Jesus Gives Clues About Your Gifts and Calling.

How do you see Jesus? In high school, my now-wife astounded me with her insightful suggestion that the way we see Jesus may be a clue about the way He sees us. That is, if you picture Him preaching or teaching, maybe you are called to preach or teach. If you see Him loving the hurting, maybe you have the gift of mercy. If you see Him feeding the 5,000, maybe you have the gift of service or charity. I have always thought there might be truth in this.

Before Jesus came to earth as a baby, He revealed Himself to quite a few people. Usually, these seem like stories about angels, but they are not—when people worship angels in the Bible, the angels ALWAYS stop them. But when the “Commander of the Lord’s Army” arrives, He allows worship.

To Abraham, Jesus appeared as a traveler in Genesis 18. Abraham’s entire story was about leaving his home and traveling to another land.

To Jacob, Jesus appeared during the night as a man who wrestled with Jacob for hours before dislocating his hip and re-naming him “Israel,” because he had struggled with God and men and had prevailed.

To Balaam, Jesus appeared as an angel with a drawn sword, blocking Balaam’s way. (In this case, it was a warning and Balaam missed the point.)

To Joshua, Jesus appeared as a man standing with a drawn sword in His hand. He called himself the “Commander of the Lord’s Army,” and Joshua realized God was a warrior. This gave Joshua courage before attacking Jericho—Israel’s first major battle.

“When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’

‘Neither,’ he replied. ‘I have now come as Commander of the Lord’s Armies.’ Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship.” Joshua 5:13-14.

To Manoah, Jesus appeared and told her she would bear Samson, and she must never drink wine or fermented drink during her pregnancy because Samson would be dedicated to the Lord. (There are quite a few other examples of the “Pre-incarnate Christ.”)

So how do you see Jesus? Do you relate best to His words? His affection? His sacrifice? His courage? His depth and deep knowledge of scripture?

Just as He appeared to Abraham as a traveler—which is what Abraham was—and He appeared to Joshua as a commander going into battle—which is what Joshua was—the ways in which Jesus reveals Himself to us may help us understand our own calling. After all, He is our ultimate role model. The best we can hope for is to follow Him. What do you see Him doing? Do you picture Him teaching? Preaching? Playing with children? Healing the sick?

And which of the many names of God resonates with you most deeply? “Wonderful Counselor”? “Everlasting Father”? “Prince of Peace”? “The Ancient of Days”? The “One Who’s Standing Near”? What you see when you look to Christ might be some indication of who He designed you to be? Think about it.

Dear God, thank you for showing yourself to us through the scriptures. Help us to know you better, to study your word every day and to let it transform our lives and fill our imaginations. Thank you for the mysteries of the Bible, such as the appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ. What an amazing, rich book. Help us to love your word more every day. Show us what your plan is for our lives, and help us to obey you.

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The Storyteller.

John Bisagno was a world-class orator.  Mama always said he had a “flair for the dramatic.”  The man could tell a story.  He understood suspense and drama and the quiet moments and anticipation.  He could sweep a crowd into a moment—and the payoff would be spectacular. 

But no one has a “flair for the dramatic” like God. He is the Ultimate Storyteller.  The epic we live in has it all: a hero, a villain, a race of victims trapped in bondage to sin so severe creation itself suffers; our only hope is to be rescued by the hero.  This is an adventure greater than anything at the movies.

But the Bible is filled with amazing smaller stories.  Consider Jericho.  The nation of Israel faces its first test.  What does God do? He has the people march around the city in battle formation: troops in front, then seven priests blowing trumpets, followed by the rear guard.  The trumpets would be the only sound; the people were not allowed to speak a word.  The people of Jericho were watching it all. 

They did the same for six days.  But on the seventh day they marched around the city seven times, trumpets blowing. After the seventh trip, Joshua told the people it was time to shout “For the Lord has given you the city!,” (Joshua 6:17) and the walls of Jericho fell—or most of the walls.  Archaeologists have found that the northern wall did not fall.  Apparently that is where Rahab lived and she and her family were spared because she hid Israel’s spies. 

But why the seven days? Why did God do it that way?  This dramatic turn of events was for Israel.  God was schooling His people, showing them His power.  Israel has now witnessed ten plagues, crossed the Red Sea on dry land, received the ten commandments, eaten manna for forty years and now God is knocking down walls for them.

There is NO STORYTELLER LIKE HIM, and no stories like His stories!

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The Secrets to Success.

If a friend asked you the formula for success, what would you say? Which of the following are important? (1) Follow good advice; (2) Surround yourself with good people; (3) Ignore mockers; (4) Begin and end each day with scripture.

All four of these are important.  If you do them, you will bear fruit—and whatever you do will be a success:

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the water, which bears fruit in season and its leaf does not wither. And in whatever he does, he prospers” Psalm 1:1-3.

I talked to a coworker today about COVID, vaccines, conspiracies… and soon I was shaking my head.  What do you do about competing medical advice?  You must seek God’s wisdom and the wisdom of GODLY PEOPLE.  And it’s not always clear who is right. But this ancient psalm provides a tip:  Do not take advice from the wicked, nor listen to sinners, nor sit with mockers.  The presence of sin and mockery is a good indication you’re listening to the wrong people.  Can you find someone who delights in the law of the Lord? Who studies it day and night? Listen to him.

As to the question of success—if you meditate on scripture day and night, you will be like those huge Cypress trees that line Texas rivers. The trees at the river’s edge never lack water.  They are tall and strong and impervious. Read the Bible and you will be too. You will BEAR FRUIT and your leaf will not wither, and “IN WHATEVER YOU DO, YOU WILL PROSPER.”  Study the Word day and night and God will make you successful.  (See Joshua 1:8 for more of the same.)

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Do You Need Courage?

Courage does not mean having no fear. Courage is moving forward in spite of fear. When times are tough and the future is in doubt, we need courage.

How do you get courage?

Obedience.

Integrity means “wholeness.” In math, an “integer” is a whole number, right? If you have integrity, you are a whole person. And a whole person is a person who obeys. And obedience leads to courage. That is, if you have integrity, you will also have courage.

For example, integrity might require you to admit that you caused a car accident. It would be easier to lie and say it was not your fault, because confessing your negligence might cost you a lot of money—both the damages and a possible traffic citation. But if you have integrity, you are more afraid of being a liar than you are of paying that bill. In this way, integrity creates courage, because integrity causes you to be brave enough to do something that fear would otherwise keep you from doing.

God shows the connection between obedience and courage when He speaks to Joshua after the death of Moses. God knows taking over as leader—and following in the footsteps of Moses—will be scary. But God commands him to do it with obedience and courage. Just after the verse I spoke of yesterday (Joshua 1:8, which says never stop studying the scriptures and you will be successful), God says this:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be afraid, for the Lord, thy God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.

As long as the Israelites obey God, He will be with them, wherever they go. Jesus also promised us, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of time.” Matthew 28:20. If we obey Him, He will be with us, and our obedience—our integrity—gives us courage.

Obey Him, and choose to be strong and courageous today!

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Do You Want to Be Happy?

What do we want most? To be happy. What will make you happy? Being in God’s will. That is where you will find joy, peace, and success.

Everyone wants to be successful. How do you do it? Obedience. If you walk with God and seek to obey Him, you will find success. But what does that mean, practically speaking? What can you do?

Of course, there are the obvious things:

  1. Work hard.
  2. Never give up.
  3. Be kind and respectful to everyone.
  4. Stay humble.
  5. Always be honest.
  6. Prepare well before beginning a task or attending a meeting.
  7. Be cheerful and spread hope to everyone.

But on a deeper level, the key is to stay in the word. Are you reading the word? Obeying the word? Memorizing the word? Have you honestly submitted every area of your life to the word?

When Moses died and Joshua took over, God spoke to Joshua and told him that if he would stay in the word, God would bless him.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it and recite it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8.

Success comes from following God’s Word, and you cannot follow it if you do not know it. So God says success comes from studying God’s word night and day, and obeying everything in it.

Are you working God’s plan? Are you on the road to success? If not, ask God to help you study His word more often and more deeply.

Dear God, teach us to read your word daily, to study it, to memorize it, and to become successful because we are living obedient lives. Be glorified in all that we do.

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Do You Have the Key to Success?

Your mother lost the key to Grandpa’s van the other night while parked at a store near the house. She was panicking. I was at the house waiting on her and Granna gave me a spare key. I drove the truck to the store, found Wendy, and we opened the van and found the key. Later, Grandpa was also concerned about the keys—even if he’s not driving anymore, he still cares about the keys.

God gave us a key that is so much more important than a car key: the key to success. Do you know what the key to success is? Do you hold onto that key? If I share it with you, will you protect it as though your life depends on it? Because it does.

The key to success is described in Joshua 1:8:

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

So what is the key to success?

1) Keep God’s Word on your lips. Talk about it.

2) Keep God’s Word on your mind. Think about it.

3) Read God’s Word day and night. Study it often, even more than once a day.

4) Work hard to obey “all that is written in it.” Don’t just obey on the big things, like “Thou shalt not murder.” Instead, go the extra mile, and “be careful to do according to ALL that is written in it.”

These four things are really only one thing: a life dedicated to God’s Word—and that is the key to success. Do these things and God promises that “you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success.”

Pray. Ask God to help you love and obey His Word. Then memorize Joshua 1:8. It will change your life! That is the key to success. And THAT is a key you never want to lose! Memorize it so it can be saved in your mind forever!

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One Verse Promises Success.

I have a verse for you to think about, meditate on, memorize, and make a part of the way you think:

This book of instruction shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it both day and night, being careful to do all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success in whatever you do.

Joshua 1:8

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(This was the FIRST text among those that eventually became 350 Words.)

Messages.

When it began, the internet was hailed as a “great democratizing force,” and that’s exactly what it is when people no one ever heard of can make videos in their bedrooms and soon collect a million followers.  And what a range of topics! The most popular Instagram influencer topics are 1) music, 2) humor, 3) literature and journalism, 4) cinema and celebrities, and 5) travel[1]. Others include money, luxury, fashion, gaming, fitness, sports, technology, and beauty.

The result is the overwhelming noise of a thousand voices.  The average American is exposed to 4,000 to 10,000[2] ads per day.  Ten thousand ads?! 

How are you supposed to sort through a thousand messages?  Remember, these are not simply ads trying to sell you products.  There are paid ads for politicians who want your vote and public service announcements promoting causes and charities seeking your money or time.  Even religious messaging falls into this category—it can become just one more set of distracting messages that you scroll past and try to ignore. 

Is life in this modern world not complicated enough?  Now we have ten thousand messages a day to sift through?  How do you decide to whom you will listen? 

Who deserves your attention?

If you want to live a productive, successful life, the answer is simple: you need ONE MESSAGE from ONE INFLUENCER:  The word of God.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall MEDITATE on it both day and night, being careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For THEN you will make your way prosperous, and THEN you will have success” Joshua 1:8.

Put the phone down and open the Bible.  Turn off the videos, the films, the shows, the searches.  Spend more time in God’s word.  It contains the answer to EVERY question, the solution to every problem.  Read it, study it, memorize chunks of it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.

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[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1117938/popular-instagram-influencer-topics-worldwide-follower-growth/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20most%20popular,average%20annual%20growth%20of%20followers.

[2] https://www.zippia.com/advice/advertising-statistics/#:~:text=How%20many%20ads%20does%20a,person%20saw%20in%20the%201970s.

Is Fear a Factor?

Do you struggle with fear? What about fear’s minions: WORRY, ANXIETY, DREAD, PHOBIAS, and certain kinds of STRESS?  Familiar with those?  What can be done about fear?  Is fear up to you, or do you have no choice in the matter?  Moses commanded the people:

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or terrified” Deuteronomy 31:6.  Then Moses told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous… do not be afraid or discouraged” vv.7-8.  Later, the Lord told Joshua the same thing: “Be strong and courageous” v.23.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this text tells me that YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE.  If God commands you to be strong and courageous, then he must know you can CHOOSE to be strong and courageous.

If fear was an emotion over which we had no control, God would not command us to avoid fear. 

First Cor. 10:13 says God gives no commands that we are unable to obey. So if he says “be strong and courageous,” then he knows we have the ability to obey—to actually BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

In the very next book, Joshua commands the people:

“Have I not commanded you? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with you, wherever you go!” Joshua 1:9.

We do have a choice.  When we struggle with FEAR or its minions—DOUBT, WORRY, ANXIETY, DREAD, STRESS, and PHOBIAS—God instructs us to CHOOSE to be STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, and to choose NOT to be afraid.

God, remind us when we are fearful that WE HAVE A CHOICE. Help us choose to be strong and filled with courage! Help us focus on YOU, the object of our worship; and help us NOT to focus on the object of our fears.

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Oratory.

There is nothing like a great speech.  President Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg after a battle that claimed 50,000 lives (MLB stadiums seat 40,000) and in 275 words he assured the nation it would survive the war.  Martin Luther King took the pulpit at the most inspiring location in America, convincing 200,000 that his dream was the American Dream, that the founders, hymn writers, and preachers of this nation had always intended it be a nation of liberty and justice for all, where all men are created equal, where we will be “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”

The Bible includes a speech from God.  Imagine half a million people on the Mall in Washington.  Bands, bunting, parades.  Someone quiets the noise, and God—yes, GOD HIMSELF—steps up to the podium.  He does not need a microphone.  He rebukes America for turning to idols.  He asks why the idols have not rescued us.  Why aren’t the idols solving your problems?  He looks at the crowd.  He looks me in the eye.  He looks you in the eye. He speaks slowly, letting the words sink in:

“See, now that I alone am He. There is no God but Me.  I bring death. I give life. I wound. I heal. No one can rescue anyone from My hand…. As surely as I live forever, when I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand takes hold of judgment, I will take vengeance on My enemies and repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood while My sword devours flesh—the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders” Deuteronomy 32:39-42.

The Washington Post headline may read, “God’s Speech Bit of a Downer,” but headlines were never the point.  God wants your heart.  Forsake idols and turn to Him. Worship Him only.  There is nothing else that can rescue—not money, doctors, success, fame, power, influence, or achievements.  Face the truth:

“There is no God but Me” Deuteronomy 32:39.

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