Ken Winter
Between the Already and the Not Yet

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

As Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, teaching His disciples, He began this particular discourse with the admonition, “be on the alert,” and concluded with the exact same words. In reading His words in the Gospel of Matthew, we see that He directed this message to four distinct “audiences.”

First, He addressed His disciples' specific questions. Second, since Jesus’ earthly ministry focused primarily on the Jewish people, this message was also directed to them. Third, He spoke to His church—those who would follow after Him, including us today, who will be with Him in heaven before the Tribulation. (By the way, as a side note—as His people we will escape the Tribulation, but He never promised that we will escape tribulation.) Fourth, He was speaking to His followers who would come to faith in Him during the Tribulation (after the rapture, but before His second coming).

For those of us in that third group—believers following Him today—we live in a place between the “already” and the “not yet.”

Between the Already and the Not Yet
Ken Winter
Simple Stories, Profound Truths

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

When Jesus spoke to the crowds, He often used simple stories (parables) to communicate profound truths about the Kingdom of God. Have you ever gotten confused over what Jesus was saying? If so, you’re in good company because even the apostles were confused—until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The good news is, if we are followers of Jesus, we have that same Holy Spirit inside of us to reveal all truth.

Once, the disciples asked Him, “Why do You use parables when You talk to the people?” Jesus replied, “To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” He added, “I use parables because they look, but don’t really see. They hear, but don’t really listen or understand.”

Jesus was emphasizing profound truths ….

Simple Stories, Profound Truths
Ken Winter
No More Manna

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Have you recently lost a job or seen a significant income stream dry up? Are you feeling discouraged or confused about what’s happening? Are you struggling to make sense of an unexpected change in your life? There’s a lesson to be learned from the Israelites’ experience soon after they crossed into the Promised Land.

Few Israelites were old enough to remember the days before they ate manna. For them, it had become a basic staple of their diet—like fresh ground peanut butter is for me today. The generation that perished in the wilderness had been the ones grumbling, “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt… There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”God responded to their complaints and miraculously provided them with manna.

No More Manna
Ken Winter
The Staff That Blossoms

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

There is a powerful example in the Book of Numbers that illustrates how we should live as followers of Christ. Ironically, this example arose from a dispute among God's chosen people. They were arguing over who should hold the highest position. In some ways, this mirrors the debate among Jesus’ disciples about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. In both cases, selfish ambition reared its head, just as it often does in our own lives.

God decided to put an end to the controversy about who should serve as a priest on behalf of the people. Despite the judgments of death God had already rendered earlier in the passage, He now used a life-giving sign to settle the issue once and for all.

The Staff That Blossoms
Ken Winter
Seen the Cloud? See the Glory!

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

If you are a follower of Christ—if you are one of God’s children—He promises to go before you, not just some of the time, but all the time. When we walk in His way and according to His will, He guarantees that every step we take is sure and secure—even when it doesn’t feel that way! As long as we are walking in His way to the best of our understanding, we can trust that every situation and circumstance—whether He placed it there or not—will work for our ultimate good, His purpose, and His glory.

Let’s consider an example of this truth. From the day the Israelites left Egypt, the Lord gave His people a constant reminder of His presence. He sent a pillar of cloud to guide them by day and a pillar of fire by night, so they could travel without losing sight of His leading. In Exodus we read, “The LORD did not remove the pillar of cloud or the pillar of fire from the sight of the people.” This visible reminder was with them for the entire month since their journey began.

Seen the Cloud? See the Glory!

Faith

If You Will, You Can

If You Will, You Can

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

The Bible is filled with many people who face impossible situations beyond their control. They include Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when faced with the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lions’ den. They also include an unnamed leper we encounter in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke who faced the hopelessness of his terminal disease.

i believe the omission of his name is purposeful. As a part of the nameless crowd, he could be any one of us, free from any of the preconceived notions that might come with knowing his background.

Allow me to tell his story in the first person as if i were him—because parts of his story may truly be mine … and perhaps you, too, share in his story.

It Was By Faith

It Was By Faith

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

It was by faith! Those are four powerful words. Apart from those four words, Noah would have perished with everyone else when the flood waters came.(1) Abram would have been a wealthy landowner who none of us would have ever heard of, living in an obscure village none of us would have ever known.(2) Moses would have lived out his life as the spoiled adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, surrounded by Israelite slaves.(3) And a woman named Rahab would have lived out her days as a prostitute until her days were abruptly cut short.(4) As a matter of fact, without faith, she would have died in obscurity just like all the rest of the people who were living in Jericho when the walls “came crashing down.”(5)

A Faith That Is Sure

A Faith That Is Sure

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Are you at a crossroad in your journey? Are you needing wisdom to know which road to take? Are you considering which of the roads in front of you is the best one for you? The probability is that all of your options look pretty good. Let’s face it – if one of your options looks like it will lead to complete disaster, you’re probably not wasting much time considering it. So your quandary is probably over which of the “good” options in front of you is the best. If that’s the case, you would do well to follow the example of a woman by the name of Rahab….

What’s So Special About Cana?

What’s So Special About Cana?

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Have you ever believed God was telling you to do something that makes absolutely no sense? Did you ever find yourself asking Him, “God, you want me to do what?!?” If so, there is a lesson for us to learn that comes out of an otherwise very inconsequential place.

It was an obscure corner of Galilee. Very few people knew where it was, let alone traveled to it. As a matter of fact, the village of Cana is never mentioned in the Old Testament, and it is only referred to three times in the New Testament. Most people only passed through Cana on their way to somewhere else. It wasn’t a center of activity like Jerusalem or even Capernaum. But Cana became significant one day, not because of what it was, but because of what took place there. It became significant because Jesus came there. It became significant because of how a group of people responded to Him….

Amazing Faith

Amazing Faith

There are only two times recorded in the Bible when we read that Jesus was amazed. It was highly unusual for the Son of God to be amazed. He knew what was in man, so very little could amaze Him.

The first time was by the unbelief of the Jews in His hometown of Nazareth.(1) These were the people who knew Him the best. He had grown up among them. He counted them as friends and neighbors. He had done carpentry work for many of them. (Imagine having the Creator of the universe doing your carpentry work. It must have been stunning!)

For almost thirty years they had seen Him live out a sinless life of righteousness. (Presuming that the Creator could possibly hit His own thumb with His hammer, not one disconcerting word ever came out of His mouth!) And yet, these friends and neighbors not only didn’t believe in Him – they rejected Him. Amazing!

The second time Jesus was amazed was quite the opposite. He was amazed by the faith of a man. It was a man who had never before met Jesus. He wasn’t one of Jesus’ closest followers. He wasn’t a devout religious leader. He wasn’t even a Jew. He was a Roman soldier.(2)

All To Him I Owe

All To Him I Owe

One of my favorite stories in my novel Through the Eyes of a Shepherd is about a fictional little boy who was encountered by two of the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent out into the villages throughout Galilee. i thought it would be fun to connect him with another little boy we actually see (though he is unnamed) in the Gospels. It became a very touching account that reinforces foundational biblical truth.

i originally told the story through the eyes of the shepherd Shimon. But in the book i am releasing next year, i retell the story through the eyes of the little boy himself. i’m posting the new story here this week because i think it is a truth that we all need to be reminded of again and again – particularly as we walk through these challenging days. As in all of my stories, some of the events and some of the people are fictional – but the truth they tell is trustworthy! This is longer than a blog post; it is a short story. But i pray you will find it worth the read.

________________________________

My name is Jonathan and I am ten years old. My parents and I live in the village of Chorazin in northern Galilee….

I Will Sing Because I Trust You

I Will Sing Because I Trust You

Increasingly each day, our attention is being seized by the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) around the globe. It is impacting how we travel, how we shop, how we meet, and even how we worship. Travelers are being detained and sequestered. Travel that had not yet begun is being cancelled. Cities are deploying the National Guard to establish containment areas. Financial markets are experiencing some of the most turbulent swings in history. Toilet paper has seemingly become a precious commodity. Large meetings are being cancelled. And churches are adjusting how they observe the Lord’s Supper. As few as sixty days ago, no one could have anticipated all of this. Yet it is impacting almost every facet of our lives – and there is currently no end in sight.

i can’t help but draw a parallel to the people of Israel as they camped on the shore of the Red Sea. They had just learned that the Egyptian army was rapidly approaching to capture and destroy them from one side and the sea was blocking their escape on the other. Panic and fear had set in. There seemed to be nowhere to turn.

Right then Moses announced to them, “Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you”….

Praise Before My Breakthrough

Praise Before My Breakthrough

Our Lord is the same today as He was yesterday, and as He will be tomorrow. Don’t take my word for it – take His! He has said it through His Word: “Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 CEV).

i always shudder whenever i hear someone say, “God doesn’t work like that anymore.” If that’s the case, then who changed? Because God said He never changes. So on whose authority do we make that statement? It obviously isn’t on the authority of God or His Word, so it must be on our own authority.

And what is the basis of our authority? It can’t be our position – because we are the created beings. What created being ever had the authority to say what its creator can and cannot do? The painting doesn’t have the capacity to tell the painter what he or she can or cannot do. The painting doesn’t select the color, the size of the canvas, the stroke, or the subject. The painting has no say in the matter. Through its position as the painting, it has no authority over the painter!

So if it’s not our position….

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou My Vision

We live in a day when we have become jaded and critical. Our first reaction is most often to distrust and deride. We often call truth a lie and a lie the truth. That with which we disagree is fake and only that with which we agree is real. There are no longer absolutes, only what I label to be true. It is a time heralded by meanness and callous disregard expressed toward one another. Too often we look upon compassion as weakness and bullying as strength. Instead of blessing we curse. Instead of offering respect, we show contempt. Instead of offering forgiveness, we condemn. Instead of choosing to love, we choose to hate.

For a moment last week social media celebrated a few minutes of captured video when Brandt Jean extended Christ-like compassion and forgiveness to Amber Guyger, convicted of fatally shooting his older brother. Though most chose not to mention Christ as the source and the reason for his compassion, few could ignore the heartfelt sincerity of the one who had extended it.

Even Judge Tammy Kemp who adjudicated the trial, after its conclusion was moved to extend a moment of heartfelt personal compassion to the one upon whom she had just pronounced sentence….

Leave the Crowd, Climb the Mountain

Leave the Crowd, Climb the Mountain

Whether you are leading the crowd, following the crowd or standing in the midst of the crowd, there is comfort in hanging with the crowd. They are our people – and we feel safe and secure in their midst. It may be the crowd at our workplace, our neighborhood, our church, or wherever we hang out. The crowd is familiar with who we are, and we are familiar with who they are. We have history together – perhaps lifelong. It can be a frightening thing to leave the crowd.

But often, God calls us to do just that. He calls us to go on a journey with Him. He leads us to climb a mountain with Him – to a place or a height that we have never been before. And that climb frequently involves leaving the crowd behind – either temporarily or in some instances, permanently.

Jesus repeatedly called people to leave where they were and follow Him. And invariably He told them to climb a little higher, go a little further and draw a little closer. In the Old Testament, we often see God telling Moses to do so….

WHERE CAN WE SEND YOUR E-BOOK?

Enter your email address to get a free copy of The Journey Begins e-book delivered to your inbox. You’ll also be added to my Readers’ Group with updates about new releases, etc. You can unsubscribe at any time.