September 30~ Acts 26:19
"What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change - this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life - right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I hope you will go back and read all of Acts 26 for yourself. You can click on www.biblegateway.com to find it in The Message if you don’t have a copy of that translation. Paul is speaking before King Agrippa, who has told him to tell his story… to explain what changed him from being a very cruel man (who most likely participated in the torture and beatings of Jesus before His crucifixion) to becoming such a fervent witness for Christ and a preacher and planter of churches.
Paul is explaining about his experience on the road to Damascus and how incredible this was. You know the commercial where the guy whops himself on the head and says, “WOW! I could have had a V-8!” Imagine that times 1000 or better! I mean, this was a HUGELY PROFOUND experience. Paul explains that he could not walk away from that kind of a vision!
Now, your conversion experience may not have been nearly that profound. In fact, it may have been seemingly uneventful by comparison. But I assure you that in Jesus’ eyes, it was not. In the eyes of our Lord and Savior, EVERY conversion experience is equally important and incredible. Paul is telling King Agrippa and his court that his experience was so amazing that he had to share it with others, even at the risk of life and limb – and certainly imprisonment and torture.
What about you? Was your Salvation experience life changing? Are you willing to say, “I can’t walk away from a vision like that!”? Are you willing to do whatever – whenever – for God? I encourage you to ask God to show you what He wants you to do for Him… and to give you the courage to be like Paul. I pray that you will become an “obedient believer” and radically turn to Him in your everyday life.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 29 ~ Acts 20:22-36
(The words of Paul to the leaders of Ephesus) 22-24 "But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won't be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. 25-27 "And so this is good-bye. You're not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom. I've done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God's will for you. 28 "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for. 29-31 "I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another. 32 "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends. 33-35 "I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'" Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and prayed. And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. They knew they would never see him again—he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down to the ship.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I visited with a young man who is part of the 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas Army National Guard. They will leave the in the next few days for their second tour of duty in Iraq. This young man will leave behind a wife, a 22-month old child, and a baby who is only weeks old. The 39th has been told to prepare to be gone another year. He commented, “my children won’t even know me when I return.” I pray that he and his fellow soldiers do indeed return. The man told me of the preparations he is making now with his wife and children… computers and webcams for communication, and talks and plans for the separation. His wife was finding it almost impossible to talk about this deployment with him, and yet he knew they needed to talk about a lot of things.
Paul knew what he faced, and he knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. He loved those he was leaving behind. And he had things they needed to discuss before he left. He was preparing them. And he was encouraging them to carry on without him. He was telling them in plain language how to survive on their own… and to prosper and continue his work.
Paul’s message to the leaders from Ephesus is our message from Christ. He has gone before us, but He prepared us for this time. He has turned us over to God and given us all of the tools and information for not only surviving until we see Him again… but also winning others to Him in the meantime.
I can’t imagine the day the 39th will officially leave and say “Good-bye” to their families and loved ones. I often cannot watch the farewells and reunions of soldiers on television news reports. The pain cuts deep. Saying “Good-bye” to a loved one is hard. I can’t even begin to comprehend how hard it was for Jesus’ mother, brother and loved ones to watch Him beaten, tortured, and crucified. But because of this, I know that we can make it. We can “walk Jesus down to the ship,” so to speak, kiss Him “Good-bye” and trust that we will meet Him again some day in Heaven. Meanwhile, WE can carry on in the name of Jesus. We can be His hands and feet on this earth, and I promise you, HE will walk beside you every step of the way.
Pray for the 39th and other soldiers who are being deployed. Pray for each other as we do what we have been called and prepared to do in Jesus’ name. Pray for peace.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 28 ~John 11:9
Jesus replied, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in daylight doesn't stumble because there's plenty of light from the sun. Walking at night, he might very well stumble because he can't see where he's going."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Have you ever been out at night when it is really dark. Maybe you are camping and you are walking to a nearby restroom, flashlight in hand, but unsure of the pathway. Maybe you are finding your way back to your car or the bus after an “away” ballgame. Maybe you are awakened from a deep sleep and stumbling to find the bathroom, especially if you are visiting someone and unfamiliar with their home.
Walking with Jesus is like walking in daylight. The way is sure and bright and clear, and you see the obstacles before you. Notice I didn’t say you avoid them, necessarily, but the light allows you the opportunity to see them and choose how to proceed. But in the darkness, quite literally, we often stumble. And in the darkness of walking without Christ, we cannot see where we are going. We are “flying blind” as some would say, and that is a scary, slippery slope. Most likely, at some point, we will stumble, and the fall may be quite painful… even deadly.
So walk in the daylight with Christ. Avoid the darkness of Satan’s world. Be safe, and don’t stumble… there is plenty of Light from the Son!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 27 ~ John 10:1
"Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My two cats, Mabel and Lucy, are probably about as asocial as cats come. I know cats are, by nature, aloof, but these two take that concept to a completely new level. Yet, when they see my husband or me, they walk right to us, and we can walk right up to them. They know us… and we know them. We know how to approach them, and when to leave them alone. They know our voices, and we call their names and they look our way – and sometimes they come when called! I told you, cats have minds of their own!
But let a stranger come – or someone ring our doorbell – and the cats scatter like marbles. They find a hidey-hole where they feel safe and hidden, and they don’t come out until they are certain that it is all okay… or the strangers are gone! Sometimes we have to coax them to come out and relax.
I am so glad that Jesus knows me. I am glad He knows my heart and my “style.” I’m glad that I know Him, and that usually, I recognize His voice. What about you? Do you recognize Jesus when He speaks to you? Do you recognize His knock at the door of your heart? Or is He so much of a stranger to you that you mistake him for a sheep rustler who is up to no good? I pray that you will walk so closely with Jesus that there is no mistaking Who He is. I pray that Jesus is your gatekeeper, and you are His sheep, and that the voice of a stranger causes you to scatter until He speaks to you and calls for you once again.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 26 ~ Mark 6:47
Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Can you imagine being out on a boat in the middle of Greers Ferry Lake in a wind storm, and you look up and a man is walking toward you… on the water! You would be scared out of your wits, too, wouldn’t you?!
But consider this… we all know – or at least we say we know – that Jesus can do anything, even walk on water. Yet walking with Him, spiritually, scares some of us out of our wits! We are afraid of what others will think, or of what Jesus will ask us to do in His name. In other words, we are afraid it may cost us something – cause us to have to “sacrifice” for the One Who sacrificed everything for us… even to His very life. And so, we scream – inside, at least – and fight, and kick and struggle against the very One Who can set us free. I could ask you why we do that, but the answers are vast and varied.
But the bigger question is, why are we continuing? Isn’t it time we stopped being frightened by our daily walk with Christ and embraced it? Isn’t it time we did what Jesus has already done for us and set ourselves free?
So c’mon! Walk on water with Jesus, and see where He takes you!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 25 ~ John 5:1-16
Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, "Do you want to get well?" The sick man said, "Sir, when the water is stirred, I don't have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in." Jesus said, "Get up, take your bedroll, start walking." The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off. That day happened to be the Sabbath. The Jews stopped the healed man and said, "It's the Sabbath. You can't carry your bedroll around. It's against the rules." But he told them, "The man who made me well told me to. He said, 'Take your bedroll and start walking.'" They asked, "Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?" But the healed man didn't know, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd. A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, "You look wonderful! You're well! Don't return to a sinning life or something worse might happen." The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. That is why the Jews were out to get Jesus—because he did this kind of thing on the Sabbath.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
How often are we like the lame man… waiting for someone to pick us up and do something to help us? Sure, the lame man needed help getting into the healing pool. But you know what? WE need help, too! We need Someone to pick us up and set us in the healing pool of God’s grace and mercy and love. And Jesus does that for us. He tells us to get up, take our bedroom (the doormat of our lives where we wallow in our burdens), and start walking! And He heals us, forgives us, restores us to life in Him.
But there is more to this story. If you read it again, you will see that when Jesus saw the lame man later, He admonished him not to return to a sinful life. And that is the same message He has for us. Stay the course. Keep walking with Him! He has made us well… now let’s stay that way!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 24 ~Luke 7:21-23
In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: "Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth have God's salvation hospitality extended to them. "Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I guess the phrase “the lame walk,” will forever have more personal meaning for me. I never gave walking much thought. I would see someone in a wheelchair and think how hard it must be to always have to travel in that chair… how so many things were unreachable – literally – and how many places were inaccessible. Or I would see someone hobbling along on crutches and briefly feel sorry for them.
When I broke my ankle and was unable to walk without crutches, I knew firsthand what it was like to be unable to climb stairs. We were building a new house, and for several weeks, I could only glance upward and imagine what was there – I certainly could not get up the 15 or so steps to see for myself! I couldn’t travel on uneven terrain. The crutches rubbed raw places under my armpits, and maneuvering anywhere that required very many steps was a challenge – and very tiring! The handful of times I ventured out to a store to shop, my husband pushed me in a wheelchair or I used a motorized cart, and both were very challenging. Looking at everything from the seat of a wheelchair or cart gives you a totally different perspective on the world. I remember being in Home Depot and trying to look at light fixtures, and everything was boxed high overhead on shelves. I got a headache from looking up into the glare of the bright overhead lights, and my neck was quickly stiff from craning to see what was on those shelves!
But the good news is that God healed me. Even better, He healed me ahead of schedule by a couple of weeks at least! And even better than that is the message of this scripture passage… “the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them!” You see… the best news of all is that we… the Spiritually blind, lame, deaf, dead lepers are saved by God’s grace and mercy! We may not literally be any of these things, but in Spiritual terms, we are all of them. And yet, God heals us. He delivers us. He promises us Eternal Life with Him!
This is GREAT news! It may not be what we were expecting, but it is a wonderful gift! I don’t know about you, but I do count myself fortunate… and I pray you do the same. What about it? Are you “walking” today?
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 23 ~ Luke 24:13-32 The Road to Emmaus
13-16 That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.
17-18 He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?" They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what's happened during the last few days?"
19-24 He said, "What has happened?" They said, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn't find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn't see Jesus."
25-27 Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?" Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
28-31 They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: "Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done." So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
32 Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I was sitting in the airport, waiting to catch a plane. A very nice young man was sitting next to me, and we struck up a conversation. He told me his name was Raymond House, and he was finishing his senior year as an Arkansas Razorback football player. I told him that the head coach’s secretary was a lifelong personal friend of mine, and we talked about what a lovely person she is. He was reading a local newspaper, and quietly turning the pages in the sports section. We talked quite awhile… he was headed to a football game in Florida… a showcase for those with potential to play in the pros. I was impressed with his intelligence and how polite he was.
The first leg of our flight was on the same plane, and when we deplaned somewhere in Texas to finish our flights, I wished him well in the game, and he wished me a safe flight. When my husband picked me up later, I excitedly told him about meeting Raymond House, who was a star defensive end for the Razorbacks. I had brought along a copy of our local paper, and as my husband read it, he asked, “Did you congratulate Raymond on his most recent award?” I gave him a puzzled look, and he showed me a rather large article in the Sports section about a prestigious award this young man had just received. The athlete had probably read the article right beside me as we sat in the terminal, but he never even mentioned it. Most young men would have pointed it out and said, “This is ME!” Not Raymond! Now I was really impressed, but also embarrassed that I had not recognized more about him. Raymond went on to play pro ball for the Atlanta Falcons. I didn’t even ask him for his autograph!
On a much larger scale, this is how it was for Cleopas and his friend when they encountered Jesus. They did not recognize Him, and they went on and on about the rumors they had heard of the Nazarene and all that happened to Him… the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and more. And all the time, they were talking to JESUS! Once they realized Who had been walking with them… Who had broken bread with them… they were stunned. They were also probably embarrassed.
Aren’t we so often like these two men? Don’t we often stand in the presence of Christ and not even recognize Him? Don’t we often give credit for things in our life to someone or something else, when all along, it was the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we didn’t even see it? How long will we walk along the road to Emmaus with blinders on? How many times will we fail to “get it?” I pray that we would all stop and pay closer attention to our daily walk and Who is on the road beside us. I pray that we would never fail to recognize Christ’s presence in our lives, and that He would become so much a part of the fabric of our daily existence it is as if we live and breathe Christ. Open your eyes… open your heart… walk daily with Jesus and KNOW He is with you!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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September 22 ~ Luke 14:25
25-27 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self!—can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I am reminded of my days as a kindergarten teacher. More than once a tearful mother came to my door the first days of the school year, with a crying child in tow who was clinging desperately to her leg. “Nooooo… don’t leave me!” the child would cry. “Momma, momma, momma!” I would assure the mother that it would all be okay once she actually left and the child could no longer see her. And truly it was. Sometimes the child continued to cry for awhile, but more often than not the crying ended almost immediately.
Sometimes, it’s hard to let go of our mommas. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine doing anything on our own. Few of us are truly alone, with no other family that we can’t at least reach by telephone, mail or e-mail. But think for a minute what it would be like if you didn’t have your family and friends. Think what it would be like if you had to totally disconnect from all of those you knew and loved in order to truly follow Jesus.
Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t call us to physically disconnect from our loved ones. In fact, He wants us to enjoy the company and fellowship of family and friends. BUT… He does want to be first in our lives. He wants us to totally surrender our hearts to Him. Sometimes that means we have to physically disconnect from others. If you are associating with someone who is not committed to Christ and “drags you down” Spiritually, you may have to separate from them. If you are living with someone who is always trying to get you to engage I sinful activity, or who does not support your efforts to walk with Christ, you may have to move. Truly, Jesus is asking you to follow HIM at all costs… including your parents, your spouse, your siblings, your best friend… ANYONE who separates you from Christ must be separated from you. Nobody wants to think about totally disconnecting from their momma. But better your momma than Jesus!
I pray that your family and friends all walk with Christ and that this is a no-brainer for you. But more than this, I pray that you are strong enough in your Spiritual walk to make the tough choices. May God be with you – may His strength and courage be powerful in and through you – and may you walk freely with Him every day.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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