The Ultimate Trainer
…I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits. Psalm 71:14-15 NLT
John 16:1-4 (<<click here to read the passage)
In any kind of intense training, it’s not just about how to do the job. You are informed about the perks and tricks of the trade. But a good trainer includes the bad stuff, too.
When I was trained to drive a school bus, I had an excellent trainer. She covered all the bases and she for sure didn’t leave out undesirable parts of the responsibilities either. There will be major disagreements between your students – my first year, I had a 5th grader punch a 4th grader in the face! There will be vomit on your bus – I don’t know how she did it, but a Kindergartener managed to catch it all in the crook of her arm the very first day of school my second year.
There are other things that (thankfully) I have not had happen. Though I’ve had my bus break down several times, I’ve never had a tire blow out. Last week the bus behind me grazed my bus with his front mirror (I didn’t know it even happened!) but I am grateful that I’ve never had anyone hit and really hurt my kids or my bus.
There are innumerable benefits to driving a school bus but bad things – very bad things – can happen, too. (Just last week a veteran driver, while on his bus with 35 elementary students on board, from Washington state was stabbed and killed by a total stranger and nobody knows why…)
Jesus has been with His disciples for three and a half years but His earthly ministry was quickly coming to an end. At this point, He knows they need to hear the whole of what following Him means. The ultimate Trainer wants them to know that seeing God’s Kingdom come to fruition has innumerable benefits. But they also need to know that there will be problems, there will be pain, and there will be death.
He said,
“I have told you these things so that you will not stumble or be caught off guard and fall away.” v1 AMP
He was calling them to carry on, to pick up where He left off. They would by no means be left alone, the Holy Spirit would be there for them, but the road to ultimate victory would definitely not be an easy one. They would be outcasts and people would think they were offering service to God by killing them. The Pharisee Saul, who would become the Apostle Paul felt just that, Acts 9:1-2, 26:9-11 tells us so!
So ultimately, we too must be diligent in our service in God’s Kingdom but don’t think we will get by unscathed. It will definitely get a bit more than bumpy along the way…but Jesus will be with us all along the way, as well!
As God said to Joshua way back in the Old Testament, he says to us,
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT
Oct 3rd, 2021, Sun, 6:59 pm
Head and Heart
Father, today being my dad’s birthday, I would give You praise for the wonderful blessing of parents who have endeavored to follow You. They, like me, are not perfect, but they have faithfully shown me the Way. All praise to You, Heavenly Father!
John 15:26-27 (<<click here to read the passage)
In our church services, we use different mediums. I strive to link as much as I can together according to whatever the sermon is addressing. It doesn’t always work that way but many times it does. The Scripture is at the core, the sermon is built on that foundation. Expounding upon the text to make it applicable and easily understood is my goal. I also try to find pertinent illustrations. Sometimes they touch the heart, other times they touch our funny bones! If we remember the stories, we are more apt to remember the Scripture.
On many occasions, I attempt to put together a solid PowerPoint presentation that goes along with the sermon. I try to find pictures that engage the mind visually, as I am also providing verbal engagement. I select hymns that, once again, point to the key concepts of the Scripture at hand – audio stimulation.
Overall, my goal is to communicate God’s Word in as many different ways as I can. Some things will stick in some people’s hearts and minds, whereas other things will impact others of different mind and heart sets if you will.
My Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation says, concerning verse 26,
Jesus uses two names for the Holy Spirit-“Advocate and “Spirit of truth.” The word Advocate conveys the helping, encouraging, and strengthening work of the Spirit. Spirit of truth points to the teaching, illuminating, and reminding work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit ministers to both the head and the heart, and both dimensions are important.
God has already put into place a means of reaching our whole person. Every aspect of who we are can be impacted by the Holy Spirit. Read again, what an Advocate accomplishes and then, what the Spirit of truth points to. I’ve highlighted them to make it a bit more impacting.
The Holy Spirit impacts us on many levels. I make myself available to the Holy Spirit so that He can use me as He chooses. May He continue to do so by whatever means necessary. Amen.
Sept 30th, 2021, Thurs, 6:21 pm
Push Back!
Sitting down to write this evening and these wonderful words came to mind. Thank You, Father, for inspiring the heart and mind of Fanny Crosby so long ago (1875)!
Ev’ry day, ev’ry hour
Let me feel thy cleansing pow’r;
May Thy tender love to me
Bind me closer, closer, Lord, to Thee.
John 15:18-27 (<<click here to read the passage)
As I read through these verses, I can’t help but think that, on a least some fronts, I’ve been going about it all wrong. Or maybe I should say, what I have done I may not have done strongly enough.
In the previous verses, Jesus expounded the importance of love from numerous angles. But here he blatantly speaks of hate. No one has ever loved us as much as He did. No one has ever sacrificed as much as He did, proving His love for us. He was literally the personification of love. His words, His actions all pointed to the reality of who He was and why He came.
As a faithful believer in Jesus and what He clearly proclaimed, I strive to love. I pray that my actions, despite my humanity, which inevitably taints those actions, overall communicates Jesus’ love for everyone with whom I come in contact.
But if I am truly following Jesus and make every effort to conform to His likeness, I’m not getting something right. I should love so strongly, as He did, that others would hate that love and for all of which it stands.
OK…my brain is hurting… How can we love to the point where it turns some people off? But it is painfully obvious throughout Jesus’ ministry, that He did just that! His goal was to show everyone the love of the Heavenly Father in everything He did. But the rub came when the truth of what he did and said didn’t gel with what they saw as truth.
And aren’t we called to do as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did? Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 4:15,
But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. AMP
There are things being spouted as truth that I will stand up against, but at least for me, that’s a very hard thing to do. I’ll be the first to admit that I am by no means perfect and encourage anyone listening to what I say or reading what I write to check it out. If it doesn’t mesh with Biblical truth, call me out! I need to know! But am I as forthcoming with my challenges? Not nearly often enough. And in so doing, do I allow “false truth” to flourish and grow?
Yet…that is what Jesus did. He did not hold back. So many times, “false truth” was aggressively pushed by the religious leaders of His day…and Jesus pushed back! Jesus spoke the truth. He lived the truth. He was (and is!) the truth!
I cannot lay claims to those things, but I can lay claim to Him, for He surely lays claim to me! Jesus said in verse 19,
“…you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
Lord Jesus, this is becoming a reality in my mind. Help me with the utmost of love to make it a reality in my life and actions, as well. May I stand for Your truth and no one else’s! Amen.
Sept 29th, 2021, Wed, 6:06 pm
We Would Pray for Joy!
Father, it is overcast and unfortunately, it reflects the mindsets of many today. Help us to seek Your joy to fill us, may it seep through our cracks so that’s warmth and light may touch the lives of others. Amen.
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It seems that we are in an unprecedented time of despair and depression. Some held false hope that we had been through the worst of COVID…but that is not the case. Where in the past we have had some sense of unity in the midst of such things, this thing has brought division on multiple fronts. And one of our mainstays – the Church – has seen more division than I can recall it ever having before.
And that is just one of the many points of division that we find ourselves surrounded by…and there seems to be no escape.
Just a few days ago, I wrote of the joy we find in Jesus (Speed Bumps!) but I must admit I, along with many friends and family, are struggling. Everything seems to have piled up on us – it is overwhelming!
So, I went back and looked through some of the many posts on More Than Useless that have spoken of joy. And I thought I would share one from a few years back (and its picture, too!)
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The shepherd boy David, who became one of Israel’s greatest kings, was more than a shepherd, more than a warrior, more than a king, and he excelled at all of those things – he was also very gifted in expressing himself in his writings. Hear his inspired words recorded in Psalm 30:4-5,
Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
Praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning. NLT
How often in life are our eyes downcast from the circumstances in which we find ourselves. I will agree that ofttimes our “weeping…through the night” may seem to last for an eternity. Many trials in this life overwhelm us – the passing of loved ones, crumbling of relationships, loss of jobs, shattering of dreams…need I go on?
It may never seem to end…but it does. The cold and rain do not last forever. “Joy comes with the morning” as the dismal, disheartening elements give way to the brightness and warmth of joy!
We most assuredly serve a mighty God. And regardless of the roads, we must travel, He is with us all the way. The portion of Hebrews 13:5 states,
“I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” AMP
We are blessed beyond measure even in the midst of the storms of life. Again, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
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Lord Jesus, we come humbly before You. We need You, as we always do, but we would pray for joy! We know that You are there for us and have an unending supply for us. Help us to not look so much at where life finds us, but may we look at You. You are our hope and salvation! May it ever be! Amen.
Sept 28th, 2021, Tues, 12:35 pm
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Father, weariness is still upon me and other things, some within my control and others beyond it, are impacting me as well. In it all may I focus on You, for that is most important! Amen.
John 15:12-17 (<<click here to read the passage)
If I asked if you have ever heard of Anna Mae Bullock, most would probably shake your head “no”. But that’s the name she was given at birth, not the name by which you would recognize her. If I asked if you had ever heard of Tina Turner, most would probably nod a solid “yes”. (By the way, in case you were wondering, in a couple of months, the good Lord willing, she’ll turn 82!)
I am not necessarily a fan, and her life, though admirable on many levels, would probably not be one we should emulate. The reason I mention her at all is because of a song with which she hit the top of the charts way back in 1984. Many of us are familiar with “What’s Love Got to Do with It”.
The chorus goes like this,
Oh-oh, what’s love got to do, got to do with it?
What’s love but a second-hand emotion?
What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?
Well…I would beg to differ. Love has got everything to do with, not just “it”, but, well with everything! And there’s nothing second-hand about it! God’s love is the end-all answer to all of life’s questions if we will stop long enough to really give Him our total attention!
In the 49 verses between John 14:15-15:17, the word “love” in some form or another pops up about 20 times depending on the translation you’re reading. Being the Jesus is love personified, He’s got a lot of room to talk! He speaks of His love, the Father’s love, their love for us, our love for them, and our love for each other!
Jesus knew it was of the utmost importance that we understand it and not just think about it but live it! Remember a few verses back in John’s Gospel, He stressed,
“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” John 13:35 AMP
But there’s the rub! We all have this unshakeable habit of looking out for Number One! Loving takes a lot of work, a lot of undivided attention and we are far too easily distracted by almost anything!
The last statement in this cluster of verses is simply,
This is my command: Love each other. v17 NLT
This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another. v17 AMP
And what better way to wrap it all up with the greatest commandment in all of Scripture.
“…you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NLT
So, what’s love got to do, got to do with it? Absolutely everything!
Sept 27th, 2021, Mon, 6:59 pm