“Whoever comes to Me and hears My Words, and does them. . . .”
(Luke 6:47 MKJV)

Some came to hear Y’shuaJesus speak, just because they yearned for something they couldn’t define. Some came to ridicule, to test this Teacher from the hills. Some came to the Master for what they needed—healing, cleansing. Men carried a friend on a stretcher, dropping him through the roof when they couldn’t get through the door. A man climbed a tree just to see Y’shuaJesus. A woman encountered the Lord at a well. They were rich. They were poor. They were members of the religious elite. They were uneducated farmers, fishermen, housewives, and widows. All were sinners, though some didn’t think so.

The Man from Galilee could not be ignored.

I’m fascinated with the contrast between the following encounters:

“And the man out of whom the demons had gone out begged Him, desiring to be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house and declare what God has done to you’. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout all the city what great things Jesus had done to him.” (Luke 8:38-39 MKJV)

“And after these things He went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ And leaving all, he rose up and followed Him.” (Luke 5:27-28 MKJV)

The man cleansed of demons wanted to follow Y’shuaJesus, but was sent away. We don’t know what was in the tax collector’s heart, but he was called right out of his office. I think with the cleansed man, Y’shuaJesus has work from him right away, that the miracle was enough to provide him with a testimony. And courageously, the man responded by going throughout the city proclaiming Y’shuaJesus. Perhaps that was his calling, and it was enough. In the tax-collector, Y’shuaJesus saw great potential, and a heart that was ready to be shaped through very close contact with the Master.

Now take a look at these two:

“Therefore neither did I think myself worthy to come to You; but say a word, and my servant will be healed.” (Luke 7:7 MKJV)

“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why cannot I follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.’ ” (John 13:37 MKJV)

The first man wasn’t Jewish. He says he thinks he’s not even worthy to come to Y’shuaJesus. But he did so for the sake of his servant. And he is rewarded for it. And then there’s Peter. It seems to me these two represent the two extremes of our own thinking of Y’shua. On one end, we think we are too sinful to go to the Lord, and on the other, we think we’re fully ready to do all that we are called to do. The Centurion overcame his own unworthiness, and boldly came forward. Peter learned more work was needed before he’d be able to walk in the Master’s shoes, or sandals, if you prefer.

Take a look at the following:

“Still, however, even out of the rulers, many did believe on Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue.” (John 12:42 MKJV)

These believers, I believe, represent the most common of all; they believe but aren’t willing or able to proclaim. They’re straddling the fence. They believe but aren’t acting on that belief.

The Y’shuaJesus of the scriptures was not ignored. There are times when I wonder how I would encounter Y’shuaJesus, had I lived two-thousand years ago. Would I have been one of the religious elite that was envious of this prophet? Would I have been called that I might be trained directly by the Master? If Y’shuaJesus healed me and sent me away to give my testimony, would I have done so? Would I have been afraid to obey Y’shuaJesus? Am I afraid today?

I pray, Lord, give us wisdom to hear Your voice, a mind to know Your will, and the courage to obey. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2 NASB)

It is impossible for me to not encounter strangers each and every day. Even while living a very small town, there seem to always be strangers about. While driving truck,

nearly all I spoke to, encountered daily, were strangers. There are the men and women that work at where I fueled my truck. There are those I saw and spoke to where I spend the night, even though I slept in my truck. There were people at the shippers and receivers of the commodities I transported. There are those I met at restaurants. There were other drivers I encountered while I’m at my company’s terminal, too, as the company had several thousand drivers. And then there were those infrequent and annoying times when people banged on the side of my truck, awaking me often in the middle of the night, asking for money or offering sexual favors.

What hospitality do I show to strangers I encounter? So many people, so many in need. A smile. A friendly greeting and parting blessing. Some seem to need to talk, to have someone listen. Do I take the time with them they need?

After chatting briefly with a man one evening, I handed him a “Road Home: New Testament for Truckers.” He looked at me for a second. Then he said he’d just been told by his wife that he needed to read the Bible. G-d is so good! I was exactly where I was suppose to be, at exactly the right time. Thank the Lord!

When someone asks for money, I must consider carefully what G-d would want to provide. Sometimes I would hand over some change, as requested. Once I bought a man a couple of hot dogs to eat, rather than giving money. Some times I give nothing, for I don’t often carry money into the fuel stops–too many drivers are robbed just walking though parking areas.

My most memorable encounters are those at restaurants and terminals. At restaurants, sitting with open Bible, I’ve been approached by people. Sometimes the conversation has been a great blessing. For when two Children of G-d gather together. . . Well, it’s church.

It was like that with Warren, whom I met in Sacramento, California. Warren saw me reading the Bible, and said, “That’s a great book. . . except those words in red.” He laughed at the look on my face. He loved the Lord, and took the words of Jesus, printed in red in my Bible, very seriously. We had a lovely time talking. He told how his pastor was asking for mentors during a Sunday service. His wife asked the pastor what was required of a mentor. The pastor replied, “someone who’s made a lot of mistakes and is willing to share them.” Warren’s wife said, “That’s Warren,” and promptly volunteered him.

There are other encounters, however, that are more difficult, challenging, requiring careful discernment. Jude writes: “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-23 NASB)

Not long ago a man approached, seeing me reading the Bible, and said he had a question for me when I finished eating. Not waiting to complete my meal, I invited him to join me. He did so, bringing his desert to my table, as he’d already eaten. He said he’d asked many pastors which church to attend, and they’d all said their particular church was the true one. He then said, “What do you say is the true church?” I didn’t hesitate, saying that the church isn’t a place or an institution, but is the Body of the Christ, his people, on Earth.

We spoke of many things, and he began to tell me how he’d found no real Christians in his travels. I offered some examples, which were immediately refuted. I felt the Spirit of G-d within me reminding me of my status as a Child of G-d, and to guard my heart. As we talked, I became aware that he had a script of things he would say. He’d ask a question. I’d answer. Regardless of the answer, he explain his version of a scripture, then say if I’d read the Bible, I’d know the correct answer.

It came to me that I was not to argue with this man. I was also not to be led away from my own faith to follow his path. We are told by Y’shuaJesus, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:7) Paul wrote, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel. . .” (Gal 1:8). And Peter warns us to “watch for false. . . swelling words that are empty.” (2 Pet 2:18) We are to “test the spirits. . .” (1John 4:1) and “all things, hold fast what is good.” (1Thes 5:21)

Each encounter is an opportunity to give, receive, and grow. Each encounter with others is a moment in time to be a beacon of light in a dark world. It is also a moment to grow closer to our Lord whose Spirit fills us and will guide us into all truth.

Lord watch over us. Let Your light shine upon our feet and our path. Fill our hearts with Your Spirit.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“And let your soul delight in abundance.” Isaiah 55:2

In his devotional on Rev. 21:23, Charles H. Spurgeon wrote:

“Here we lean upon the friendly arm, but there they lean upon their Beloved and upon him alone. Here we must have the help of our companions, but there they find all they want in Christ Jesus. Here we look to the meat which perisheth, and to the raiment which decays before the moth, but there they find everything in God. We use the bucket to fetch us water from the well, but there they drink from the fountain head, and put their lips down to the living water. Here the angels bring us blessings, but we shall want no messengers from heaven then. They shall need no Gabriels there to bring their love-notes from God, for there they shall see him face to face. Oh! what a blessed time shall that be when we shall have mounted above every second cause and shall rest upon the bare arm of God! What a glorious hour when God, and not his creatures, the Lord, and not his works, shall be our daily joy! Our souls shall then have attained the perfection of bliss.”

I read that and think: “Where’s the satisfaction we have now, compared to the glory of eternity?” But the in my Bible, Isaiah 55 is titled, “An Invitation to Abundant Life.” It is an invitation to those who thirst to come to the waters, free of charge. We are challenged with, “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?”

Y’shuaJesus compared Himself to the door to the sheep pen. We are invited to enter His pen, where He will guard us, watch over us, lead us out to pasture, and back into the pen for protection. At night, the shepherd literally lay upon the ground before the opening to the sheep. In this way, the shepherd defended the sheep as they slept. No one or no animal got through the opening. Y’shuaJesus, the door for us sheep. In this same passage, recorded in John 10:7-10, Y’shuaJesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Here’s my thoughts on this. The abundant life satisfies in the hope of tomorrow, the eternal tomorrow. The abundant life satisfies in the hope of today, for we are in the care of The Shepherd, and He watches over us. The abundant life satisfies in the putting away, the covering over, of the past in which we lived according to our own desires, our flesh. Our sins, confessed, are remembered no more.

We come to understand the ways and schemes of our enemy to take away our satisfaction, to take our satisfying and abundant life and turn it into a chaotic mix of anxiety and seeking things that do nothing for our true abundant and eternal life. This enemy is the enemy of G-d, exploiting our weaknesses, those of our bodies, our minds, our emotions.

It is G-d’s enemy who taunts us. G-d’s enemy trying to hurt us, G-d’s children. Might I be bold enough to say to our Lord that His enemy is tormenting me, and I’d like Him to deal with it? If I’m not, then am I trying to deal with the enemy myself? Am I really that strong? When the enemy hammers me, he’s trying to hammer G-d.

Once, many years ago, on New Year’s eve, I stood on a beach on the western coast of America. I cried out to our G-d, saying, “I can’t do this.” So G-d allowed me to not continue in the direction for which I was afraid. When I reflect upon that time of my life, I now realize I failed to accept a great blessing because I couldn’t see the bright future, only the dark. My trial was nothing like Y’shuaJesus’s and yet He prayed: if it were possible take this away, but G-d’s will be done.

May we delight ourselves in the LORD. May we submit to Him who called us, who wore filthy rags, and clothed us in His righteousness. May we catch the true vision of the future, the eternal future. May we remember the difference between caverns and tunnels. A cavern leads us down into the earth, while a tunnel leads us through a mountain. G-d leads us into tunnels that He be glorified in us; G-d does not lead us into caverns, caves, in which there is no exit. It is only the enemy of G-d that wants us to believe we are headed into a cavern. Thank You, Y’shuaJesus, that You said, “Your Will Be Done.”

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“Set out Your wonderful loving-kindness, O Savior of those seeking refuge in You, by Your right hand, from those who rise up against me.”
(Psalms 17:7 MKJV)

Regarding this scripture, Spurgeon wrote: “His favours are always performed with the love of his heart. He does not send to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the table of his luxury, but he dips our morsel in his own dish, and seasons our provisions with the spices of his fragrant affections. When he puts the golden tokens of his grace into our palms, he accompanies the gift with such a warm pressure of our hand, that the manner of his giving is as precious as the boon itself.”

Immediately upon reading this devotional passage, I thought of my “Bread Crumbs” experience. “Blessings take many forms,” I thought.

Briefly, let me share with you what I experienced with Y’shuaJesus about twenty years ago as I trudged from monastery to monastery on the Greek peninsula of Mt. Athos.

Mount Athos is home to many monasteries that welcome and host “pilgrims.” The first monastery in which I spent the night served only Turkish coffee and sent me on my way, hungry, thirsty, and still quite worn out from the previous day. It was in the hills, however, near a small chapel, that a monk shared bread with me. It was stale, too hard to eat. But it caused me to know that the Lord, indeed, was present in my hunger, thought of me, and promised that He’d be my provision.

Now, as quoted in the devotional, it says simply “marvelous loving-kindness.” And this is a wonderful way to spin off a devotional. But something caught my inner eye as I read, “Set out Your wonderful lovingkindness. . .” It works along with my experience with the dried crust of bread with which G-d blessed me.

G-d set out His loving-kindess to me, showing me not only His favor, but bringing me to the awareness that it is in Him in which I receive all sustenance. Indeed, Y’shuaJesus is the living water, the essential ingredient to our lives, making all food possible, and other blessings possible.

I saved those crumbs of bread. They are reminders of G-d’s mercy and kindness and provision. No, He didn’t fill my stomach at that particular moment. But He filled my soul in that I knew He looked upon me and that He had set before me a table from which I’d be filled.

I believe this is the beginning of my acceptance of delayed gratification. No longer must I have it now. I can wait because the table is set and it will be given to me in abundance when it is time.

And in my story “Bread Crumbs,” I relate that the next night I feasted and was treated with what was nearly reverence, by the monks of another monastery. (Perhaps I’ll post that story for you one day.)

Thank You, Y’shuaJesus, not only did you invite me to eat with You at Your table, You fill me with Yourself, now, that I might be sustained until the time comes that I receive Your blessing, and eventually that I sit with You at Your Great Feast. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“But in all these things we more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 MKJV)

Matthew Henry, in his commentary, writes: “We have good assurance of our preservation and continuance in this blessed state, Rom_8:35, to the end. The fears of the saints lest they should lose their hold of Christ are often very discouraging and disquieting, and create them a great deal of disturbance; but here is that which may silence their fears, and still such storms, that nothing can separate them. We have here from the apostle, a daring challenge to all the enemies of the saints to separate them, if they could, from the love of Christ.”

I like the word “disturbance” that Matthew Henry uses for what happens when we let everything from fears to frustrations loose our hold of Messiah.

There’s a screen saver that has a pond into which a drop falls. The drop splashes into the calm water, ripples are created spreading out from the center. Eventually the pond returns to its quiet state–only to have another drop hit.

I think it is like this with our lives; we go calm for a moment until something disturbs us. Our emotions rise and fall, and all around us feel the effect of the drop.

Growth in Messiah is not that the drops don’t fall into our quiet pond, which is our sought-after state with Messiah, but that we allow Messiah to absorb the effect of the drop. Then the tidal wave is minimized, though never completely eliminated until Messiah returns, until we are with Him in His Glory.

Another way to understand disturbances is flying in an airplane. Occasionally the pilot will warn passengers that there may be some disturbances and to please fasten seat belts. Perhaps we need to fasten our spiritual seatbelts, and keep them fastened, to avoid falling out of our spiritual seats.

Paul tells us about the source of disturbances and how to buffer its effect: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world’s rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:12, 13 MKJV)
As comforting as it might be, I can’t blame all disturbances on an external spiritual power. In my journaling I worked through some issues I’d had the previous day. Part of what I wrote may be of interest:

“. . .worked through some of the frustrations in my mind. It seems when I feel responsible for a mistake, I am very disappointed in myself and become frustrated. Double wammy, here! It is pride that shows itself when I think I should be better than making mistakes. Then not properly responding to issues arising from the error is the second wam-bam. I suppose I didn’t beat myself up too badly. Ate and felt better. Lesson Number Two was not eating properly, opening the door for physical drain that contributes to my mood and responses.”

So listen for the voice of The Captain, take your spiritual seats and fasten your spiritual seatbelts; get ready for a bumpy ride.

May G-d have mercy upon us, upholding us in our Earthly lives, as we long for life with our Lord in the place He prepares for us. Bless the Name of the Lord, our G-d.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ. . .” (Romans 16:25-26 HCSB)

For a bit of study, I suggested, in part one, solving the riddle of navigating the fork in the road. Assignment two suggested an exploration of times in which you’ve come to a physical or emotional or intellectual fork in the road. How did you navigate? Go easy on yourself, though. It’s okay to spiritualize taking directions from someone such as, “In this or that decision, G-d brought so and so into my path to guide me.” See that was easy. G-d spoke through someone. And if you are courageous, ask the hard questions, like: “Did I want someone to ask?” and “Did I ask G-d for some person to help me?” “Am I avoiding G-d in search for a person to tell me what to do?” As a challenge assignment, take some time to think about how you really determine what to do each and every moment of the day. When you have a choice, with what do you fill your spare hours?

Let’s do some exploring and thinking together, making some notes along the way.

Exploring Scripture. On his way to Jerusalem, Paul was heading into trouble. He knew it. A man prophesied that Paul would be bound while in Jerusalem. Those who were with Paul then knew it would be trouble for him. They implored Paul not to go. Paul said he must go. Once in Jerusalem, trouble was not far behind Paul. Eventually Paul was arrested. Paul, in a split-second decision appealed to Caesar. Now he set himself upon a course in which there was no return?literally. What does this tell us about the decision-making process? Any fear of choosing the ‘wrong’ Path?

Interesting Thought. Up the stakes on the riddle about navigating the fork in the road, make it that one of the forks leads through danger, the other through a peaceful valley. Now which path is correct? How will you know? And really, does it make a difference which path you choose? Where are we really going, that we are determined to walk a path through either a peaceful valley or a dangerous canyon?

Which Way to the Big Door? What’s beyond the door and through the path? There’s several paths that lead to the Big Door, our ultimate destination. Which path is the easiest? That’s what we’re really looking for, isn’t it an easy path?

Another View. There is a view of life that says there are no peaceful valleys on the road to our ultimate destination. What appears to be peaceful, is simply a mirage, and disappears like a whiff of fog, or a puff of smoke. So with this as a vantage point, looking down at the indecisive traveler, we are able to see that the choice of which path to take isn’t so very important as the traveler thinks.

Thinking. This is the existentialist viewpoint. If we look at the world through it, we see all paths as leading to some sort of trouble, danger. Y’shuaJesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the road is broad that leads to perdition, and many are the ones who go through it. “For the gate is small, and the road is narrow that leads to life, and few are the ones who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 MRC) This says there is a path that appears wide, and one that appears narrow. The wide path is well traveled; the narrow path is not. We are to choose to walk the narrow path. So choosing the right path is important, then.

Complicating Things. In this light, then, how do we interpret Y’shuaJesus’s words in John 10:10? “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10 HCSB) Does that mean there is abundant life at the end of the journey, on the other side of The Big Door, and not during our travels?

Concluding Thoughts. Decisions shouldn’t be hard. We aren’t really facing two paths, neither of which offer glimpses as to their destination. Actually, if we are faced with a fork, we can somewhat know the potential for each one to lead us to our duty, our work that is G-d’s will for our lives. Of course, there is one small problem for some of us that sort of haven’t a clue what our life’s work is suppose to be. And for those of us that don’t even know who we are, we really do have a problem deciding the proper, the best path. But then perhaps that’s exploring to be done another day.

What I really want when faced with a fork in the path, is a clear, calm, reassuring voice from the Holy Spirit saying to me, “Go this way,” and then to be pointed into The Way, and reassured as I walk along.

Lord help us that we “don’t turn to the right or to the left; [but] keep [our] feet away from evil,” (Proverbs 4:27 HCSB) that we might be ushered through the Big Door and feast with You at that Great Wedding Banquet You planned.
Lord G-d, Creator, Almighty, teach us, lead us, make us know You, and Your ways. In the Name of Y’shuaJesus. Amen.
Lord Bless, Keep, and Shine upon and through you all! Terry