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The fallen world offers a lens of scarcity that drives people to competition, envy, discouragement, or depression. Jesus met a paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda who was stuck in scarcity.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” John 5:1-7

This man had been paralyzed physically for thirty-eight years, but he was also paralyzed in his soul this entire time! He saw a place that offered him freedom from his condition but seemed unreachable to him. The pool was a place of healing for those who could be the first to jump in, but because he was paralyzed, he wasn’t able to move in quickly and get himself in the pool. He was stuck in his situation!

I wonder how resentful he felt towards others who didn’t help him. He must have felt alone and unloved because he didn’t have anyone to help him. He probably expected his own family to help him or maybe some of his friends who were healthier or stronger than him. I wonder if he even considered those other sick people whose ailment or disability wasn’t as bad as his. He could have even been angry at God and discouraged with the entire unfair arrangement  because it didn’t give an opportunity for a paralyzed man a chance of healing. In his mind, there was scarcity and the odds were against him for the restoration he longed for.

Sometimes we have the paralyzed man’s attitude in life. The scarcity attitude could be in matters such as finding a mate, a tough marriage, finances, doing a specific ministry, opportunities in education, finding employment, etc. If we are to look at the situation naturally, it can look hopeless, difficult, and unending.

The problem with scarcity is that it makes us focus on people and circumstances, and it shuts off  the faith valve in our lives! We either don’t see the Lord as part of the equation, or He hasn’t come through for us in the way we hoped and expected Him to. We now have become the victim of our circumstances, and we can spend years being stuck because we are focused on a seemingly impossible situation!

What area in you life do you feel stuck or a victim of your circumstances? It’s good to have a conversation with Jesus about it and ask Him to give you His perspective on it.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

For comments, please email at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

In the last two devotionals, I wrote about Jesus breaking down the wall of hostility. In this devotional, I’d like to share about Jesus taking us to a higher ground than just letting go of our hostility towards God and others.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.? 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Through the work of Jesus on the cross, it is God’s heart that every person would have an opportunity to be reconciled to his or her God. Jesus through His blood bought us from the hands of the enemy and darkness, so we can now legally be adopted as children of God. We no longer have to remain orphans floating in a sea of indifference, but we’re called by God and for God to get to know Him and walk with Him. He reconciled us to himself and in turn, he has given us the amazing and life giving assignment of reconciliation!

In order for us to take on such a mantle and be ministers of reconciliation, we cannot partake from the well of offense or allow the yeast of pride to grow in our hearts. Just as a Nazirite (Judges 13:7) was to abstain from fermented drinks, in the same manner, we are to remain sanctified to God by not allowing ourselves to get hardened by wall of hostility between us and others. That makes us available for the holy work of reconciliation that God has given us. It allows us to be ready at any moment or time to reach people, love on them, and share Christ with them.

The ministry of reconciliation also extends to helping people get reconciled to each other.  To operate as ministers of reconciliation between people, we have to lay aside our own preferences and issues to be able to bring people together. There are going to be times that we are tempted to be a talebearer because we want to protect a friend, but we have to refrain from reporting things that can cause division in relationships (See Proverbs 6:19b). Our job is to strengthen and restore relationships between others. Additionally, we can’t allow our own insecurities make us territorial by pushing others away from those we love. We should be happy and excited when we see people in good and healthy relationships with one other and do our part to help promote it in any circle.

The ministry of reconciliation is a tough job because much of the work is done behind the scenes helping individuals to see their part in the problem. Generally, people would like for you to sympathize with their pain and not have you point out any of their issues. As a result whomever you are talking to, may feel that you are taking the side of the other person. Unfortunately, neither party may necessarily appreciate your work. This can initiate rejection towards us. This is when we have to turn to the Lord and ask him, “Are you pleased with what I’ve done?” Many times, when people eventually reconcile, they would like to think that it was their idea not someone else’s help, so don’t expect a letter of appreciation or a pat on the back from anyone! As long as God is pleased, that’s all that should matter. Reconciling people can be a messy and hard task, but we can do our part by His grace.

How are you doing as a minister of reconciliation? Are there things that hinder you from being effective in reconciling others to God or to each other? Have you been discouraged in your past attempts in reconciling people to each other?

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

In the last devotional, I wrote about Jesus taking down the wall of hostility between us and God and between us and others according to Ephesians  2:14-18. Paul who penned this scripture had lived in hostility, and he knew how it was like to have a wall of enmity between him and the new believers.

Prior to his conversion, Saul who became Paul was a perfect example of one who had a hostile separation between him and the new Christians. He saw them as a threat to his system and his world of religiosity, and he did everything he could to kill the Christians and annihilate them. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, He asked him “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  Acts 9:4b

I wonder if Paul ever thought of his activities as persecuting his God. Paul must have thought of himself as a loyal follower of his religion who for the sake of the faith was willing to zealously put to death Christians. After all he was a good solider for his God!

If we are going to be sensitive and authentic people of God, we should from time to time ask the question, “Lord, are you pleased by the way I interact/minister to other believers or unbelievers?” Is it possible that we could be persecuting others by how we react to their choices in life?

Sometimes in our zeal and passion against certain sins, we could push people away or act very judgmental. At other times, we may have our conviction on how someone should manage their marriage, parenting, or relationships, and if people don’t aqueous to our viewpoint, we shun them. As a result, we can cause rejection in their hearts.

If we believe that Christianity is a relationship with a holy and living God, then we are to give  room for people to interact with their God . Our job as the people of God is be a catalyst for change by leading people to scripture, sharing with them from our experiences, and praying for them that they will trust and obey God. However, we can’t force people into the kingdom or strong arm them into obedience because then we have turned our beautiful and delicate relationship with Christ into a religious dogma!

Just as Paul had a wall against him and the new believers, the early Christians had a wall erected against Paul because of his behavior. They had no confidence in him. They thought of him as a man who was cruel and was out to get them. When they heard about Saul’s conversion, they didn’t have a party, because they didn’t trust him nor had a desire to  get close to him. It was Barnabas who became an endorsement to Paul that led the early church to give him a chance.  It takes time for people to regain trust in a previously unsafe person even after the hostility is removed.

People may continue to make bad choices inside and outside of the church. However, our responsibility as a believer is to conduct ourselves in such a way that creates a safe, non-hostile environment for people. The Lord calls us to do our part to lovingly, gently, and firmly present the truth. Nevertheless, in humility we recognize that each person is ultimately responsible before God for the choices they make, and we don’t get to make those choices for them!

At the end of the day, Jesus’ heart is to see a restored man or woman who is reconciled to His God and to the people around him/her.  Are we the catalysts for this change? Is Jesus pleased with how we interact His sheep?

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

As natural people, we have a tendency to be hostile to God and to each other. There is a self-preservation innately in us that we have to take care of number one at all costs and anyone who rocks our boat is a threat to us. Jesus came to change that completely.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:14-18

Jesus broke down the wall of hostility to bring us back to God and to each other. While Paul specifically was speaking about the Jews and the Gentiles, this also applies to any group of people or individuals. The Jewish people would only allow the Gentiles to come so far when it came to their entry to the temple. They were also considered the children of the promise which meant that the Gentiles were not children of the promise. Jesus came to change all of that and open the door to whoever calls upon His name to be considered a child of God.

Christ showed us that we have more in common than we have differences. First and foremost our common ground is that we are all sinners in need of forgiveness. No one has a corner on holiness regardless of his or her heritage or family line. When Jesus spoke to a Pharisee or a Samaritan, His message was the same: repentance and being born-again.

Secondly, everyone one of us can be saved by putting our faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ. There is not caste system in the Kingdom. There is no special access to God for a certain few. Everyone one of us can enter the Holy of holies and approach the throne of grace whether we were born again yesterday or have served God for decades. His joy, peace, and abundant life are available for whosoever believes in Him and walks with Him.

Jesus came to take the sting of hostility that originated in the Garden of Eden causing man to sin against his/her God. He also came to take the enmity of pointing fingers at each other by blaming others for our sins.

The cross did away with enmity. His good news is that you don’t have to be fearful of others, feel threatened by them, or be compelled to control/manipulate them. They don’t have the power over your life that they used to. Trusting God neutralizes and dismantles every negative affect of another man’s sin because we know God is on our side, and He will help us face whatever comes our way with His power, love, and wisdom. Thank you Jesus!

Is there a person that you have hostility towards? Ask the Lord to show you why you feel hostile towards them. What lie have you believed about yourself or about the other person that keeps you bound in enmity? This could be an opportunity for God to deliver you from a stronghold or a faulty mindset in your life.

Repent from hostility. Forgive the person for any sin committed against you. Make a commitment that you are not going to feel hostile towards this person anymore. Jesus is your peace and call upon His name to neutralize the poisoned feelings that come and declare the truth of above scripture in your situation.

Jesus has broken down the wall of enmity, and He has come to be our peace for every threat, intimidation, or anxiety that we experience.  Living in the truth of the above scripture will change our surroundings!

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

Jesus delayed His arrival despite others’ expectations

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” John 11:5-7

The scripture tells us that Jesus loved the sisters and Lazarus, but He didn’t drop everything to rush to Judea. As a matter of fact, Jesus decided to stay two more days.

Can you imagine what might be going on in Martha and Mary’s minds? What goes on in your mind when there is a delay that looks like a denial? I wonder if these were some of Mary and Martha’s thoughts: “I thought He loved us. I thought He had a special relationship with Lazarus. Is ministering to people more important than taking care of a friend? Why is He silent? Does he not care anymore?”

The above scripture is important for all of us to take to heart because in one verse, it tells us that Jesus loved Lazarus but at the same time he delayed his arrival two more days. His delay was not a denial of Lazarus or his sisters. That delay did not signify His lack of love for them. The delay didn’t mean that He didn’t care. However, it did mean that He didn’t see the situation like they saw it. He was not intimidated by the sickness nor was He challenged by Lazarus’ death. As a matter of fact, he knew that God was about to do something miraculous in this situation to bring glory to Himself. Jesus was led by His spirit rather than by His emotions.

There will always be the demands of people around us or the urgency of the moment that will try to push us to fix something right away or have an answer for someone. Jesus models being led by the Spirit and not allowing the pressure of the situation to move us in a certain direction. That means sometimes people will be disappointed or may think we don’t care, but man’s opinion of us can’t change God’s leading.

The delay caused a greater miracle

Praise God for His miracle working power that raised Lazarus from the dead by Jesus calling him out of the grave. This was a prelude to what God was going to do in and through Jesus’ life.

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. John 12:9-11

The news of Lazarus being raised from the dead was a such a great news that many were curious to see this man and hear his testimony. As result of this, many believed in Jesus and God was truly glorified.

Lord, help us to handle delay periods well and continue to remember your unchanging goodness in the midst of it all.

For comments, please email me karlinefischer@yahoo.com

Those who have walked with the Lord for any length of time know that God does not always answer our questions or prayers quickly. As a matter of fact, there are times that it takes so long in certain areas that we are tempted to think, “Does God care? Will He ever do anything in this area of my life again?”

Mary and Martha were faced with that kind of situation. They had a brother who had become very ill. From the scriptures we can gather that Jesus knew them well personally, and perhaps He had a close relationship with the family apart from just ministering to them. 

Mary & Martha sent a message to Jesus:

Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” John 11:3b

The sisters reminded Jesus of His love for Lazarus

Generally, when we ask someone for a favor, we are doing it based on the level of relationship we have with them. We count on the fact that they love us and care about us, so we can ask them for help. Mary & Martha were drawing upon the love that Jesus had for Lazarus to ask Him to come over their house and heal Lazarus.

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4

Jesus declared God’s plan in this situation

Jesus made a prophetic statement that Mary & Martha would not have had any knowledge of. Furthermore, Lazarus must have died during the time period when Jesus was making this statement. I wonder what the disciples thought of Jesus’ statement when they eventually arrived at Mary & Martha’s house!

When we are faced with a need from others, do we seek God’s will? Do we ask the Lord what our part is in the situation? Or do we jump on the opportunity to help, rescue, resolve, or fix the situation?

Jesus did not allow His own personal emotions or preferences to cloud God’s will in the moment. He also didn’t have His own personal need for significance that would have motivated Him to be in the rescuing mode. His whole ministry was focused on glorifying the Father which meant that at times people weren’t going to like his response to situations. Jesus was content with doing the Father’s will whether others approved of it or not.

I have some people in my life that I would love to help and fix their problems right now. I also know that they have to be ready to do some hard work or my help can just enable them to stay where they are at.

Lord please give us wisdom to know our part in others’ lives. We don’t want to be quick to react but desire to be in tune with your will and your timing!

I will continue with Lazarus’ story in the next devotional.

For comments, please email me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com

The starting point to living a righteous life is our faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and having faith that God is with us helping us to mature and live righteously everyday.

There is great reward to living righteously

Verse 19: As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.

A righteous person’s life blesses the next generation 

Verse 21: Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.

The wicked at times may get extra help to accomplish their evil. However, God not only delivers the righteous person, but he also delivers his descendants from a gang of wicked people.

This was clearly shown in the life of Joseph. When his own brothers out of jealousy ganged up against him, he continued to live righteously.  While for many years it appeared that the brothers were successful, God was unfolding a beautiful plan for Joseph and his descendants. Additionally,  Joseph’s life continues to inspire the people of God to stay true to Him and keep doing what is right.

As believers, it’s so important to think about what kind of inheritance we are leaving for the next generation. Many people, may focus on monetary inheritance, but leaving a legacy of righteous life is far more pricey and valuable for our descendants than any worldly treasure.

A righteous person’s desires are aligned with God’s desires

Verse 23: The desire of the righteous is only good,?But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

Since a righteous person has allowed God to deal with their lust (See Proverbs 11:6), their desires are pleasing to the Lord. On the other hand, a wicked person’s desire only produces destruction because it is based on their own fleshly desires and lust.

Righteous living is only possible through faith

but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4b

The word “just” is the same as the word “righteous” in Proverbs 11.

Definition: just, righteous (in conduct and character, righteous (as justified and vindicated by God)

Are you continually pursuing to live more righteously than you did the day before?

For comments, please contact me at karlinefischer@yahoo.com.

These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. Proverbs 24:23 (KJV)

The Bible is full of scriptures that command us to honor our parents, submit to those in authority, and respect our spouses. However, there is one place that the Bible teaches us not to be respecter of people, and that’s when we are in the seat of judgment. This is when the Lord desires for us not to allow any level of relationship, position, affection, or preference to taint our judgment in a given situation. That means if two parties have come to us for a verdict in a given situation, we need to put ourselves in a completely neutral position regardless of how much personal honor or loyalty we have for either party.

To be impartial in a given situation, we make it our aim to have a clear mind and a pure heart in order to hear and receive what both parties are going to share. This allows us to be fair in hearing all the facts. It gives us the opportunity to draw a just conclusion based on what has been presented to us not based on the strength of our relationship with one of the parties.

Impartiality also applies to any prejudice in our hearts towards others of a different race, ethnicity, color, size, socio-economic status, educational level, career and so on. We need to be vigilant not to bring our biases to the table when we are judging a situation because that will cloud the truth and can lead us into wrong conclusion.

My husband has seen variety of individuals including educated people, pastors, and Christian kids who for one reason or another have gotten into trouble with the law. We can’t assume because of someone’s status that they are less likely to sin or be at fault. Sin is no respecter of people because the devil will try to bait anyone who gives him the open door. Some of the recent top dollar white-collar crimes have been committed by those who were educated and were in high positions professionally.

God gave Solomon great wisdom to judge people rightly. When two prostitutes came to him each claiming that the live baby was theirs but the dead baby was the other one’s, Solomon stayed neutral (See 1Kings 3:16-28). His challenge was that he had one person’s word against another. He didn’t come with his preconceived notion as to who was right or looked more truthful; God gave Him holy counsel on how to resolve the issue.

Sometimes we feel more confident and secure if we already have some preconceived notion about a given situation, but our security should be solely in the Lord. We can let him lead the situation and give us insight as to how to judge and resolve the situation as we go through the process and depend on Him moment by moment.

Praise God that we don’t have to depend on prejudice or preference because God gives us discernment to draw a Godly and fair judgment. As we hear Him, we will judge. (See John 5:30).

“You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. Deuteronomy 25:13

When I was growing up in Iran, the grocery stores were similar to the farmer’s market stands of nowadays. Every store owner had his goods out in the open, and had a scale that he would use to weigh the meat, vegetables, or the fruit. The scales were the ancient kind that you had to put a standard weight to one side and put the item to the other side. When the two sides balanced then you knew how much the item weighed. Sometimes the measuring weight were just various sizes of stones!

Everyone made the assumption that the owner’s weights were accurate, and that they were the correct heaviness. For example, a 1 pound weight should be exactly 16 ounces. If the owner decided to have a weight that only weighed 14 ounces but used it as a 1 pound weight, he could cheat people out of 2 ounces every time he sold something. 2 ounces may not be enough for the customer to notice, but they are still cheated out of 2 ounces of their desired goods. On the other hand, the owner could decide to use accurate weights when his family and friends came to purchase goods because He wants to treat his own people right.

When we have a different standard of treatment of people based on our own personal preference or bias, we are using differing weights. For example, one person may call us and ask for our help, and we can find a few excuses not to get inconvenienced. However if our friend or our boss asked us for a favor, we can’t respond fast enough to help them out. We may even change our plans to accommodate the need. The person that we gave the excuse to, may or may not notice the difference of treatment, but we know and the Lord knows that we have differing weights!

The partial treatment could be in variety of areas. We may be quick to encourage and edify the abilities and gifting of our friends or those in visible positions. On the other hand, we are indifferent to the people who are not our friends or are not popular. The sad news is that the Lord may have shown us the ability of that quiet /unknown person, so we can be the only voice of encouragement in their life.

Unfortunately, partiality is all around us, and it is something we have to fight against in ourselves. We are not even immune to it in the body of Christ. Actually it is more hurtful when we, the people of God, operate in partiality. Let’s examine ourselves and see if we have differing weights in our bag!

Walking requires two people to be at the same pace

It can be very frustrating to walk with someone who is either walking faster than you or walking much slower than you. When both people are walking at the same pace, it makes the experience a much more enjoyable process.

The Lord has a certain pace of walk for us. If we walk at His pace, we will not be faced with frustration or  disillusionment. Some with Type A personalities want to hurry God and make Him move faster. The thinking is if we walk fast enough, God will just have to catch up and bless our good works. Soon we find out we can’t hear God because he is not being pressured to go at our pace. He is standing behind waiting for us to slow down.

There are others who want to walk a lot slower than God. They will try to remind God of their past spiritual hurts and find excuses to slow down or even stop. The Lord knows what we are capable of, and He can heal and mend every wound should it be necessary. If the Lord is leading us at a certain pace, He knows we have the capacity and the ability to do it with His help. We just have make sure the Lord is asking us to go at a certain pace and not people’s pressure.

I have been in both camps at different times, and I have experienced frustration and disillusionment when I have tried to walk faster or slower than Him. Walking with God is a process that we continually have to adjust our speed and go at God’s pace.

Walking together requires going in the same direction

We will not be walking together long if we don’t go in the same direction. God is the leader, and sometimes He will choose rough paths for us to walk on. This is where we may complain and whine about the terrain and wonder why He had to choose this path.

Trusting God is an important element in walking with God. It’s like going on a long hike with someone who leads the group on tricky and unlabeled trails. The leader must be trusted otherwise we can be arguing about what turn to take at every juncture. This will cause frustration, getting lost, or going in circles.

We were on a camping trip with some friends a few years ago and decided to go hiking in the forest. Everything was great until we came to a major “Y” on the road and a decision had to be made as to which way to go. Our group leader suggested left and a couple of people disagreed and thought taking the right path is the correct way. We went in circles twice before they realized that the leader was right all along. By then, I was not happy to be on those trails anymore and started murmuring like the Israelites in the desert because I was hot and thirsty!

Life is a long journey. Walking with God will be more pleasurable if we can enjoy the process of walking, stay at his pace, and trust His leading in our lives. When we do these things, we will get to enjoy the company of the Lord more, treasure our loved ones, listen to the birds, watch the butterflies, and smell the flowers along the way rather than being focused on getting to a destination.

For comments, please email me at Karlinefischer@yahoo.com.