“If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 

Mark 11:3

Years ago, one of the young men on our church worship team regularly used this incident in Jesus’ life to tease me.  I had a Taylor acoustic guitar and (even though he was primarily a drummer) he really wanted one.  When I’d take it out of the case he’d say something like, “You should give me that guitar.”  When I’d ask why, he’d smile and say, “The Lord has need of it.”  I’d just smile back and say, “He hasn’t said anything to me about it.”  We’d both chuckle, and then get back to practice.

Frankly, I’ve always been a bit puzzled by this passage.  Jesus sends two of his disciples into a town with instructions to untie the first donkey colt they see and bring it to Him.  He instructs them what to say if they’re questioned.  They follow Jesus’ instructions and are indeed confronted (probably by the donkey’s owners) about what they’re doing.  When they reply, “The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately,” the men drop their objections.

Why?

I’ve heard some teachers speculate that Jesus set this up in advance with the donkey’s owners, knowing when and how He would be entering Jerusalem.  While I admit it’s possible, that just doesn’t seem like Jesus’ style.  Others are just amazed by the “blind faith” shown by the donkey’s owners.  Just because these two men say, “The Lord has need of it,” they’re willing to let them walk off with the donkey!  Talk about blind faith!

Well, I think this story does teach us about faith, but not “blind” faith.

Consider the disciples’ faith.  Jesus is asking them to do a very strange thing, but they don’t hesitate.  They had faith in Jesus, but it wasn’t a “blind” faith.  Their faith was based on evidence.  For three years they had walked with Jesus and He had never steered them wrong.  Their faith in Him was built on a solid foundation of who Jesus was and all He’d done.

Consider the faith of the donkey’s owners.  This even takes either in Bethphage, a village very near Bethany where some of Jesus’ closest friends (Lazarus, Mary, and Martha) lived.  I think it’s safe to speculate that Jesus (and probably His disciples) would have been known in this area.  The people would have been familiar with His miracles and His character.  When the donkey’s owners heard that Jesus needed this animal and wouldl return it when He’s finished, they knew they could trust His word.  Their faith was built on solid evidence too.

I think about it like this.  If I found two strangers in my driveway, trying to start my car, I’d certainly confront them.  If their response was, “‘Joe’ needs it and he’ll send it back when he’s done,” I’d probably respond, “Who’s Joe?”  Then I’d call the police.  However, if I saw two guys from our church in my driveway trying to start my car and they said, “Pastor Jeff needs your car and he’ll send it back when he’s done,” I’d toss them the keys.

What’s the difference?

I know my pastor.  He’s demonstrated that he’s a man of God who can be trusted.  I know his integrity.  If he needs my car, he’s welcome to it.  If he had to send two guys to pick it up (instead of coming himself) he must have a good reason.  If he says he’ll return it when he’s finished, I know he will.  My faith in Pastor Jeff is built on years of evidence of his character.

My faith in Jesus – in His goodness, mercy, grace, and provision – isn’t a “blind” faith.  My faith is built on the solid evidence of His character as I’ve seen it in the scriptures and as I’ve experienced it in my life over and over again.  He has demonstrated so many times that I can trust Him.  I have no reason to doubt Him and every reason to trust Him.

Thank you, Father, for giving me a faith that is based on evidence and the sure foundation of Your Son, Jesus!

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

Exodus 2:7-9 (ESV)

I’m amazed by two things in this passage.  First, God honors obedience.  Pharaoh had declared that all Hebrew male babies were to be executed at birth.  The Hebrew midwives refused to obey this ungodly edict.  Moses’ parents also refused to comply and went to great lengths to protect their new baby boy.  It must have been terrifying for them to know that they were defying a ruler who had total power over them.  Even so, they recognized that they owed their ultimate allegiance to the God of heaven, not to an earthly king.

Second, God provides for us in amazing and unexpected ways.  Miriam watched as servants pulled the baby’s basket from the Nile river and presented the child to Pharaoh’s daughter.  She thought and acted quickly, offering to go and find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child.  The result is that Moses’ mother had her child rescued, restored to her, and God used Pharaoh to pay the bills!  What an amazing God we serve!  I’m reminded of what Jesus promised His disciples in Mark 10:29-30

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 

When we give up something that we love, God is faithful to restore and to bless beyond anything we have given up.

Father, help me to walk in obedience to You, even in the face of opposition from the world.  Enable me to stand strong for You, even when it means choosing to obey Your Word over following an ungodly law of man.  I pray that You give me wisdom and discernment like You gave Miriam, and the courage to act boldly when You present an opportunity.  Finally, Father, I pray that I will always trust in Your faithfulness to provide for all my needs. 

“Bartimaeus yanked off his old coat and flung it aside, jumped up and came to Jesus.”

Mark 10:50 (The Living Bible)

This morning I had a rough time getting out of bed.  I ran yesterday (so I’m sore).  I stayed up too late reading (so I’m sleepy).  I just didn’t feel right.  I was laying there praying, telling God that even before my feet hit the floor that I wanted to give my day to Him.  I was sincere, but the truth is I would have preferred to stay in bed.

I’m convicted by Bartimaeus’ response to Jesus.  He knew that Jesus was his only hope to receive his sight.  Even when the crowd told him to be quiet, he continued to cry out to Jesus for help.  When Jesus called to him he, “yanked off his old coat and flung it aside, jumped up and came to Jesus.”

How many mornings do I sluggishly drag myself into the presence of the Living God?  Lord, forgive me. I want to have the same response to Jesus as blind Bartimaeus.  I want to be filled with joy and excitement every time I have the opportunity to come to You.  I want to throw off my “old coat” (the flesh), fling it aside, and run to You for healing and rescue.  I realize that when I don’t respond like this it’s because I’ve allowed myself to become complacent and take You for granted.  I don’t want to live like that.

Like David I pray, “Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” (Psalm 51:12).  Let me jump up, throw off my “old coat”, and run to Jesus!

** Image courtesy of Ammom Perry.  View his “doodle” blog at http://doodletillomega.blogspot.com

“Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich.  Why waste your time?  For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!”

Proverbs 23:4-5, The Living Bible

I’m not sure why The Lord is highlighting this verse for me this morning.  I honestly don’t think this is something that I currently struggle with.  I know that I tend toward “work-a-holism”, but money isn’t really my motivation.  I’m motivated by pride, arrogance, and a desire to make a name for myself among men.  Don’t misunderstand me.  Those are serious issues that require repentance any time they rear their ugly heads.

I do see this happening all around me though.  We live in a culture that is obsessed with acquiring more and more “things” and “riches”.  We have a sense of entitlement, as though we deserve more than we have.  I see people working long hours, trying to climb the corporate ladder, all so they can “get more” and “have more”.

I remember when I was working in Kane.  I was struggling with this very issue.  I remember vividly when God showed me what a materialist I had become.  I had fallen into a terrible trap.  God showed me that the more “things” I acquired, the more my bondage to those “things” increased.  I thought I owned my possessions, when in fact my possessions actually owned me!  There is wisdom in the quote, “What we strive to attain, we must strive to maintain.”

Just because I learned that lesson several years ago doesn’t mean that I don’t occassionally fall back into those patterns.  I do.  Heavenly Father, when I begin thinking and acting that way I pray that You show me my folly.  Remind me that everything will eventually be tested by fire and only that which was done for you will remain.  Eventually, all of my possessions will crumble into dust.  How much wiser to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33)?  How much better to “lay up treasures for yourself in Heaven” (Matt 6:19-20)?  That is the only wealth we should be concerned with acquiring.

Lord, make me content with what I have.  Give me a willingness to be generous with the resources You have blessed me with.  Eradicate from within me any desire for riches or worldly wealth.  Protect me from making money or possessions an idol.  Keep me from the folly of seeking anything other than Your kingdom and Your righteousness.

“The disciples were incredulous!  ‘Then who in the world can be saved, if not a rich man?’  they asked.”

Mark 10:26 – The Living Bible

The disciples were reacting to Jesus’ statement that it is nearly impossible for a rich man (i.e. one who trusts in riches) to enter into the Kingdom of God.  I puzzled over this passage yesterday and today in my devotions I was drawn to it again.

Why did the disciples think it would be easier for a rich man to enter the Kingdom?  It reminds me of the scene from “Fiddler on the Roof” where Tevye is singing, “If I Were A Rich Man..”  In one verse he sings:

If I were rich, I’d have the time that I lack
To sit in the synagogue and pray,
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall,
And I’d discuss the learned books with the holy men
Seven hours every day–
That would be the sweetest thing of all…

It must have been similar in the disciples’ time.  Those who were rich had leisure to study, pray in the temple for long periods, have access to the religious leadership, etc.  Jesus’ disciples must have thought that it would be so much easier for the rich to enter into the Kingdom because they didn’t have to be so concerned with the daily grind of working a menial job.  They could really focus on their relationship with God.

I can’t fault these guys.  Isn’t this similar to what I’ve been thinking recently?  If only I didn’t have to work at McKissock every day I’d be able to be at the church. I’d be able to do the work that needs done at our radio ministry.  I’d have time to prepare and record a daily radio show, etc., etc., etc.

The reality is that God has provided this job for me and I need to be content to stay there until He moves me someplace else or provides something different.  I need to be content that if it’s His will for me as a Pastor that I also work a full-time “secular” job for the remainder of my life that I’m okay with that.

It’s not our job status, wealth, poverty or anything else that keeps us from entering into the Kingdom of God.  We enter in by His Grace.  It’s also not my job status, wealth, poverty, or anything else that prevents me from enjoying the abundant life that Jesus wants me to enjoy.  It’s my refusal to find contentment and joy in my relationship with Him instead of in my circumstances.  That’s what blocks the joy that can only be found in Him..

Lord, forgive me.  Help me to find my joy and contentment in You and You alone each and every day – regardless of my circumstances.

Just so I’m not misunderstood, I’d like to start by making two things clear:

1. I’ve visited many Calvary Chapels, both large and small. One of the things I enjoy when I travel is visiting other churches and worshipping with my brothers and sisters. I make it a point to see if there are any Calvary Chapels in the area that I’m visiting so that I can attend worship on Sunday and (if possible) a midweek Bible study. I confess that I usually don’t mention that I’m a Calvary pastor – at least until after the service.

2. I don’t think that small fellowships are intrinsically “better” or “worse” than large fellowships, or visa-versa. The fact that I’m an assistant pastor at a “small” fellowship doesn’t make me particularly biased toward small fellowships. In fact, when I travel I admit that I enjoy visiting “large” Calvary Chapels because (in addition to solid Bible teaching and great worship) they usually have coffee shops and bookstores!

My family is visiting Maine for the first time. Since our first day in Bar Harbor was Sunday, I’d made plans for us to attend church. My initial thought was to visit Calvary Chapel of Bangor where Ken Graves is the senior pastor. Although I’ve never visited the fellowship, I’m pretty sure that CC Bangor qualifies as a “big” Calvary – at least compared to CC Russell, PA! On the drive in we passed a small building with a sign reading “Calvary Chapel Downeast”. Intrigued, I did a quick Google search. While CC Bangor would require a drive of over an hour, CC Downeast in Trenton, ME was just 20 minutes from where we were staying. After spending 15 hours in a car on Saturday that made the decision a no-brainer for my family – CC Downeast would be our Sunday morning destination.

In the interest of total disclosure I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. After all, I was pretty sure that CC Downeast wouldn’t have either a coffee shop or a bookstore, and I’d never heard of the pastor. If it sounds hypocritical that I (who have often railed against our creation of “celebrity pastors”) would want to see a “big name” pastor rather than an “unknown”, then you are absolutely right! I’m ashamed to admit that I wanted to go to a “big” Calvary, hear a pastor I knew from the radio, and sit in a bookstore and drink flavored coffee. Talk about fleshly motives! God forgive me!

We arrived at CC Downeast and were welcomed very warmly. They didn’t have a bookstore, but they did have some very solid books on sale in the foyer (and the coffee was free)! The fellowship was as small as I expected and I was a little disappointed to see that the senior pastor was away and the youth/assistant pastor would be preaching. Frankly, he seemed pretty nervous about being up front.

The next 90 minutes were a blessing! The worship was authentic and heartfelt. People sang and raised their hands in worship, pouring out their love to our Heavenly Father. The prayers weren’t polished – they were sincere and straight from the heart. Pastor Ross preached a message that was the equal of anything I’ve heard at a Pastor’s conference. He covered the chaotic state of the world, the futility of trying to change things by political means, the necessity of our standing strong in the grace of Christ, the urgency of reaching a lost and dying world with the Gospel, the reality of Jesus’s soon return, and the joyous fact that no matter how bad things in the world may get, we have nothing to fear!

When the Jewish exiles from Babylon returned to see the temple that Zerubbabel had built, they wept because it lacked the size and grandeur of Solomon’s temple. They forgot that God doesn’t measure things the same way that we do. We measure by size and appearance while He looks on the inward parts, not the externals. We should be careful not to despise the “day of small things,” – or small fellowships. That’s the lesson God taught me this week.

It may take a few weeks, but when it’s online I encourage everyone to check out Pastor Ross’s message at Calvary Chapel Downeast. (http://www.ccdowneast.org/

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New King James Version)

I’ve completed book #2 in The Great ECPC Reading Challenge, “Why Grace Changes Everything,” by Chuck Smith.

I find it ironic that I purchased my first copy of “Why Grace Changes Everything” in a small Christian bookstore in 1994 – long before I had ever heard of either Chuck Smith or Calvary Chapel.  At the time I had no idea that God would eventually lead me into full-time ministry as a Calvary Chapel pastor with a passion for following Pastor Chuck’s example of teaching verse-by-verse through the Bible.  All I knew was that I needed a better understanding of God’s grace.

I’ve always had difficulty appropriating grace.  My natural inclination is toward perfectionism and I come from a denominational tradition that implanted in me a constant fear of “losing” my salvation if I failed to measure up to God’s standard.  These two things made for a brutal combination and a seemingly never-ending cycle of commitment, failure, condemnation, despair, and recommitment.  Most of my early Christian life resembled a roller coaster (and I don’t mean a fun one) as I tried everything I could do to earn God’s favor.

Chuck’s book ministered to me in those formative years and still does today.  In fact, I’m convinced that I probably should re-read it every few years.  For me, the message is one that bears repeating.  Chuck’s early Christian experience was much like mine – a roller coaster of commitments to holiness, failures to measure up, self-condemnation, and recommitment.  Anyone who has lived this way knows that there is absolutely no joy or rest for someone who is trying to earn God’s favor.

On the other hand, there is nothing but joy when we realize that we are all “poor in spirit” (Matt 5:3) and that (spiritually) we bring absolutely nothing to the table.  Spiritually, we are penniless beggars.  Not only did we do nothing to deserve God’s grace before we came to faith in Christ, but even after salvation there is nothing we can (or need) to do in order to earn it.  It was, is, and forever will be His free gift to us.  When we finally grab on to that amazing truth we can finally experience real joy and rest in the knowledge that our Father loves us and wants fellowship with us.

Chuck’s emphasis on the grace of God does not imply that we have a license to sin – absolutely not!  However, our desire to live a holy life is not motivated by some vain attempt to gain God’s favor.  Rather, our desire for personal holiness is a natural response to a loving Father who has rescued us from sin and death.  We love Him and want to please and be like Him.  And when we do fail and fall in to sin, our Father is anxious to forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9) and restore us to a right relationship with Him.

I highly recommend this excellent book for all believers, but especially to believers like me who struggle with appropriating God’s gift of grace.