Good morning Zebras,

A few random thoughts:

Be careful about bragging, humility is huge with God. 

Luke 14:8–9: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’  Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.”

No one really thinks they are lukewarm because we compare themselves to other  Christians. But the standard isn’t “others” it is Jesus Christ.

John 14:30–31: “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”

Philippians 2:8:  “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

“Obedience unto death” that’s the standard.

We waste a lot of time focused on other people’s sins.

Matthew 7:3–5: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

And if the world isn’t interested in our God, maybe it’s because we are bad advertisements. Originally written to the Jews but it could just as easily apply to us: Do those of us who brag on the love and grace of God, dishonor His name by refusing to pass it on?

Romans 2:23–24:  “You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?  As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

I am loving going back to old z-mails and rereading them. This one is from October 2013

Tuesday at Bible study God gave me the perfect picture for what I believe is the purpose of this ministry. Coals burn brightest when they are in the presence of other coals. If you take them out and lay them to the side away from the heat they begin to grow cold. Christians too need one another to burn bright.  Not so they can stay together in a heap and do nothing, but so that they can come together be re-energized by the fire of the Holy Spirit and get back out there doing what God has called them to do with a renewed power and passion. 

I love you little Zebras, more than you know and WAY out of proportion to what is normal. It must be from God. 

All of that is still true but to be honest it has been much harder than I thought it would be. I think that is because I missed an important aspect of the coal analogy. Fire. Each coal has fire and when they gather together they encourage the fire in one another to burn brighter.  What I hadn’t counted on was our basic lack of fire. 

Some days it feels like we have completely forgotten Pentecost.

Acts 2:1–4 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Getting together and chatting about ourselves, our jobs, our kids, our church or the sad state of the country does not ignite the Fire of the Spirit.  Nor does a rational discussion on the importance of following God. Following God is a lot of things but I don’t think rational is one of them.

Four times in three Gospels Jesus says something like this:

Mark 8:33–38 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Nor is the Fire ignited when we talk about the “good works” we are doing for Jesus or the way we need to “act” if our motivation is not our passionate love for God. Three times in three Gospels Jesus said this: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

You don’t need any one else to help you “burn for Jesus.” Lose your life, carry your cross, quit thinking about yourself, learn to love the Lord with your whole heart, and pray and work until you understand the Holy Spirit and you will find that God will start a fire in you.  A fire that hopefully will inspire others to do the same.  Maybe that is the real purpose of Zebras. 

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

The second story is found in Acts 18.  I have often quoted Acts 19 where Paul asked the people of Ephesus what baptism they had received and when they replied “John’s baptism.”  He proceeded to lay hands on them and baptize them with the Holy Spirit.  But I never connected it to the preceding passage until Wednesday.

Acts 18:24–25  Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.

The reason the people in Ephesus only knew about the baptism of John is because that’s all they were taught!  That explains so much.

If all you do is listen to people preach, all you are going to know about the truth of God is what they tell you and I can say without a shadow of doubt-there is so much more to learn!! 

Which God will happily teach you if you open the Word and make the time to listen.

We place a huge emphasis on the love and grace of God but what changed my faith was the day He told me He was holy.  Jesus died on the cross because He loved us but also because the holiness of God required someone to pay the price for sin.  It should have been us, but it wasn’t, it was Jesus.

Make no mistake God loves you, but He is also holy and righteous and should be respected and feared.  And obeyed!

Luke 12:4–5   “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him.

The Jewish people did not need to be taught to fear God, their ancestors had lapped the desert forty years until everyone who refused to believe God died and He sent their entire nation into captivity for their disobedience and worship of false idols.    

Teaching Jesus died only because He loved us is teaching half the Gospel and it is as dangerous as teaching the Baptism of Repentance without the Baptism of the Spirit.  Which we also do, but that’s a topic for another day.

Love,

Jill

Good morning Zebras,

God showed me a couple of “new” stories in the Bible.   Of course, they aren’t new-but they certainly hit home in a new way.  I’ll share one today and one tomorrow. The first one is in 1 Kings 13.

God sent a prophet to cry out against king Jeroboam, which he did. When Jeroboam tried to seize him, God made the king’s hand shrivel up.  The king asked the prophet to intercede on his behalf, which he did, and the king’s hand was restored.  The king then invited the prophet home, but the prophet refused.

1 Kings 13:7–10 The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.” But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’ ” So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

On his way home, he was met by another prophet who after hearing what had happened came out to meet him.  He too invited the prophet to come for dinner and once again the prophet refused until the man said this:

1 Kings 13:18–19 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ”(But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

During the meal, the word of God came to the liar:

1 Kings 13:21–22 He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.’ ”

In my book, it is the liar who should have gotten punished, but it wasn’t, it was the prophet who disobeyed God.  On the way home, he was attacked by a lion.  The lion killed him, but did not eat him nor maul the donkey he had been riding.  The lion was found just sitting by the body.  Because the circumstances of his death were so unusual it served to reinforce the message he had been sent to give: those who disobey the Lord will die.

So many lessons!  

The prophet resisted the temptation to eat when it came from someone he knew was “evil” but gave in when it came from another “man of God.” If you have been given instructions from God, you are the one He is going to hold responsible.  There is no shifting blame to someone else, you need to obey, it didn’t work with Adam it won’t work for you. 

The prophet’s death served to reinforce his message. We act like God will always protect us when we are doing His work and He will but that does not necessarily mean physical protection here on Earth. Perhaps God will be more honored by our death. Jesus died a horrible death as did many of the disciples and their deaths served to spread the Gospel. The world is afraid of dying, Christians shouldn’t be because as Paul says: “for me to die is gain.” We need to be willing to “die” for the cause of Christ. 

John 12:24–25 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

And finally, never play the “God card” to get your way.  Do not say “God told me” (or in this case one of His messengers) unless He did.   

Love,

Jill

Jars of Clay

Good morning Zebras,

Yesterday as I finished up writing the post my prayer became “Dear Lord, please let all of us see the possibility for true transformation that lives inside of us because of your indwelling Spirit.” Which brought to mind this verse:

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

The best visual of what it looks like to be a pot of clay is Susan Boyle.  She was a 47 year unemployed overweight woman who has bad hair and a pretty unfashionable outfit. Coming on stage she doesn’t look like anything special in fact the audience is sort of laughing at her and then she sings. And everything changes because Susan Boyle is a jar of clay, nothing special on the outside but filled with an amazing talent. 

We too are jars of clay. But what we have on the inside is not the ability to sing, but the power of God.  God’s people are full of words, when they should be filled with the Holy Spirit because when He speaks things change. 

Love,

Jill

P.S.  I still watch her audition from time to time.  My new favorite part is when she is asked why her dream hasn’t worked out so far and she replies: “Because I’ve never been given the chance before, here’s hoping that will change.” It reminds me to never give up hope on the promises of God. 

Susan Boyle's Audition

Good morning Zebras,

My daughter mentioned this model of communication to me when she was home this summer and I can’t quit thinking about it. Of course, I mentally adapted it a little to fit in with the omniscient nature of God.

In this theory communication is divided into four quadrants, like a window pane. Each area contains a different level of information known to the world. 

Area one: Open area, what is known by the person about him/herself and is also known by others including God

Area two: Blind area, ‘blindspot’: what is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others and God know.

Area three: Hidden area, hidden self, avoided area, or 'façade’: what the person knows about him/herself that others do not know but God still knows.

Area four: Unknown area or unknown self: what is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown by others and known only by God.

Most of our communication occurs in the first area.  Things we know and we know other people know as well.  But I think God’s people are supposed to develop relationships that communicate in the second and third area.  To do that we need to be willing to be transparent with people about who we really are and willing to hear people tell us truth, as revealed by God, about what they see.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

But it’s tough, being “sharpened” hurts and it takes both courage and humility to speak and hear truth. And it takes love.  Only the person who really loves you will continue to tell you things you do not want to hear. Of course, God knows everything and He loves you more than anyone so if you aren't willing to listen to anyone else He is still able to show you your "faults."

Psalm 139:23–24 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Paul had no illusions about who he was: a sinner, saved by grace for the sole purpose of showing others what God can do.

1 Timothy 1:15–16 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Have a great day Zebras following Paul’s example as he followed the example of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1)

Love,

Jill

Choose Wisely

Thank you to everyone who said a prayer for Nick I will certainly keep you updated. 

This was originally posted in October of 2010 but it is a lesson I have not forgotten. As we grow in our faith God will often leave two doors open and trust us to pray and pick the right one.

Jonah 1:2 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Good morning Zebras,

There are a lot of lessons in the book of Jonah, but I think my current favorite is: Just because the ship is at the dock doesn’t mean you should get on it.

We all know the story. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to tell them to repent but Jonah didn’t want to go. He had his reasons. The footnote in my Bible says:Nineveh was a powerful and wicked city. Jonah had grown up hating the Assyrians and fearing their atrocities. His hatred was so strong that he didn’t want them to receive God’s mercy.

So Jonah ran. I can just see him running to Joppa, praying all the way.  Maybe he was praying as I do when I don’t want to do something.  “Dear Lord I know you told me to go to Nineveh, but maybe I heard You wrong. If You really want me to go, close the door to my escape and don’t provide a ship.  Then I will KNOW You want me to go to Nineveh”

I can just imagine his relief when he saw that ship!  “Yeah, I don’t have to go!  God provided a ship and I can sail in the other direction!”

We all know the rest of the story.  God really did want Jonah to go to Nineveh so He provided a storm, a big fish and a little readjustment to Jonah’s attitude.

In life we are all faced with choices.  One looks hard and one looks easy.  One is the way God wants us to go and one is the way that makes sense.  Following God and obeying His commands does not appear to make sense.  It does not appear logical to the world and sometimes it doesn’t even appear logical to other Christians. 

That’s why we have to rely on God.  James writes: But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

Often times as Christians we pray for open and closed doors, clear signs of God’s purpose for our life, and that’s good, but I think it is even a greater test of our faith if He leaves both doors open and trusts us to pick the right one.

Love,
Jill