Go Thou, and Revoke His Man Card

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."

"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked.

He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there."

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. Luke 22:7-13

During Passover, Jews celebrate the exodus from Egypt. It’s a time to gather with family and close friends to remember the deliverance of God’s people from their oppressors. The Last Supper being held at a Passover feast is highly symbolic. Finally, everyone can be delivered from all oppression through Christ.

Jesus gives his disciples some fairly cryptic instructions: “a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.” Just how many men and how many jars of water would there be in the city? How would the disciples know which one? Well, in the culture of the day, it was fairly easy. Men didn’t carry water. Women were responsible for the water carrying. (I’m not saying it was right. I’m just saying that’s the way it was).

When Jesus told the disciples to find the man carrying the water jar, He could have said “find the man carrying a purse” or “find the man walking out of the Sex in the City movie.” There would only have been one. The disciples probably felt the instruction should be “find the man with the water jar and revoke his man card.” Everyone would have understood.

We don’t know why the man was carrying the water jar that day. Maybe his wife was ill, and it was water day. Maybe he lost a bet. Maybe he was making amends. Whatever the reason, the disciples didn’t question Jesus’ instructions. There’s not even one comment or criticism among them. They just went, found the man, and prepared for Passover.

For the man with the jar, it was an unusual task on an ordinary day. For the disciples, it was a little tradition with the Son of God. For Jesus, it was a sign of things to come later that week.

Who you do you relate to from this account today? Are you the person with an unusual assignment? Are you just going about an ordinary day? Are you slightly confused about the next step God is leading you into?

God freed the captives from Egypt, and then instructed His People to celebrate the annual feast of Passover. He intended that the Passover would point to the fulfillment of the promise: the sacrifice of His Own Son. God even chose that man to do the water duty on that day. God didn’t make it up as He went. He had it all in mind before it even happened. And, of course, He had you and I in mind as well.

This day, this life – neither is an accident. Knowing that God loves you, how are you approaching this day?

New Series Starts

I hope that you've benefitted from two full months on Abraham. I have certainly discovered things that I never really thought about before, and I've been on this path for nearly 40 years.

This next week we turn toward the events leading up to Easter. We will look at how God's eternal plan culminated in one profound week: The Week that Changed the World. I would encourage you to also join us at Brookwood Church for the message series, March 21-April 4. If you are outside of the Greenville, SC area, you can view the services online at brookwoodchurch.org. The Sunday services are posted every Sunday afternoon. For further study, take a look at the Message Discussion Guide that is intended for Small Groups, individuals, or just a couple of friends over coffee: brookwoodchurch.org/discussionguide. The Guides also appear on Sunday afternoons.

Lastly, feel free to add your comments and observations to the Devotional blog at galatians419.blogspot.com.

Thanks for following,
Allen White

PS Don't forget to set your clock one hour AHEAD on Saturday night!

A+ Christians and D- Christians

Life. Interrupted. Week 8 Day 5

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)

Everyone appreciates a passing grade. No one wants to fail. When I was in fifth grade, I received an “F” on a pop quiz. I only scored two correct answers out of five. It’s the only failing grade I ever received in school. (Now, I know that some people just aren’t into school. I’m not bragging. For the sake of full disclosure, I was also the kid who struck out at tee ball. Ouch! The ball is right there… I quit the team.)

Our educational system has indoctrinated us with the idea of what it takes to measure up. If we can accomplish the first three letters of the alphabet (A, B, C), then we’re in reasonably good shape. If we get a little further into the alphabet, we’re in trouble. If we perform well, we succeed. If we perform poorly, we fail.

God doesn’t grade on a curve. He also doesn’t grade on a scale. Sinners go to Hell. Saints go to Heaven. The only difference is that “saints” chose God’s forgiveness and “sinners” chose against it.
The test James speaks of in this passage is for “saints” only. Here’s the test: “if you persevere, you will receive the crown.” Here’s what it doesn’t say: “if you persevere with a smile on your face, if you never have a bad day, if you never utter a discouraging word, if you never doubt, if you sing hymns and recite platitudes while you’re suffering, then God will bless you” – those aren’t the conditions at all.

If we persevere, if we grin and bear it, if we admit our weakness and lean into God, if we just make it through, then we will receive the crown of life. There are no A-plus Christians or D-minus Christians. The crowns are all the same color. There is no gold, silver and bronze.

How do we pass God’s tests? By simply completing the test and not giving up. It’s okay to strike out. Just don’t quit the team.

What do you feel like giving up on today? I would encourage you to give up trying to figure everything out and surrender it to God. Instead of walking out, turn to God and say, “I just can’t fix this. God, I need you to take over.” Then, wait and see what He does.

God’s Going to Bless You Anyway

Life. Interrupted. Week 8 Day 4

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV)

God called Abraham and gave him the promise many years before this event (Genesis 12:1-3). How is it at this point in Abraham’s life that God applies a condition: “I will surely bless you…because you have obeyed me”? Was there a loophole?

God chose Abraham to start a people of God’s own. From the very beginning, God had an idea of what His people would be like. God wanted people who would resemble Him. But, between the Tower of Babel and the Call of Abraham, there really wasn’t anyone around that looked like one of God’s people. Should God start over? Should God go back to the garden?

God chose Abraham knowing two things very clearly: Abraham didn’t resemble God, and God was going to start a people through Abraham. Wasn’t there someone more devoted? Wasn’t there someone who wouldn’t choose adultery or lying as an option? Maybe there was. Maybe there wasn’t.

This is where our lives connect with Abraham’s life: God chose Abraham and us based upon His desire to have a relationship with us. And, God has a plan to bless us and to fulfill His will through us. None of us are prepared. None of us are good enough. But, nothing is impossible with God.

God delivers on His promises to us, but not all at once. For Abraham, the promise took a process. Abraham’s tests were not to prove his worth, but to cause him to more closely reflect God’s character. God didn’t put conditions on His promise when He gave it. If you do X, then I will give you Y. If passing a test was the criteria for God’s blessing, then Abraham failed miserably. And, he certainly wasn’t wealthy enough to buy all of the Mulligans needed to cover his faults.

Abraham never reached perfection in this life (and neither will we). But, with each test, Abraham grew a little closer to resembling his Father. That gives us all hope. As we keep moving forward, as we continue to lean into God, as we give up our selfish ways and surrender to Him, we will develop more of His character. He’s going to bless us anyway. We don’t have to earn that.

Time Change This Weekend (March 14)

We get to Spring Forward one hour this Sunday, March 14. Apparently, this is also the weekend to change the baking soda in your refrigerator and change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Did I mentioned that you also lose an hour?

So, unless you are in Arizona, Hawaii or half of Indiana, remember to change your clock or else you will be an hour early for church? Or is it an hour late?

The gods of Mastercard and Visa?

Life. Interrupted. Week 8 Day 3

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." Genesis 22:13-15 (NIV)

God used this circumstance to reveal His character to Abraham. God demonstrates one of His compound names: Jehovah-Jireh, the LORD Will Provide. This is more than a promise. This is part of the unchanging nature and character of God.

Providing is not what God does on occasion. It’s Who He is. Just like you might have brown hair or blue eyes, God is our Provider. It would be against His nature not to.

What does God provide? “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Recently, my second grader was studying for his economics exam. (What?!) He learned that needs were necessary for living. He also learned that wants are things we would like to have but don’t necessarily need. God will provide for all of our needs, but He might not provide for all of our greeds.

In our culture, we are prone to act to quickly. Think about it. When we need something, do we reach out to God in prayer or do we reach for our credit card? Often God does not provide for us because we’ve taken care of things ourselves. We haven’t given God the opportunity to provide.

What do you need today? Have you asked God to provide? Ask Him right now. It’s in His nature.

Doing the Unthinkable

Life. Interrupted. Week 8 Day 2

"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:7-8

Notice how Abraham’s faith shines through. He reassures his son that God will provide the lamb. All that Abraham knows at this point is that the child of promise, conceived by miraculous means, will be offered to God as a sacrifice. He assumes that the sacrifice is Isaac. What Abraham doesn’t know is that his words and actions point toward “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The thought of losing a child seems unbearable. The thought of causing your child’s death, even at God’s command, seems unthinkable. Here in what must have been a time of personal anguish for Abraham, we can glimpse the cost to God when He offered His Own Son to die for our sins.

Think of how much we are worth to God. At great personal loss, He paid the price to redeem us. If you were feeling a little worthless today, remember that God paid the ultimate price for you. You are worth everything to Him.

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).