365 Reflections

The Church is an intergenerational movement built on the leading fathers and mothers investing in and believing in the sons and daughters of successive leaders. Yet one of the great obstacles of many future leaders is their own lack of confidence once the torch has been passed. It's very hard to start in ministry. You go in a moment from being brothers and sisters with the flock of God to being their shepherd and spiritual parent. This hurdle keeps many great leaders from reaching their potential. Yet Elisha wonderfully exhibits the pathway forward by taking the mantle from Elijah and using his God-given authority to serve the needs of those Elijah left in his care. First, after the departure of Elijah, Elisha takes the cloak that fell from Elijah and performs a repeat of Elijah's last miracle: 2 Kings 2:13–14 (ESV) And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fal...

Deuteronomy 3:26–28 (ESV) But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again . 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. 28 But charge Joshua , and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.’ Moses has not shown concern for himself since his call into ministry at the burning bush. For all his hesitancy and self-esteem issues there, his leadership of 40 years over God's people showed a man so utterly devoted to his task he more than once offered to die in place of the people who sinned.  But Moses was also a man. Here in Deuteronomy 3, Moses recounts the prayer he prayed to God seeking to annul God's announcement at the Waters of Me...

Still in Matthew 4 and I found something interesting... At some point everybody gets "Arrested." By that I mean - at some point, you will leave this Earth.  What do you plan on leaving behind? In Matthew 4, when Jesus learned that John had been arrested he then  left Judea and move to Galilee. Matthew 4:12 (ESV) Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. Matthew 4:18–19 (ESV) While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Once in Galilee  the first thing Jesus does is chose disciples to develop. Could it be that John's arrest made Jesus just think about his own arrest approaching when He willingly lays down His life for our sins?  In response to that - Jesus knows there is precious time remaining to training a team of men ...