Not Just a Phonebooth

 

The mild-mannered reporter for The Daily Planet, Clark Kent, steps into a phone booth, removes his glasses and business suit to reveal a big blue onesie and a scarlet cape, and steps out into the world as – Superman!  If you know the scene and know what a phone booth is, then you must ask how that pair of glasses caused no one – not a single person – to see the true identity of Superman.

It must have been so for Jesus’ disciples as they looked at him.  A normal-looking, sturdy guy who had worked for years as a builder, who was now a traveling teacher.  When he spoke, he seemed truly wise, and no one doubted his faith relationship with the God they all worshiped.  But who was he really?

Just one time, high on a hill west of the Sea of Galilee, three of his disciples got a glimpse of the real Jesus.  Not a complete view – just a quick snapshot.

Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.  As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.  Matthew 17:1-2

Wow!  They weren’t expecting that.  It was a bit like peeking into the phonebooth and seeing Clark turn into Superman.

They didn’t get the full picture of who Jesus really is – the One who created all things and for whom all things have been made; the second Person of the triune God, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; the One who will return in glory and will reign and rule for eternity.  They didn’t see all that, but they saw enough that it transformed them forever.

When Jesus stepped out of heaven to come to live as a man among His creation, He gave up something.  He never ceased being God, but He left behind all the glory and honor He is worthy to receive.  Paul said it best when he wrote:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.   Philippians 2:5-8

He came to walk among us so we could see what He (God) was like.  We could see His character.  We could hear His truth.  We could trust His promise to redeem us because we saw on the cross what He gave to pay the price for our sin.  His true power and glory were hidden from the world for a time, but it won’t always be so….

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:9-11

Someday, everyone will see Jesus for who He really is.  Not the Clark Kent version, hiding the reality of His being.  Not the earthly human version nailed to a cross between two thieves.   Not even the loving, caring Jesus who raised Lazarus, who healed the blind and infirmed, who held children on his lap, and who ate with sinners.

We will all behold the Lion of Judah, the Bright and Morning Star, the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Jesus in all His glory and power and majesty.  That day of His full revealing is coming soon.

But what about you?  If you believe in Christ and identify with what you’ve just read, how is your transformation coming?  Because no one can just look at you and know who you really are either. Some of us have gone through profound changes in our lives that don’t show on the outside.  Life changing struggles, wounds that don’t show on the outside.  Changes in our very nature because of the work of the Holy Spirit after we’ve accepted the gift of eternal life, paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Himself.  

When folks look at you, do they see Jesus?  We’re promised that if we are “in Christ”, we are new creations, transformed by Him.  We are sealed and indwelt by the very Spirit of God.  We are empowered and gifted for ministry in the name of Jesus.  Who do you see when you look in the mirror?  

If you feel more like a spiritually “mild-mannered reporter” version of who you were made to be, maybe it’s time to step into the proverbial phone booth and change.  Maybe you won’t be “faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings” when you come out, but the world will see what a follower of Jesus who is completely committed to Him can look like.  Be the powerful, amazing, superhero version of you that you were born again to be.

Jacob

Little White Lies….

 

OK, admit it.  You’ve done it yourself.  Your 5-year-old asked, “Mom, is there really a Santa Claus?”  The little soccer player that lives in your home wonders aloud, “Dad, do you think I’m the best player on my team?”  Your wife asks your opinion about a new outfit: “Honey, does this make me look…”.  No, I’m not even going to go there.

A "little white lie" could be defined as “a small, harmless untruth or half-truth, usually told to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to be polite.”  We understand when we tell these “little lies” that our intent was innocent; our purpose was to avoid an awkward situation; or we believe the “little lie” wouldn’t have any real consequences.  We all get it.

But didn’t your mother teach you that “Honesty is the best policy.”  Growing up you heard stories about little George Washington admitting that he did, in fact, chop down the cherry tree – “I cannot tell a lie…” – and you were urged to be just as honest as little George.  IS honesty really the best policy ALL the time, and how do we make that determination?

What does the Bible teach us?  How about a couple of examples from the many available:

The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.  Proverbs 12:22

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  Ephesians 4:25

If we’re not supposed to lie and we do it anyway, what happens?  And who gets to decide if it’s OK in the moment?  Or is it NEVER OK?

Abraham from the Old Testament faced such a dilemma.  He and his wife, Sarah, set up their tents in the lands of a new king, Abimelech.  Here’s what happened:

Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So, King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.  Genesis 20:2

Look out!  Now Abraham has really stepped in it.  The king wants his wife for himself because Abraham told a little white lie.  Seems like a BIG one, right?  But look at the full truth that came out when Abraham was questioned by Abimelech:

Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”   Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’   And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers.  And I married her.   When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”  Genesis 20:10-13

For now, can we just skip over the part where Abraham married his half-sister and get back to the “white lie” business?  Different time, different world.  Forget too, the apparent lack of chivalry in Abraham’s reasoning process.  He told a half-truth – a “white lie” – to avoid a bad situation.  

God didn’t condone it, but He still protected Abraham.  He didn't approve of Abraham's deception, but He did remain faithful to His covenant with him.  Abraham's failure did not cancel God's faithfulness. 

God understands our fears.  He acknowledges that, try as we might, we don’t always step up with integrity and truthfulness.  HE is full of integrity, truth, and righteousness, and we are called to be His image-bearers in this world.  We’ll make mistakes and err in judgment more often than we’d like, and way more than God would desire.  But He still loves and protects us.

How did the story with Abraham and Abimelech end?  The king restored Sarah to Abraham having never touched her, gave Abraham generous gifts showing his sorrow for taking her, and publicly acknowledged Abraham's innocence.  In turn, 

“…Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children.”   Genesis 20:17

The next time you think about telling a little white lie, remember that you are a representative of the God of Creation as the words pass your lips.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:15 to “speak the truth in love.”  What does that mean?  It means that truth is meant to help people, not to hurt them.  It means you must care as much about the person as you do about the facts you share.  

So, when you speak the truth in love, seeing others with the heart of your Heavenly Father, then it’s OK to say, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

Jacob

When 2+2 Doesn’t Always Equal 4

 In 1999, NASA launched the $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter. It was a masterpiece of engineering, built by some of the smartest minds on the planet. Yet, as it approached the Red Planet, the spacecraft vanished and was destroyed.  The reason? A math error.

One engineering team used the metric system. Another team used imperial feet and pounds. Both teams did their calculations perfectly, but they were operating on two completely different standards. The math just didn’t add up.  Crunch.

Sometimes life is like that.  We do all the calculations, but life isn’t adding up like we expected.  We may not say it out loud, but most of us carry around a certain equation in our brains:

If I do what is right, things should go well.  

If I do wrong, eventually it should catch up with me.

It feels fair. Ordered. Predictable.  And yet experience keeps interrupting the formula.

The hardworking father loses his job.   The godly woman gets the diagnosis she never expected.  A child suffers.  A marriage falls apart.  Why?

Meanwhile someone dishonest prospers. Someone careless flourishes. Someone who seems to ignore God altogether appears to move through life untouched.  WHY?!  That's the question that challenges our math.

The old songwriter Asaph knew that tension well. In Psalm 73, he admitted that he envied the wicked because they seemed to have everything while the faithful seemed to carry all the burdens.  

And then there is Job.

The Book of Job unsettles us because it refuses easy answers.  Job is described as blameless and upright, yet he loses everything – his possessions, his children, his health, even his standing among friends.  His companions arrive convinced they already know why.  “You must have done something wrong” they say.  That assumption feels ancient, but it has never really left us.

We still ask it when tragedy strikes, “What happened?”  “Who’s at fault?”  “What did they do?”

Job’s friends believed suffering could be measured and explained – that pain was the direct result of personal wrongdoing.  But the reader is allowed to see what Job cannot: his suffering was not punishment.  It was not simple.  It was not the neat outcome of moral cause and effect.  And that matters.

Because it reminds us that suffering is not always evidence of God’s displeasure, just as prosperity is not always evidence of His favor.

We live in a broken world.  A world touched by sin.  Scarred by evil.  Groaning under the weight of the fall.  Bad things happen – not always because someone has done bad things, but because we live here – not in Eden.  That realization can feel troubling at first. But it can also be strangely freeing.  Because if suffering is not always punishment, then it is not always proof that God has abandoned us.

In the Bible, Job never receives an explanation for his suffering.  God never walks him through the details.  Instead, God gives Job something greater – His presence.

And in the end Job’s peace comes not from finally understanding everything – but from seeing God more clearly than before.  Perhaps that's why the book still speaks so powerfully.  Not because it solves the mystery of suffering.  But because it meets us in the midst of our suffering.

Yes, sometimes the wicked prosper.  Sometimes the faithful suffer.  Sometimes life refuses to follow our formulas.  And God is still God.

Still present.

Still sovereign.

Still worthy of trust.

Even when the equation doesn’t balance.

Jacob

Death and Discipleship

Every student of the Bible should understand that those who die “in Christ” live eternally (John 11:25–26, Philippians 1:21–23), but there are also passages that speak of our physical death, suffering, and mortality as part of our participation in Christ’s sufferings and our deeper identification with Him.

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”  Philippians 3:10–11

In this passage, Paul frames discipleship as both sharing in Christ’s resurrection and in His sufferings—even to the point of death. Physical death is not disconnected from Christ, but is one of the ways believers identify with Him.  To Paul, death is not a defeat but a doorway into deeper fellowship with the Savior and the hope of resurrection.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.”  Romans 6:5

Here Paul reminds us that our physical death mirrors Christ’s death. Just as He died in the flesh and was raised, so too do we. Death does not separate us from Christ – it seals our union with Him.

“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.”  2 Corinthians 4:10–11

Paul links the continual experience of mortality, weakness, and even physical dying with carrying the death of Jesus in our bodies. Every weakness, every moment of decline, every breath that moves us closer to physical death is also a testimony that we belong to Christ. And as our outward selves waste away, His resurrection life is revealed in us.

The Bible affirms that death is not an end but a participation in Christ’s own journey. Our mortality and physical death are not outside the scope of discipleship—they are, in fact, part of how we are conformed to Christ.  Put another way: Our life in Christ begins now, but our death in Christ is also part of our union with Him. We follow Him through suffering, through death, and ultimately into resurrection and eternal glory.

The Christian life is not just about living for Christ, but also about dying with Him. Paul saw suffering, weakness, and even death itself as a way of identifying with Jesus. Death is not the end of faith—it is the completion of faith.

For the Christian, death is no longer something to fear. It is not the breaking of fellowship with Christ—it is the deepening of it. In dying, we are not leaving Jesus behind; we are walking the same path He walked, knowing that resurrection life awaits us on the other side.  Death is the final stride in our march to become like Jesus; our last act as His disciple this side of eternity.

Jacob

Is Planet Nine a “Cosmic Hell” in the Outer Darkness?

For millennia, the concept of hell has gripped the human imagination—an unseen realm of punishment, isolation, and judgment. Whether described as a lake of fire, an abyss of darkness, or a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the Biblical teaching regarding hell is simultaneously horrifying and mysterious.

In recent decades, astronomers have speculated about the existence of a distant world – Planet Nine.  This hypothetical, massive planet is believed to reside far beyond Pluto in the frigid reaches of our solar system.  Many scientists believe its existence is necessary to explain the unusual orbital patterns of some Kuiper Belt[1] objects. While not yet directly observed, its existence is inferred from gravitational effects on these distant bodies.

Though its presence has yet to be absolutely proven, its hypothesized characteristics offer a strangely compelling parallel to the Biblical description of hell. What if the metaphorical abyss spoken of in Scripture has a physical echo on the edges of our cosmic backyard?

Cast into Outer Darkness

Planet Nine is believed to orbit the Sun at a staggering distance—400 to 800 times farther from the Sun than Earth. Such exile from the solar system’s heart echoes Jesus’ warnings about those cast into "outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12). This is not mere metaphor. At those distances, the Sun appears as a mere point of light, offering no warmth, no illumination. A planet dwelling there would be shrouded in perpetual nightfall, orbiting virtually unseen in the cosmic shadows.

 

Fire and Ice: The Volcanoes of Judgment or A Realm of Cold Death

Some theorists suggest Planet Nine might certainly be geologically active, with internal heat generated by radioactive decay or tidal forces. If so, it could be dotted with cryovolcanoes – erupting volatile ices or perhaps even molten rock – bursting forth into the freezing void. Imagine rivers of lava flowing across ice plains, steam pillars billowing into a sky of endless night. Such a landscape merges two of Scripture’s dominant hell motifs: "the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14) and the "gnashing of teeth" in a place of torment and extremity.

If it can be proven that Planet Nine exists, its surface temperature will likely approach −400°F – near absolute zero, the coldest temperature in the universe.  In Biblical terms, hell includes separation from God, who is the source of life, warmth, and light (John 1:4–5).  While medieval depictions emphasized flames, Dante’s Inferno imagined Satan encased in a frozen lake, immobile and inert – an ultimate punishment of immobilization and despair.  In this frigid symbolism, fire is not the only terror; cold is its silent twin.

A planet embodying both searing heat and paralyzing cold becomes an existential paradox – a physical echo of divine judgment, where elements are turned against themselves in a cosmic display of chaos and pain.

 

The Abyss and the Gravitational Trap

Planet Nine’s existence is insinuated by its gravitational influence on the orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects. It distorts and shapes their trajectories like an unseen intruder – a presence felt but never seen.  The Bible uses the Greek term abussos (abyss) to describe hell – a bottomless pit where dark forces are imprisoned (Revelation 9:1–2).  In a similar way, Planet Nine may act as a dark anchor, pulling celestial bodies into its warped domain.

Such a planet could metaphorically represent hell as a place of inescapable pull, drawing the outliers of creation into its isolated dominion.

 

Eccentric Orbit: The Path of Judgment

Planet Nine likely follows a highly elliptical, eccentric orbit, potentially taking 10,000–20,000 years to complete a single journey around the Sun. This isn’t the stable, life-permitting orbit of Earth, but a symbol of cosmic instability, moving in rhythms that can’t be predicted or controlled.  The apocalyptic prophets spoke of celestial upheaval as a sign of divine judgment (Isaiah 13:10, Revelation 6:12–14).  In this symbolic framework, Planet Nine becomes a wandering judge, its arc across the heavens reflecting the slow but certain march of divine justice.

 

A Harsh, Uninhabitable World

Whatever its composition, Planet Nine would be utterly inhospitable to life—whether a cold super-Earth or a gas-covered ice giant.  Its surface (if it has one) might be rocky, cracked, and barren.  Its atmosphere could be toxic or nonexistent.  It would offer no shelter, no rest, no reprieve – a world where survival is impossible and hope is extinguished.  Like hell, it is a place prepared for no one to live, yet where the consequences of rebellion might be eternally borne (Matthew 25:41).

 

A Rogue Intruder: The Fallen One?

Some astronomers speculate that Planet Nine might be a captured rogue planet – one not born in our solar system but drawn in from the interstellar void.  This invites an intriguing parallel to Satan or the fallen angels – spiritual beings cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12–15; Revelation 12:7–9).  In this view, Planet Nine becomes a fallen wanderer, pulled from its place of origin and doomed to orbit in exile – a planetary symbol of celestial rebellion and divine consequence.

 

Might Planet Nine be the Hell at the Edge of Creation?

While the presence of Planet Nine must still be proven, in its speculative portrait – dark, distant, frigid yet fiery, mysterious yet powerful – it embodies many of the theological, emotional, and literary elements long associated with hell. It is:

Cast far from the light,

A place of both fire and ice,

Gravitationally inescapable,

Chaotic in its course,

Born of darkness or exile,

And utterly inhospitable to life.

Such a world – though natural – can function as a physical metaphor or a modern parable echoing the ancient Biblical warnings.  In an age when people often dismiss hell as outdated or symbolic, the haunting possibility of a real place – cold, burning, exiled, and unseen – reminds us that judgment and separation still dwell at the edge of creation.  Whether Planet Nine or somewhere else - Hell is real.  Jesus said so, and then He gave His life so you'd never have to go there.

Jacob

 

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[1]  The Kuiper Belt is a region of the solar system beyond Neptune, extending from roughly 30 to 50 AU from the Sun. (AU = Astronomical Units.  One AU is equal to about 93 million miles – the distance from the Sun to Earth.)  The Kuiper Belt is a vast, disk-shaped area populated by icy bodies, including dwarf planets like Pluto, and countless smaller objects called planetesimals. These objects are remnants from the early solar system's formation.

How do I know God’s will?

One of the toughest things to do in our humanness is to yield our wills to God.  We want what we want, and that typically drives our decisions.  Gratefully, Jesus prayed in the Garden that He wanted God’s will to be done, not His own human will (though as one of the Persons of the Trinity, Jesus DID truly desire what the Father wanted).  Saying “yes” to God and “no” to our own fears and desires isn’t all we’re up against as we try to live obediently as Christians.  How do we even know what God’s will is?  I’m not used to God speaking clearly from the heavens to direct me – and I’m guessing you don’t usually hear from Him that way, either.

God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit by reminding us of what we know of His history, character, and plans as they are revealed through the Bible.  If you don’t know much about what’s in the Bible then you won’t know much about God or His will in this world.  That makes it tougher for you to be a part of His plans for our world, so what do we need to do to better see WHAT God is doing and HOW we fit into things?

The first challenge is to simply read the Bible.  Not just the “red letter” parts in the Gospels, but the whole Bible.  Allow God to engage you in the stories of success and failure in Genesis.  Consider the difficulties endured in Judges and how God brought victory to His people.  Learn the lessons of Ruth and Esther, of Ezra and Nehemiah.  Marvel at the tales of the prophets, like Daniel, Elijah, and Elisha.  Are those folks too lofty for you to identify with them?  They are just like you.  Read that again.  Don’t believe me?  

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.  James 5:16-18

In the New Testament, we’re reminded that there was nothing supernatural about the Twelve who were chosen by Jesus.  Peter was always getting ahead of himself.  Thomas had doubts; James and John fussed over who would be in charge; and Matthew was distinctively different from many in the group – he didn’t even know how to fish!  Normal folks.  So were Lazarus and Mary and Martha and Mary Magdalene.  Just like you.

All of the stories show us how believers lived life, and not all of the tales are tidy.  Anyone can make a mistake and head down the wrong path.  Even Paul did that.  Courage to stand in our faith can ebb and flow sometimes.  It did for Peter.  And John Mark.  Just like you.

Today I was seeking some answers from God about a particular issue.  What did I do?  I prayed and asked God to give me something from His Word that would offer direction for my concern.  What did He do?  Immediately after praying, a story from Scripture came to mind – prompted by the Holy Spirit – which spoke clearly to my concern.  That’s the way God does it.  We study to know Him.  We study the Bible to understand His heart and His truth.  We study so we know where to look when we need direction for ourselves.

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.  2 Timothy 3:15-17

What was my concern?  I’ll keep that between me and God for now.  Just know that when you seek answers for life, look to the Author of life itself.  No matter the problem; no matter the question; God has the answer.  Just ask.

Jacob

A Woman and a Donkey

As we near Christmas, it would be logical to assume a story bearing a title like this would concern the pregnant Mary on her way to Bethlehem. But not so. Didn’t your mother teach you to never “assume”? This story IS about a journey, though. In fact, the journey my wife and I have embarked on has caused us to travel more than 4X as far as Mary and Joseph journeyed before Jesus was born. Of course, our travel was not by donkey. More on the donkey later. 

Has God ever led you to step out of faith? He did that to Abram when God challenged him to go to a place he didn’t know and settle there. Our journey is a bit like that. Have you ever been led by God to do something about which you weren’t really certain the purpose or the outcome? After all, God isn’t obligated to explain His purposes to His servants, He just expects us to obey. Our journey is a bit like that. 

Have you been placed in situations when you asked God what He was trying to accomplish and all you heard back was…nothing? How could God speak so clearly when directing us and yet when we seek clarification, we have a hard time hearing from Him? Here we are in the middle of what God is doing, but we aren’t sure how we fit into His plans. Ever been there? Our journey is a bit like that. 

Not all Christ-followers are patient. We should be, but we aren’t. We long to know how God’s plans will impact us, and to know just what His will is for us. So we ask Him. And we discover that we have been asking the wrong question all along. God has a plan, but our problem is that His plan is so much more complex and amazing than we could comprehend, so He doesn’t waste time explaining Himself to us. He just speaks, and we obey. Our journey is a bit like that. 

So what about the donkey? Here’s the story from Scripture as Jesus arrived in a small village outside Jerusalem five days before He would be crucified: 

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.  “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” Matthew 21:1-3 NLT 

Before Jesus could appropriate the young donkey colt He would ride towards Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, an unnamed owner had to purchase a donkey, feed it, and care for it during a long pregnancy. He had to serve as midwife when the young male donkey was born and then care for both animals until the Master required them. His service to Jesus wasn’t without cost or effort. The owner had to deal with a stubborn animal and had to have a willingness to get his hands dirty. 

It’s become more and more apparent that the move God led my wife and me to take isn’t about us, but about Him. We servants of the Most High may have lots of questions and very few answers. But sometimes, our obedience is all about being the donkey. It’s about being in the right place when the Master needs us. It’s about being a piece on the chessboard of Kingdom-work, moving according to the King’s direction, and being in place to execute God’s strategy when the time comes. Our journey is a LOT like that. 

Why the title, A Woman and a Donkey? If you knew us, you wouldn’t even have to ask the question. 

Waiting in place, 

Jacob

Hey! Wake up!

Does it seem like you’re having a nightmare and you just can’t seem to wake up?  We were just going about our business and then WHAM!!  The circumstances of life just hit us over the head!  None of us had planned an extended home stay, but that’s what we’ve gotten.  Whatever we had planned, there’s a NEW plan.  Are you feeling a bit swamped and overwhelmed?  A bit afraid?  I know we’re all in the boat together, but what if we peek into a different boat for perspective?

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.   And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.   But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”      Mark 4:35-40

The disciples were going about their ordinary day-to-day business of getting from point A to point B with Jesus.  Yet a huge storm interrupted their journey and, at least to THEM, seemed to threaten their lives.  Aren’t there times when you kind of feel like the boat you’re in is taking on water?  That the storm is too great to make any headway?  That’s EXACTLY how the disciples felt.  And where was Jesus?  S-L-E-E-P-I-N-G.  They were indignant!  Didn’t Jesus care about them at all?  How could He let them just DIE as they were trying to serve Him?

There are always lessons to learn from the pages of Scripture, so let me just boldly make some points for us both:

1.   The storm wasn’t as bad as it seemed.  The disciples weren’t going to die; they just felt like they might.  Whatever you’re facing right now – all the swirling debris and chaos – probably isn’t going to kill you. 

2.   Jesus cares more about your faith than your circumstances.  In fact, He USES the challenges we face to GROW our faith.  I suspect the disciples got the point, but the greater questions is, “Do I get it?”  What is God teaching me in the midst of THIS storm?

3.   The peace and calm we seek is only found in Jesus.  It was (and is) only Jesus who could calm the storm.  Note that they didn’t wake Him and ask Him to calm the storm.  They only woke Him to accuse Him of not caring about them.  Don’t be guilty of doing the same.

I want to quickly add that not all of the swirling and chaos in our lives is there because God wants to use it to grow us.  Some of the worry we have is because we haven’t prepared for the struggle we’re facing – either financially, physically, or spiritually.  If you’re worried that you’ll make it through, or if you share the fear of the disciples in the boat and wonder if God cares, there is an easy answer.  Stop what you’re doing immediately, close your eyes, and look for Jesus.  He’s there, ready to be the anchor for your soul; your resting place; your life-preserver, if need be.  Though He rested on the boat that day with the disciples, He does not rest or sleep now.  He is ALWAYS praying for you, just waiting for you to reach out to Him.  Because He cares for you.  Thank God that no matter how severe the storm, that never changes.

In the boat with you,

Jacob

Mom Has Moved In

My mother has been a bit of a vagabond over her life.  After she grew up in the house in which her own mother was born, she has lived in a variety of places – a farm; a small tract home where my sister and I grew up; a nicer house (the American way, right?); and then a series of apartments.  She moved in with me many years ago, and finally spent the last 10 or so years living with my gentle sister and her husband.  Mom passed away two days ago.

Our loving and merciful God allowed Mom to quietly and peacefully step from this complicated, troublesome life into one where there is no pain, no sickness, and no tears.  That’s a lot different place than this one right now!  I can only imagine that when Mom arrived, some of those closest to her spent a little time getting re-acquainted and then showed her to her room.  Mom has moved in now and won’t have to relocate again.

Jesus promised all of us who have trusted Him for our salvation that He would make a place for us to go when we leave this life:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.  If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?   When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.    John 14:1-3 NLT

Mom had made her reservation quite some time ago but apparently her room wasn’t ready yet.  Or at least God hadn’t finished using her here.  So many have expressed their love for her as she did for them.  That’s a pretty special thing in this crazy, mixed up existence we call life.  Now the only issue Mom has to contend with will be the singing coming from down the hall.

It’s important for us all to notice that there is “more than enough room in my Father’s home”.  Plenty of room for me and you.  I’ve got my reservation booked and I hope you do, too.  This morning, the Spirit of God might have revealed something that I never quite understood before.  I was walking and reciting the Shepherd’s Psalm, Psalm 23, and when I got to the last part, I was struck by what I had just spoken aloud:

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.   Psalm 23:6 NLT

For some reason, I had always read that last line and imagined gathering in the cathedral in heaven forever.  “House of the Lord” just always meant “church” to me.  This morning, I realized that David was writing about the same house about which Jesus was speaking in John 14.  The old King James Version of John starts out “In my Father’s house” just the same as Psalm 23.  We will dwell in our Father’s house forever. 

In the world of the New Testament, when a son had grown up in his father’s house, he would seek a wife for himself.  Then, rather than move out and start from scratch, the son would build an addition to the father’s house.  Once he had “prepared a place” for his bride, he would go to her home and bring her to the prepared place so that she could live with him – in his father’s house.  Based on what Scripture says, I believe that when Jesus was on the cross, He was praying through the Psalms.  When He got to the last line of Psalm 23, I’m sure His heart was moved because just the night before, He told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for them in that very house.  Now He was ready to go and make things ready.  For them and for you and for me.  And Mom.  She’s moved in now.