By Gobel Brockman
(Before you read the rest of this, I'd like for you to do a short experiment: I want you to try and type a sentence on your keyboard or smartphone. The difference is instead of using two hands, use one hand and one foot to type.)
I'm guessing you've given up by now. At least I hope you have. Yes, it was a silly idea, but I had a non-silly point to make. (Hey, I'm inventing words this week too.) My point? Feet weren't meant to type with. Hands weren't made to walk with. Different parts of the body have different functions, and if you try to use your feet to type, bad things can happen. I mention this because the Apostle Paul taught in I Corinthians 12 that as Christians we are part of the body of Christ:
"For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body....even so the body is not made up of one part, but many. Now if the foot should, 'Because I am not the hand, I am not part of the body' would it for that reason stop being part of the body?...If the whole body were the eye, where would the hearing be?...But in fact God has placed the parts of the body just as He wanted them to be." (Excerpts from I Corinthians 12:15-20)
As Christians, God has given us different gifts and different callings. One problem we run into is when we try to be something we're not. We see someone else doing something that we would like to do, but find out we can't and then get discouraged. Sometimes we may find ourselves getting bored with the things that we can do and wish for something else. It's in those times that we need to remember that we have a specific place in the Kingdom of God, and no one else can quite fill our role.
Another thing we need to remember is that there are some parts of the body that don't work well together. (I seriously hope you're not still trying to type with your feet.) One complaint that I hear about churches sometimes is that there are too many 'cliques' in the church. In some cases I'm sure that's true, but in some cases it's simply that people with similar giftings and callings are trying to work together. When a hand and a foot try to do the same job, it doesn't work. The nose and the armpit don't go together. Our task in the work of God is to find out what we were created for and function in that task, realizing that God will give us the ability to complete it. We also need to be thankful for those around us who may not be like us, and we may not have a whole lot in common with, but are fulfilling a role in God's church that we never could. We are all part of the same body, and we all have a place and a role to fulfill.
During this time of Thanksgiving, in addition to thanking God for the things we always thank God for, let's thank Him for all the people He's placed in the body of Christ to see His kingdom come. As believers in Jesus, we're all on the same team, and I thank God for every one of you.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Is Your Heart At Home?
By Gobel Brockman
I once heard of a man who was called to be a missionary to Spain. Upon arrival he instantly knew that this was exactly where God wanted him to be, and he fell in love with the people there. He spent years doing the work that God had called him to do, and did it joyfully. In his older years he became sick, and came back to the United States for diagnosis and treatment. He went in for exploratory surgery. The doctor came out to talk to the family, and gave them the bad news: he had an incurable disease, and only had months to live. After getting over the initial shock, the family asked the surgeon what should be the next step, and this was his response: "The whole time he was awake back there, all he talked about was Spain. As he was going under the anesthesia, he was talking about Spain. My suggestion is to let him go back. His body needs to be where his heart is."
I've always loved that story, but it also leads me to a powerful question: If someone said that about you, where would your body end up? One thing I've learned over the years is that you don't have to be around someone very long before you learn what's important to them. If something or someone is important to you, those around you will know it. I've said for a long time that no matter how busy, tired, or broke we are, we always manage to find the time, energy, or money to do the things we really want to do. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Are the things that are important to you worth the time and energy you devote to it? We spend so such energy and resources on things that, quite frankly, really don't matter. Jesus addressed this in Matthew 6 when He said this:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I want to focus on that last line - "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." That speaks to my point for this week. Where is your heart? What's really important to you? Is it something that will last, or is your treasure something that is fleeting? The missionary I spoke of had found a lasting treasure. He put God first in his life, answered the call that God placed in his heart, and lived a life full of service and joy. I want that for myself, and I hope you do as well. But we need to remind ourselves that a divided heart has no home. This man found a treasure because he wanted what God wanted for him. It's our responsibility to find that for our own lives. Not everyone will be called into missionary work or to pastor a church, but there are specific things that God has for each of us to do. I can tell you that there is no greater joy than knowing that you're where God wants you to be, and doing what He wants you to do.
When your treasure is in Heaven, you know it's safe. When you allow God's desire for your life to become yours as well, there is joy. Whether it's behind a pulpit, behind a desk, or behind a counter, allow God to show you where your 'Spain' is. It's a good place to be. Your body needs to be where your heart is. Make sure it's in a good place.
I once heard of a man who was called to be a missionary to Spain. Upon arrival he instantly knew that this was exactly where God wanted him to be, and he fell in love with the people there. He spent years doing the work that God had called him to do, and did it joyfully. In his older years he became sick, and came back to the United States for diagnosis and treatment. He went in for exploratory surgery. The doctor came out to talk to the family, and gave them the bad news: he had an incurable disease, and only had months to live. After getting over the initial shock, the family asked the surgeon what should be the next step, and this was his response: "The whole time he was awake back there, all he talked about was Spain. As he was going under the anesthesia, he was talking about Spain. My suggestion is to let him go back. His body needs to be where his heart is."
I've always loved that story, but it also leads me to a powerful question: If someone said that about you, where would your body end up? One thing I've learned over the years is that you don't have to be around someone very long before you learn what's important to them. If something or someone is important to you, those around you will know it. I've said for a long time that no matter how busy, tired, or broke we are, we always manage to find the time, energy, or money to do the things we really want to do. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Are the things that are important to you worth the time and energy you devote to it? We spend so such energy and resources on things that, quite frankly, really don't matter. Jesus addressed this in Matthew 6 when He said this:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves cannot steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
I want to focus on that last line - "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." That speaks to my point for this week. Where is your heart? What's really important to you? Is it something that will last, or is your treasure something that is fleeting? The missionary I spoke of had found a lasting treasure. He put God first in his life, answered the call that God placed in his heart, and lived a life full of service and joy. I want that for myself, and I hope you do as well. But we need to remind ourselves that a divided heart has no home. This man found a treasure because he wanted what God wanted for him. It's our responsibility to find that for our own lives. Not everyone will be called into missionary work or to pastor a church, but there are specific things that God has for each of us to do. I can tell you that there is no greater joy than knowing that you're where God wants you to be, and doing what He wants you to do.
When your treasure is in Heaven, you know it's safe. When you allow God's desire for your life to become yours as well, there is joy. Whether it's behind a pulpit, behind a desk, or behind a counter, allow God to show you where your 'Spain' is. It's a good place to be. Your body needs to be where your heart is. Make sure it's in a good place.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
"That's Frustrating...."
By Gobel Brockman
A couple of weeks ago my son Aaron and I flew to Kansas City for a Chiefs game. We had a great time, but getting there proved a real challenge. We had decided to fly over on Saturday evening and spend the night there. Our flight had a connection in Detroit, which was supposed to be about a 35 minute flight. However, as we approached the airport the captain came over the intercom to tell us that we were going to be in a holding pattern. So we circled the city for about 30 minutes extra - in a thunderstorm no less. Finally, after about an hour and 20 minutes our 35 minute flight was over. After a short layover, a full crowd boarded our flight to Kansas City. Everyone stowed their gear in the overhead compartments, took the seats....and waited. For almost an hour. We then got the announcement that there was a problem with the plane and we would have to deboard while they got us another plane. So we all got our gear and went back to the lobby and waited. Finally, the other plane was readied and we made the rest of the trip. A trip that was supposed to take about 3 hours took almost 8. When we arrived at our hotel and collapsed, a couple of lessons had been learned:
1) Delta isn't a very good airline.
2) I had a little better understanding of Galatians 2:21 - "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Frustration - the feeling we get when something is hindering our way and it isn't our fault. The slowpoke in traffic ahead of us. The letter in the mail that doesn't show up. The anticipated phone call that doesn't ring. It all can be frustrating. The question is, how many times do we do that to God? What exactly does it mean to 'frustrate the grace of God?' Well, if frustration comes from being hindered in something we're trying to accomplish, then frustrating God's grace simply means that God wants to show His grace to us, but we get in His way. We constantly try to earn God's favor and try to make it on our own and prove to Him that we're 'good enough.' Then, when we are once again confronted with the fact that we're not, we wallow in guilt instead of going to God for mercy and grace. And that's when grace gets frustrated - because we get in its way. If we could be good enough, the cross wouldn't have been necessary. But we're not, and it was, and the thing we seem to forget is that God chose to do it because of His love for us. He desires to show His grace to us. The Bible says in II Peter 3:9 that God wants all to come to repentance.
So get out of the way and let God love you. When it comes to grace, He doesn't like holding patterns either.
A couple of weeks ago my son Aaron and I flew to Kansas City for a Chiefs game. We had a great time, but getting there proved a real challenge. We had decided to fly over on Saturday evening and spend the night there. Our flight had a connection in Detroit, which was supposed to be about a 35 minute flight. However, as we approached the airport the captain came over the intercom to tell us that we were going to be in a holding pattern. So we circled the city for about 30 minutes extra - in a thunderstorm no less. Finally, after about an hour and 20 minutes our 35 minute flight was over. After a short layover, a full crowd boarded our flight to Kansas City. Everyone stowed their gear in the overhead compartments, took the seats....and waited. For almost an hour. We then got the announcement that there was a problem with the plane and we would have to deboard while they got us another plane. So we all got our gear and went back to the lobby and waited. Finally, the other plane was readied and we made the rest of the trip. A trip that was supposed to take about 3 hours took almost 8. When we arrived at our hotel and collapsed, a couple of lessons had been learned:
1) Delta isn't a very good airline.
2) I had a little better understanding of Galatians 2:21 - "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Frustration - the feeling we get when something is hindering our way and it isn't our fault. The slowpoke in traffic ahead of us. The letter in the mail that doesn't show up. The anticipated phone call that doesn't ring. It all can be frustrating. The question is, how many times do we do that to God? What exactly does it mean to 'frustrate the grace of God?' Well, if frustration comes from being hindered in something we're trying to accomplish, then frustrating God's grace simply means that God wants to show His grace to us, but we get in His way. We constantly try to earn God's favor and try to make it on our own and prove to Him that we're 'good enough.' Then, when we are once again confronted with the fact that we're not, we wallow in guilt instead of going to God for mercy and grace. And that's when grace gets frustrated - because we get in its way. If we could be good enough, the cross wouldn't have been necessary. But we're not, and it was, and the thing we seem to forget is that God chose to do it because of His love for us. He desires to show His grace to us. The Bible says in II Peter 3:9 that God wants all to come to repentance.
So get out of the way and let God love you. When it comes to grace, He doesn't like holding patterns either.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Jesus Thinks You're Marvelous (But That May Not Be a Good Thing)
By Gobel Brockman
According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, to 'marvel' means 'to be filled with surprise or amazed curiosity; to feel perplexed'. There are two times in Scripture where Jesus was said to marvel at something. I find it curious that Jesus - God in the flesh - would be surprised or perplexed at anything, yet that is exactly what the Bible says. The thing that interests me even further is that the source of this perplexity and amazement both involved the faith of those around Him:
Mark 6:4-6 "But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and his own house.' Now He could do no mighty works there, except that He laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief."
Matthew 8:8-10 "The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go' and he goes: and to another, 'Come' and he comes: and to my servant, 'Do this' and he does it.' When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, 'Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
In the first story we see Jesus speaking in the synagogue in His hometown. He was obviously speaking with power and wisdom, for those who were there basically said, "Where did he get this wisdom and power? We know who he is, we know who his parents are, and we know his brothers and sisters." Yes, they did know Him. They had to have seen His life in ways that few did. They saw His youth, His day-to-day life, and the way He conducted Himself. If anyone should have seen something special in Jesus, it was these people. The had a front row seat watching Him develop into who He was. And yet they were offended when He spoke. They rejected His message completely.
In the second story, we see a Roman centurion - someone that wasn't a part of Israel. He probably knew little about the Law of Moses or the promises in the Old Testament about a soon coming 'Messiah'. All he knew was that when this man Jesus spoke, it was filled with authority. When He spoke to sickness, it vanished. When He touched the blind, they could see. The centurion was little interested in religious debate - he just knew that Jesus could touch his dying servant. He also understood the authority that Jesus possessed. He simply said, "Just speak the word and my servant will be healed."
In both cases, Jesus 'marveled'. First because of people who should have believed but didn't, then because of someone who shouldn't have believed and yet did. Which leads me to this week's question:
Is Jesus marveling at you and me today? If so, is it in a good way or a bad way?
Let's make it simple: how much are you trusting God right now? Have you seen God move in your life and answer prayer many times over the years, but for some reason you're having trouble trusting Him right now? Perhaps you're at a place where there seems to be no hope, and yet you have peace that God is still in control. Either way, Jesus may be finding you 'marvelous' right now. The good news is, if it's in a bad way, His Spirit can touch your life, increase your faith and change that if you ask Him.
He's marvelous like that.
According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, to 'marvel' means 'to be filled with surprise or amazed curiosity; to feel perplexed'. There are two times in Scripture where Jesus was said to marvel at something. I find it curious that Jesus - God in the flesh - would be surprised or perplexed at anything, yet that is exactly what the Bible says. The thing that interests me even further is that the source of this perplexity and amazement both involved the faith of those around Him:
Mark 6:4-6 "But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and his own house.' Now He could do no mighty works there, except that He laid hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief."
Matthew 8:8-10 "The centurion answered and said, 'Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go' and he goes: and to another, 'Come' and he comes: and to my servant, 'Do this' and he does it.' When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, 'Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"
In the first story we see Jesus speaking in the synagogue in His hometown. He was obviously speaking with power and wisdom, for those who were there basically said, "Where did he get this wisdom and power? We know who he is, we know who his parents are, and we know his brothers and sisters." Yes, they did know Him. They had to have seen His life in ways that few did. They saw His youth, His day-to-day life, and the way He conducted Himself. If anyone should have seen something special in Jesus, it was these people. The had a front row seat watching Him develop into who He was. And yet they were offended when He spoke. They rejected His message completely.
In the second story, we see a Roman centurion - someone that wasn't a part of Israel. He probably knew little about the Law of Moses or the promises in the Old Testament about a soon coming 'Messiah'. All he knew was that when this man Jesus spoke, it was filled with authority. When He spoke to sickness, it vanished. When He touched the blind, they could see. The centurion was little interested in religious debate - he just knew that Jesus could touch his dying servant. He also understood the authority that Jesus possessed. He simply said, "Just speak the word and my servant will be healed."
In both cases, Jesus 'marveled'. First because of people who should have believed but didn't, then because of someone who shouldn't have believed and yet did. Which leads me to this week's question:
Is Jesus marveling at you and me today? If so, is it in a good way or a bad way?
Let's make it simple: how much are you trusting God right now? Have you seen God move in your life and answer prayer many times over the years, but for some reason you're having trouble trusting Him right now? Perhaps you're at a place where there seems to be no hope, and yet you have peace that God is still in control. Either way, Jesus may be finding you 'marvelous' right now. The good news is, if it's in a bad way, His Spirit can touch your life, increase your faith and change that if you ask Him.
He's marvelous like that.
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