God amongst His People

I’ve been apart of a DGroup for the last year, and we’re nearing the end of our journey. For those of you who don’t know, a DGroup is a group of people who read the Bible together, memorize Scripture, and then get together on a regular basis to talk about what we read, and then pray for one another. If you’re interested in joining a group like that, please let me know. I believe that the Bible is the primary way God speaks to us, and I’m always for people wanting to read the Bible with others!

Anyway, this past week, we’ve read Revelation 21-22, and Matthew 1-3. It’s been amazing to see the culmination of Jesus’ ministry connected with the beginning of it. I’ve seen things this week that have shifted my heart and reminded me of the Good News of Jesus, and I just wanted to share them here to encourage you.

What we see in Revelation is Jesus and His Kingdom’s final victory over the powers and principalities of darkness and evil. These powers make up another Kingdom, one that some scholars call the “Fallen Babylon.” It’s called this in reference to the Old Testament when the Israelites are taken into Exile by the Babylonian Empire. When this happens, the Israelites found themselves in a place that was opposite of the ways of God. Babylon for the Israelites was a place of oppression and destruction. It was a place where death ruled. When you think about it, it makes sense why the name “Babylon” has become synonymous with the Kingdom opposite of Jesus. As we continue, today, remember that one statement.

Matthew’s Gospel begins with a genealogy, and this genealogy is split in two with the Babylonian Exile. The memory of the exile is included in Jesus family history. I believe this is because every family carried the memory of exile with them. They carried the scars of living in a Kingdom opposite of God. They carried the painful past of destruction and death into their present moment.

It is into that present moment that God speaks.

An angel comes to Joseph and tells him that his betrothed will give birth to a son named “Immanuel” — “God with us.”

Think about that for a second. The memory of Exile, rooted in their hearts, and I’m sure along with that memory are questions and doubts that surround whether God had abandoned His people or not. I’m sure people had asked, “Where is God in all of this?”

Jesus is God’s response.

Jesus is God’s answer to the question, “Is God with us?” Jesus came into the world to establish a new Kingdom. He came to bring His people out of the Kingdom of Babylon, out of the exile, out of death, destruction, and oppression, and into the Kingdom of Heaven which brought true freedom. Jesus came to offer a new way of life. A way that is truly life. He tells us this way of life Matthew 5-7. His way is opposite of the Kingdom of Babylon. His way is full of truth and freedom. His way is full of joy and peace. It’s a way of contentment and love. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, He gave life that is truly life, and He gave His people the power to live in His way. Just as the every family carried the scars of Exile in their memory, Jesus carried them up Calvary and put an end to the oppression of Exile forever. This is true for the Israelites then, and for us now.

I used to think that “sin” was just doing something that God said was wrong. But it’s so much deeper than that. “Sin” is living in the way of Fallen Babylon. It’s living in the midst of destruction. It’s walking down the paths of oppression disguised as freedom. It’s living in a way that humanity was never meant to live. It’s living in exile.

Jesus came to bring us out of exile.

The way of Jesus is the way of true freedom, and he invites all of us to follow after him in this way. We learn his way by spending time with him. We spend time with him through reading his word, through prayer, and through community with other believers. We learn what it means to truly love our neighbor. We learn how to give and serve. We learn that God’s Kingdom is for everyone. We learn that anger, lust, division, pride, and greed don’t lead to freedom no matter how much they promise it. When we walk in his way, we walk out of the broken chains of exile and into the wide open family of freedom. We live as we were always meant to: in communion with God and His people.

When we walk in the way of Jesus, we experience a taste of what Jesus’ final victory will bring. When we walk in the way of Jesus, others will look at us and say, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people…” (Revelation 21:3). When we walk in the way of Jesus, we become beacons of light and hope in a world that’s overrun by Fallen Babylon. We, as a free people, get to invite others into freedom, as well.

We get to ask every person to lay down the ways of Babylon, and take up the way of Jesus. His way is freedom. His way of life.

Which way are you living into? We all have a day-by-day, sometimes a moment-by-moment choice of which Kingdom we’re going to serve. I pray that the Kingdom of Jesus takes root in your life and in mine. We have that choice because God is with us. His name is Jesus.

Let us live as God amongst His people. Let us live like Jesus.

Which Bible Should I Be Using?

Hey, guys! Thanks for checking this out! I hope it’s encouraging and equipping for you and your walk with Jesus.

Today, I want to talk about a question that we’ve all had!

“What Bible should I be using?”

The interesting thing about this question is that it’s a relatively recent one. Up until a few a hundred years ago, people didn’t have access to personal Bibles, so the fact that we do is a huge blessing! 

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by this question, that we eventually don’t answer it at all. We run back to The Bible we knew as a kid, or we ask friends what Bible’s they use, but so often, when setting out to find a good Bible translation for us, we experience paralysis by analysis. So much so, that we wind up not reading the Bible at all.

And there are so many options! You can click here and see all the different translations of the Bible that exist. I’m going to talk about a few, and my goal is to not overwhelm you, but inform and help you.

The Options

I’ve read and used a bunch of Bibles over the years.

I got when I was in third grade, and I would say that it was my first “adult” Bible. The translation is NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), which is fine, but I didn’t read it a ton because as a third grader, I didn’t understand it. That translation, according to Bible gateway, is about at an 11th grade reading level.

And let me offer this thought, while we’re on the topic of translations. I said already that there are so many! You might hear a lot out there that “This translation is good” or that “This one’s not so good,” but your Bible was carefully put together by scholars with PHDs who have studied the original languages and come up with the best possible translation for that translations goal.

In fact, if you opened your Bible to the front few pages, you’ll probably be able to see who those people are, what credentials they have, and what they set out to accomplish through that particular translation.

Let me offer this thought, too. If your Bible translation wasn’t put together by a team of scholars and PHD’s: RUN AND GET A NEW TRANSLATION.

I believe that the fact that the Bible can be translated is a beautiful testament to the Gospel of Jesus, which is what the Bible is all about. The Gospel can transcend language and culture and allow people of all backgrounds to come to know Jesus Christ. 

The Point of the Bible

The Bible’s not just a book we read, it is the story of God saving the world through Jesus. Every story in the Bible is a subplot that points to that larger narrative.

I’d love to with you talk about how we see that story play out through our study of the Bible, but that’s a topic for another post. What I want for you is to just get started reading the Bible.

My Favorite and other Bible’s I’ve used

And my favorite Bible to read right now is the New Living Translation Slimline Center Column Cross Reference Bible. Here’s a link to it on Amazon.

I love the cross references because it takes whatever story I’m reading and it provides links to other stories in the Bible. A lot of the teachings of Jesus and Paul are made up of references to other stories in the Bible. So, when I’m reading the New Testament, I love to see how those men reference and use the other stories to point to the larger story of God saving the world.

Because the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture itself. 

I like the NLT because it’s readable. It’s about at a 6th/7th grade reading level. It puts the Scripture in modern readable language while still being faithful to the original language. 

I still use other translations, too. If I’m wanting to study a passage in depth, I’ll bring out a different translation and read that passage. I love to see how the different words can be translated because it helps me read the text closer and better understand it.

I want to be clear though, at my kitchen table, every morning when I’m doing my daily reading, the Bible I’m using right now is the NLT Cross Reference Bible. 

Other Bibles 

I’ve also Study Bibles before. In particular the “Life Application Study Bible.” Study Bibles provide commentary on the verses and how they can apply to your life. I like these okay, but I’ll be honest, they’re not my favorite because I believe that the Holy Spirit wants to speak to me through the Scriptures, and sometimes I don’t listen to the Spirit because I’m reading what this author put in the commentary. 

Commentaries on Scripture and hearing other people’s thoughts on Scripture is good, too. We’ll break down why it’s good to read in community later, but for right now remember what I said, “The best commentary on Scripture is Scripture itself.” 

Bumper Sticker

Here’s the bottom line: the best Bible for you to use is the one you’re going to read.

Prayerfully reading The Bible is the best way for us to meet and hear from God. As Christians, we believe that God desires to have a relationship with us, and by reading the Bible everyday, we participate in that relationship. 

Please use the link in this post to pick out the Bible translation that’s best for you to read, and then START READING. God cannot wait to meet with you!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment on this post or email me. I’d love to chat.

I’m praying for each of you that you start reading the Bible and hearing from the One whom the Bible is all about.

The Throne Room of Heaven

Over the past several days, I’ve started to read through Revelation. The book of Revelation, if you don’t know, is the last book in the Christian Bible. It has a lot of different interpretations, but I believe it is a truly beautiful letter that reveals the heart of God.

This morning my reading was Revelation 4. I invite you to go read that chapter and then come back, but if you don’t want to do that, let me set the scene. John, the one who is experiencing the vision, finds himself in the Throne Room of Heaven. And he sees 24 elders and four creatures surrounding the throne.

Now, I don’t want to get into who these 24 elders are, or what the four creatures are, but what I want to do is bring your attention to their actions — they’re worshipping.

Worship is an idea that we’re probably familiar with. Most of us think it’s about about singing songs, or raising hands, or some combination or iteration of the two. But as I was reading this morning, I was compelled by the worship that takes place in Heaven.

In verse 8, it says that “Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty — who was, who is, and who is still to come.‘” And then a couple verses later it says that the 24 elders throw their crowns at the foot of the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Friends, these lines that I emphasized spoke to my heart this morning.

I don’t have to tell you that we live in tumultuous times. Over the last few months, everything that I thought I knew about the world has been turned upside down. But reading these words this morning was a good reminder that in the unknown waves in this sea of life, there is an anchor that remains the same through it all. He’s the One on the throne.

The second truth that was whispered to my heart this morning was that God created everything that He pleased. This simply means that every single creature exists because God wanted to create them. Every single part of creation was created on purpose, with intentionality and care. And it pleased God that he created them.

It’s like when you set out to make a dish or mow a yard, and the end of your work, you look back and say “Wow! I’m so glad I did this. I’m pleased with this!” God looks at creation and says, “Wow! I’m so glad I did this! I’m pleased that this exists.”

His creation includes me. His creation includes you. And every one else in the world.

Every. Single. Person.

This truth means that you’re not an accident. No one is. No matter the circumstances that might be happening around you the fact is, you matter. You are seen and known. It pleased God to create you.

This is why I’m so heartbroken over the senseless loss of life that we’ve all experienced in 2020. Because every single individual was created by God and it brought God joy that they existed. And for this reason, I know it breaks God’s heart when their life is lost. It breaks his heart when their life is stolen.

I write all of these things for two reasons. One, because the truth is that the Lord sees us and knows us and loves us. He is never changing; this means He is the ancient One who has always been. He has existed long before this virus, before this year, before this country, before this world. And He is the same. He is steadfast. In a season where change feels constant, He is the constant in the midst of change.

And the second reason I write this is because we need to see other people the way God sees them, too. It starts in the mirror. Do you see yourself the way God sees you? Do you see yourself as created with intentionality and care? Do you see the detail? Do you know that your existence brings God joy? Because you do.

After you see God’s signature in the mirror, you can then begin to see God’s signature through the window. You can begin to see it in your neighbor, in your coworker, in the stranger. You can begin to see the craftsmanship of God in every single person. You can begin to see that each and every person’s existence is on purpose. You can see that no one is an accident. And no one is “less than.”

Every single person, and I mean, even the people you disagree with politically or economically, or socially, is God’s artistry. Only when we see God’s artistry in them, can we shout “Holy, holy, holy! You are worthy of all glory and all praise.”

Only when we recognize His signature, can we experience life change, and we begin to bring the Throne Room of Heaven here! We begin to share the good news of the One who sits on the throne. We begin to invite other people into relationship with Him. We begin to choose life that is truly life and call others to do the same. But it doesn’t start with some political mantra, or some cable news network. It starts with looking in the mirror and seeing God’s signature, and then looking out the window and seeing that same signature.

That’s when the Throne Room of Heaven becomes the Throne Room of our Hearts and we join with all of Heaven, all day and all night, casting the crowns of life at His feet and saying, “Holy, holy holy is the Lord God Almighty! You are worthy of all glory, honor and power! All things exist because of the One who was, who is, and who is still to come! Amen!”

That’s when we begin to worship.

It’s Been a While…

Well, it’s been a while. I haven’t blogged in four years, so there’s a lot to catch up on.

1. I moved to Tupelo, MS, into an awesome community who have shown me the love of Jesus in so many different ways.
2. I got married. I married a woman who shows me the grace of Jesus and the gentleness of his spirit every day.
3. I’m about to have a baby. That’s pretty darn cool. My baby is such a picture of God’s faithfulness and life in the midst of a season filled with so much dread.

So that’s the highlights of my life over the past four years.

The reason I wanted to write today, however, was to share some thoughts on what’s going on in how I view the current crisis of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

First of all, it’s awful. I read a story in the Tupelo newspaper today about my mom’s home-county being overrun with the new coronavirus, and honestly, it was really tough to read the stories of loss and grief. This is a serious time, and we have to take it seriously.  I find myself during this time praying constantly for it to end.

But I was shown something this morning before I read the paper, that enhance how I’ve been praying.

Today is the start of Holy Week, traditionally known as Palm Sunday, and I want to read the entire Passion narrative every day this week to really dive into this Holy Week.

This morning I read from Matthew 26:14 to very last verse in Matthew 27. And I was left with this desire to keep reading into Matthew 28. I noticed in myself the anticipatory anguish to get to the resurrection. I didn’t want to sit with Jesus being dead and buried. I wanted to skip ahead and read about the joy of Easter.

But something whispered to me that this feeling is what we all feel now during this crisis. We are sitting in the midst of a dreadful season. We are waking up every day to news of death and brokenness. And we all want it to be over. And to be clear, I’m praying for a miracle to happen, and everyone to be healed, but I think the feeling that I felt this morning has to be wrestled with.

I don’t know why this COVID-19 crisis happening. I don’t blame anybody for it happening, but what I do know is that it’s awful, and I want to skip it, but I can’t. That truth is hard, but there’s also beauty in it.

There are reminders of God’s presence within it.

In the last week of Jesus’ life, he institutes the sacrament of Communion. He takes what was traditional meal, and he shines a new light on it that points to something greater. He takes the bread and the wine, confirms his covenant in the present, and then points towards it’s culmination in the future. In the midst of this horrible week in Jesus’ life, he reminds his followers, that what is happening in the moment has an end, and also a new beginning.

But they can’t skip to this new beginning.

I got to the end of Matthew 27, and I wanted to skip to the new beginning, but like I said, I have to sit and wrestle with the end, first. Applying this to my life now, I want to skip to the next chapter where there is not a global pandemic, but I have to sit and wrestle with this chapter first.

I have to notice, just like in Matthew 26, the moments of God’s presence breaking in around us in the midst of this season. I have to acknowledge that God is going to use this time to grow, prune, sharpen, and shape my life more to look like his in the present. And at the same time, I have to rest in the knowledge that there will be an Easter from all of this. I know that there will be a morning where there is not death, but life. Yet I have to wait faithfully for it.

We all do.

So that’s my prayer. Not just for this current season to transition into a future one , but that in the midst of this crisis, I will be shaped and formed into who it is that God is calling me to be. My prayer is to wait faithfully, to endure, knowing that this will end, even though I don’t know when it will. Knowing that there will be life in the future, even though I anticipate it with anguish in the present.

My friends, these may sound like the ramblings from a fool, but one thing I want us to take away is that time gets to be redeemed. This season gets to be redeemed. And we get to see God’s presence that foreshadows the new beginning in a season that feels like the end.

If you’d like to talk more about how this time can be redeemed, please reach out to me. My email is josephwaynebates@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.

God bless, and thanks for reading.

Some thoughts on Christmas

I can remember, when I was a kid, the anticipation that surrounded Christmas Day. I remember being so excited the night before that I couldn’t go to sleep, no matter how many times my parents told me to, or how I hard I closed my eyes. I was just too excited! I would lay there waiting for morning, waiting to hear my parents get up. Why? Because Christmas was the next day! My mind was too busy to sleep, imagining all the things that Santa may be bringing. Well, as I’ve gotten older, the anticipation surrounding Christmas hasn’t subsided. It’s grown. The only difference, however, is the enthusiasm doesn’t surround new gadgets, toys, or Santa, but the coming of our elder brother, our best friend, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “I’ve heard about the shepherds and angels, Joey. I know all about the wise men and the manger, and how there was no room in the inn, and how Mary was called the faithful one, and how Joseph didn’t believe but then did. I know all that stuff.” Well, my response is, that’s all great. That’s the story, you’re absolutely right. But the idea that’s really captured my heart this Christmas season comes from John 1:14. It says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” What a powerful verse! I particularly like how Eugene Peterson puts it in the Message, “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood…”

This idea of God himself, in Jesus, moving into our neighborhood brings to us, what I believe, to be the very nature of God. He desires to be near his people so much that he is willing to leave his holy throne room, and come and set up a tent right in the midst of our lives.

You see, I think we really do ourselves a disservice when we only read the Christmas story during one season out of the year. We tend to categorize and segment our Jesus seasons. Advent (Christmas) is for baby Jesus, Lent is for adult Jesus, Easter is for dead then alive Jesus, and Pentecost is for ascended Jesus. Wow, it starts to feel like that scene from Talladega Nights! But seriously, we compartmentalize all these segments of Jesus’ life and wind up looking at one thread at a time rather than looking at the beautiful tapestry that is Jesus Christ. The Lord and Savior of our life; the one who was, is, and is to come. The one who came to give sight to the blind, to set the captives free; that same one has come and moved into our neighborhood! He’s come and he’s set up a tent right in the midst of our lives!

This is why Christmas is a special time. Yes, it’s a story about Mary and Joseph and the wise men. Yes, it’s a story about there being no room in the inn, and yes, it’s a story about good tidings of great joy. But when you look deeper, if you look at tge grander tapestry, you find that the good tidings are that this is the story of God invading our lives, the story of God coming to be with his people.

For some, this season is their favorite time of year. It’s a time filled with hope and joy. It’s filled with laughter and family. For others, the Christmas season is the exact opposite. It’s a time filled with loss and grief, memories and reminders of the laughter of those who are not here anymore. Well, to both, Jesus has moved into the neighborhood. He’s set aside all of his divine privilege, he’s left the throne room to come be with you where you are. He really loves us. He’s not shocked by our brokenness or our sin. He’s heard us crying out, and he has heard us praying. And he loved us so much that he was born, became subject to, the very world he created. He came and he dwelt; he came and he lived among us.
He came and he lived, and then he died, and by conquering death, he gave all of us life.

That’s what Christmas is all about. That’s why we celebrate with gifts, and awesome food. We celebrate because we have been given the greatest gift, a gift that sustains us more than any food ever can: the very presence of God. Jesus Christ. He’s come and he’s come not to condemn, but to give us life. He’s moved into the neighborhood. He’s set up tent with us. O how amazing he is!

Thank you, Jesus, for your presence. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Response to Orlando

So, before I start this, let me just give a disclaimer: I’m writing this from my phone. This topic is so fresh and so raw, I don’t want to go get a computer and lose what it is I want to say. So please bear with me.

Earlier today, I was browsing through twitter, looking for updates on what happened and is happening in Orlando, Florida, and I was amazed at how many people have turned this into a political argument or an idealogical debate. People bashing other people. Saying how they’re bigots, and saying their brainless. This broke my heart. This broke my heart because it covers up the singular issue that we should be engaged in: over 50 human beings had their lives stolen from them in an instant. People who laugh, watch tv, have jobs, have families, they’re dead. They will not wake up tomorrow. They can’t pick up the phone and call to tell someone “I love you,” and they won’t answer the phone call that’s so desperately reaching out to them. These people, these human beings, their lives were cut short, stolen… and we’ve turned that into a political argument. “You’re a bigot.” “You’re brainless.” C’mon, guys.

Jesus is my rock and my teacher. He is my friend, my older brother, the one who lived the life that we are called to. He died the death we deserved, and he rose again to declare life over that death should we accept him. I read his word, and honestly I don’t see a political argument. I don’t see a debate, I don’t see “us vs. them.” (I’m sure some of you are going to say, “Well then you’re reading it wrong,” and to you I say, “I love you. You’re amazing :)) What I see in Scripture, particularly in John 13, is “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:3-5 ESV)

Can you see this? Can you put yourself in the room? Jesus, knowing the Father had given him all authority, knowing fully who he was as the Son of God and savior of the world, got down on his knees and washed the feet of those who would (later that night) deny, betray, and leave him to die. That’s the love of God. That’s what life is all about. If there’s anyone in all of history who could exclude a people group, who could ban someone, who could say “You’re not good enough,” or “You’re not worthy enough,” it would be Jesus, but instead of saying those things, he wraps a towel around his waist and proceeds to serve and love “unworthy” and “unlovable.”  He doesn’t debate with Peter about Peter’s denial. He doesn’t yell at Judas for branding the Son of God only worth 30 pieces of silver. No, he bends down, and he washes their feet.

Before I go any further, I just want to say, I understand this is a heavy topic. I understand this is hard. We’ve grown up one way, but friends, we’ve been twisted and turned by worldly stereotypes. We want people to be just like us, instead of us wanting to be just like Jesus.

A good friend of mine, one who I respect and admire, says in Jesus, “you belong before you become.” Meaning that at the table of Jesus Christ, there is a seat for everyone. There is a seat for the murderer, for the theif. There’s a seat for the sex-addict and for the self-righteous man who judges the sex-addict. There’s a seat for the homosexual, the transgendered. There’s even a seat for the atheist and the agnostic. There’s a seat for you and me. Don’t hear me wrong, I don’t believe all roads lead to Heaven. All roads without Jesus are deadends. But what I do believe is that Jesus will follow us down those roads and when we reach the end and it all breaks, He is right there to help us pick up the pieces and find our way back. Back to the table.

So, you see, this isn’t a time to be accusatory and divisive. This is a time where we can look someone in the eye who disagrees with us, who yells at us, and who looks to pick a fight with us, and we can bend down, wrap a towel around our waist, and proceed to serve and love them.

I’m praying for all those who were and are being affected by this horrible tragedy in Orlando. I’m also praying for those who would rather engage in arguments than look for ways to love and serve one another.

Father, we pray for your Kingdom to come, and for your will to be done, here on earth, as it is in Heaven. Show us that it’s not about banning or blocking or arguing with or hating other people, but that it’s about pulling out a chair at the table of Jesus Christ and inviting someone to sit. In the name of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Amen.

“If you only knew the gift God has for you…” Life Reflection in John 3-5

Hey, what’s up? Hope you’re doing super awesome!

So, I just typed out this really awesome introductory paragraph…twice. And then I deleted it…twice. One of my goals with this blog, like I said in the first post is to be completely transparent and real. I can write something very enticing and intriguing and it be as fake as a three dollar bill, so I’m just going to be completely real on where I’m walking with The Lord, what He’s showing me, what I’m feeling with it. This is in hopes that maybe, just maybe, you can relate, engage, and know that you’re not alone in what you might be walking through as well.

Yeah, so over the past week I have come to see my life reflected and read back to me in the Gospel of John chapters 3 through 5. I wish I could say that Jesus is the character that I relate to the most in those stories, but that’s just not true. In those encounters, I find myself relating to the people Jesus engages with: Nicodemus the Pharisee, the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, and the lame man beside the pool of Bethesda.

Nicodemus the Pharisee

Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus is probably one of the most famous encounters in Scripture because it contains the arguably most popular verse: John 3:16. And because of this fame, I feel like I’ve read this passage my whole life, almost skimming over it because I’ve heard it so much. That’s not good. I miss a lot of details when I read the Bible fast. When I’m more concerned about making sure I read a chapter or five a day, and not on what God may be having to say with one verse, that’s when I get twisted into performance and self-righteousness and not relationship…but I’m getting off track.

So Nicodemus! He comes to Jesus, and he engages in a conversation about Spiritual Life that is brand new to him. Think about it. Nicodemus is a religious leader, he’s a Pharisee. He knows the Law, and he knows it well. He’s grown up in church his whole life! He’s sat on the first pew! He’s heard the stories of Abraham and Moses, and he knows about the Ark with Noah and the prophets! He even went to seminary! Can you see him? Nicodemus is not a bad man at all! But his “goodness” and identity is placed in the things that he has built up for himself. Nicodemus has all this knowledge, all this education about doctrine, temple programs, sacrifices, and Law. But he sees something in Jesus that is completely different than everything he’s used to. In Jesus, I believe Nicodemus sees the revelation of God to man.

Nicodemus sees the very image of God in Jesus, and he decides that he has to know what it is this God-man has come to teach. So he invites Jesus to the temple to teach everybody about what a relationship with God looks like…is what I wish I could write, but it isn’t what happens. No, Nicodemus goes and sees Jesus in the blackness of night. Now, there are a ton of metaphorical meanings to this we could unpack and go into, but I think it’s something much simpler than that. I think Nicodemus is going to Jesus at night because of the very reasons some of us have encountered: because he’s ashamed he’d be seen. He is an expert in the Scripture and a religious leader, after all. He has an education on all the rules and doctrine, but He sees something in Jesus that all of that doesn’t give him: a relationship. How often have I let my pride in the doctrine and rules that I’ve learned keep me from engaging with the very Son of God on a very personal level? I substitute conversational prayer with just head knowledge and education. Don’t get me wrong, I think doctrine and education are important, but when we take those things without a relationship with The Living God, all we get is a lifeless, twisted religion that is based on performance rather than a full on conversational relationship based on unadulterated unhindered love.

The Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well

This brings me to chapter 5 and the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well. She is similar to Nicodemus because she’s also reluctant to be seen, but where Nicodemus’ hesitancy could come from a place of a type of pride, this woman’s reluctance comes from a very different place: shame.

Her story picks up at noontime at Jacob’s Well. Now, let’s think about it. It’s noon in the desert. It’s hot. Like super hot. Nobody comes to the well at noon; they usually come in the morning or evening when it’s cool, but here’s this woman. She’s come to the well knowing that no one would be there. She’s living out the very intentional pattern of social avoidance. Have you ever been there? Letting where and when you go places be determined by others out of fear and shame of who might be seen and what might be said. Can you see this woman? Her past guilt has become her present shame and future condemnation. Far too often, I find that a very familiar place. But then she encounters Jesus.

Jesus speaks to her, and asks her for a drink. What is running through her mind? First of all, this guy is a Jew, and she’s a Samaritan; this conversation should not be happening! Secondly, the fact that He asked her for a drink from the hot water that she has drawn out at a well at noon (again, plenty of metaphorical imagery we can unpack, but let’s keep it simple).

Verse 9 tells us exactly how she’s feeling, “The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse anything to do with Samaritans…” And here this man is asking to share a drink of water with her. Well, the woman objects, she says “You’re a Jew, and I’m a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” And then Jesus drops the bomb. Jesus looks at the woman. He sees her where she is, and He says, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

“If you only knew the gift God has for you…you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” C’mon, that’s so awesome! Jesus goes on to say in verse 14, “…those who drink from the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving eternal life.”

This sounds pretty good, and obviously the woman is overjoyed. “Please sir,” she says, “give me this water!” Jesus tells her to go get her husband. “I don’t have a husband.” Then Jesus drops another bomb. He says in verse 17 and 18, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband – for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re with now!”

Oh… He knows everything about this woman. He knows she’s given herself away. But what’s so amazing here, is that Jesus, knowing who this woman is and what she’s done, He still asks to drink from her cup so that He can offer her His. It’s that, right there, that is amazing about Jesus. He fully knows us. He fully sees us, and yet He says “If you only knew the gift that God has for you, you would I ask, and I would give.”

Before we go any further, I think we should pause and ask Jesus for a drink. Not of this hot, desert, noontime water that we can only get because of the shame on our lives, but we should ask Jesus to drink of the cup that never runs dry. If we only knew the gift God has for us. If we only knew, then we would ask, and He would give. Amen.

The Lame Man at the Pool of Bethesda

Now, I’ll be honest, out of these three stories, I’ve looked at this one the least, but that doesn’t diminish how much I relate to this man. This man, lame for 38 years. He’s been on this mat for 38 years seeing person after person be healed. How does that feel? To see one person after another be healed and feel powerless to get yourself to the healing place? Have you ever felt helpless? Seeing person after person set free, and yet here you are…sitting on the same mat for such a long time. What a place of misery and hopelessness be in. But much like the previous chapter, then Jesus comes.

Yes, Jesus, comes and asks the man point blank, “Would you like to be healed?” and the man says something so profound and so relatable. “I can’t, sir.” I’ve heard that conversation far too often. “Would you like to be healed, Joey?” “Jesus, I can’t, I don’t have the ability. I don’t even have anyone to help me.”

Have you ever been there? “Would you like to be healed?” “I can’t, Jesus.” I can almost see Jesus smile, but also cry to that. Jesus could go into a response and explain how it’s not about this guy’s ability, it’s about Jesus, and all of this doctrine, but He doesn’t do that. Jesus simply says, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” I’ve found in my relationship, in my journey, love and grace will act and open the door for understanding in relationship. Much like you would stop someone from running into traffic before explaining how the road and traffic rules worked. If a kid took off towards the road, you’d stop them before explaining why they shouldn’t do that. This isn’t how it is all the time, but sometimes. Again, just being real. Sometimes, love and grace will act before understanding comes.

If you only knew the gift God has for you…

These three characters: Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and the lame man, represent several aspects of my life that the Lord is working in. With Nicodemus, God is showing me how I should be more focused on conversational relationship with Jesus rather than knowledge and prideful education. With the Samaritan Woman, I’m seeing how Jesus can completely know me, see everything that I’ve ever given myself to, and still offer me the amazing gift of living water if only I would ask. And finally with the lame man, I’m seeing how even with the things that have captured me for years, when I’m seeing person after person be set free, but I can’t seem to get myself there, those things can be released not from a specific place, but from the personification of love: Jesus.

I know this post is very long, I’m sorry about that, but thank you so much for reading all of it, and I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through, in, and around these words to minister to you. You are His beloved. In Jesus’ mighty name.

Amen.

So this is new…

Wow. Okay, this is kind of weird, I’m not going to lie. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It really is a cool tool, you know, the ability to post thoughts on the internet, and have people read it.

So yeah, why am I doing this? I don’t know. I don’t really see myself as a great writer. I don’t particularly have a cause that I’m promoting or that I feel convicted to share; I really just feel the Lord in this, and I want to say “yes” to that call. I know that sounds crazy. I wouldn’t blame you if you stopped reading. But if you are still reading, I’m going to start with a story about me and my life, and I guess try to walk through why I feel the Lord leading me to do this blog, and hopefully it’ll make sense both to you and me.

I can remember as a kid growing up loving movies like Star Wars, and the ’70s Superman movies, and the Tobey Maguire Spiderman movies, I loved those. The sense of adventure, the fantasy, the hero defeating the villain. It captured my heart and my mind, and I can remember writing comic books, and short stories, a lot of which weren’t good, and probably for the best, people never saw. Haha. (Don’t worry, I won’t be posting any of those.) But they were fun to make, and write.

One of these stories, I wrote in 7th grade. It was a fantasy story, and honestly, a blatant ripoff of Lord of the Rings, but I took it to school and let my friends read it. We’d talk about the stories, and you know, they weren’t great, but they started conversations between me and my friends that were really cool. And there’s something about working on something, creating something, and then sharing it with others, that even as a 7th grader impacted me in a significant way.

Subsequently, since I’ve become a Christian and walked in the ways of God and with God, I’m realizing the truth of creating and sharing even more. We’re made in the image of a Creator who loves to show off what He makes. Not in a selfish way, not in a self-centered prideful way, but in the way that an author publishes a book, or a painter shows off his paintings in an exhibit. I’m realizing that we’re made to create, just like the Creator, and share the creation with others. Because creation starts conversation. Think about conversation, in general, it’s creative. You have to put effort into it. Even small talk is more creative than isolated silence! Haha. We’re made to create, because creation causes conversation.

So that’s my aim with this, I think. I’m not looking to have people tell me I’m a good writer, or receive any kind of glory from this, but what I am looking to do is share my thoughts and create conversation. These are going to be thoughts on a lot of things; I’m just going to be real with this and see where it goes. But I can tell you, it’ll probably be mostly about Jesus and ministry ( probably with some Star Wars and Raider football thrown in, too haha).

But, yeah, this is new for me. It’s exciting, and as I graduate college, move on to my summer internship, and start seminary in the fall, I’m really pumped to see how the Lord uses this. I hope this encourages and inspires you, but most of all, I want this start a conversation between you and yourself, and you and God. What’s the Lord putting on your heart? What’s the thing that’s burning in your heart that you haven’t touched in years? Maybe it’s music, maybe it’s writing, maybe it’s ministry, or even maybe it’s another career or major. What’s the passion that the Lord’s putting in your heart, and are you going to say “yes” to it?

I love you guys, y’all are awesome. Thank you for taking the time to stick with me as I write this, and I’m excited about the journey ahead.

Grace and Peace. John 17:24.