"Endless"

3) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3 - 4 (NIV)


Last night was a fun night for two of my daughters and I.  We each made our first ever trip to Red Robin.  For those of you who have never been there, their specialty is gourmet burgers.  Not one of us was disappointed in our experience.


One of the features offered was something called "Endless (or bottomless) Fries."  No commentary is necessary.  You could eat steak fries until your belly button popped out.  Two thumbs way up!  In reality, while that made for a great marketing tool, and a definite reason to go back, I am not sure many health professionals would recommend eating steak fries until you passed out.


There are many things that offer an "endless" supply.  Some of those things are not good for us, either in the physical realm or the spiritual realm.  The old adage is still true:  just becuase you can, does not mean that you should.  But there is something that you or I could never get enough of.  And unlike steak fries, ice cream, or candy, this will never leave you with regrets.  I read the above passage from 1 Corinthians 1 yesterday.  As I read the Beattitudes from Matthew 5 as a companion to this passage, I was impreseed with the notion that the mercy and love of God are "endless".


As the "God of all comfort", I can believe that there is nothing that God cannot handle.  His love for me is so deep and rich, and His power is so infinite, I can never exhaust Him.  When the road is long, He is there.  When the journey is tiresome, He is there.  When companions along the way complicate things or even abandon us in our greatest time of need, He is there.  In Matthew 5, the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, and the persecuted, all find a grace sufficient for their every need.  Just when all hope seems to be gone, God continues to pour out His goodness.  He continually speaks into and acts upon our need.  Scott Wesley Brown penned these words to this great song entitled "He Will Carry You":


There is no problem too big God cannot solve it. There is no mountain too tall He cannot move it.
There is no storm too dark God cannot calm it. There is no sorrow too deep, God cannot soothe it.

If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders.
I know , my brother, that He will carry you.
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders.
I know, my sister, that He will carry you.


Not only does He supply comfort and encouragement for each of us, but He pours out enough to reach others around us (1 Cor. 1:4).  The same comfort that has been lavished on us is used to touch those in our sphere of influence.  As we experience all that God is in the midst of our disappointments, failures, and trials, we are to spread that comort to others.  Enough for my neighbor and me?  Now that is "endless"!  AND, it is good for you!


So upon your next visit to Red Robin, enjoy the fries.  But know that it is God alone who can endlessly supply all we need and more.

"Achor"

Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me. - Isaiah 65:10 (NKJV).

In the Old Testamant book of Isaiah, the sixty-fifth chapter speaks on the themes of judgement, for those who reject God (v. 5), and restoration, for those who seek after God (v. 9).  Two groups, two choices, and two outcomes.  We are reminded that God is rich in mercy and has things under control... for those who seek after him.  No matter what we have faced, we find that the grace of God trumps it all.

One of the pictures of redemption and restoration painted by Isaiah tells of herds lying down in a valley called Achor.  In Hebrew, the word means "trouble".  The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia goes on to say, "serious or extreme trouble."  Do you have a happy place that you, at times, mentally travel to?  Chances are, that place is not like Achor.  The beach?  The mountains?  A golf course?  All of those are sure nice to think on.  But Achor?  No way.  I am sure the Israelites would just as soon forget such a place of trouble.

Joshua 7 tells the story of Achan who, along with a few others, took plunder from Jericho.  The issue?  They were told by God not to.  After losing favor with God, the Israelites are routed when they attempt to take the next city, Ai.  Furthermore, when Achan's sin is found out, he and his family are put to death.  The Bible says the place was called Achor from that time on.  So, no.  Achor is not a happy place.

Perhaps you have been, or maybe still are, in your own Vallley of Achor.  Perhaps it by your own choices, or maybe you were swept up by the decisions of others.  Be thankful that God is a Redeeming God!  Your place of trouble in the hands of the Master, becomes a place of tranquility and peace.  Our world shows the scars of man's sinfulness.  Choices are made, life happens, and we are left to make sense of it all.  We set up tent in Achor, always reminded of something awful from our past or present.

The good news of the Gospel is a message of restoration.  In Christ, the hopeless have hope.  In Christ, the weak are made strong.  In Christ, what was once a place of scorn and contempt, becomes a place of abundance and peace.  Relationships are healed, sinners are forgiven, the wayward find their way home, broken hearts are mended, and hope rises out of despair.  Whatever your "Achor" is, allow God to transform it by His grace.  We may show scars, but they become testimonies to His grace.  We are a people of hope!

"Equip"

 ¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.   (Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT)




A couple of weeks ago, I proceeded to mount a kitchen radio to the underside of a cabinet.  After putting off this task for awhile, the time had come to finally get it behind me.  Unfortunately, the task proved to be more difficult, because I coud not find a screwdriver that fit into the cabinet.  So the task of tightening the screws was long and painful because I lacked the proper tools for the job.




It is easy to be frustrated in those types of situations.  Unfortuantely, we allow life in the Church to be equally frustrating.  Too often, the Church heads off into battle trusting our own strength, while being grossly unprepared. As frustration at our futility sets in, so does disappointment.  The Church, as seen through the lens of Ephesians 4:11-12, encourages us.  Christ has given to the Church everything needed to carry out his work. He has given us the right tools. 




I feel struck by the word "equip" in this passage of Scripture.  "Equip"  (katartismos) is a blend of "kata", which means "throughout", and "artios" which means "fitted."  The imagery is clear.  The responsiblity of the Church is to "thoroughly fit, or equip" the Body for what God has called us to do.  How does He do this?  By using others as well as myself.  When I realize that God is using me to "thoroughly equip" my brother and my sister, my wants and desires have a way of becoming insignificant. How I view my brother and sister radically changes. 




What would happen if all of those cool images you and I have of the Church would be seen through the filter of "thoroughly equipping" the Body?  Want to have a potluck?  How can this be used to thoroughly equip?  Want to have a  cool children's ministry?  How can that be used to thoroughly equip?  Love that worship music?  Am I allowing it to thoroughly equip?  How can my small group and friends be used to thoroughly equip one another?




God has given the Body, everything needed to be His ambassadors.  Apart from Him, I am not even in the right toolbox.

"Light"

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'"   John 8:12 (NRSV)

On several occasions, my family and I have taken day trips to some of the popular caverns in Virginia.  It certainly is a joy to see the wonders of God's wonderful creation from a different  perspective.  The formations and glassy pools are a marvel to look at.  One of the highlights of the cavern tour, is when the guide will, with warning, turn out all of the lights, leaving the cavern visitors in complete darkness.  Unable to see anything, it is in the best interest of everyone to stay still.  I still remember clutching my children tightly so they would not trip or fall in the darkness.

Darkness can certainly play havoc on the senses.  At the least, one may become disoriented, lose sense of direction, and become lost.  At the most, the darkness can render one completely blind, resulting in injury or death.  This is true not only in the physical realm, but the spiritual realm as well.


In this passage, Jesus proclaims himself to be the "phos" (light) of the world.  "Phos" means to shine or make manifest.    Jesus has come to shine, expose, and illuminate.  It stands to reason that there must be some grand reason why Jesus makes this declaration.  Could it be it is because he is the light that illuminates my understanding of who I am and Whose I am?  Certainly I am capable of figuring things out on my own, right? 


Time and time again, Jesus shows himself to be for us what we cannot be in and of ourselves. It is important to note that Jesus does not merely give us light.  He is the light.  He does not shine a beam.  He is the beam.   As with most lighting, my way becomes clearer and safer when that light is applied to my path.    He is the "light of life".    In him I find "light" for traversing this rough terrain of life.  In his absence, I am left with darkness.  Without him, I may as well be trying to navigate this journey of life much like a cavern visitor would try to find his or her way out of the depths of the earth in pitch black.


Feeling in the dark?  Let him be your light!