week of 08/03/11 4th recorded HighQuest Luke 8:26-39

The passage I read was Luke 8:26-39

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+8%3A26-39&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

³⁷ Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

As I reflect:

I feel like I’ve read this passage a thousand times but never really took the time to reflect on it. I know that I have heard multiple sermons dealing with some of the topics form this passage. But I don’t think any of them dealt with the principle of selection. Today, I am reading this passage to focus on “the principle of selection”, though I would also note that other common topics of study from this passage may include, demonology, the authority of Jesus, pushing Jesus away, and the value of possessions. Those are at least a few of the things that I will try not to go off on a tangent on today.

So for the principle of selection, I am drawn to how Jesus responded when the people of the region of the Garasenes asked him to leave. He did so. Their hearts did not desire God’s work in their lives more than they desired their possession not to be destroyed. How odd I thought. Here is the Son of God as called aloud by the demons in the sight of the witnesses, and He performs this miracle displaying both His authority as well as His compassion and love, and even displays the true purpose of demons in their destructive nature so that every witness had opportunity to see that this truly was the Messiah. And yet, people responded with fear and asked Him to leave. I wonder how often this is still true today.

We are still living in a time when people are offered the options of Putting God rightfully prioritized above their own possessions. Unfortunately, just as in this story, many people today still value their possessions more than God’s desire to work in their lives. Thankfully, even though Jesus agrees to leave, He still cares enough to leave a witness in His stead. Think about it… Not only will all the towns people have a great conversation starter discussing the suicidal possessed pigs they lost, but also they will have witnesses to God’s authority, and a first hand experience from the man that was healed as he proclaims the truth throughout the land. I believe Jesus was thinking ahead when He told the demons to enter the pigs, knowing they would then be driven down the cliff to drown. I believe Jesus already knew the hearts of these people and what they valued and was making sure that before He was told to leave, He left a memorable impression of How He can heal, but demons destroy. Then He also was sure to leave a witness to further work from that starting point. An intelligent approach to witnessing based on the subjects of the witness.

This is a perfect example of selection from both directions. God selecting a people to reach that didn’t want reaching. The people selecting their heart’s position and placing their possessions at higher value than God. His Son then selecting the perfect candidate to witness in His absence.

If you push Jesus away and tell Him you want nothing to do with Him for whatever reason, know that He may very well respond and do as you have requested. So be careful what you ask for. However, being as He is compassionate and understands how often we make mistakes, He loves us enough to give multiple chances throughout our life time for us to change our mind.

On a side note, me and this healed man have something in common (you may too). We both had a past that was put behind us by Jesus. We both desired to be with Him and Him alone. And we both were told to tell others what God has done for us. It can be hard at times as a Christian to long for our true home in Heaven and yet be told, “not yet. You have work to do”. Though I am honored to work the harvest with my fellow family in Christ, I still long for the day I can embrace and be embraced by my Savior face to face. I understand how this healed man felt.

My response to the Lord:

God of all creation, You truly have all the authority and all glory is due your name. I am thankful that you allowed me so many opportunities after I so blatantly pushed you away and by my action spat in your face. You compassion and love has overwhelmed me. I thank you that you kept putting believers in my life that would tell me little by little of your love and forgiveness. I thank you for saving me, for selecting me lead my wife, raise a family, and reach others that are in need of the same love that you showed me. Empower me and work through me that every day I may honor you with my actions and be a useful member of your body. In Jesus’ name.

week of 08/03/11 5th recorded HighQuest Acts 15:36-41

The passage I read was Acts 15:36-41

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A36-41&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

As I reflect:

This week I have noticed a lot of the process of God’s selection of men, but today I see men’s selection process. Specifically at a point of failure as Paul and Barnabas come to a sharp contentment with each other over another believer and his previous abandonment of a missionary journey (for what ever untold reason). I noted that neither Paul nor Barnabas seemed to have an ear to the Holy Spirit in this disagreement, for surely brother in Christ ought not quarrel in such a manner. However, what was done was done. Thankfully not only did God make good come of their bad judgment, but He also helped them to reconcile some time later as mark was accepted by Paul in later accounts.

For me, it’s kind of hard to say for sure who was wrong or right in this situation without being there and knowing the reasons for each person’s argument. I think though, that I can kinda see both sides of the disagreement and I understand where both men were coming from. Perhaps had they a third party uninvolved to calm them and suggest a 3 way vote, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand. I understand Paul’s side as a strong and often forceful believer wanting to ambush the entire world at once for Christ giving up every single comfort along the way. I also understand Barnabas’s side as John Mark was a believer and wanted to come and the view is that everyone who desire to serve God can certainly be used. So on both sides of the argument I see a bit of me. I think if in his same shoes, I would have allowed John Mark to come along in hopes that whatever caused him to leave the first time was in the past and this second chance would be different. People after all, make mistakes. The question is, who learns from them. I hope that I can remember this story when the time comes for me to make a selection with any similarity. I hope that at that time, I will be wise and calm enough to bring it to God in prayer before adding fuel to a fire and going separate ways. I have made that mistake of breaking up a friendship over disagreements before, but I have also learned from that mistake and am now more accepting of the faults of my brothers and sisters, just as they are of my faults. May we none the less sharpen each other and remember to grow, learning from our mistakes.

My response to the Lord:

Oh Lord, how you know that we so often Sercombe to our emotions. I confess this as having been a fault of mine in the past and I pray that it not be a stumbling block in the future. Lord, may I always be slow to anger and be understanding in my speech with other believers. May I never make snap judgments or part ways because of differing opinions again. Lord, forgive me for my past and guide me in my future that I may be a better example of your love and wisdom here on earth as it is in Heaven. In Jesus’ name.

week of 08/03/11 3rd recorded HighQuest Acts 16:1-10

The passage I read was Acts 16:1-10

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+16%3A1-10&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

As I reflect:

This week in my men’s Bible study group, we are daily focusing on “the Principle of Selection”. In this passage I do see that and it is revealed in the last verse. However, I also see another dynamic at play and would like to include that in the reflection time.

Idea 1: God through His Holy Spirit directs us in ways that we might not always expect. In fact, as often as we are directed by open doorways and loud and obvious “yes’s”, we are also directed by shut doors, and whispered “no’s”. Paul was direct by “no’s”. He wanted to go to Asia minor (now turkey) but the Holy Spirit shut that door. He wanted to share the Gospel in Bithynia, but the Holy Spirit shut that door as well. Then guided by a vision, Paul and His team went to Macedonia. In reflecting on the method by which this occurred, I am left to reason that even in our lives we are still today guided at times by “no’s”. In my case I have spent the last year of my life searching for a career to provide for my family and I have been met with “no’s” (many of which were at places that previously would have offered me employment quite easily). This is the work of the Holy Spirit guiding me. Each closed door, brings me one step closer to finding His will. This is the perfect passage of scripture for me to identify my experiences this past year with and also to give me great cause to be encouraged as we come to the second Idea.

Idea 2: Luke as the writer, uses the word “they” up until verse 10. He then says, “we”. This to me indicates that the detours that the Holy Spirit set Paul on were in fact to get to the point of meeting and including Luke on their journeys. This is a wonderful example of the perfect plan of God. You see, had Paul even once failed to heed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He may have ended up in the wrong region sharing a message to a people that were unreceptive and ended up martyred too soon. He never would have come across Luke. The book of Acts would not have been written. If you have ever read this book, than you can see how it would be hard to imagine how many more questions we as believers would have. The book of Acts is most informative and I believe quite needed in helping us to grow. Luke’s words have reached and helped to change many lives all as a credit to the Holy Spirit.

In these two ideas today, I can take from this that a “no” from God is not to be cause for disappointment, just as a closed door should not cause one to give up. There is a purpose to each step in God’s plan. Trust Him fully and may end up leading you to a new continent of spiritual growth, just as He did with Paul. Trust in His selections in your life and walk the path He lays before you.

week of 08/03/11 2nd recorded HighQuest Luke 6:12-17

The passage I read was Luke 6:12-17

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%206:12-17&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

As I reflect:

A man once asked a theologian, "Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot to be his disciple?" The teacher replied, "I don’t know, but I have an even harder question: Why did Jesus choose me?"

Though short this, reflection time for me has had great revelation and will continue to carry great meaning in my daily life. He chose me… A few questions do arise as I reflect though:

1) Why Judas?

So , this one I think has to go un answered until I enter into eternity. I could speculate that perhaps the usage of a follower that would one day betray you was only for the purpose of later followers better relating to a Savior who knows how it feels to be betrayed. But again, this would be speculation as it is not written why He chose Judas. Perhaps it is because God the Father needed an instrument to hand Christ over to be crucified, and choosing someone who would walk among His closest friends, would allow that infidel the only opportunity to hand the Son of God over to the hands of man and the wrath of God that He took in our place. Perhaps…

2) Why 12?

Seems fitting really that God’s chosen people were the 12 tribes of Israel and that in order to relay the information of the new covenant and the loving grace shed on the cross, Jesus chose 12 people to spread the Gospel. Perhaps he even knew ahead of time that later Matthias would replace Judas. Again, this is only speculation though, as a reason is not given.

3) What was He praying about all night?

It has been said that He was likely praying about which disciples to choose the following morning. I’m not sure if that’s really what He spent the night praying about or not. If this is what His prayer regarded though, one may ask then, why He needed to pray at all when He is also fully God and more than capable of answering His own questions on who to choose. Which brings us to “why?”.

4) Why?

Why would He pray to God for answers that He could certainly in His also being God already know? Yet again, speculation is required to answer these questions. In this case we have a bit more evidence to go on. During all of His earthly struggles, Jesus faced them as a man and never as God, though He was fully both. It was necessary for Him to face those trials as a man, just as it was necessary for Him to set the example of communication with the Father as a man so that no one later could say that He only was able to do something because He was God. Ex. The temptations in the wilderness, handling the temptations of life, healing, knowingly walking obediently into His final trials as a man, etc. He felt all the pains of these trials and tribulations and overcame them as a man so that you and i may know that it is something that can be done and that Christ did it all for us.

These are all just back of the mind type of questions. They aren’t currently relevant to my walk with God. What is relevant is the thought that had these twelve not been chosen, I may never have come to hear the Gospel and walk this broken path that has brought me to Jesus. I am thankful for the 12 He chose and the replacement Matthias was for Judas, and I am thankful for what they did to begin the spreading of a wonderful, loving message that eventually reached me and made me new.

My response to the Lord:

My Holy God, that you are outside of time is beyond my feeble mind’s ability to fully comprehend. That you always have been and always will be, I rejoice, but again do not fully understand. You knew before the creation of man, all that would take place. You knew as Jesus knelt before you that night, everything that would follow. You knew about Judas and yet had your Son chose him anyway. I hope to one day understand better. Father, I am thankful that you can so perfectly predict the choices of man, and guide us to our predestined callings. I thank you that when you chose those 12, you had me in mind to be reached 2000 years later. I thank you for everyone that that gospel message reached who was changed from the inside out as a result of your loving plan. Lord, I trust you with my future and with my wife and my children’s future, and with their children to come. I know that you already have it planned and will guide them on the path you have laid for them to do your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.