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Today’s Word Is PROPER

FINAL ISSUE
Fri-Jul-24-2020
It’s Humor Day!

At the conclusion of the sermon, the worshipers filed out of the sanctuary to greet the minister. As one of them left, he shook the minister’s hand, thanked him for the sermon and said, “Thanks for the message, Reverend. You know, you must be smarter than Einstein.” Beaming with pride, the minister said, “Why, thank you, brother!”

As the week went by, the minister began to think about the man’s compliment. The more he thought, the more he became baffled as to why anyone would deem him smarter than Einstein. So, he decided to ask the man the following Sunday.

The next Sunday he asked the parishioner if he remembered the previous Sunday’s comment about the sermon. The parishioner replied that he did. The minister asked: “Exactly what did you mean that I must be smarter than Einstein?”

The man replied, “Well, Reverend, they say that Einstein was so smart that only ten people in the entire world could understand him, but I’m pretty sure that for you, it would be less than that.”

Hmmmm … I hope that doesn’t apply to me! Although, I have wondered at times if what I was saying made sense!

And now for the verse of the day …

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

In the world of gardening, there is a certain predictability to planting a certain type of seed and knowing how long it will take to break the ground and become fruitful.

In the kingdom, seeds are being planted as well. We invest in the lives of people by “doing good.” These words and acts of kindness are like planting seeds of faith, hope, love, and joy into the lives of people. The reason we don’t want to give up on someone is because it is not predictable how long it will take the seed to sprout and grow. Everyone has a timetable that only God knows.

After planting some seed corn, there is a “proper time” for a green blade of the soon-to-be cornstalk to break the surface of the ground. Depending on the outdoor temperature, it could take anywhere from 5-14 days. If it has been two months since you planted it … well … it’s not going to happen.

In the natural world, we can know the “proper time.” In the spiritual world, God knows.

So … as for the people we invest in by planting seeds, we cannot give up, because only God knows why it is taking longer than we had hoped. A friend of mine tells the story of his 88-year old father coming to the Lord after decades of prayer by various family members. Now he is thankful he continued to pray and wait, never giving up.

Of course, we should not assume that this verse is only about salvation issues. It is about many, many things. It is about the next breakthrough in the life of a family member … or the success of the ministry you are involved in at your church … or the accomplishment of a vision that God has laid on your life … or the lifting of a burden that is causing great sacrifice and hardship. Do not let yourself become weary. There is a “proper time” in which the Lord does all things.

And so, it is that a “proper time” has arrived for me. The adventure of writing daily devotions has been a fulfilling journey for me. I thought I would be doing this for years to come, or at least that was my plan. But the Lord has something new in mind for me, though I am not fully aware of what it is.

I pray that something I have shared of the Gospel and of myself has touched your life and moved you forward in your faith … or perhaps even helped to launch your journey of faith in Christ. I thank you for your comments and encouragement.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you,
And be gracious unto you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is UNLIKELY

Tue-Jul-21-2020

There are times you are going to be called on to accomplish something that you don’t think you’re suited for. God doesn’t use our normal criteria to pick someone for a job. You or I would choose someone with talent in the desired area and available time to commit to the project. We might also go for someone with high self-esteem who is well respected, someone who would answer “yes” with great confidence.

Not God … He has a flair for performing the impossible with the unlikely! In the Book of Judges, the land of Israel is being harassed by the Midianites. The Israelites could be overrun and destroyed if something didn’t turn around and soon. I’ve been there a few times, things are falling apart, and I feel hopeless. How about you?

But God had a plan and sent an angel to tell Gideon he had been chosen to pull off the necessary turnaround. Of course, to Gideon this didn’t seem like divine orders, it seemed like nonsense. He thought this angel was a strange traveler who didn’t know what he was talking about. So, his response was two-fold … “I don’t know what makes you think God cares about us; he has abandoned us!” … and then … “Even if this could happen, you’ve got the wrong guy! I am not a leader or a warrior.” Judges 6:15… “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

So here is the take-away for today. God uses willing people, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses, their high or low station, or their level of confidence to accomplish the following purposes:

First, he comes to resolve a serious need and accomplish a kingdom purpose, especially if it seems impossible to us. He wants to achieve the victory, and to create joy, thanks, and celebration.

Second, he wants to do it in a way that creates faith in you and others. Sometimes that means using the seemingly least qualified candidate, otherwise we would all praise that person for the success. God wants us to know that we can’t do it without his divine help. That way the praise goes to God, not any of us.

Finally, God wants to demonstrate that he can use you to do amazing things with his help. This requires humility plus faith plus courage.

If God is tapping you on the shoulder about something that he wants to accomplish, listen up. It might be simple … help one person in your world (at home, at work, wherever) to experience a turnaround that they desperately need. Or perhaps he sets your sights on something much bigger and intimidating. If you list all the “worldly” reasons you’re the wrong person for the job, you could miss a chance to bless one person or many.

If you think you’re the least qualified, the least likely candidate … well, there you go … it wouldn’t be the first time God took that approach! You could draw out the argument for days and days, like Gideon did, or you could go for it!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is ANYWAY

Wed-Jun-17-2020

You may have seen this before, but it is worth rereading occasionally, just as a reminder.

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. — Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. — Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. — Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. — Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. — Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. — Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. — Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. — Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. — Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. — Give the world the best you have anyway.

Here are some related Scripture verses.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (Galatians 6:9)

“… doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, …” (Ephesians 6:6b-8a)

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. (1^st Peter 2:15)

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1^st Peter 3:13-17)

Blessings Always!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is BUILD

Thu-Jun-11-2020

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1^st Thessalonians 5:11)

Suppose you have an area of your life where you want to “get better” or “get well.” You have been inspired by some person or event, perhaps a book you have read, a sermon you heard, a difficult experience you faced. You believe God is calling you higher, toward spiritual and emotional health, toward greater faith, deeper peace, higher joy.

So, being inspired you put better things into practice in your life. You start going back to church … or you quit a bad habit … or you apologize and fix a broken relationship … etc.

Then you discover that your choice to “get better” has caused some other person to have difficulty adjusting to the “new you.” That’s because all of us are part of a system of relationships. The basic ones are family connections, and some families are healthy to various degrees while others are perhaps slightly or severely dysfunctional. The same is true for friendships, co-workers, church family, or neighbors.

To the point … There is a theory in family systems that when one person improves, another person sometimes gets worse! That person begins to act out in negative ways. The more dysfunctional the family system, the more likely this is to happen. And why would someone get worse in response to your getting better?? … Because they want things to go back to the way they used to be. They have lost some feeling of importance perhaps. Their reaction is a temper tantrum of sorts.

Suppose, for instance, that you decide to start going back to church. And someone in your family tells you that “we always have family dinner at grandma’s house every Sunday at noon, and now you have messed that up! You’re causing a problem for the rest of us. See how selfish you are!” Any number of decisions could affect others in ways they resent.

They may even react so negatively that they become angry or spiteful. This behavior makes you think they are getting ready to wreck their life … or wreck your life … or damage the whole family. You consider abandoning your plan to improve your life and going back to the way things were. You say to yourself, “This was a bad idea. I had no idea so-and-so would be against it. I don’t want to hurt their feelings or lose their friendship, etc., etc.”

But you should consider that if you give up, you are in effect giving that person control over your life, even your faith life. You may realize that this person actually has control over the whole family system. They use their switching between good and bad behavior to manipulate and control everyone else.

Everyone’s situation is different, of course, but in general this is a time in your life to stick to it. If this is God-inspired, then you can go ahead with the plan, but also step up your love and encouragement of this person. Trust God for strength and believe that you will make it, and that the upset person will finally adjust, perhaps even improve just like you did.

As believers it is our job to encourage people in these situations and to build them up. So if someone is being bullied back into regression or belittled for trying to improve, it is our privilege and a command from the Word to “go to bat” for that person. Speak up. Offer encouragement.

And if you’re the one who needs the encouragement, a good thing you can do for yourself is to make it easy for others to support you, by being open. Don’t give up on the “better” things God is calling forth in you. He will provide a way for your future. Turn the naysayers over to God. He can help them better than we can anyway.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is SACRIFICE

Thu-May-21-2020

“But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…” – The Apostle Paul (2^nd Corinthians 1:6)

In our culture, the norm is to avoid suffering at any cost. There are lots of people who would be willing to help you in a time of need, so long as it is convenient. Far fewer are those who would suffer hardship and inconvenience in order to serve you or help in a crisis. But the love of God that comes to dwell within us as Christians is an unconditional love. Thus, Paul tells the Corinthians that he is willing to suffer affliction in order to bless them.

Is there anyone in your past or present who has made great sacrifices on your behalf? Were any of those sacrificial people doing so unexpectedly? Maybe they were strangers or just someone who went out of their way to take an interest in you at a critical time in life. Without those people our world would be worse off for it. It is a noble thing to intentionally make sacrifices for the sake of someone else. As parents we do so for our children, but all too often people don’t make sacrifices unless there is compensation. (Hmmm … I guess if you get compensated, it’s not really a sacrifice after all.)

In the case of Paul, he was making these sacrifices without requiring compensation and doing it for complete strangers. Many of us restrict our sacrificial giving and acts of service to those we know and love, or at least to those who, in our opinion, deserve it.

Whoa … wait a minute … no compensation for Paul? Well, actually, he did sometimes receive offerings of assistance, though not always, and certainly not because he demanded it. They were gifts. And beyond that, there were some intangible compensations from God that were also gifts. You will find out about them below.

Paul was involved in a three-party relationship … himself, those he helped, and God whom he served. The reason he made sacrifices was not founded on the needs of the people he was “sent to,” it was because of the “sender” … God who called him, who sustained him, and who gave him a purpose.

Think about it … the idea of sacrificing for others is at the very heart of what God is asking us to do. It is not about increasing our goodness points. It is not about caring for someone because they care about us. It is not about helping those who deserve it. It is because we have a Great Provider who has done far more for us than we could ever do for anyone else.

We get to imitate the God of the universe by doing sacrificial and costly things, because God has always been willing to do sacrificial and costly things for us. At the cost of his Son’s life, he forgave our sins and gave us a new heart. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Are there benefits? Of course, there are. God certainly wants to bless us with tangible benefits … home, family, comfort, and well-being. But these are secondary to God’s amazing intangible benefits. And as Paul is trying to say, it is worth it to forgo tangible benefits when doing so will benefit others. “But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…” (2^nd Corinthians 1:6)

Our sacrifices for the sake of others open doors within them to receive comfort and salvation. It also opens doors within us to receive the intangible benefits of love, peace, hope, joy, and fulfillment. Would you trade these five things for all the treasures in the world? I wouldn’t.

I am thankful for your sacrifices for the sake of others,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is FULFILLMENT

Thu-May-14-2020

“Making money can give you a sense of achievement but only Making a Difference will give you a sense of Fulfillment.” – RVM from India

Ron Hutchcraft, a well-known speaker and author, shared that as he was raising his children, he would send them off to school with these words: “Go MAD!” They knew that those letters stood for “Make A Difference,” and they did just that, touching the lives of other kids at school in a positive way.

One theory of personality proposes that there are three basic human needs: Acceptance, Security, and Significance. I think there are folks who feel increasingly restless, empty, or unfulfilled the further along life goes because they have been spending most of their time and energy worrying about and concentrating on acceptance and security. But as the above quote proposes, this may help with one’s sense of achievement, but it does not necessarily provide that sense of fulfillment and significance that we all need.

Instead of struggling mightily with any lack of acceptance that we feel, we should settle it by affirming the truth that God does accept us fully, and the death and resurrection of Christ is sufficient evidence for that. There is a great sense of peace in this. I remember personally embracing this earlier in my life – I am accepted. Any rejection I have experienced since then, I have been confident in dismissing it as having no power over me.

As for the second need – that of feeling safe and secure – there is plenty of evidence from God through Scripture that he is watching over me. Psalm 121 (see below) assures me that he is “keeping me” and “preserving me.” This has caused me to conclude that there is no mistake I can make that leaves me unprotected. There is only one fatal mistake in life – that of rejecting Christ as Savior. Nothing else I could possibly do would leave me vulnerable. There will be consequences from mistakes and sins, but they are all forgivable, and based on Romans 8:28, they become part of the pattern of my life that works for my good and becomes part of who I am. What’s the worst that could happen – well, I could die – but then I would go to heaven – and that’s good. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Moving on – if I am settled that I am accepted and secure, then my other need is to be significant in some way. I want my life to mean something. This is my destiny, my purpose, the great joy of life – that I could make a difference in this world – to someone, to many, who knows how many or in what way?

Do you have it settled that you are fully accepted and secure in Christ? Then you can concentrate on the need for significance. Ask yourself, “With whom am I making a difference?” And before you answer that, remember that the Holy Spirit is our guide in how we do this. After all, sometimes the manner in which we help others is not necessarily healthy – meaning not toward a godly purpose. Sometimes we are not helping, but enabling, such as pacifying others without leading them toward the Lord. If we checked with God first and told him how we propose to help in a certain situation, he might reply, “Now why would you want to do that!!” Better to ask the Holy Spirit up front for guidance on whom to help and in what way.

This is the path to fulfillment – being guided and used of God to touch the lives of others. The call today is for action to use our lives making a difference. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) Then, when we pray, we may share our joy with the Lord over what we have done – and he would answer back, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

A good way to start the day – I am going to “Go M-A-D!” – Make-A-Difference!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

Today’s Word Is MOTIVATION

Mon-May-11-2020

Compassion for others can be a great motivator, and that might be why you are working in a certain profession, or why you are involved in your church’s efforts to help others, or why you are driven to be on the lookout for someone to assist. The drawback to being motivated by the compassion in your heart for those in need is this … it can end up in “burn-out.”

Without sufficient “thank you’s” – without enough successes – and because of untimely or distressing failures – we can sometimes find ourselves ready to quit. And our moments of discouragement like that can begin to occur more frequently. We might begin say to ourselves, “I’ve had enough,” or “This isn’t working.” We could just be gradually wearing down and wondering when we will cross over the line into saying, “I can’t do this anymore.”

Compassion, while necessary, cannot permanently stand alone as a motivator. Compassion both “empties our tank” and “fills our tank.” The time and energy we expend, which drains us, can be somewhat counterbalanced by the joy and satisfaction of seeing people get well, and of finding fulfillment through our work. But sooner or later, the drainage factors win, or the frustration of dealing with difficult people becomes too much, or we run into barriers or opposition to the good things we are trying to do. When this happens, and our tank gets low, we may be tempted to just hang it up – unless there is another source of inspiration and energy that doesn’t depend on how successful we are at maintaining a positive attitude.

Here is a truth … The only long-term, sure-fire way of operating with sufficient and even excessive mental, emotional, and physical energy is to have a source other than just feeling good about helping the people we serve, or feeling fulfilled in our calling, or gaining respect and success.

From my perspective, the combination of the love of God, the work of Christ on the cross, and the comfort and power of the Holy Spirit is the only sufficient source in all the world to sustain us when our motivation is at a dangerous low. This love, affirmation, and encouragement from God is the emotional fuel that we require. When our motivation for our work is rooted in Him, we have an unfailing source that works equally well whether we are in a season of successes or in a moment of failure.

This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) We may be doing works of compassion, and we may care deeply about those whom we serve, but the motivation for doing them cannot simply be our desire to help.

So, I describe the deeper truth this way – “Yes, I am doing this because I care about you.” But underneath is a deeper motivation, that “I am doing this for Jesus and in His Name.” My ability to care about people has limits. My compassion can be tested sometimes and may begin to slide. But the compassion of Jesus has no limits. In the words of the Steven Curtis Chapman song, “His strength is perfect when our strength is gone. He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on. Raised in His power, the weak become strong. His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.” (Based on 2^nd Corinthians 12:7-10)

If you are relying on yourself, your successes, or even encouragement from friends to keep you motivated, eventually there will come a time when it won’t be enough. God doesn’t just want us to “survive,” he wants us to “thrive.” God alone can supply unlimited motivation. The other support we receive will be icing on the cake.

Have a blessed day,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is DESERTS

Tue-May-5-2020

“Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:4-5)

There is a saying that “God helps those who help themselves.” Of course, he does. He also helps those who don’t help themselves, those who can’t help themselves, those who do right, those who make mistakes, those who sin, and even those who think they don’t sin. The only reason I can think of that God wouldn’t help someone would be their defiant resistance – “Leave me alone, God!” – And even then, he would wait patiently for the opportunity.

One of God’s primary desires is to help those who cry out in need. We tend to get caught up in determining who does and doesn’t deserve help. But not so with God – he knows the whole story – we don’t. Do you remember the movie “Bruce Almighty”? When God gave Bruce the chance to “take the helm” and decide who to help, when to help, how to help – it was a disaster. No human can do that. I think Bruce discovered that God loves people, and that he helps because of this great love.

Yet, there are certain self-righteous folks who get so tired of people who keep messing up, that rather than help, they prefer to deliver a lecture. The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is their way of saying, “I’ve had enough of you.” But it is not biblical to ascribe our impatience to God.

King David disobeyed God many times, doing foolish and selfish things. If you or I were the one he called on for help, he would probably get on our “last nerve.” But God doesn’t have a last nerve – his goodness, patience, love, and forgiveness are without limit.

The great love of God is revealed by the fact that he is a pursuing God. He is not just sitting there watching. He is on the move. He “rides through the deserts.” If you are stuck in a desert kind of place in life, God is in the desert with you. He wants you to trust him, hang onto him, receive rest from him. He wants you to know that he is good. Together with him, you will make it through the desert.

If your present situation makes you want to cry out for help, then be reminded that God is there – and he hears. The book of Deuteronomy repeatedly talks about helping “the strangers, the orphans, and the widows.” This is one of God’s great passions – those who cry out – those who have no help – those who get ignored or are told they are not worth helping.

The fatherless are those who feel like they do not belong to anyone, not only because they had no father growing up, but also because they have just failed to connect, to bond with someone, and they feel like an orphan. If that is you, then God will be your father, and validate your right to be who you are.

And the widows, in biblical days, were at a huge disadvantage. If there were no children to take up the slack, or extended family to “adopt” her, then she lived a meager life. There were laws that compelled the family of widows to take care of her. But it often took a judge to help her out, to make the family step up to the plate or to find someone who would provide for her. Still today, they are vulnerable in our world.

Let us “Sing to God, sing praises to His name.” Let us “exult before Him,” that he would “ride through deserts” for us.

And in his Name, may we help the strangers, the orphans, the widows, and all those who call upon God in their time of distress.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word is REDEPLOYMENT

Thu-Apr-30-2020

In John 21, after Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to the disciples for the third time. They were out on a fishing expedition, which was Simon Peter’s idea. Six of the others agreed to go with him, including James, John, and Thomas. Haven’t you always wondered why they did this?

I am thinking that having seen Jesus twice already, they are now more at peace, but having discussions about what’s next. Is he going to show up again? How long should we wait? We can’t just sit around all day every day rehashing the same questions. Should we go back to life as we knew it? It would be good to stick together, but that would be difficult. We surely should tell our story to as many as possible.

So finally, Simon Peter says, “How about we go fishing?” And seven of them head out early the next morning. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. (John 21:4-6)

<<<<< FLASHBACK TO LUKE 5 >>>>>

When Jesus began his ministry, he was walking by the lake and the people crowded around him. So, he got into an empty boat belonging to Simon and asked him to push out. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything …” (I think Simon paused right here, waiting for Jesus to change his mind, but Jesus just looked back at him, and his eyes reached deeply into Simon. So, Simon said …) “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (Luke 5:1-7)

<<<<< BACK TO JOHN 21 >>>>>

With the nets overloaded, John has a flashback and now realizes it is Jesus. [He] therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. (John 21:7-8)

Would you do that … jump in and start swimming? I sincerely believe that I would! (Tears are coming to my eyes as I think about this.) When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. (v.9) The rest of this passage has many wonderful aspects, but I am going to focus on one … redeployment.

When they had finished breakfast, 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.” (v.15) Jesus repeated this two more times, and there are points about why three, and what the words for love are, but my focus is that Jesus is giving Simon Peter a new direction in life.

Did Simon Peter love Jesus? I think that by jumping into the water, he was clearly acting out of his love for him. But there is an interesting twist to what Jesus was really asking. When Jesus asked, “Do you love me more than these?”, I always assumed he meant more than the other disciples. But a Greek scholar whom I like says that the connection between nouns and pronouns in these sentences indicates that Jesus meant “these fish” or “this fishing,” not “these disciples.” Maybe he was looking or pointing at the fish in front of them, or at the boat. Wow. Jesus was asking him if he wanted to go back to his fishing career or take on the mission of feeding Jesus’ sheep.

Why would Simon Peter, or why would we choose redeployment to the mission of Jesus? The motivating qualification that Jesus wanted to know was … “Do you love me more than anything?” There are not qualifications for talent or experience, only how much you love your Savior. And if you were asked three times in a row, would it help you to say “Yes!” more enthusiastically?

I believe ministry is every Christian’s primary career. And we have a secondary job career to earn money to support our missional career of blessing others in the name of Christ … a redeployment from focusing on work to feeding his sheep.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

THE REST OF THE PASSAGE – John 21:10-25

John 21:10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, 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.” 16 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.” 17 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. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Today’s Word Is DISCOURAGED

Tue-Apr-28-2020

“Disappointment is inevitable, but discouragement is a choice.” – Dr. Charles Stanley

We have every reason to be disappointed sometimes, as we are human, and disappointment is a natural emotion. But we do not have to let disappointment become discouragement, because faith in God makes discouragement avoidable. Do you believe the Scripture and the promises of God? Then you have a constant source of encouragement from the Holy Spirit, plus more from others who care about you.

The French word for “heart” is “couer,” and this relates directly to the words encourage and discourage.

Encouragement … means having “heart” put into you.

Discouragement … means having “heart” taken out of you.

In the Kingdom of God, no outside force can overpower the Spirit of God that is within you and remove all the “heart” from you. Your heart is Spirit-filled to be motivated and empowered.

But … we do get discouraged sometimes, so why is that? It starts with being disappointed, and that is natural and happens to everyone. But then … we have a choice … am I going to focus on the problem and “allow” (give my permission) for this disappointment to take some “heart” out of me … or will I lean into God and let him put more “heart” into me?

You will overcome a great hindrance to your faith and growth if you will accept the fact that … as Charles Stanley points out … discouragement is a choice. We see the obstacles and get scared, rather than seeing God and taking courage.

As Americans we have been somewhat conditioned to think that we can’t help being the way we are. If you think about it, this is equivalent to giving up control of ourselves and letting the world and circumstances turn us into what they want to. Yes, we have basic personality characteristics which remain with us throughout life. But the truth is that regardless of what we are like today, we can change by submitting ourselves to God and allowing him to transform us. God does his part and we do ours.

We can undergo this transformation by not choosing discouragement at times of disappointment. Jesus endured far greater disappointment and suffering than we ever could. So, think of him, as the Scripture says …

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (Hebrews 12:3)

In times of disappointment we can catch ourselves and make a declaration … “I may be disappointed by what has happened, but I will not get discouraged, because my God is bigger than my problems.”

Look around. Sometimes you can see the discouragement in someone’s eyes or body language, hear it in their tone of voice, or sense it in their attitude or conversation. My tendency earlier in life was to think that the way to help them was to solve their problem so the disappointment goes away, and the discouragement is avoided. But if we are always fixing the problem, they are not learning how to keep disappointment from becoming discouragement. They are learning that God is not the solution, the “fix” is the solution.

This is not to say that I should never help anyone. But I do have a responsibility to ask myself, “Am I pointing people toward Christ or toward me?” Is there someone who needs your encouragement today? Take the time. Put some “heart” into them.

Have a blessed day!

Chaplain Mark