"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16
The verse is an alphabet of grace, a table of contents to the Christian hope, each word a safe-deposit box of jewels. read it again, slowly and aloud, and note the word that snatches your attention. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God so loved this world? Heartbreakers, hope-snatchers, and dream-dousers prowl this orb. Dictators rage. Abusers inflict. reverends think they deserve the title. But God loves. And he loves the world so much he gave his:
Declarations?
Rules?
Dicta?
Edicts?
No. the heart-stilling, mind-bending, deal-making-or-breaking claim of John 3:16 is this: God gave his son . . . his only son. Not abstract ideas but a flesh-wrapped divinity. Why? so that “whoever believes in him shall not perish.”
- Max Lucado
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Max Lucado's book, 3:16 will be available in stores on 9/11/07.
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
9/5/07
8/28/07
the legend of manna
Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread, not our monthly or yearly bread. The story about "manna", as told in Exodus 16, inspired me to start writing Manna for Mañana in 1995. I had stopped writing for a long while but lately, it has rekindled my desire to write again.
God asked Moses to lead the Israelites in the desert after they had been rescued from slavery and had crossed the Red Sea. The people traveled in the hot, dusty desert for 3 days. Finally they came to a pond of water. The people were so thirsty. They probably ran to the water to drink. However, as soon as they swallowed the water, they realized that the water was bitter.
The people were so upset. They complained to Moses telling him that they needed something to drink. Moses prayed to God for help. God showed Moses a piece of wood close to the water. God told Moses to throw wood into the water. Instantly, the water was sweet and delicious! The people stayed there several days then God asked them to travel again in the desert. This was not easy for God’s people. They began to complain and grumble because of the hard times and struggles. They had forgotten how God promised to take care of them. God heard their cries and told Moses that He would bring them meat to eat in the evening and bread from Heaven in the morning.
God also told Moses that He would test the people to see if they would follow directions. God would provide for their needs each day. They were not supposed to collect any bread or meat for the next day. The one exception was for the 7th day. On the 6th day, God would let the people collect for the 7th day so that they could rest and worship God on that day.
Just as promised, God sent quail in the evening for His people. In the morning, there were little white flakes on the ground. Moses told them that these flakes were bread from Heaven. It was delicious to eat and it tasted like honey. The people called it manna. The people used manna in different ways. Some baked it into bread, while others boiled it like oatmeal. God gave His people food during their time in the hot desert. God told His people that they should only collect enough food for that day. Sure enough, some people tried to collect the manna for the next day. Surprisingly, the manna was smelly and full of bugs. However, when the people did as God said and collected extra for the 7th day, it stayed fresh and good.
God cared for the needs of His people. Even when they were grumbling and complaining, He helped them and took care of them. Remember that the people did not get exactly what they wanted. They got a new food surprise, manna! The manna would appear every morning on the dew for the next 40 years. There would not be any manna on the 7th day, the Sabbath. They would have to gather the manna each morning from daylight until about noon. When the sun got hot the manna would melt. To be able to eat manna, they would have to depend upon God every day. They would have to depend upon God to provide the proper weather every morning for the dew to appear with the manna. They would have to work, gather the manna, every day for six days. If they did not gather any manna, they would not eat, even though God provided the manna for them. Each day at night all the bread (manna) would be gone and they would have to trust God to provide manna the next day. It was one day at a time.
We need to depend upon God every day. God takes care of us too. Just like God’s people, sometimes we may complain about our unfair circumstances but God hears our prayers and will answer. The thing is He may not answer in the way that you think, but rest assured that God will take care of you and always give you His best.
God asked Moses to lead the Israelites in the desert after they had been rescued from slavery and had crossed the Red Sea. The people traveled in the hot, dusty desert for 3 days. Finally they came to a pond of water. The people were so thirsty. They probably ran to the water to drink. However, as soon as they swallowed the water, they realized that the water was bitter.
The people were so upset. They complained to Moses telling him that they needed something to drink. Moses prayed to God for help. God showed Moses a piece of wood close to the water. God told Moses to throw wood into the water. Instantly, the water was sweet and delicious! The people stayed there several days then God asked them to travel again in the desert. This was not easy for God’s people. They began to complain and grumble because of the hard times and struggles. They had forgotten how God promised to take care of them. God heard their cries and told Moses that He would bring them meat to eat in the evening and bread from Heaven in the morning.
God also told Moses that He would test the people to see if they would follow directions. God would provide for their needs each day. They were not supposed to collect any bread or meat for the next day. The one exception was for the 7th day. On the 6th day, God would let the people collect for the 7th day so that they could rest and worship God on that day.
Just as promised, God sent quail in the evening for His people. In the morning, there were little white flakes on the ground. Moses told them that these flakes were bread from Heaven. It was delicious to eat and it tasted like honey. The people called it manna. The people used manna in different ways. Some baked it into bread, while others boiled it like oatmeal. God gave His people food during their time in the hot desert. God told His people that they should only collect enough food for that day. Sure enough, some people tried to collect the manna for the next day. Surprisingly, the manna was smelly and full of bugs. However, when the people did as God said and collected extra for the 7th day, it stayed fresh and good.
God cared for the needs of His people. Even when they were grumbling and complaining, He helped them and took care of them. Remember that the people did not get exactly what they wanted. They got a new food surprise, manna! The manna would appear every morning on the dew for the next 40 years. There would not be any manna on the 7th day, the Sabbath. They would have to gather the manna each morning from daylight until about noon. When the sun got hot the manna would melt. To be able to eat manna, they would have to depend upon God every day. They would have to depend upon God to provide the proper weather every morning for the dew to appear with the manna. They would have to work, gather the manna, every day for six days. If they did not gather any manna, they would not eat, even though God provided the manna for them. Each day at night all the bread (manna) would be gone and they would have to trust God to provide manna the next day. It was one day at a time.
We need to depend upon God every day. God takes care of us too. Just like God’s people, sometimes we may complain about our unfair circumstances but God hears our prayers and will answer. The thing is He may not answer in the way that you think, but rest assured that God will take care of you and always give you His best.
8/27/07
He will never let you sink
Jesus actually walked on this after He fed the five thousand!
OK... maybe not THIS exact water because I took this picture in the middle of the Caribbean and He actually walked on the Sea of Galilee in Israel. (I wanted to give you a visual.)
Whether the story is familiar to you or not, enjoy this simple to understand, modern version of this bible passage ...
On a rocky hillside, he took two smelly fish and five crusty loaves of bread and fed over five thousand people.
“WOW!” The disciples must have thought, “We should open a restaurant!” Well, maybe they didn’t think the restaurant part - but they were amazed by the miracle they just saw Jesus do. The crowd was still buzzing about the whole thing when Jesus took Peter by the arm and said, “You guys go on ahead to the other side of the lake. I’ll catch up with you later.” (OK, we don’t really know what Jesus said exactly. For one thing, he was speaking in Aramaic and not English. And chances are pretty good he didn’t call the disciples ‘you guys.’) But we do know that Jesus told the disciples to get in their boat and go across the lake. He needed some time to be alone. Well, imagine if you had crowds of people following you around everywhere you went, always wanting something from you. You’d want to get away to be alone sometimes too! But what Jesus really needed was time to pray. We all do!
So Jesus blessed the people and sent them on their way home. And he sent them away full - not just with a good meal, but with the word of God. They all left knowing a little better just how much God loved them. So Jesus watched the last few stragglers pick their way through the rocks, and then he turned and climbed up the mountain a ways.
When night came, Jesus was still there praying, alone on the mountainside. Of course, he wasn’t really alone. He was with his Father. No one is ever really alone. God is always with us.
Meanwhile, the disciples were on the lake below, trying to row across it. It was very dark now, and a strong wind was blowing right in their faces. Well, right in the faces of the lucky ones who weren’t trying to row against it. Those poor guys had their backs to the wind and were rowing against it with all their might - and hardly getting anywhere! “This is just great!” they were probably grumbling to each other as sprays of water splashed in their faces and the waves tossed their little boat every which way - except the way they wanted to go! “Jesus sends us out across the lake with this blasted wind doing its best to blow us back! Couldn’t he do something about that?!” (We like to grumble whenever things get hard, don’t we.)
But Jesus could see that they were in trouble.
The wind was howling, the sea was still tossing their boat this way and that, when one of the disciples happened to look out into the night. “WHAT IS THAT?!!!”
There was a man walking on the water!!!
In the dark of the night they saw a man coming towards them on the water - his hair was blowing wildly, his robe was being whipped by the wind like a flag in a windstorm.
They were terrified! (...well, wouldn’t YOU be?!)
“IT’S A GHOST!!” they screamed.
But just then, they heard a voice say, “Take courage! Don’t be afraid. It is me!”
It was Jesus!
“Lord, is it really you?” Peter said, holding his hand over his eyes to block the spray of the splashing waves. “If it really IS you, tell me to come out to you on the water!” Peter was a brave man! (Or he was crazy!)
Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stuck one leg out over the side of the boat and set his foot on the water. It didn’t sink in! He stepped out with his other foot, and it didn’t sink. He stood up. He was standing on the water! He took one step, and then another, and then another. He was walking on the water, just like Jesus!
Peter was walking on the water! He might have even been thinking to himself, “Hey! Look at me. I am walking on the water! Aren’t I great!” But wait a minute. People can’t walk on water.
And then Peter started to look around him. All of a sudden, the boat seemed awfully small and far away. There was nothing but black, churning water all around him. The waves were lapping at his feet, water was stinging his eyes. And then, just like that, the water under his feet let go.
“Help me, Lord!” Peter gulpped, splashing wildly as the cold water swallowed him down. “Save me!”
But before the water could gulp Peter down entirely, Jesus reached down with his strong hand (he WAS a carpenter after all) and grabbed him by the arm.
“Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And with that, Jesus pulled Peter up out of the water and carried him, dripping wet, back to the boat.
Just as they were climbing over the side of the boat, the wind died away and the sea turned smooth as glass. Everything was suddenly peaceful and quiet.
One minute the wind was roaring and the sea was crashing, the next all was peaceful and calm.
OK... maybe not THIS exact water because I took this picture in the middle of the Caribbean and He actually walked on the Sea of Galilee in Israel. (I wanted to give you a visual.)
Whether the story is familiar to you or not, enjoy this simple to understand, modern version of this bible passage ...
On a rocky hillside, he took two smelly fish and five crusty loaves of bread and fed over five thousand people.
“WOW!” The disciples must have thought, “We should open a restaurant!” Well, maybe they didn’t think the restaurant part - but they were amazed by the miracle they just saw Jesus do. The crowd was still buzzing about the whole thing when Jesus took Peter by the arm and said, “You guys go on ahead to the other side of the lake. I’ll catch up with you later.” (OK, we don’t really know what Jesus said exactly. For one thing, he was speaking in Aramaic and not English. And chances are pretty good he didn’t call the disciples ‘you guys.’) But we do know that Jesus told the disciples to get in their boat and go across the lake. He needed some time to be alone. Well, imagine if you had crowds of people following you around everywhere you went, always wanting something from you. You’d want to get away to be alone sometimes too! But what Jesus really needed was time to pray. We all do!
So Jesus blessed the people and sent them on their way home. And he sent them away full - not just with a good meal, but with the word of God. They all left knowing a little better just how much God loved them. So Jesus watched the last few stragglers pick their way through the rocks, and then he turned and climbed up the mountain a ways.
When night came, Jesus was still there praying, alone on the mountainside. Of course, he wasn’t really alone. He was with his Father. No one is ever really alone. God is always with us.
Meanwhile, the disciples were on the lake below, trying to row across it. It was very dark now, and a strong wind was blowing right in their faces. Well, right in the faces of the lucky ones who weren’t trying to row against it. Those poor guys had their backs to the wind and were rowing against it with all their might - and hardly getting anywhere! “This is just great!” they were probably grumbling to each other as sprays of water splashed in their faces and the waves tossed their little boat every which way - except the way they wanted to go! “Jesus sends us out across the lake with this blasted wind doing its best to blow us back! Couldn’t he do something about that?!” (We like to grumble whenever things get hard, don’t we.)
But Jesus could see that they were in trouble.
The wind was howling, the sea was still tossing their boat this way and that, when one of the disciples happened to look out into the night. “WHAT IS THAT?!!!”
There was a man walking on the water!!!
In the dark of the night they saw a man coming towards them on the water - his hair was blowing wildly, his robe was being whipped by the wind like a flag in a windstorm.
They were terrified! (...well, wouldn’t YOU be?!)
“IT’S A GHOST!!” they screamed.
But just then, they heard a voice say, “Take courage! Don’t be afraid. It is me!”
It was Jesus!
“Lord, is it really you?” Peter said, holding his hand over his eyes to block the spray of the splashing waves. “If it really IS you, tell me to come out to you on the water!” Peter was a brave man! (Or he was crazy!)
Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stuck one leg out over the side of the boat and set his foot on the water. It didn’t sink in! He stepped out with his other foot, and it didn’t sink. He stood up. He was standing on the water! He took one step, and then another, and then another. He was walking on the water, just like Jesus!
Peter was walking on the water! He might have even been thinking to himself, “Hey! Look at me. I am walking on the water! Aren’t I great!” But wait a minute. People can’t walk on water.
And then Peter started to look around him. All of a sudden, the boat seemed awfully small and far away. There was nothing but black, churning water all around him. The waves were lapping at his feet, water was stinging his eyes. And then, just like that, the water under his feet let go.
“Help me, Lord!” Peter gulpped, splashing wildly as the cold water swallowed him down. “Save me!”
But before the water could gulp Peter down entirely, Jesus reached down with his strong hand (he WAS a carpenter after all) and grabbed him by the arm.
“Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And with that, Jesus pulled Peter up out of the water and carried him, dripping wet, back to the boat.
Just as they were climbing over the side of the boat, the wind died away and the sea turned smooth as glass. Everything was suddenly peaceful and quiet.
One minute the wind was roaring and the sea was crashing, the next all was peaceful and calm.
Some of the disciples must have remembered just then the Psalm they learned in school - “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper, the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107:13)
Those disciples knew that only God has the power to calm the wind and the waves - and that’s just what Jesus did. “Truly you ARE the Son of God!” they said to Jesus in awe and wonder. And they bowed down and worshipped him right then and there.
Now, we don’t know for sure, but maybe Peter sat there shivering in the back of the boat with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, thinking about all that had just happened. And maybe he was hearing over and over in his head the words Jesus had calmy said, ‘Why did you doubt?’
‘Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?’
Why DID Peter doubt? Just the day before, he saw Jesus turn two fish and five loaves of bread into enough to feed five thousand people. And now he saw Jesus walking on the water. Jesus said it was okay, so he stepped out onto the water. He trusted Jesus. He stepped out of the boat because Jesus had called him, and his faith held him up. But then he saw the darkness all around him, he felt the wind stinging his face, he saw the swirling black water beneath him... and he doubted. He took his eyes off Jesus and he became afraid. He forgot about Jesus. And he sank.
Those disciples knew that only God has the power to calm the wind and the waves - and that’s just what Jesus did. “Truly you ARE the Son of God!” they said to Jesus in awe and wonder. And they bowed down and worshipped him right then and there.
Now, we don’t know for sure, but maybe Peter sat there shivering in the back of the boat with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, thinking about all that had just happened. And maybe he was hearing over and over in his head the words Jesus had calmy said, ‘Why did you doubt?’
‘Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?’
Why DID Peter doubt? Just the day before, he saw Jesus turn two fish and five loaves of bread into enough to feed five thousand people. And now he saw Jesus walking on the water. Jesus said it was okay, so he stepped out onto the water. He trusted Jesus. He stepped out of the boat because Jesus had called him, and his faith held him up. But then he saw the darkness all around him, he felt the wind stinging his face, he saw the swirling black water beneath him... and he doubted. He took his eyes off Jesus and he became afraid. He forgot about Jesus. And he sank.
And it may be that Peter learned a lesson that night that he never forgot. When trouble is all around - keep your eyes on Jesus.
If you're in a similar circumstance, apply Peter's lesson to your life and focus on Jesus, He will never let you sink.
If you're in a similar circumstance, apply Peter's lesson to your life and focus on Jesus, He will never let you sink.
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