One Man's Disability is God's Superpower

Have you ever felt less than adequate?  Let's think about those among us living with a disability of some kind.  Some people have difficulty walking, and others have difficulty thinking clearly.  Some cannot see, and others (like me) cannot hear.  Some disabilities are invisible, but completely debilitating.  Autism spectrum disorder is one such disability.  People with this disorder (on the higher functioning end) describe themselves as socially awkward, or having extreme anxiety in social situations.  They have intense interests and a singular ability to focus on their specific interest.  They often have a black-and-white view of the world, and have a strong sense of justice, as they know deep down what is right, and cannot see or tolerate anything else.

As a special educator, I sometimes recognize these hidden disabilities in others.  I love to watch these people overcome their weakness and capitalize on their strengths.  After reading several books in the Bible written by Moses, I am convinced he was such a man.  When God chose him to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt, he protested.  He knew he could not speak with others, and would often get tongue-tied.  He needed Aaron to speak for him.  Why would God choose him?

Moses had a singular knowledge of what God wanted, and the ability to know it to the smallest detail.  Think about how detailed the Tabernacle had to be, and what the different offerings needed to be to please God.  The repetition and detail in these books written by Moses indicate an individual with the ability to see the importance of even the tiniest details.  God knew he needed such a person who could remember all the small details to get it right, lest something go wrong, and sin be exposed in God's presence.  God needed a person wired just like a person on the Autism spectrum.

When you see someone with a disability, or if you are such a person, think about what makes you strong.  What can you contribute for the work of God?

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel." Exodus 34:27 (NLT)

Unlikely Hero

Bilbo Baggins, resident Hobbit from Bag End, in the Shire of Middle-Earth was quite surprised to find himself on a journey "there and back again."  Hobbits are also known as halflings due to their small stature, and are usually quite content to stay at home, eat and drink and be merry among their friends and family.  Bilbo was no exception until Gandalf the Grey (a wizard) named him to go with the dwarves to reclaim a treasure from a dragon.  Neither Bilbo or the dwarves felt he could do this adventure, but Gandalf assures everyone, "There is more to this Hobbit than meets the eye."

God saw a similar unlikely hero in Moses.  Think about his story.  He was trying to live a quiet life as a farmer in a quiet land when God appeared before him as a burning bush.  God gave him a huge task to go to Pharaoh and lead the Hebrew people out of oppressed Egypt.  Moses did not believe he could do it, protesting more than once.  God did not accept the excuses of Moses, and gave Moses the tools he needed to accomplish the mighty task.

What would God have you to do?  What task seems insurmountable to you?  Did you know that Moses was just like you?  He was full of anxiety and self-doubt, but with God, he did it.  So can you.

"God arms me with strength,

and He makes my way perfect.

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights."

(Psalm 18:32-33 NLT)

Go.  Accomplish your task.  Fulfill your purpose.  God will arm you with strength.

Accepting Mercy

Redemption.  Mercy.  These are the overwhelming themes of the show Les Miserables.  I recently attended the movie version of the well-known musical, and I was struck by how strong the message really is.  The show opens with a strong image of punishment of convicts in 19th century France.  We meet Valjean, a broken man, convicted of stealing bread for his sister and repeated attempts to escape.

He is finally granted parole, and leaves the prison.  He does not find solace in the town he dwells, as there is no mercy for convicts there.  Desperate, he steals silver from a monastery.  When caught and returned to the monastery, the monsignor claims he gave him the silver and gives him candlesticks in addition to the silver.  This man knows he should be punished for stealing.  However, the monsignor granted mercy.  Valjean responds with repentance and a vow to live right.

As we watch the show unfold years later, Valjean gets to show mercy to young woman and her child, but still remains on the run from Javert, the officer determined to find this escaped convict and return him to prison.  A revolution unfolds, and Javert is caught as a spy by the young revolutionaries.  Waiting to be executed, Valjean finds him, and shows him mercy.  He allows Javert to escape with his life.

Javert is a man who knows all crimes must be punished.  He knows he was "convicted" as a spy, and deserved to die, especially at the hands of a man he mistreated.  He has no idea how to react to this, and could not accept the concept of a pardoning.  Why is he free?  Why didn't he die for his sins?  He commits suicide, unable to bear the idea that forgiveness could trump judgement.

We were granted a pardoning by our God.  We were given mercy when we deserved death for the sins we committed.  What will you do with this undeserved mercy?  Will you respond as Valjean did, and repent?  Will you choose to live right in the eyes of God?  Or, will you respond as Javert did, and refuse to accept the forgiveness our God offered?

You get to choose.  Accept forgiveness or refuse.

"Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand.  When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.  For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes - so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.   So, I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."  (Acts 28:26-28 NLT)

Addicted to Sin

I cannot wait to get to the theatre to see the new movie, The Hobbit.  I am excited that the writers brought back several familiar characters.  I am oddly fascinated with Gollum.  This is a wretched, pitiful, disgusting creature that is nasty to everyone.  What would be the draw in this character?

Gollum was once a river person named Smeagol.  While on a fishing outing with his relative, he encountered a ring, one that immediately ensnared his interest.  He refused to part with the ring, killing his relative.  His continued obsession of the ring warped his thinking patterns and contributed to his insanity.  Gollum both loved "his precious" and hated his addiction to it.  

The story of Gollum could be repeated in many of us.  So often, we unwittingly stumble upon some temptation, not realizing the chokehold that it could become for us.  Whatever it is, we love it.  For some of us, the temptation is money, for others, it is food or drink.  Some of us really have a love for mood altering drugs or alcohol.  Others fall into a trap of an extra marital affair.  No matter what it is, we love the sin, but we hate what it does to us.  Sin is deadly.  

Sin will kill us, as we continue to hold on to it.  Just look at the demise of Gollum.  He died clinging to his precious ring.  But there is a truth you should know.  Sin does not have to kill you like it did Gollum.  Jesus died to save you from the trap of sin.  He has redeemed you.  All you have to do is give your sin over to him and live in his sovereignty.  

"Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.  Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have a new life.  So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.  Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.  Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace." (Romans 6:12-14 NLT)

Isn't There Anyone Who Knows What Christmas is all About?!?

Who remembers the anticipation of our favorite Christmas movie to be played on network TV?  How eagerly we waited to watch Lucy trick Charlie Brown or to watch Snoopy glide so effortlessly across the ice?

As I've gotten older, I find myself getting caught up in the commercialism of Christmas, just like Charlie Brown's friends did in 1965.  However, it is getting more and more difficult to find the message of Christmas purely stated in the mainstream media these days.  I thought we could all enjoy listening to Linus give the Christmas message once again.

Let's take our example from Linus and make sure we share the message of Christmas with others this season.  

"But this will be your opportunity to tell them (your persecutors) about Me (Christ Jesus)." Luke 21:13 NLT

Puny Gods

"There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure He doesn't dress like that." ~Captain America

Moses brought the ten commandments to the Jewish people.  The first commandment is very clear.  "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 KJV)  The second commandment follows the first one very closely. "You must not make for yourself an idol..." (Exodus 20:4a NLT)  God was intentional in his instructions with his chosen people, telling them the first and foremost important thing is to remember God first and to honor Him.  This still applies to the new testament church.  We are to first of all, love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

What gets in the way of loving God first?  I know most of us don't worship other deities.  We struggle with idols that interfere.  What is an idol?  Put simply, an idol is anything (object or person) that we focus on more than God.  This idol becomes what we think about or do all the time.  Some people idolize their work and are consumed with thoughts of increasing power and/or money.  Others dwell on thoughts of a loved one.  Whatever our idol is, we need to take command of it, and put it in its rightful place.  God is first.  Period.

Take a minute and view this scene from the Avengers.  This illustrates how the Hulk defeats what he terms, "Puny God."

Every time I find my thoughts dwelling on an idol, I just imagine the Hulk beating it up.  It's funny, but it works.

"They (Gentiles) demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right." (Romans 2:15 NLT)

Unity of Purpose

How did they become a team?

I hear this phrase being tossed around the corporate world: Unity of Purpose.  There are many images I get from that phrase, and most of it seem kind of, well, like a patterned buzz word with no meaning behind it.  I did have a moment of clarity when I saw the dynamic of the various superheroes of Avengers.  Each of the powerful heroes were used to working alone to manage the supervillains.  What's interesting is that until they had a single united purpose, they had no reason to work together, and largely fought among one another.

That didn't work.

It took the collective effort of each of the individuals to accomplish their purpose: the removal of Loki, the brother of Thor, and the saving of the world as we know it from his destruction.

What would be the singular purpose that unites the Church?  What crisis are we waiting for?  From what I see, we are caught up in our individual lives and not spending enough time in fellowship with others who could strengthen us.  Do we lack the ability to trust another with our deep thoughts and feelings?  Do we think we will hurt less if we walk alone?

Jesus didn't want us to walk alone.  Consider his prayer the night he was betrayed.  "I am in them and you are in me.  May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." (John 17:23 NLT)

Jesus knew we could not do the work he gave us without having a unity of purpose.  He asked his Father in heaven for that gift of unity in the body of Christ for us.  This is perhaps best illustrated in Ephesians 4:1-16.  We cannot achieve maturity without the others who make up the complete body of the Church.  We need each other.

"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.  As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)