Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · found · free · guidance · J.R.R.Tolkien · Jesus · no longer lost

Run to the tower

Run to the tower.

Tolkien wrote a lot of novels that were never celebrated, many of which are barely even known about. I have a favorite set called Tales from the perilous realm. Because, of course, all adventures and all fairy tales can be perilous. He writes of two little dogs staying in a tall tower with the man on the moon and the two little dogs venture too far away from home 1 day and end up bothering a large dragon, and the man on the moon has to save them. And as they’re running away from the dragon, they’re running as fast as they can back to the man on the moon’s tower because they know that they are safe within his tower.
God calls himself our strong tower. But in a world where we don’t really have towers anymore, we have condos and high rises, we forget what a tower means. Towers were fortresses, probably made out of Stone or clay brick. They were strong.They were a place the enemy could not get in. Because it was protected by the king’s guard and by the king.
Run to his tower. He is a fortress for when I am weak. A place where I can hide. God is a place of refuge. His loving arms always open to receive us and always strong to protect. So when we travel too far from home and bother the great dragons, run back to the tower, the door will be open and he will protect you.

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Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

This. This right here. This verse.

We listen to it. We pray it. We quote it. We get it tattooed on our arms. Yet. Do we listen to it?

Trust in Jesus. Do not rely on what you understand. Submit your ways to Him and He will make a way.

We see this verse as a soft, cuddly verse. A feel good verse. This is not a feel good verse. This is a battle cry in the midst of tragedy and sorrow. This is not a spot light on a highway, this is a torch in a tunnel. 

We don’t need to be reminded to trust God when life is good. We need to trust God when life is a dumpster fire! When we can’t take anymore. When we want to scream and cry and throw things. That’s when we need to be reminded that our understanding is not His understanding. Our understanding is limited to what we know and what we see. His understanding expands beyond thought, time and reality as we know it. God knows how the book ends. We don’t. God knows how we are going to continue on. Get by. See the end. See the reward. See the plan, maybe we never see the plan, maybe we just live the plan. But God. God knows. Trust not in your understanding because it is subjective. Trust in God’s understanding because He created your understanding.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · found · free · guidance · Jesus

Acts of Acts 1

Acts 1:1-5 ESV
[1] In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, [2] until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3] He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. [4] And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; [5] for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”


Acts is the beginning of the first church. The beginning of the first church started with Jesus showing himself to the disciples and explaining that the Holy Spirit would come. Jesus says to wait for the promise of the Father. This is very important for the coming of the Holy Spirit in the way that God intended. However. Let us focus for a moment on that word wait. Sometimes Jesus says to wait, when all we want to do is run ahead. Think of it. Imagine Peter and the Sons of Thunder being told to wait. They were excited! They would be wanting to run to the nearest place to tell of the return of Jesus and all He had told them. But He said to wait. Waiting can be so that we are in a certain place we need to be. Waiting can be to protect us from something or someone. Waiting can simply be a provided time of rest. I hate to say it, but it can also be a time to grow our patience. In Acts 1 Jesus told the disciples to wait for His promise to come. To wait for His gift. Wait on the Lord, and see all He will

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Following the fourth Wiseman- Continuing on

Several years have passed since our traveler’s experience meeting the Messiah. He has seen many miracles and many hardships. He had know when Jesus had sent him into the world to tell people about what he had seen and heard regarding Jesus, that it would not be easy. Yet there were days when he thought he could not continue on. He often wondered about the other disciples. He had heard stories about them and even the works of a man named Paul. He wondered if they ever felt worn down and hopeless? Yet every time he felt he could not carry on, our traveler recalled the words of his Messiah.

John 16:33 ESV
[33] I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

These words and the presence of his Messiah kept our traveler going. Telling the good news of Jesus everywhere he went. Until the end of his days.

We often feel like we just can’t keep going. We don’t have enough faith to tell one more person about Jesus. We don’t have enough courage to continue on the path He has put before us. We are just too tired to keep trying. The hate against us is so strong. The mockery, so constant. Why talk to people when they don’t believe?
Then the words of Jesus come back to us. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the Earth. Jesus has already overcome it all. I like the thing I saw that said, Jesus has walked on the tops of the waves you thought would bury you. There have been so many waves I thought would bury me, but when I felt I was going under I looked up and I saw the hand of the savior reaching down, that hand has kept me going. I’m sure it has kept many of us going. There’s no promise things will be easy. But He has risen, and because He is risen. We have a reason to keep on trying to trust him to go forward in faith.
This world is hard at times, but God.

John 3:16 ESV

[16]  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

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Following the fourth Wiseman- Breakfast on the beach

Our traveler has tried to remain with the disciples ever since the upper room. He lost track of them a couple of times but has now managed to follow them to the sea. They decided to go back to fishing. They don’t know what else to do. He asks if he can join them and they agree. As he works to become used to fishing he sees something that changes his world forever.

John 21:1-7, 9-10, 12 ESV
[1] After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. [4] Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” [6] He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. [7] That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
[9] When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
[11] So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
[12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

Our traveler waits at a short distance and watches as the Messiah goes off with one of the disciples. Then He returns and he looks at our traveler and smiles. Our traveler goes to Him and falls to his knees.
“My Lord, you do not know me…”
The Messiah kneels in front of our traveler and takes his face in His hands, “I know you.”
Our traveler’s eyes fill with tears one more time and he is embraced by the Messiah.
“I could not get to you sooner.” Our traveler weeps.
“You have arrived when my Father planned for you to arrive.”
“I was meant to be here?”
“You were meant to go and tell the other Magi who had followed the star all those years ago, what you have seen and heard so they can tell others. Spread this as far and wide as you can travel. You are my traveler, after all.”
Our traveler smiles. In the end. He was not late. He had not missed his chance. He was where his Messiah had always meant for him to be.

In the calling of the deciples all those weeks ago, our traveler had wondered if he too could follow Jesus? Despite his inadequacies. Now, because of the cross he has his answer. Yes. Yes he cam follow him. Yes you can follow Him, more than that, He is calling you to.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · guidance · Jesus · lent · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Following the fourth Wiseman- Rabboni!

Our Traveler has stayed at the tomb. He thought that something might happen to explain, well, what had happened. He had seen the Messiah buried there, and now the tomb was empty. As he watches and waits he sees the woman he had seen with the Messiah return to the tomb. Next he sees something he cannot explain.

John 20:11-18 ESV
[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [12] And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” [14] Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” [16] Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” [18] Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Our traveler wants so badly to rush from his hiding spot and to speak to the Messiah, but he is terrified, this man is truly Holy. To have been dead and to now be raised of His own accord with no one to intercede for Him. He is so pure that our traveler who has wanted to meet Him for so long, suddenly can’t.

Sometimes Jesus puts forward a destiny for us that we are too afraid to accept. Like our traveler being too afraid to run forward and to meet the messiah, who he has longed to meet for all of his life. Sometimes Jesus gives us something that He has planned for us or something we have asked for, longed for and once it’s in front of us, we are too afraid to accept it. Those moments can be so hard. Instead, we must choose to reach out towards His gift and to take it in our hands and to trust that He will help us in opening it, and in receiving it, and in going through it.
Jesus is always there. The best part about this is that even though Jesus is giving us a gift. He is always the ultimate gift.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · guidance · holy spirit · Jesus · lent · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Following the fourth Wiseman- Where have they taken Him?

Our traveler begins to lead his camel out from the city. He feels defeated. He will return home after all these years having tales to tell of a man. A great man. But if He had been the Messiah as our traveler and so many others had thought, then how could they have killed Him. He chose to go to see where they had laid Him one more time before leaving the city. Suddenly two men run past him and our traveler has to restrain his camel. He recognizes them. They had been deciples of the Messiah. Our traveler urges his camel to follow him at a trot as he runs after the two men.

John 20:1- 6 ESV
[1]  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
[2] So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” [3] So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4] Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5] And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,
As the two deciples leave our traveler decides to go and see what they had seen. Why was the stone to the tomb moved? As he approaches a wave of fear and excitement washes over him. The tomb is empty. There had been rumors that He had made statements suggesting that…. our traveler is hesitant to think it. It seems so strange. Could He have risen from the dead, just as He raised others?

Image they moment. Jesus. The man they saw crucified. Now gone from the tomb. Imagine being there. A thousand thoughts would go through your mind. Where was He? Did someone move Him? Was this a cruelty of the Roman’s? Perhaps this was a trick by the pharisees? Then a word by Jesus twinkles like a weak flame in the back of your mind. Something He had said that you did not understand so you had shoved it away as not important. In three days. He had told them so many times that He would need to die but that He would rise again. They just did not understand. Now they still did not understand, yet things were beginning to unfold and show the answer to their questions. We won’t always understand. But Jesus does always have a reason.

Christianity · Devotional · free · holy spirit · Jesus · lent · Love · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Following the fourth Wiseman- I will raise this temple again in three days.

Our traveler sees the soldiers bring down the bodies from the crosses. A man comes whom our traveler does not know, and the man has his servants carry the body of the Messiah away. Our traveler sees the man Nicodemus follow and quietly goes to join him. The man looks at him.
“What is that in your hands?”
Our traveler looks down at the cloth. Something he had once thought was of great worth, “a gift, for Him.”
Nicodemus touches our traveler’s shoulder and they walk together to where the Messiah would be laid.

John 19:38-42 ESV
[38]  After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. [39] Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. [40] So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. [41] Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. [42] So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Nicodemus looks at our traveler once again. “Did you hear what He said? Before the earth shook?”
Our traveler shakes his head.
“He said, ‘Father forgive them.’ He asked for God’s forgiveness for us despite all that pain.”
Our traveler feels his heart tearing apart inside him. “It is kind. We are all to blame.”
“If we believe the prophecies. Then yes.”
“Did you know this would happen?”
“No. But now that it has, the words of the prophets return to my mind, and I feel like I understand a little.”
“Then you are better off than I am. For I understand nothing.”
“Perhaps that is why we met. So when thos day came, I could be here with you. He said something strange.”
Our traveler laughs, “everything He said was strange. Yet, so true.”
“Yes but. Now I recall hearing that he had said if we destroyed the temple He would raise it again.”
“Yes, in three days. It made some of the… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It made some of us religious leaders angry. But now I wonder at what He meant?”
“Why now?”
“I’m not sure. It just seems to be important somehow. Now more than ever.”

Sometimes God will bring someone you never expected into your life to help you through the worst times. Sometimes it’s someone you don’t like. Sometimes it’s someone you don’t know. Sometimes it’s a friend or relative. It is always amazing to see how God uses people in our moments of Sometimes. The saddest part of the cross was that Jesus was alone. He died alone. Yes, there were people who loved Him near by, but God turned His face from Him. No matter how surrounded by friend we are, without God we are truly alone. In the same light, it does not matter how alone we are, with God we are never alone.
Jesus was buried for three days. He fought the devil, took the keys and freed those lost to death. For three days He was in a battle and on the third He left the grave victorious. We can also leave the grave in victory, if we choose to die to our old selves and to live with Christ.

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Following the fourth Wiseman- He must know what He’s doing….right?

Our traveler rushes to follow the crowd that follow the Messiah. Our traveler can not see Him and has not seen Him since the trial. The shouts of the crowd and the violence they give is frightening to our traveler as he ducks and dodges through the masses. Why were they in such an uproar? The Roman guards stood at the ready.
“This could turn into a riot.” Our traveler heard one of the guards whisper. “What has the man even done?”
The other guards eyes were red as though he held back tears, “my brother’s son, who was very ill, this man healed him.”
The first guard looked at him, “really? I remember his illness, they thought he would die. Why kill a man who would do such good things?”
A small shine touched the other guards cheek as a single tear managed to make it’s way past his resolution. “Why indeed.”
Our traveler rushes on past the guards and almost collides with a woman who is in near hysteria. Our traveler recognizes her. She was the woman at the well that day. She sees our traveler and grabs him, “they can’t do this! You must make them stop!” She shakes him and cries.
Our traveler pulls free, “I know. I am trying to get to Him.”
She steps away and let’s him pass. Our traveler sees the glimpse of figure huddled on the ground, a cross laying in the dirt next to Him. His body so broken it tears our traveler’s heart in two. He tries to push past the people who were crowding around but can’t make it. Finally the heaving of the masses pushes him to the top of the hill. He’s too late.

John 19:16-19, 23, 25-27 ESV
[16] So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.  So they took Jesus, [17] and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. [18] There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. [19] Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Our traveler looked at the sign and shook his head. He was so much more than simply the king. Laughter broke the hush that had fallen upon our traveler. It was so out of place that it frightened him. He turned to look.

[23]  When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom,

Our traveler clenches his fists and then a voice tears his attention back to the horror of the cross.

[25] but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” [27] Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

So this was it. He really was going to die here. All they had hoped for and waited for. The pain in his heart and anger in his mind was too much for him and our traveler screams and falls to his knees. It was not an uncommon sight at that hill so no one pays attention to him. He buries his face in his hands and cries openly.
A hand rests on our traveler’s shoulder and he stands with a start. He sees the man who he had met under the olive tree. His newly seeing eyes, full of tears.
“You knew Him too my friend.” The man says.
Our traveler nods, “I searched for Him for most of my life. I’m silly old man! What do my prophecies amount to now!”
The man who had once been blind and now could see, turned his new eyes upon the savior in agony on the cross. “I don’t know what to tell you. All I can say is, He must a purpose, even for this.”

When tragedies strike we question everything. We question our motivation. We question our friends. Our family. Ourselves. Most often we finish by questioning God. We searched for Him so hard and long. We longed for His embrace. We have given Him our time and our lives. Then we feel like He has failed us. We fail a big test. We have bad news about our health. We lose our job. Our child runs away. Suddenly God is no longer in control or else He is no longer good.
But even if not, He is still good. Recall the three Hebrew boys saying that? Even in the bad times when we don’t understand, He is still good.
Even when we fall hard He is still good.
Even when He is on the cross when we think He should be overthrowing our enemies and taking over as King, He is still good. In fact, He is better than good. He is working something new and amazing for our lives. Even if we don’t see it at the time.
We cannot know God’s plans, all we can ever know for sure is that, even in the worst, most heartbreaking, most confusing times, He must have a purpose.

Christianity · Devotional · encouragement · free · guidance · Jesus · lent · Love · no longer lost · power of God · Prayer · searching · still fighting · The Bible · True Joy

Following the fourth Wiseman- How dirty are my feet?


We pick up again with our traveler as he bends to lift his foot to a cloth. He has walked so long that upon entering the house he would stay in for the night, the owner insisted he wash his feet twice. Our traveler smiled. He had heard and odd story about the Messiah. It had been told to him by a young woman who had brought bread and drink up to a gathering of people who were at her master’s house for the night.

John 13:1-10 ESV
[1] Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. [2] During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, [3] 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, [4] rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. [5] Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [6] He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” [7] Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” [8] Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” [9] Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” [10] Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”

Our traveler wondered at what the Messiah had said. “Why were not everyone of them clean? Who was still dirty?” Our traveler finished drying his feet and went to his room. “Does it mean something specific that the Messiah said this?”
Our traveler blew out his candle and went to sleep.

You and I know that Jesus was speaking of Judas when he said not all of you are clean. I read something a few years ago that I have never forgotten.
“Jesus washed the feet of His betrayer.” I think it was Max Lucado who had done a sermon on this. However it was the first time I had thought of it. Jesus washed the feet of the man who would sell Him out, and He knew it. He knew Judas would betray Him and yet He washed His feet anyway.
Jesus knows who will betray Him. He knows who will walk away and stop loving Him. Yet He died for them anyways. For every person who said, “there is no God.” For every man who shouted, “I don’t need anyone but me!” For the girl who said, “I am the queen of my life and no one else.” For every person who walked away from Jesus and sought their own life a life without Him, a life not even half full, Jesus died for them. He washed their feet too. The brokenness of this world does not surprise Jesus, but it makes Him sad. We can hate Him and betray Him and He still loves us enough to wash our feet. If your feet are going to be dirty, let them be dirty from the dust of the road as you follow the Messiah.