a post by Sandy Garman
Have you ever thought what a difference two little words can make in your life? Martha and Mary were dear friends of Jesus as was their brother, Lazarus. When Lazarus became ill they sent a message to Jesus that the one “whom Jesus loved” was sick. They knew how much Jesus loved their brother and were confident he would come to his aid. However, Jesus did not arrive soon enough and Lazarus died. When Jesus finally arrived at Martha’s home in Bethany, both sisters were despondent. They did not understand why Jesus had not arrived sooner and in their despair they said, “If only you had been here, Jesus, our brother would not have died.”
If Only…If Only. Two little words that can color our world black: two little words that can plunge us into a quicksand of guilt, pulling us deeper and deeper into a pit of despair.
These are the same words that the friends of a blind man used about his disability in John 9. If only he had not sinned, if only his parents had not sinned, he would not have born blind. This blindness was worse than a death sentence for this man. He was and would be forever dependent on others for his basic physical care. Because of his blindness this man could not work, could not marry, and could have a family. He would never be a respected member of society. He would always be dependent on the charity of others for all his basic needs. He would always be an outcast. But worse than all that, his blindness also prevented him from having access to God! He was considered unclean in the Jewish religion and would never have the opportunity to worship at the temple the same way a physically whole man would. The world considered his life a wasted life. His parents would live for years with the guilt that they had done something to cause this to happen to their son. If only….
Do you live under a cloud of “if onlys”? If only you had not made that business deal. If only you had not bought that house. If only that disease had not robbed you of your normal life. If only you had avoided that car accident.
God is a sovereign and good God. He turns our “if onlys’ into “so that’s”. That is what he did for the blind man. When asked who sinned to cause this man’s blindness, Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3) And then Jesus, the light of world, removed this man’s darkness forever and restored his sight. This man was born blind so that God’s glory could be displayed in his life.
And how about Jesus’ friend Lazarus? When told of his illness, Jesus’ said to the disciples, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus purposely waited until Lazarus had died that he might perform the greatest miracle of all; the raising of a dead man.
Sufferings come to all us. Dwelling on the “if onlys” in our life will cause only discouragement and defeat. When we focus in on the “so thats” of our suffering, God is glorified through our sufferings. He uses us and our lives to display his magnificent glory, and we can persevere through our trials knowing they are not without purpose. Praise God today for the so that’s he has brought into your life, and revel in the knowledge that you are a masterpiece of God’s glory.
posted by Sandy Garman
Do-Overs and Second Chances
As a child, whenever we would play a game and we did not like the outcome, we would shout, “DO OVER.” It meant you could start over. What would happen if we could have “do overs” in real life? This thought has given birth to many movies over the years. Do overs are a reality only in the movie and children’s games. The mistakes and sins we commit each day, each year cannot be erased. But Our God is a God of second chances! Each day God provides us with the opportunity to start our lives fresh, to wipe the slate clean. Lam 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Nowhere is this seen more profoundly than in the life of the apostle Peter. Peter probably had the most intimate relationship with Christ of all the disciples. Wherever Jesus was, Peter was there also. Peter was passionate, profound, yet impetuous. He was a fisherman, the equivalent of a blue-collar working man. Yet Jesus saw in Peter the making of a great disciple and evangelist. Upon their first meeting, Jesus bestows on Simon a new name, Peter or Cephas which means rock. It does not describe what Simon is but what he will become.
Throughout the Gospels we see Simon Peter saying and doing some amazing things. We also witness his mistakes, his pride, and his sinfulness. We watch him go from the incredible high of walking on water to the deep despair of denying his friend, the one he loved. I wonder if Peter would have liked a “do over” after that night in the courtyard.
Fortunately for Simon Peter and for us, the story does not end there. Peter, feeling the weight of his mistakes, decides to return to the life he knows best, fishing. His is out on the boat with the other disciples fishing and not catching anything. A voice from the shore tells them to cast their nets to the side. Peter recognizes it as the Lord, jumps into the lake and swims to shore. They feast on the bounty of fish they have caught. As they are relaxing after the meal, warmed by the presence of Jesus, Jesus asks Peter three questions. It is actually the same question asked three different ways.
“Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep….And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” John 21:15-17, 19.
Jesus asked him three times, once for each time Peter denied knowing Christ. Jesus was sending Peter a message. I forgive you, I forgive you, I forgive you. He chose to do this in the company of the other men to show them his forgiveness and restoration of Peter.
This moment became a turning point in Peter’s life. He would leave the fishing business for good. Two months after this encounter with Jesus, Peter would preach the most powerful sermon of his life. He would cast out his gospel net and three thousand souls would be caught. He would go on to preach before rulers and magistrates, fishermen and shepherds. He would be jailed, beaten and crucified for his devotion. He would become “Peter, the rock,” all because our God is a God of second chances, and third chances, and……….
We don’t get “do overs” in this life, but with Jesus’ forgiveness we do get new starts. He mercifully covers our sins each day and sets us on the right path. The gospel of Luke says, ….His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. …He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.” (Luke 1:50, 54 The Message)
posted by Sandy Garman
Simon, a Cyrenian, traveled from his home country in Northern Africa to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday. It was a long and arduous journey for him, about 800 miles. Simon planned for months to make this journey and it was going to be a costly one for him in both time and money
How excited he would have been to be traveling to the Holy City to celebrate one of the holiest of days with Jews from all over the world. He walked at a brisk pace as his mind was on getting to the city in time to find a lamb to purchase for his Passover meal and sacrifice. He made his way into the crowded city unaware of the events that had taken place that day. He looks up ahead and notices a throng of people coming towards him out of the city. He hears shouting, screaming, and crying. He sees a bloodied man with a cross slowly making his way along the dusty road. The man is surrounded by Roman soldiers who whip him whenever he stumbles. A crowd of people are following; women wailing in grief, men shouting obscenities, and others looking on with curiosity. Someone calls the man Jesus and says he is a criminal.
As Simon tries to pass through the crowds he stops near Jesus who is having difficulty walking. Jesus had already been beaten multiple times, flogged, had his beard pulled out, spat upon, clothes torn off, and a crown of thorns place on his head. Extremely emaciated from the torture he received at the hands of the Roman soldiers, Jesus struggles under the weight of the cross. The procession moves too slow for the Roman soldiers and they grab Simon as he passes by and compel him into service, assisting Jesus with carrying the cross.
Simon wants to protest but cannot after all he was simply passing through. He does not know this criminal and has nothing to do with the events which have transpired this day. We would say he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.’” Luke 9:23
Simon had the privilege of being the first one to bear the cross of Jesus. He walked in the footsteps of Jesus as he made his way to place where he would be crucified. Simon carried the cross of the one who would bear his sins for him; the Lamb of God.
Simon was not looking for a Savior that day. He was merely heading into the Holy City to do “religion” as usual. For Simon religion meant following the rules and regulations passed onto him through the Old Testament scriptures and his family. But Jesus interrupted his life and he found himself heading in the opposite direction and face to face with the Messiah. He looked into the eyes of his fellow sufferer and saw the face of God; not the God of rules and regulations, but the God of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
Has Jesus interrupted your life or is it “religion” as usual for you this Easter season? The cross that Simon bore should have been his own; the death that Jesus died should have been ours. Simon looked into the eyes of Jesus, altered his direction and became a changed man. Have you?
posted by Sandy Garman
Tim Keller said in his book The Prodigal God, “Real grace intercepts destructive behavior. Real grace brings you in freely and then holds your feet to the fire until you become somebody great.”
When the people we care about sin like the prodigal son and decide to go their own way, Jesus expects us to do something about it. Galatians 6:1 says “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” The Prodigal son came home after he “came to his senses” and God uses us the lives of others to help bring others “to their senses” and turn from their sin.
And so grace is gentle but it is also interrupts. Grace is free but it is also costly for it cost our Father his son’s life. Grace works the same in our lives. As we come along side our fallen brother or sister, we freely give them grace but it will be at a cost to us as well. Grace’s goal is not to see who is right and who is wrong. The goal of grace is Godly repentance that lead to truth and reconciliation.
“Grace is meaningless without truth. But truth will kill you without grace. The worst thing we can do in conflict is engage in it when we don’t understand grace for ourselves. But once we really understand God’s undeserved favor to ourselves, then we can minister grace to others who have sinned against us in whatever way we can with the prayer that God would draw them to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. “ Wendy Alsup
Just as Jesus came in grace and truth, so we are called to represent grace and truth to our families, and one another, and to be willing to hear it from others. We are sinners saved by grace living in a community of grace with other sinners saved by grace.
“Love doesn’t sweep sin under the carpet, but it keeps others out of the room until it can be cleaned up.