Reason[able]

Nothing is Impossible

Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the roaring thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

I was reminded of the words in “How Great Thou Art” as I thought about the verse in Matthew 19 that says “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

In the book “Whisper” by Mark Batterson, he asks when was the last time you thanked God for keeping us in orbit. I’m guessing the answer is never because God is so good at what He does that we take it for granted. We can’t feel it but our planet is spinning on its axis at a speed of approximately 1,000 miles per hour and speeding through space at about 67,000 miles per hour. We experience a miracle of astronomical proportions every day.

In Matthew 19, we see people believing wealth was evidence of God’s favor, so Jesus teaching that possessions and riches could keep people from receiving eternal life made them ask ” . . . then who in the world can be saved?” Jesus’ response, and belief in him changes what is humanly impossible into unlimited possibilities with God. Nothing we have or do on this earth will give us eternal life!

Is it impossible for a wealthy person to enter the kingdom of heaven? No–more difficult sometimes–yes. Anything that makes us self-righteous or self-sufficient could be a roadblock to complete dependence on God. He welcomes those who come like little children humble and full of faith.

The same God who spoke the universe into existence with four words, “Let there be light,” is still creating galaxies today, and he sent his only son Jesus to die for us so we could have eternal life and experience God’s love for us more fully on this earth. He is the all-knowing, all-powerful holy God committed to loving us unconditionally. With him nothing is impossible.

Deb Hill
EFCC Staff

by Deb Hill

How Hard Could It Be?

My college marketing professor would say, “Marketing rules the world”; it influences our thoughts and actions. Effective advertising makes slogans and products memorable.

Twenty years ago, office supply retailer Staples launched a marketing campaign: the Staples EASY Button. The message was "When something is hard ... .press the easy button and “voila” It’s EASY." The campaign worked by tapping into our primal, innate desire for simplicity.

In Mark 10, Jesus relays his encounter with a rich young ruler. This is not a parable. This was a real, face-to-face encounter with a young man, maybe like the 2008 Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook and at 23 the world’s youngest billionaire—if Zuckerberg was royalty.

This man had everything, except eternal life. But he just couldn’t part with his stuff, he liked his riches more, and he valued security most. The Rabbi’s price tag for life eternal, the kingdom of Heaven was ridiculously too much.

Exactly.

Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”Jesus repeated himself to his perplexed disciples, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God.” He called them children—because their understanding was juvenile and incomplete.

Wait a second. I want the red EASY button. But the red words in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s gospels say it’s hard. Kinda the opposite. I don’t like the way that sounds, do you? The rich young ruler didn’t like it either. What was Jesus trying to tell his immature followers and friends? Flip back two chapters to Mark 8, Peter boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus as Messiah Christ, son of the living God. So Jesus shares some hard truths, explaining how he must suffer, be rejected, and be killed. Peter wanted EASY. “You’re the Christ, you rule, Rome loses, we win big, no more hard, end of story.”

But there’s nothing easy about Jesus’ words in 8:34. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”

He says I must think, speak, and act like Jesus does instead of thinking, speaking, and acting the way I want or how I feel. That’s denying oneself. Giving up my rights, for his glory. Day after day after day. Jesus wasn’t joking when he said, “How hard it is….”

Everyone knew that the Staples red EASY button didn’t fix problems. But it symbolized confidence. It’s hard but possible, it can and will get done.

Jesus is NOT the easy button. But he makes the “hard” possible—by his shed blood, by the power of his Spirit, because of his merciful love, we can follow Jesus and enter the Kingdom of God.

Donielle Winter
EFCC Member

by Donielle Winter

Youth, Wealth, and Jesus

In Mark 10:17-27, a rich young man approaches Jesus with earnest intent. He asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus looks at him, loves him, and replies, “Sell all you possess, give to the poor, and follow Me.” The call to part with his great wealth overwhelms him. He departs, sorrowful and disheartened. Abraham, the Old Testament patriarch, faced a similar test. God commanded him to offer Isaac, his cherished son. Each was called to part with something deeply personal and of extreme importance to them.

Abraham faltered early in life. He deceived others about Sarah and tried to hasten God’s plan for an heir. Yet he grew to trust God fully. When tested with Isaac, he obeyed. God blessed him by sparing Isaac, righteousness, and a lasting legacy. The rich young man lacks such trust, he clings to his wealth. Yet Jesus loved him still. His sad departure might not be the end. That love carries hope, as Abraham’s journey shows, faith can grow. In the biblical timeline, our young man might witness the Pentecost and be among the thousands to join the new church.

The rich young man in Mark 10 missed following Jesus in person and went away grieving. We too may falter, clinging to what God calls us to release. Unique opportunities may flit away and sorrow may attend us for a time. But God wastes no hardship. His love holds us fast. As Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Jonathan Duncan
EFCC Member

by Kim Freels

One Thing

Are you familiar with the game “Would you Rather?” If you haven’t played it, it’s a game that forces you to choose between two things, selecting the most preferable. Here are some examples: Would you rather be a whiz at mathematical equations or be fluent in every language? Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly? In biblical times, the game might have sounded something like: “Would you rather ride a camel or a donkey? Or “Would you rather be a fisherman or a tax collector?” It’s a great get-to-know-you game, but with the right questions, it’s also helpful for self-examination as it reveals much about the heart.

In Mark 10, the man who ran up to Jesus was presented with a “Would you rather” question (of sorts): “Would you rather be rich or have eternal life?” At that moment, the desires of the man’s heart were revealed as he weighed the value of all his wealth brought him and the personal cost of giving it up to follow Jesus. It had already been determined that he had kept the commandments ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother’” (Mark 10:19). But what Jesus presented him was an opportunity to follow the commandment to have no other gods (Exodus 20:3). For this man money had become his God.

Money can provide many things including security, stature, freedom, and opportunity. But these are tangible experiences that can fade away and be gone with life’s final breath. The invitation presented to him, if he had accepted it, held eternal life. The choice was his. And the choice is ours too. Every day we are presented with ‘Would you rather decisions and with the gift of free will we choose Jesus as the one thing that our heart desires above all else.

Ask God to examine your heart to reveal your attachments, loves, desires, priorities, and motivations.

What material possessions or pursuits might be hindering a relationship with God?
Are there sacrifices that might be necessary to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus?
How might a costly sacrifice of your resources serve others and reflect the love of God?

Ask God to reveal any areas where you need to prioritize Him and truly love Him most.

Jessica Klootwyk
Discipleship Director

by Kim Freels

What must I DO to inherit eternal life?

How many of us have read the story about the rich young ruler and were excited at this question? Reading forward in the hope of getting “the answer”, and only to wonder- what do I do with that answer? In the Gospel of Mark, his question uses “inherit “but in other gospels, we see the word get, obtain and do. In all cases, the man is questioning what he must outwardly do to receive the gift of eternal life. As he views it, he must “earn” eternal life.

This brought me back to when my mom passed away leaving my sister and me without parents as young adults. My dad had died 7 years earlier, so it was then that we “inherited” my parents’ estate. Neither my sister nor I did anything to “earn” this. It was “who” we were to our parents and their choice to leave their “all that they had” as a provision for us.

Jesus’ response clears up the idea of earning. He states all the areas the young man has brilliantly succeeded. He had checked ALL the boxes, almost. It wasn’t about box checking though. Jesus then went straight to the heart of the matter. What was in his heart that was not allowing complete surrender? Jesus graciously shared that it is not about works but giving up one thing and following Him.

Choosing to abstain from something unimportant to us is quite easy. I remember as a kid wanting to give up lima beans for lent and thinking I was obedient. Yes, immaturity was a part of that but so was my “me first” flesh. The heart posture is not necessarily about abstaining or the “one thing”. What or who do you put before following Jesus? It could be more than “one thing” so we must not focus on the number He asked the young man to give up.

The man was “disheartened” because Jesus had nailed it. There was no earning that could be done to inherit eternal life. A fully surrendered heart to follow Him is what was being asked. It isn’t our works that are the provision for the inheritance, it is “who” we are inside as well. God knows our hearts and for each of us, it will be a different heart request.

It’s interesting to think of the word inheritance. It is always connected tot the loss of a loved one. Someone had to die for us to receive the inheritance. We simply receive it. Whatever you receive as an earthly inheritance, at best it could last your lifetime. It doesn’t compare to the inheritance offered through the gift of eternal life. Jesus had to die for us to receive this. We must surrender and place Him first in our lives. The treasure is ours to receive.

Tammy De Armas
EFCC Member

by Tammy DeArmas

God Chose the Least Likely

That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:17

How do you respond when God calls you to something that seems beyond your reach? When we argue, doubt , or complain, we’re failing to trust the God who promises to be with us and equip us. We think we know our capabilities and capacities, but God loves to stretch us beyond what we think is possible.

Just as God equipped Moses to lead the Israelites with Aaron and his staff, just as God kept his promise to give Joshua victory over the Canaanites, just as God gave Esther the courage to go before the king, he will also equip us for the tasks he gives us. As Paul puts it, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). God doesn’t call us to something only to leave us to fend for ourselves. He is with us, he provides for us, and he enables us to finish the assignment.

We’re not alone when we feel insufficient for whatever God has called us to do. Scripture gives us many examples of saints who doubted their capabilities. At the beginning of Exodus, Moses is called to a daunting task. From a burning bush, God hands him the responsibility of delivering the Israelites from Egypt—more than 2 million of them.

But Moses doesn’t respond with a lot of joy and excitement. Instead, he questions God’s call on his life: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exod. 3:11)? God patiently responds that he will be with Moses, giving him the power and grace to deliver the people. When Moses doubts his ability as a public speaker (Exod. 4:10), God sends Aaron to speak on his behalf. He even allows Moses the ability to perform miracles to conquer the Israelites’ unbelief—a staff becomes a serpent, a cloak that heals a leprous hand.

Hebrews 13:20-21
"Now may the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will."

Deb Hill
EFCC Staff

by Kim Freels

Experience the Scriptures

“All Scripture is God-breathed…” - 2 Timothy 3:16

Have you ever stopped to consider how controversial of a statement this is? All Scripture. Which Scripture? Our Scriptures? Only these 66 books? Even Psalm 137? Really? How about that part about Lot and his daughters? Wow! What about that time that Paul asks Timothy to bring him his coat? Did God need to breathe that part out? In fact, what does it mean for something to be God-breathed? Did God literally breathe out specific words to people? Wait, does God breathe? Did He stop breathing out scripture after He got to book 66? Why?

Ok. Some of you are thinking to yourself… “I wanted to read a devotional, and all I’m getting is a bunch of skeptical questions.” That’s fair. Just give me two more minutes. I bring these questions up because it is good for us to put ourselves in outsiders' shoes now and again. I guess if you are reading this devotional, you already believe that statement to be true. You already bought into the God-breathed nature of Scripture… I want to ask “Why?” Why is it that the first few words of 2 Timothy 3:16, don’t sound crazy to you?

I guess that your answer is NOT that someone presented a compelling argument, and you became convinced of the truth. Not to say that there are not some very convincing reasons to believe in the God-breathed nature of the Scriptures, because there are! I just don’t know many people who have come to believe the Scriptures because of an argument. I guess that most of us if we were put on the spot and people asked, “Why do you believe that the Bible is God-breathed?” You would say something like, “Because the words have changed my life.” Your rationale would not be an argument, but an experience. You have had an experience with the Scriptures, that has been so powerful that you want everyone else to experience it as well.

Well, I think this is a wonderful answer! In fact, so does Paul. Remember the words that follow “All Scripture is God-breathed”? It says, “and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God p may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul’s rationale for the God-breathed nature of Scripture is that it has been found to be useful. That is beautiful! So, maybe, instead of getting into arguments about Scripture, let’s be people who constantly highlight how useful the Scriptures have been in our lives. Then maybe others will find that it is useful in their lives as well.

Josh Rose
Family Pastor

by Kim Freels

Teach the Next Generation

Can you remember who shared stories from the Bible with you when you were a child? Who taught you and directed you to Scripture to learn and grow? Maybe this was a Sunday school teacher, or your parents or grandparents. Quite possibly a combination of several as you consider the memories. We learned through people who had studied and learned what the Scriptures were saying. Perhaps you recall holiday traditions that created the opportunities for stories and the “reasons” we do things or believe the way we do. The other possibility is that you didn’t learn until you were an adult, but now you can share with the youth in your life.

Paul writes to Timothy “to continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from who you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures.” We know from the Scriptures that Timothy was raised by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. According to the NIV Study Bible, His mother was a Jewish Christian, his grandmother a Christian and his father was Greek and assumed to be an unbeliever. So, what do we as believers do with this information?

Clearly, we are to teach our children and our children’s children about Scripture. When my kids were younger, I always prayed to have clear communication with them, even in tough times. I am grateful that this prayer has been answered and as adults there is consistent grace-filled communication. Speaking slowly and thoughtfully was a sweet provision from the Lord.

I am reminded of my inquisitive 3-year-old grandson, Jackson. He watches my husband and me intently when he is with us and often asks “Papa, why do you do that?” or “Lovey, what happened?” He wants reasons for how things are. This gives us a great opportunity to bring Scripture into his world and to share age-appropriate truth with this little boy. We not only have a responsibility to do this, but our heart’s desire also is for all our grandchildren to know the truth taught in the Scriptures. Sharing with our grandchildren naturally gives them a curiosity to learn more. We look for teachable moments with our grandchildren as we tried to with our kids.

Often, our intentional grandparenting involves praying for each of them. This would include praying for our kids. I am enrolled in a “Grandparenting Matters” class here at EFCC. Learning to be an intentional grandparent and how we can have influence in the lives of family members so that it is passed through to future generations. “Tell it to you children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.” Joel 1:3

Tammy De Armas
EFCC Member

by Kim Freels