Do You Do Repair Work?

Then Elijah called to the people, "Come over here!" They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. (I Kings 18:30)

A friend of mine has been emotionally wounded. The thing is . . . he says the people that have hurt him the most are people who follow the ways of Christ. Of course . . . you and I are not included in this. . . except . . . I think that a lot of hurt goes on that is not communicated . . . it is not by intention . . . but by assumption.

It seems to me that as communication changes and we communicate less face to face and more through technology . . . yes . . . like I am doing right now . . . that we tend to assume what a person is trying to say rather than confirming what we understand . . . which is a LOT OF WORK . . . and most of us are too busy to work that hard at communicating. And . . . we often assume that people know what we are talking about . . . but . . . they often have no idea what we were really trying to say. . . miscommunication occurs . . . and someone gets hurt.

So, how do we repair communication mishaps?

Look at what Elijah did . . . he talked . . . he brought a message . . . and still the prophets of Baal were ranting . . . trying to get some sign that their belief in Baal was okay . . . Elijah understood that he had not communicated in way that the people could understand their need of a relationship with God, Yahweh.

He communicated by demonstration . . . he showed the message that had been within his own heart . . . communicating what was important.

The people would not give their whole heart to God . . . they needed to surrender their rebellion . . . their hearts needed to be repaired through a relationship with God . . . they were broken and wounded people without a relationship with God. The story indicates the altar, the place of surrender, had been damaged. Elijah repaired the altar, which was a radical activity for anyone in the ancient days. Think about the people watching Elijah repair the altar . . . in their culture they knew it was highly unusual. . . rarely done. . . that it was one of the most sacred places . . . the place of surrender to God.

When it comes down to it . . . the most effective way to communicate is by demonstration. We not only speak our message . . . we live out what is important . . . we demonstrate what is on our heart by our actions. Hearts will be repaired when people see our message being lived out.

Are you willing to do some repair work even if you think you did nothing wrong?
Begin at the altar . . . do your own repair work . . . then choose to repair relationships through demonstration as well as words.
Determine the heart of your message.
Live out your message.

Learning with you to repair through my actions as well as words,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Going On A Rant

They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no reply, no voice, no answer. (I Kings 18:29, NLT)

Have you ranted lately . . . everyone seems to be ranting these days in my part of the world.

Here is Webster's version of the definition of rant:
Etymology: obsolete Dutch ranten, randen
Date: 1601
intransitive verb
1 : to talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
2 : to scold vehemently
transitive verb
: to utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion

First . . . who says bombastic except for Webster's dictionary? I would love to hear someone say bombastic in a normal conversation . . . I bequeath (another great word) the word bombastic to you!

Back to the subject . . . where I live ranting has become an oral emotional recounting of an event or events in order to express what occurs inwardly to an individual. We have . . . become ranters.

But then again . . . I Kings 18:29 is a great example of the ancient day ranters. Perhaps this is an ongoing problem with humanity. The prophets were ranting to Baal . . . they were on a rant of all rants . . . they needed a response . . . they needed to know that something was going to happen . . . they ranted until there was no rant left in them . . . and even then . . .there was no reply, no voice, no answer.

The three negatives: no reply, no voice, no answer . . . reflect emptiness and aloneness.

God is relational . . . He speaks to the core of our being . . . coming alongside of us . . . never forsaking or leaving us alone. In other words, our relationship with God is formed through the life He gives us. He will listen . . . even to our ranting . . . we can bring it to Him . . . just knowing His presence will transform the inward issues that produced the rant into peace . . . it is a process . . . that changes us.

Do you have a rant today?
Take time to listen to the reply, voice, and answer of God.
Stop.
Focus your whole being on God . . . listen . . . wait for Peace to come . . . listen . . . and know the presence of God.
Learning with you to take my ranting to God and listen,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Dancing With A Limp

About noontime Elijah began mocking them. "You'll have to shout louder," he scoffed, "for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or he is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or he is asleep and needs to be wakened!" So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.
They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no reply, no voice, no answer. (I Kings 18: 27-29, NLT)

This is such a fascinating story that I am moving right to it . . . our own story can be seen within it . . .

At first glance, the description of the people seem . . . well . . . crazy . . . we need to move from the viewpoint within our context and culture to the ancient times. Elijah not only claimed his faith in God, he taunted and mocked the prophets of Baal. Mocking was used as a weapon in ancient warfare.

Why did the prophets of Baal respond by slashing themselves?
This apparently was a response of grief, a mourning ritual.

How can we understand this event?
Review verses 20-21: So Ahab summoned all the people and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent.

Now think on this . . . King Ahab had summoned all the people as well as the prophets. Elijah challenged that the people were not solely worshipping one or the other . . . they were middle of the road . . . they did not follow God (Yahweh) . . . their heart did not belong to Yahweh . . . but they were aware of His presence. God had placed Elijah before all of Israel to win their hearts . . . to become fully devoted.

Okay . . . now studying this gets fun . . . the verb used for dancing can mean limp. Picture the prophets limping in an attempt to dance. Their lack of whole-hearted relationship with Yahweh created deprivation . . . they were constrained . . . disabled . . . because they refused to engage with the enabling power and presence of God.

And before . . . we judge the limping prophets . . how many times do we limp in the dance of life? How many times are we deprived and disabled because our heart is just not in it?

Our participation with Christ Jesus, who is Life, can be likened to a dance. One of my first encounters with Christ as a child was through the imagery that all I needed to do was stand on his feet, let Him hold on to me, lean back, and feel the wind of freedom as He led me in the dance of life.

Think about what causes you to limp in the dance with Life . . . what distracts you from being fully engaged and participating in Life?

Surrender.
Be freed of your limp.
Dance all day and night.

Learning with you to dance,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Fire Is A Really Big Deal

Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood." So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal all morning, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced wildly around the altar they had made. (I Kings 18: 23-26, NLT)

Okay . . . the verse is long. Take the extra time to read it. Why? At the center of the story there is a message about those who are alive with the fire of God and how others are living but their soul is dead . . . they wake up dreading the day . . . overwhelmed with details and drudgery rather than with purpose and passion from the presence of God.

Fire is a really big deal.

Can you imagine the scene on Mt Carmel as recorded in I Kings 18? Elijah entered into a contest with those who had put their time and effort into Baal, who the people had depicted as a god that flashed with fire (lightening) in the sky . . . holding bolts of lightening in his hands . . . and was considered the god of fire. It makes sense that the prophets of Baal were a little self-involved in looking for Baal to appear through fire. Elijah knew it would not happen . . . and watched them waste their time and effort.

How many times do we waste our effort because our effort is not drawn from the presence of God?

Elijah was familiar with the appearances of God (theophanies) through fire . . . the burning bush . . . the pillar of fire . . . the throne vision of Ezekiel. Fire also represented the acceptance of sacrifices . . . burnt offerings expressed God’s readiness to re-establish relationship . . . a means of grace. Fire was a really big deal.

What was the contest about?

Everyone wanted the drought to end and the rain to come . . . they looked at the sending of the fire to identify where the rain came from. But there was more . . . the people were blind to the Reality of the presence of God. The drought in their soul was far greater than in the land. Without the fire of God . . . there is nothing to ignite an individual's purpose and passion.

The presence of God, symbolized by fire, is a really big deal. It is the difference of living with all-consuming passion or living as if we were dead.

Let the fire of God consume you.

Learning with you to live in the all-consuming fire of God,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

And This Is His Plan

Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. (I Kings 18:22, NLT)

I have a friend that works in a co-op with people that speak about their disgust and disdain for Christians. Their opinions have not only been formed through the media but through some hurtful experiences with people who have said they follow Christ. My friend says that working there is not hard because he knows that it is the plan of God. He does not let the people's comments get to him . . . but instead hopes that his words and actions of love will get to them . . . and they will want something more . . . a relationship with God.

The plan of God can seem so . . . well . . . mysterious. It seems to me that sometimes knowing the plan of God is much easier than we want it to be. Quite frequently people will say to me that they wish they knew what God wanted them to do . . . BUT . . . they continue doing things their way as if they are waiting for a memo from heaven. The thing is when we read the Old and New Testament the will of God . . . when all is said and done . . . without question . . . is for humanity to have a relationship with God . . . and this is His plan . . . to live in relationship with God.

I Kings 18 records Elijah standing alone for God as he faced 450 prophets of Baal. The plan remained the same . . . for all of them to be in relationship with God. This story clearly points us to the best way to live . . . in relationship with God. It is His plan.

The Apostle Paul wrote of the alignment of life through a relationship with God that is found through Christ in Ephesians.

And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ -- everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago.
God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. (Ephesians 1:10-12, NLT)

We can comprehend God’s plan through the life of Christ. And this is His plan . . . for God so loved the world that He came and communicated how to live.
Live the best life today . . . in relationship with God.
Align everything you think, say, and do through your relationship with God.
Learning with you to intentionally live in His plan,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

What is your story?

Now bring all the people of Israel to Mount Carmel, with all 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who are supported by Jezebel."
So Ahab summoned all the people and the prophets to Mount Carmel.
Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent. (I Kings 18: 19-20, NLT)

Last night, my professor described his experience of receiving a new heart through a heart transplant. He compared it to receiving a new heart from God. I finished reading his book last week; however, hearing his words brought a whole new dimension to his story. He explained that the recipient of the heart legally can't look for their own donor because there is a system in place to match the donor's heart to the recipient's heart. When the donor died, the heart and other organs were offered as a gift. My professor . . . near death . . . his heart barely functioning . . . had to simply accept or decline the offer of the new heart. After receiving the new heart, he has had to take medications and follow the doctor's prescribed way of living to maintain his health.

While I can't come close to telling my professor's story the way he did . . . in reality this is God's story . . . our story . . . sin separates humanity from God, creating an unhealthy heart and life. Humanity can't receive a new heart through their own doing . . . it is God's doing.

Christ . . . God with us . . . gave his life . . . out of love . . . so that we could receive a new heart . . . and experience a new life . . . energized . . . excited . . . alive. All we can do is say yes to a new heart and live the way God has prescribed in order to be healthy and whole. It is the story . . . that is revealed through God's Word.

Look at the story of Elijah and King Ahab. Elijah faced the King and his followers, confronting them, declaring the need for a relationship with God. They simply needed to make a decision . . . the rest was God's doing.

And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.(Ezekiel 36:26, NLT)

We are offered a new heart . . . new and right desires . . . a new spirit . . . an incredible life story.

Determine what your story is today.
Live out the story.
Celebrate a life lived with a new heart.
Live life to the fullest . . . alive in Christ.

Learning with you to live out the story of all stories,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Word Tools and Weapons

Elijah replied, I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, by forsaking the commandments of the Lord and by following the Baals. (I Kings 18:18, Amplified)

There are some things that make me . . . well . . . very, very, cranky. One of those things is called gossip. I do not like gossip. In fact, I can't stand gossip. . . I love the gossiper and want to help the gossiper . . . but the gossiper needs to face the truth about what they are doing. Gossipers are more interested in attracting attention through their words than the truth. Gossipers cause friendships to break, marriages to dissolve, and trust to disappear. Gossipers lack courage and truth.

I am getting cranky just writing about gossip . . . I had one friend that lost his job because of gossip . . . even though there was an apology and words were retracted . . . damage occurred. One person began with adding a sentence or two in conversations that made people think he might not be doing his job appropriately. It took time but through the process of gossip, seeds of distrust were planted . . . words were twisted and turned until truth had been lost.

I Kings 18 records the discussion Elijah had a face to face conversation with King Ahab. He did not waste his time, effort, or energy on gossip. He spoke with courage and truth. Someone needed to face the king and confront what he was doing . . . Elijah confronted with truth . . . plain . . . simple . . . powerful truth and used it as a tool to change the world. The words were God empowered. Words both influence and impact for the good or destroy. Words are either constructive or destructive . . . encouraging or discouraging . . . focused on God or self . . . tools or weapons. How we use our words will shape and form the course of not only how we live but will have a ripple effect on families, neighborhoods, churches, schools, workplaces, and communities.

Proverbs tells us words can be life giving and refreshing:

A person's words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook. (Proverbs 18:4, NLT)

Take time to assess how you use your words.
Are your words tools or weapons?
What do your words say about you?

Use words that are life-giving and refreshing.
Refuse to gossip.
Use your words for good.
Learning with you to use words as tools rather than weapons,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Are You A Troublemaker?

So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet him.
"So it's you, is it -- Israel's troublemaker?" Ahab asked when he saw him. (I Kings 18:16-17, NLT)

I frequently ask people if they are making trouble. Many will hesitate and then deny any involvement in trouble; however, a few will confirm my suspicion that they are making trouble. I am not talking about doing wrong, but about living on the edge through faith . . . the kind of trouble that makes no sense to people lacking faith. Living in faith requires courage along with the willingness to live beyond the expected realm of decorum.

Seriously, we need to live beyond the routine and out of the rut of living. While it is wonderful to live in an organized and planned way . . . please go crazy . . . make some trouble for the sake of Christ . . . have faith for the faithfulness . . . hope for the hopeless . . . and love for the unlovable . . . shake things up!!!

King Ahab saw all the things that Elijah was doing and asked him to identify himself as a troublemaker. Elijah's behavior did not align with perceived normal behavior for an Israelite. Why? What did he do to create so much controversy? Elijah did not do things the way people expected . . . he was well . . . a little strange . . . actually . . . how many of us know someone served dinner by ravens? Elijah lived on the edge . . . allowing the Spirit of God to work in and through Him . . . having faith . . . when everyone had lost faith . . . depending on God for food and water . . . when everyone had lost hope . . . loving a widow and her son . . . who had no one else to love them . . . and the story goes on.

When it is all said and done, people need to understand that our story is part of the story of God . . . and it is anything but routine!

As the story of God continues . . .
Make some trouble today.
Refuse to be in a rut.
Live on the edge.
Love someone when it makes no sense.
Hope when there seems to be no hope.
Have faith when everything seems to be impossible.
Live beyond the expected.

Learning with you to be a troublemaker and shake things up with faith, hope, and love,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Sometimes You Gotta Say Okay

Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the LORD's prophets? I hid a hundred of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.
And now you say, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here'! Sir, if I do that, I'm as good as dead!"
But Elijah said, "I swear by the LORD Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab today."
So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet him. (I Kings 18:13-16, NLT)

I have a friend that helps others all the time. If there is a need, he will be there. I assumed that he has always lived in this manner; however, he told me a different story. His story began years ago when he traveled via hitch-hiking. Life held no specific purpose for him, so, he did not have a specific destination. Along the way, people told him about how he could have a relationship with God. He would feel anxiety rising as they spoke and refused to enter into thinking about God; however, the kindness of the individuals and their conversations began to make him think about God. Finally, one person told him, “Sometimes you gotta say okay . . . and leave the rest to God.” So he did. He said okay to God and God entered in. And, because of all the people that helped him find God through kindness and conversation . . . he does the same . . . which is his purpose . . . as he travels through the journey of life . . . knowing his destiny is in the heart of God.

In the book of I Kings, Obadiah listed the reasons that He could not do what God wanted him to do. His reasoning came from fear. Elijah simply listened and gave reassurance without persuasive arguments or pleading. And . . . Elijah did not let Obadiah’s fear interfere with what he needed to do . . . and then . . . after all the list-making . . . Obadiah faced the king . . . no drama . . . nothing but giving the message is recorded. Sometimes you gotta say okay and leave the rest to God . . . rather than listing out all the reasons why doing something for God does not make sense . . . we need to say okay in faith and refuse to let fear enter in.

Take a moment and think about Elijah's response. How could Elijah respond in faith when Obadiah had presented a death sentence to him?

In my perception, Elijah remembered that he belonged to God. Certainly, he remembered God had provided him an oasis in the midst of a desert. When he was hungry and thirsty . . . God provided. And . . . he had seen the power of life when God breathed new life into the widow’s son. The faithfulness of God’s love superseded his circumstances. Sometimes you gotta say okay . . . and leave the rest to God.

Of course faith is a process; but God will transform us by the way we think:

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. (Romans 12:2, NLT)

Think about what it means to have thought of faith.
Determine what thoughts are based on fear.
Release the fear to God.
Respond in faith.
Take a risk: sometimes you gotta say okay!

Learning with you to say okay to God,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Whining About Life

But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the LORD all my life. (I Kings 18:12)

I spent a significant amount of time in airports this past week. Have you ever people-watched while you were waiting for your life to take off? There are some very interesting characters in airports . . . including whiners. One man whined so loud that airport security escorted him away from our gate. He took whining to a whole new level. He was unhappy with his seat assignment. Seriously . . . are you kidding me?

The thing is . . . those of us in the Western world . . . are spoiled. We act as if we are owed something . . . when in fact we need to be grateful for the air we breathe . . . for the gift of life . . . for the resources we have been given to use. We need to get a grip on what is important in life and stop whining!

Actually, whining has occurred since the beginning of time. I Kings 18 recorded the story of Obadiah whining. He failed to see his life-giving opportunity. God had positioned him to be in the right place at the right time; however, Obadiah could not see anything but himself. When it all comes down to it . . . a whiner fails to see the presence of God . . . and what is really important in life.

In the letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote:

From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. (1:20-21, NLT)

Focusing on God produces clarity of what is important on life. When we take our focus off God . . . separating our mind from His presence . . . our mind will become dark and confused.

How do we focus on God in the midst of the challenges of life? Look at Romans 1 again. Paul says the people did not worship or give thanks.

Breathe.
Get a grip on what is important today.
Refuse to whine.
Take time to be aware of the presence of God.
Look around you and see what God has created.
Give thanks.
Worship.

Learning with you to be focused on God,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Pink Tee-Shirts and Milk Shakes

For I swear by the LORD your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time when he was told, 'Elijah isn't here,' King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim.
And now you say, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here'! (I Kings 18:10-11)

Before Tim’s friend died, he randomly made the comment that he would like people to wear pink tee-shirts and drink milk shakes at his funeral. So, hundreds of teenagers and twenty-something adults wore pink tee shirts with the inscription: “Alive in Christ.” And . . . they drank milkshakes. They celebrated life in honor of their friend who left this world to live in a whole new dimension of life.

Their bold statement brings hope . . . faith . . . love . . . joy . . . peace . . . and life to this world. Shouldn’t we be more driven to respond to life in this manner? Too often we are problem oriented and think in dead-end terms.

Look at Obadiah in I Kings 18 story. He knew the king’s obsessive wrath over Elijah. Death would have been the reasonable outcome for Obadiah when the king found out he had seen Elijah.

Life is never simple. Too often the problems mount up until we can’t see any way out. The Apostle Paul delineates a new way to respond to life:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2, NLT).

Renewing our minds through committing to trust Christ allows us to see that the work of God transforms what appears to be a dead-end circumstance into a life-giving event. Through the ongoing power of God that renews our mind, we are able to wear pink tee shirts, drink milk shakes, and celebrate life in Christ, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Renew your mind through the power, presence, and peace of Christ.
Consciously receive His presence in your thoughts.
Allow the peace of Christ to flow through your thought process.
Align your mindset with what is good, acceptable and perfect.
Respond with the hope . . . faith . . . love . . . joy . . . peace . . . and life found through Christ.


Learning with you to wear a pink-tee shirt, drink milkshakes, and celebrate life,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Life or Death?

"Oh, sir," Obadiah protested, "what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab?

A parent’s job is to grow and celebrate the life of their child. It just seems wrong for a parent to bury their child and then live with loss the rest of the days of their life; however, we have had a list of friends who have faced this horrific event. Accordingly, there are some parents that spend their time fearing for their child’s life.

At the end of the day, the difference between living with faith in Life or fear of death is freedom. Those who have faith in Life are liberated from the constraints caused by the fear of death. Those who are bound up with fear of death never really know the joy of living. We all must choose which pathway we will take every day. Will it be faith in Life or fear of death?

Fear reduces and narrows our perception of reality, which eventually leads to the question: “What will happen to me?” To put it bluntly the mindset of fear underscores how life impacts self. Fear erects barriers and produces self-protective behavior. Self takes precedent over God and others. The impact and consequences of fear create chaos and havoc in the way an individual thinks, speaks, and acts.

Obadiah, knew God, but reacted in fear to Elijah’s request to communicate with the king. Obadiah reacted to his knowledge of the power of death the king possessed, which he perceived to overrule God’s rule. A mindset of faith requires the surrender of what is seen in the moment in order to see the bigger picture. Ultimately, the fear of death overwhelmed his faith. Death captured his vision.

The first followers of Christ experienced something similar to Obadiah. They could not see beyond the horrible death of Christ on the cross. They saw their Lord die, which of course seemed final. Their dreams of salvation from their plight died that day. Can you imagine the confusion and desperation when they realized the tomb was empty? Hope had already died. Nothing seemed to be right. Fear took control of their minds and narrowed their perspective . . . until they saw the risen Jesus. Faith reformatted around the power of the resurrected life of Christ.

As God breaks into individual lives, fear of death is exchanged for faith in life and a bigger picture is formed based on the living resurrected Christ. Through Christ, our death has been exchanged for life.
Jesus described resurrection at the Last Supper before the crucifixion.
"I go to prepare a place for you." But Thomas said "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).
Christ explained what we receive through His resurrection:
1. The Way to live.
2. The Truth of life.
3. The eternal Life God has planned for us to receive.
Experience the power of Resurrection.
Exchange the fear of death for faith in Life.
Let the Way, Truth, and Life resurrect the way you think, speak, and act.

Learning with you to focus on faith in Life rather than the fear of death,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

How Are You Identified?

"Yes, it is," Elijah replied. "Now go and tell your master I am here." (I Kings 1:8, NLT)

Tim’s friend did not carry identification. When he died the attending officers needed official identification. He was identified by the small tattoo on his ankle that simply said, “Alive in Christ.” Isn’t that powerful?

I want to be identified as being alive in Christ. Too many people say they are following Christ but live without joy, peace, or love. In effect, these individuals are the walking dead, going through the motions without identifying with Life.

Elijah was identified as a prophet of God. Obadiah not only recognized him, but was told to reveal Elijah’s identity to the evil-king. Elijah knew who he was . . . he understood his life through relationship with God.

Our life is transformed when we define our identity through a relationship with God. We move from a lifeless, dead existence to real living through the life of Christ.

The Apostle Paul explained his identity in I Corinthians:
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (15:10, NIV).

His identity was found through the grace of God. “By the grace of God . . . I am what I am.”
Identity through the grace of God . . . changes how we see ourselves.
Identity through the grace of God . . . is not about what we possess or about our position or about power we have attained, but about the grace of God residing within our whole being.
Identity through the grace of God . . . gives us access to do anything we are asked to do without excuse for our perceived lack of ability, experience, or resources.

Consider your identity through the grace of God.
Develop your identity through the grace of God.
Respond to life through your identity: “By the grace of God . . . I am what I am.”

Learning with you to be identified through the grace of God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Real Life

As Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and fell to the ground before him. "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" he asked. (I Kings 1:7, NLT)

We went to view the body of Tim’s friend at a funeral home. Before entering the funeral home, we discussed what would be viewed . . . a body without life. The life in his body was gone, but remained alive through Christ.

That said, life was viewed. Family and friends gathered on coaches and in different places in the building. I took a moment to experience the sounds and sights of life . . . crying . . . soft talking . . . laughing . . . hugging . . . encouraging . . . all because of the life of one young man. Death is not easy to comprehend or process; however, being free of fearing death is one of the most liberating experiences.

Looking at death is difficult; however, our faith changes when we understand that real life is revealed through Christ. In other words, God has communicated with us about life through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, who is “God with us.” This is heavy stuff . . . but this concept changes how we live and approach death when we take the time to process it. We will face death . . . either with peace or anxiety. The way I see it, how we approach death says a lot about our life.

Study Elijah in the book of I Kings. The prophet lived on the edge of life, willingly putting himself at risk, in order to do the work of God. Elijah came into the territory run by evil rulers, who wanted him to die. Obadiah could not believe Elijah would come to a place that was so clearly dangerous. Even so, Elijah put himself at risk because life had more value living with faith in God rather than in fear of circumstances and people. How is that possible?

It seems to me that individuals who do not fear death are the ones that have a deep faith in God. They understand that God’s love is never limited or cut off by anyone or anything, including death.

The Apostle Paul wrote about life, keeping resurrection at the center. In Colossians he wrote:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. (3:1-4).

The precept Apostle Paul writes about is to focus on God as well as to realize real life will only be found in Christ. God has revealed the real life plan for each one of us through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Focus your thoughts on God.
Take faith risks.
Refuse fear.
Live real life in Christ.

Learning with you to live real life,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Consumed

So they divided the land between them.
Ahab went one way by himself,
and
Obadiah went another way by himself.
(I Kings 18:6, NLT).

I listened as some friends discussed their schedule. Stress came to the forefront as the impossibilities of living with the pressures became evident. As they stressed the all consuming need to manage their schedules, I found myself becoming stressed about my schedule. By the end of the discussion, we all were at the peak of stress. Talk about peer pressure!

The stress of busyness consumes us until our primary concern becomes getting everything done. Living with a mission and purpose disappears in the race to complete tasks and responsibilities. Eventually, life becomes a maze of problems and pressures to manage. Missional living disappears.

A perfect example appears in I Kings 18. Life boiled down to the pressures created by the famine. The need for grass to feed the animals became the primary focus for King Ahab. It appears to be so important, that he did not trust any one but himself and Obadiah to find it, an atypical job for a king and his "right hand" man. It strikes me that the mission of King would not include looking for grass. When we become consumed with problems, we miss seeing the bigger picture.

So what do we do when the pressures of life consume us?

21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
(Lamentations 3, NIV)

Refocus.
Speak the truth: God is my Life. The goodness of God is revealed through placing my hope in Him rather than focusing on problems. I will seek God.
Become quiet . . . completely quiet . . . release the pressure and stress . . . give it to God . . . experience the peace of acknowledging the presence of God . . . the power of God . . . the love of God . . . the faithfulness of God . . . actively place your hope in God . . . become consumed with God.
Learning with to you to be consumed with the presence of God rather than pressures and problems . . .
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Separated From God

Ahab said to Obadiah, "We must check every spring and valley to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules."
(I Kings 18:5, NLT).

Christ followers around the world have observed Lent since at least 325 AD, which began yesterday and will end the Saturday before Easter, a forty day time period. Lent provides an opportunity to be drawn into community with one another around the world through intentional worship, prayer, and service for the cause of Christ.

There are so many distractions in our world that seem to separate us from perceiving the presence of God. Taking time and intentionally pulling away from intense busyness . . . to be still . . . to listen . . . and to know God creates a new perspective and clarity of what really matters.

Have you seen the difference between the lives of individuals who make it a priority to draw close to God and those who live separated from Him?
I Kings 18 is a story that contrasts the difference of living separate from God. King Ahab, lived without knowing the presence of God, focused on the urgent details of living rather than on the Source of life. But then again . . . we all have had times of being too focused on overwhelming details and responsibilities that we missed the presence, power, and peace of God.

How do we move beyond focusing on details to intentionally listening to God?

Join the community of Christ followers around the world to purposefully draw close to God in the forty day period of Lent. In the ancient days there was a renewing of the earth from the presence of sin after 40 days of rain. . . the hearts of God's Beloved were prepared to enter into the promised land after forty years of wandering . . . the Ten Commandments were given to Moses after he fasted for forty days . . . and Christ Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert during a forty-day time period before he entered public ministry.

Take time to intentionally listen in the season of Lent.
"Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world" (Psalms 46:10, NLT)
Determine to put tasks aside for a period of time every day.
Quietly wait for the presence of God to be revealed.
Know the presence of God.

Learning with to focus on God rather than live in separation,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

What You Are Known For

So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah was a devoted follower of the LORD. Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had hidden one hundred of them in two caves. He had put fifty prophets in each cave and had supplied them with food and water.)
(I Kings 18:3-4, NLT).

Tim and other college-age kids have been communicating about their mutual friend that died this past week through Facebook.* In the course of discussions, Tim's friend has been noted to have been a fully devoted Christ-follower. Wow! Pretty incredible for such a young age . . . to be known to live fully and purposefully for Christ . . . how many people fail to discern their purpose at any time in life . . . let alone a 20-year-old who has just begun the process of life as an adult . . . I am just saying . . . unusual . . . don't you think?

I Kings records a similar unusual person with what seems to be an unusual name in our culture and context . . . Obadiah. Though Obadiah lived during an extreme famine and served evil rulers, he was known as devoted follower of the Lord. How do we know this is so significant? Study the Bible and notice . . . it is the significant things that bring us into understanding of the story of God that has been recorded. It is significant that Obadiah was known as a devoted follower.

His actions revealed his heart. He protected and provided for the prophets at the risk of his own life. The prophets were the individuals who typically warned the people of what would happen if they separated their lives from God. Look at this passage closely; he hid the prophets in caves . . . which not only took some strategic and secretive planning but a risk to go against the known evil rulers that employed him. Secondly, he provided one hundred prophets with food and water in an extreme famine. So he risked everything by providing those kind of resources in a famine that had just worsened according to verse 2 ("Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria"). Yikes! His actions revealed what he was known for: a devoted follower.

How do we live fully devoted to God?
We read in the letter to Corinthians:

13 Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done in love.
(I Corinthians 16, NRS)

Take time to think about what you are known for . . . and what some vital components of a devoted follower include . . .
Keep alert: Be on the alert for opportunities to serve God through words and actions.
Stand firm in your faith: We are to take a stance of faith regardless of difficulties, disappointments, and challenges of life.
Be courageous: Face and move through difficulties despite our fears.
Be strong: Authentic strength is received from the power, presence, and peace of God and particularly revealed in tough times.
Let all that you do be done in love: Yikes . . . this is not saying out of obligation or responsibility, we are told to act in love . . . which evidently includes people that do not live in love. Devoted followers access the power of the love of God to flow through every word and action. The love of Christ is the key component of life to a devoted follower.

Learning with to you what to do to be known as a devoted follower,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)



* Facebook is a networking site that began about four years ago for Harvard students, now used by individuals from a variety of learning institutions and organizations for the purpose of communicating with others.

Active Faith

So Elijah went . . .
to appear before Ahab.
(I Kings 18:2, NLT)

Learning to live by faith is a process. Really, learning to trust God for the unseen things in life takes a lifetime; however, most of us define and hope for life to last for 90 to 100 years. So, it is difficult to comprehend someone dying early in life, like Tim's twenty-year old friend. That said, there are two things that have been clear about his death . . .

The first thing . . . this young man . . . really made an impact in literally hundreds and hundreds of lives through his faith and service. Seriously, the story of his life and death has been the topic of discussion with people I would never have guessed knew him. They knew him because of his acts of service for the cause of Christ. I am blown away by the power of serving God. It is one thing to volunteer our services . . . but it is another thing to volunteer our life in service to Christ.

The second thing . . . this young man's death makes no sense. Humanity always tries to make sense out of everything that occurs in life. Can we make sense out of everything? In my perception, the answer is "no." There are things in the process of life that require active faith, placing our trust in God, finding peace through His presence rather than attempting to answer the incomprehensible events to find satisfying peace.

I think that is why Elijah is such a great individual to study. There are many things that occurred in his life that made no sense . . . yet . . . he chose to have faith. When God told to him to face King Ahab . . . most of us would have questioned the reasoning . . . because King Ahab could have killed Elijah. What does the author of I King comment about this? "So he went." No questions. No trying to figure out the "whys" of the directions. He went. Yikes! Most of us would want to know why we were asked to go where we would most likely be killed.

How do we live with active faith? The Apostle Paul advised Timothy:

Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.

We are to:
Cling to faith in Christ--the definition of cling is to come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation.
Keep our conscience clear--the act of clearing the conscience requires an examination of self which leads to a revelation of what does not belong in the life of a Christ-follower. The Spirit of God reveals the things that we think, say, and do that separate us from Christ.
Live in active faith.
Cling to Christ.
Keep your conscience clear.
Volunteer to give your life in faith and service to Christ.
Learning with to you to live in active faith,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

When It Seems Too Hard

After many months passed,
in the third year of the drought,
the LORD said to Elijah,
"Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!"
(I Kings 18:1, NLT).

Some events are almost too difficult to comprehend. A friend of Tim's died unexpectedly while snow boarding on Saturday night. None of us can comprehend the loss, it seems too hard. The newspaper article written about his accident ended by describing the saying tattooed on his ankle to be an expression of his life:

"Alive In Christ."

I am not sure that the feelings or process of grief can really be described through the limitations of words. Grief often leads to a drought of the mind, soul, and heart, making life seem too hard for the individuals left behind. I Kings not only tells the story about Elijah but also about a drought in the land that had lasted for three years. Droughts are difficult, causing havoc and hardship.

Droughts are out of our control; however God asked Elijah to take action by presenting himself to King Ahab with the promise that rain would soon be sent. Throughout the Bible we are told God intervenes in humanity through life-giving power.

So, how do we receive the life-giving power God gives when we face death and drought?

The book of Luke records the question when Christ's friends were looking for His body:

"Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive?" (Luke 24:5b, NLT)

In other words . . . we are to refocus . . . rather than being focused on the tomb we are to be focused on the presence and power of Christ, who lives!
When it seems too hard . . .
Take time to refocus your perception.
Focus on Christ.
Meditate on the fact that Christ is not in the tomb--He lives!
Reflect on abiding in the life of Christ.
Ask: Is my perspective centered on the tomb or on the living Christ?
Determine to think, speak, and act through the life of Christ.
Be alive in Christ today.
Learning with to you when it seems too hard to focus on the living Christ,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Words of Life

Then the woman told Elijah,
"Now I know for sure that you are a man of God,
and that the LORD truly speaks through you."
(I Kings 17:24, NLT).

We have experienced some cold winter days lately; however, yesterday we had some relief with warmer air. Whether it was because of the warm weather or not, when I stepped outside a trio of birds were calling out to each other from three different directions. Actually . . . the birds communicated to me . . . I know . . . a little hmmm . . . unusal to understand birds . . . you might say "special" (with sarcasm of course) . . . but seriously . . . I heard the promise of spring coming . . . the promise of life.

Communication is an incredible gift. Elijah used language that expressed faith which the Spirit of God empowered and revealed life. I am sure the widow never forgot what Elijah said. Those words were etched in her memory, bringing joy to her long after he left.

Through our relationship with God, we are given the ability to communicate life, which is empowered through the love of Christ. Love is heard, life is revealed. Communication without the empowerment of the love of Christ will leave words flat and empty.

How do we communicate words so people are encouraged and energized with life?

Proverbs 10:11 states:

The words of the godly lead to life; evil people cover up their harmful intentions

(NLT).

The wisdom of Proverbs teaches the truth that when we choose to pattern our behavior to be Christ-like (godly) our words will lead to life. In other words, our behavior is connected to the impact of our words.

Of course it is a process, but communication begins with communicating with God, which produces peace as thoughts are fixed on Him . . . the thought process guides behavior and words:

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise

(Philippians 4:6-9).

Communicate life through the love of Christ.
Refuse to worry about anything.
Pray about everything.
Tell God what you need.
Thank God for all he has done.
Experience God's peace.
Receive the peace of God that guards your heart and mind.
Live in Christ Jesus.
Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right.
Think about things that are pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise.
Impact others, communicate with words of life.

Learning with to you use words of life.
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)