about justice quickly
for those who cry out to you! (Luke 18:8) Lord, you are just and
righteous and cannot tolerate evil. It is only by your great mercy
and love that I can be in your presence. Lead me, Lord, in your
righteousness, especially when everything in this world distracts me.
Make straight your way before me, because like a sheep, I tend to
wander into the mindset of my culture and my world. Lord, because I
have chosen to take refuge in you this evening, such joy has filled my
heart that I cannot go to sleep without praising you! Now, Lord,
please let us all sleep in peace, because you are our protection and
our shield. You bless the righteous, Lord, because you are the one
who makes them righteous! I love you!!

January 6, 2011 - Waiting on the Lord

Scripture: Genesis 16:1-2: Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;

2 so she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her."
Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

Observation: Despite the fact that God had specifically said that Abram would have a son (15:4-5), Sarai decided that God wasn't going to include her in that plan. She decided to come up with her own plan and make her maid a surrogate mother. After all, Sarai was past childbearing age, and they had been waiting for years for God's promise to be fulfilled through her. Sarai had waited for years to have a child in a culture that placed a woman's value in the children she produced.

Application: In the age of IPhones, Facebook, YouTube, Google, and 24-hour news, we have really come to expect to know everything immediately. If we have to wait on anything, we're usually multitasking with one of the above tools. I, like most people, have a really hard time waiting on anything. How many times have I, like Sarai, given up waiting and proceeded with my own plan? Or worse yet, decided on my own plan without even considering what God thought? Probably too many to count.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I get anxious and impatient and allow that to get me into trouble. Lord, give me wisdom and patience as I wait for you. Increase my faith and help me to know and remember that your plan is always the best plan.

January 3, 2011

Genesis 8:20: Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt-offerings on the altar.

Observation: When we were teaching Noah's story in the Tree of Life (elementary Sunday school), we talked to the kids about how long Noah, his family, and the animals had been on the ark. I had never noticed before that they were really on the ark for almost a whole year! Talk about cabin fever...that's a long time in what must have been close quarters! I'm sure that Noah was thankful not only to get out of the ark, but for a new beginning as he finally walked on dry land. We also talked to the kids about the how the flood is symbolic of God literally coming and washing away the sins of the world. This, of course, is also symbolized in John's baptism we read about in Luke 3 today. But Luke 3:16 has the best news of all: Jesus came not only to wash away our sins, but to dwell within us and change us on the inside through the Holy Spirit.

What was Noah's response when he got off the ark? He built an altar to God, worshiped, and presented his offerings.

Application: We, like Noah, have been given a new beginning. God has given us even more than a new beginning, He has given us himself! How can I offer Him anything less than all of me?

Prayer: Lord, I am SO thankful for new beginnings, for your grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. Thank you most of all for being here with me. I give you everything: my hopes, my fears, my plans, my victories, my defeats, my gifts, my faults, my everything. Mold me, shape me, change me. I love you, Lord!