Category: authority

Crisis Hotlines List for Ministry

List of Hotlines and 1-800 Phone Numbers and Websites

These numbers, hotlines or texts may or may not work. I’m constantly adjusting/adding to this resource. As far as we know, this is the U.S. only for phone numbers. Additionally, many of these have regular office hours, and some are not staffed at night. Also, use this resource with caution. Obviously, the online links work for everyone, everywhere.

(You may copy and distribute this as you see fit.)

This list isn’t complete yet.  If you have a contact that isn’t here, please email me that information.  I’m Bryan Lowe at slowe299@yahoo.com or brokenbelievers.com, or here at alaskabibleteacher.com.

Mostly, these are organizations and ministries that are there when life gets challenging.  Use these phone numbers wisely, I am not able to check each number.  These numbers are to be used with some precaution as a result. They may change without notice. But it’s a start I think.

You’ll discover that some have different theology and beliefs. I added them with the hope you’ll sort things out on your own. You also may want to verify each number, and find out what you can comfortably use. I strongly suggest you do this prior to sharing it with others.

In general, these hotlines have three things in common:

1) they are available to call 24/7 in the USA, but the websites are not
2) they are 100% confidential
3) they are free

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, are in danger, or are feeling suicidal, call 911 immediately.

Suicide Hotline: 988

988 Lifeline Chat: https://988lifeline.org/chat/

Los servicios de llamada, texto, y chat de 988 Lifeline se ofrecen en español.

Main Helpline: 988

Crisis Text: 741-741

Chat 24/7 at http://www.thehopeline.com

General and Suicidal Prevention Numbers

  • Main suicide prevention line: 988
  • 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or TTY 1-800-799-4TTY (4889)
  • Spanish, Red Nacional de Prevencion del Suicidio 1-888-628-9454.
  • Los servicios de llamada, texto, y chat de 988 Lifeline se ofrecen en español.
  • Veterans Suicide Prevention: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1
  • Suicide Hotline Listings by State http://www.suicidehotlines.com
  • Veterans Suicide Hotline, 1-800-273-8255
  • Online Chat, 24/7: https://988lifeline.org/chat/

More General Numbers

  • General needs 24/7: 1-888-NEEDHIM
  • NAMI Hotline, 1-800-950-6264
  • Suicide Hotline, 1-800-273-8255
  • DGCC Prayer Line, 708-512-7011, (can Skype also)
  • Prayer and General Counseling www.prayerandhope.org, 1-866-599-2264
  • New Life Clinics 1-800-NEW-LIFE
  • National Prayer Line 1-800-4-PRAYER
  • Bethany Lifeline Pregnancy Hotline 1-800-BETHANY
  • Liberty Godparent Ministry 1-800-368-3336
  • The 700 Club Hotline 1-800-759-0700
  • Want to know Jesus? 1-888-NEED-HIM
  • Biblical help for youth in crisis 1-800-HIT-HOME
  • Rapha National Network 1-800-383-HOPE
  • Emerge Ministries 330-867-5603
  • Meier Clinics 1-888-7-CLINIC or 1-888-725-4642
  • Pine Rest 1-800-678-5500
  • Timberline Knolls 1-877-257-9611

Abortion Help & Counseling

Abuse of Any Kind

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
  • Helping Survivors, Sexual assault, (mostly legal, advocacy), helpingsurvivors.org
  • Stop it Now! 1-888-PREVENT
  • United States Elder Abuse Hotline 1-866-363-4276
  • National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD (422-4453)
  • Child Abuse Hotline / Dept of Social Services 1-800-342-3720
  • Child Abuse National Hotline 1-800-25ABUSE
  • Children in immediate danger 1-800-THE-LOST
  • The exploitation of Children 1-800-843-5678
  • Missing Children Help Center, Thursday’s Child, 1-800-USA-KIDS
  • http://www.ThursdaysChild.org

Helpline – Provides referrals to local facilities where adolescents and adults can seek help. Brief intervention only, 1-800-821-4357

Drug & Alcohol

  • Alcohol Treatment Referral Hotline (24 hours) 1-800-252-6465
  • Families Anonymous 1-800-736-9805
  • Cocaine Hotline (24 hours) 1-800-262-2463
  • Cocaine National Hotline 1-800-COCAINE
  • Drug Abuse National Helpline 1-800-662-4357
  • National Association for Children of Alcoholics 1-888-554-2627
  • Ecstasy Addiction 1-800-468-6933
  • Alcoholics for Christ 1-800-441-7877

Battered Women

  • Friends of Battered Women or Children, 1-800-603-HELP
  • Domestic Abuse, 1-800-799-7233

Bullying

Cancer

Caregivers

  • Elder Care Locator 1-800-677-1116
  • Well Spouse Foundation 1-800-838-0879

Child Abuse

  • Child Abuse National Hotline, call 1-800-252-2873, 1-800-25ABUSE
  • Child Abuse: To report call 1-800-4-A-CHILD
  • Children in immediate risk or danger 1-800-THE-LOST
  • CyberTipline for reporting the exploitation of children, 1-800-843-5678
  • Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline Call 1-800-422-4453 (24/7)
  • National Safe Place  Text SAFE and your current location to the number 69866 (24/7)
  • Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-422-4453
  • Center for Missing or Exploited Children, 1-800-843-5678

Crisis Numbers for Teens (Under 18)

  • Girls and Boys town 1-800-448-3000
  • Hearing Impaired 1-800-448-1833
  • Youth Crisis Hotline 1-800-448-4663
  • Teen Hope Line 1-800-394-HOPE

Crisis Numbers for Help (Any age)

  • United Way Crisis Helpline 1-800-233-HELP
  • Covenant House Hotline: 800-999-9999
  • Christian Oriented Hotline 1-877-949-HELP
  • Social Security Administration 1-800-772-1213

Crisis Pregnancy Helpline

  • Crisis Pregnancy Hotline Number 1-800-67-BABY-6
  • Liberty Godparent Ministry 1-800-368-3336
  • Heartbeat International, list of clinics
  • Reproaction, list of clinics, (seems antagonistic though, but database seems good.)

Cult Information

Cutting

Depression 

  • National Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK)
  • National Hopeline Network 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE) http://www.hopeline.com/
  • The Trevor Project, 866-488-7386 (24/7) Live Chat  with the Trevor Project (Fridays 4pm- 5pm EST)

Domestic Violence

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline Spanish 1-800-942-6908
  • Battered Women and their Children 1-800-603-HELP
  • Elder Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-8966
  • RAINN 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Eating Disorders

  • Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention 1-800-931-2237
  • Eating Disorders Center 1-888-236-1188
  • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders 1-847-831-3438
  • Remuda Ranch 1-800-445-1900
  • National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Eating Disorders
    630-577-1330, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday, http://www.anad.org

Elder Abuse

  • Elder Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-8966
  • HelpGuide.org, teaching and guidance

Family Violence

  • Family Violence Prevention Center 1-800-313-1310

Gambling

  • Compulsive Gambling Hotline 410-332-0402
  • 1-800-Gambler

General Issues and Problems

  • CBN, 700 Club,  Call our 700 Club Prayer Center, or http://www.CBN.com , 1-800-823-6053

Homeless/Shelters

Homosexual/Lesbian

  • Helpline: 1-800-398-GAYS
  • Gay and Lesbian National Hotline 1-888-843-4564
  • Trevor Hotline (Suicide) 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

Online Issues

Cyber Crime Response Agency has a 24-hour call center for reporting online crime and online predators. 1-888-798-2272.

Parents

Poison

  • Emergency: 911
  • Poison Control 1-800-942-5969
  • Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222

Porn Addiction

Pregnant & Scared?

Runaways

  • Boystown National Hotline 1-800-448-3000
  • Laurel House 1-714-832-0207
  • National Runaway Switchboard 1-800-621-4000
  • Teenline 1-888-747-TEEN
  • Youth Crisis Hotline 1-800-448-4663
  • Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-422-4453 (24/7)
  • National Safe Place  Text SAFE and your current location to the number 69866 (24/7)
  • National Runaway Switchboard Call 1-800-786-2929, (24/7) Live Chat  with the Veterans Crisis Line (24/7)

Salvation

  • Call the 24-hour Billy Graham Prayer Line at 888-388-2683
  • Grace Help Line 24-Hour Christian Service 1-800-982-8032
  • Want to know Jesus? 1-888-NEED-HIM
  • Eternal Life Line 1-888-KNOW-Him, http://www.theFathersFriends.org

Self-Injury, “Cutting”

  • S.A.F.E. (Self Abuse Finally Ends) 1-800-DONT-CUT
  • Crisis Help, text 741741, or teaching/direction

Sexual Abuse

Sexual Addiction & Porn

  • Focus on the Family, 1-800-A-FAMILY

Suicide, 9-1-1

  • Emergency, dial 9-1-1
  • Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
  • 1-800-723-TALK (8255)
  • Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-827-7571
  • Deaf Hotline 1-800-799-4TTY
  • NineLine 1-800-999-9999
  • Holy Spirit Teenline  1-800-722-5385
  • Crisis Intervention 1- 888- 596-4447
  • Crisis Intervention 1-800-673-2496
  • Suicide Prevention hotline 1-800-273-825
  • Feel like someone is thinking about suicide, 1-800-273-8255
  • Check out, Heartcrossers: http://www.heartcrossers.org

The American Counseling Association recommends:

“Five Ways to Help with Coping AFTER a Crisis Situation.”

  1. Recognize your own feelings about the situation and talk to others about your fears. Know that these feelings are a normal response to an abnormal situation.
  2. Be willing to listen to family and friends who have been affected and encourage them to seek counseling if necessary.
  3. Be patient with people; fuses are short when dealing with a crisis and others may be feeling as much stress as you.
  4. Recognize normal crisis reactions, such as sleep disturbances and nightmares, withdrawal, reverting to childhood behaviors, and trouble focusing on work or school.
  5. Take time with your children, spouse, life partner, friends, and co-workers to do something you enjoy.

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

(Philippians 1:6, NLT)

This resource is subject to change at any given moment. You may copy this (in its entirety please) and distribute it freely.

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We See So Little

“Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Job 26:14

Job’s suffering has led him to this point. He realizes how little he understands God. I guess pain can have a powerful effect on how we see things. Job has learned the immensity of God.

In verse 14 he speaks about the “outskirts” the word in Hebrew means the mere edge, or fringe. One translation of this verse reads like this: “These are only a few of the things that God does. We only know about a few small things. If he used all of his power, we could never understand.“

“That being the case, let’s consider God’s capacity for just a moment. He’s not only “high capacity”, He’s “infinite capacity.” He never sleeps or slumbers. He is perfect in all His abilities. There isn’t a single thing that He doesn’t know, and there is no one more powerful than Him. And unlike humans who can only be in one place at one time, He is everywhere at the same time. This is amazing, and just like the Psalmist said in Psalm 113, “Who is like the Lord our God?” The answer, very simply, is no one.”

John Piper

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)

I’m thinking about Moses who asked to see God’s glory. Moses was called “the friend of God,” but he wanted to see more. God’s response was that He couldn’t because it would kill Moses. But provision was made for him to see the backside of God as Moses was in a cleft of a rock. (Exodus 33.)

The Bible doesn’t reveal it all. But we’re given enough. Job told us that only the outer fringes can be seen by men and women. We see His periphery, but we must understand our limits. We’re told that we will see Him someday–but not yet. But at the moment of death, we will see Him.

The Lord Jesus came to show us the Father. “In [Christ] all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.” When we see Jesus we see the Father. Reading the Gospels we are encountering God, because Jesus reveals Him fully.

 

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” 

Hebrews 1:3

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

Romans 11:33

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Leaving Your Boat Behind

27 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 

“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”

Matthew 14:27-29, (context, vv. 22-33)

 

Jesus is full of surprises! You can never guess the things He will do next. He is Lord after all. To walk on water is totally impossible. But Jesus does it. He walks on it as if it were a concrete sidewalk. When they see Him they freak out. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

Jesus wants to reveal to His disciples His true nature.

They had just seen Him multiply fish and loaves, He fed five thousand plus just a few hours ago. Wasn’t that a miracle enough? It seems that Jesus doesn’t think so.

For some inexplicable reason, Peter wants to insert himself into Jesus’ miracle. Oddly, he has decided he’ll join Jesus, and leave behind the security of the boat–for the insecurity of the impossible! He truly believes that Jesus can hold him up somehow. Perhaps this alone is the most amazing part of this passage. Can a man duplicate the walk of Jesus? Can we walk like Him?

Peter really wants to leave the security of the boat, for the insecurity of the impossible.

It seems to me that we’re constantly doing the “Peter thing.” It’s true our walk of faith really is intensely supernatural, and yet we somehow forget this. And face it, we’ll never generate the “fruits of the Holy Spirit” on our own. Our most sincere efforts will never turn water into something solid.

We will never walk the disciple’s path without faith in the Master who calls us to come to Him.

I think Jesus wants us to join Him. Our faith in Him is the key. We believe that we can walk with Him, we believe we will see the impossible. Without question it’s Jesus’ power that holds us up. Our faith in Him is the ignition point in all of this. Our mustard seed faith, combined with Jesus’ power. becomes the true walk of the disciple.

We must bravely launch ourselves into the purposes of God. Jump when God puts opportunity in your path.

To merely sit in the boat is hardly faith. When Peter steps over the gunwales, he steps into the world of the amazing. The water holds him, and his trust in Jesus solidifies like the water he walks on. He is now doing the impossible. He’s now becoming very much like Jesus.

Our walk seems terribly weak at times, we can easily list our sin and weaknesses. We’re not quite convinced that the blood of Jesus covers all our sin–and therefore we can’t step out of the boat. I think it’s Peter’s faith in Jesus’ power that holds him up.

When his faith falters, he does the “rock thing,” There is something about his circumstances–the wind, and the waves that begin to frighten him. (But I must believe Jesus was pleased.)

To really understand, to obey Jesus is to step out of our boat in faith; when we do we’ll start to see miracles happen.

“Christ will always accept the faith the puts its trust in Him.”

-Andrew Murray

   

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Under the Knife

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15:2, ESV

 “Dead wood is worse than fruitlessness, for dead wood can harbor disease and decay…God removes the dead wood from his church and disciplines the life of the believer so that it is directed into fruitful activity.”

Merrill C. Tenney

In order to become fruitful we must accept the knife. 

It takes a sharp eye and a sharper knife to do the Father’s work of cutting.  He slices to the quick, and all that is not useful falls to the ground.  The vine must produce grapes, and every bit of “grape-energy” needs to be used productively. Fruitlessness will be cursed, sterility is condemned. This is a hard choice to make.

I want to encourage you though–fruitless believers can possibly become fruitful ones. 

Understand, the vine dresser isn’t attacking the vine with his knife.  He is not malicious or vengeful.  All that He does is for the good of the vine.  He is motivated to produce fruit.  That is what He thinks about as he cuts away the dead branches.

Pruning and fruit are concepts that we vacillate over, some days we understand and other days we don’t.  After over 40 years, I’ve heard every “John 15 sermon” known to man.  And most of the time I turn down my spiritual hearing aid. That is tragic–I listen, but I don’t listen.

I need to grapple with this imagery.  If I don’t, bad things are bound to happen.

For years I have asked God to “show me His ways.” I’d like to believe that this understanding of pruning has changed me.  I would like to think that I have attained a clearer view of wisdom.  This pruning business is all well and good.  But being sanctified by the knife is decidedly unattractive and uncomfortable.

I grew up in the northwoods of Wisconsin and wondered if the trees that were designated with a ‘red X’ understood that they were the ones to be cut down by the lumbermen. I wondered if these trees that were marked with spray paint understood what was up? (Maybe they felt special with their new found prestige?)

You will be pruned!

I completely and absolutely declare this to you. (It’s one of those “thus says the Lord” moments.) Pieces of your life are earmarked to be lopped off. You will probably not understand why and you will chafe at what is coming.

The Christian life is as much about subtraction as it’s about addition.

He will cut you and you’ll think you’re dying. But I assure you, Jesus loves you, and all that He does is for your good. He trims you to bring you true life.

There is simply no other way He can work.

“And if it be painful to bleed, it is worse to wither. Better be pruned to grow than cut up to burn.”

John Trapp

Getting Ready for Water Baptism

water-baptism1

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.”

Acts 2:41 

 “Repent and be baptized.”

Acts 2:38 

 “Having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your  faith in the power of God.”

Col. 2:12 

Perhaps the most significant decision we’ll make is to follow Jesus Christ into the waters of baptism.  This is just obedience to the Lord’s command to be baptized. Discipleship begins when we appropriate baptism into our faith. Ideally, it should forever alter your life. At least that is the Father’s intention.

Baptism becomes a public declaration to the physically seen world as well as to the invisibly unseen world of the Spirit. 

It takes faith to be authentically prepared for baptism.  You will be taking a stand. By faith, you’re making public your allegiance to Christ. It is an important and critical step.

“Baptism was to put a line of demarcation between your past sins when you are buried with Him by Baptism–you are burying your past sins–eradicating them–putting a line in the sand saying that old man is dead and he is no longer alive anymore and I rise up to walk in the newness of life.”

T.D. Jakes

I suggest that you prayerfully attend examine the process listed below.  You’ll find there’s a big difference between truly being baptized, and just getting wet!

The interrogative process can be used to solidify the faith before man and in front of His people. In a sense, it’s much like the vows made by a husband and wife in the vows of marriage.

Here are some suggestions you should consider:

A series of questions are asked, to which the reply is always, “I renounce them.”

  1. Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?
  2. Do you renounce the evil powers of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?
  3. Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?

The second half also must be asked, to which the reply is always, “I do.”

  1. Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?
  2. Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
  3. Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?

The Apostle’s Creed can be recited publicly (or privately in prayer).

This creed is our faith boiled down to its core essence. This declaration helps set us apart from the World, the flesh, and the devil:

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, who was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended into hell. and on the third day, He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,  the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

We need to develop these into a living discipleship; you’ll see that water baptism is analogous to a master key that opens the door to a special joy. Obeying the command to be baptized pleases Jesus. And that is what we long to do.

“Indeed, baptism is a vow, a sacred vow of the believer to follow Christ. Just as a wedding celebrates the fusion of two hearts, baptism celebrates the union of the sinner with the Savior.”

–Max Lucado

“Baptism is an outward expression of inward faith.”

–Watchman Nee

“Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers.”

    –Max Lucado

A special word to “older” believers:

There may come a time when you feel that you would want to be baptized again.  I believe that this is not only allowable but commendable.  You may have not had a good understanding of the baptismal process, but now it makes more sense to you.  I would encourage you to follow your heart. God will honor your re-dedication.

Ask your pastor or an elder what they think.

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Crushed Grapes

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.”

2 Corinthians 1:8

“As I look back over fifty years of ministry, I recall innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. But through it all, the Lord has proven faithful, loving, and totally true to all his promises.”

     David Wilkerson

The word is in New Testament Greek is θλῖψις, or thlipsis. It means affliction, trouble, or pressure. It’s used 45 times in the NT and it seems to be used in a negative sense. Personally I think “pressure” is the most intriguing.

To write anything on suffering and pain is a bit of a fool’s errand.

It’s a broad subject and it will vary from person-to-person.

And I’ve no special insight to give. I know this. Perhaps though, something will come of this. Personally, I have had several traumatic (and dramatic) brushes with pain and suffering. Almost all of them have come as a believer–(I hope that doesn’t mess with your theology).

Looking at the Apostle Paul we can see suffering clearly. Often his ministry was extremely hard. He wrestled repeatedly over his churches and his own sin. When we look at the totality of his work we start to realize that being crushed was part of calling. He understood the challenge of himself and his message.

It meant a crushing cross and it is only the crushed grapes that yielded the wine.

I write this first to remind you that to minister true grace in any real capacity will mean difficulty. But I also want to encourage you to see that God will always bring life when we remain obedient to Him.

That’s how it works. (At least I think so.)

“When God wants to do an impossible task He takes an impossible man and crushes him.”

    Alan Redpath

You Need to Understand This

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Eph. 6:10-12, ESV 

Often in Scripture we’ll understand something which will shake us. Dismissing its truth as optional would be a grave oversight. Instead of perceiving it as a mere emphasis reserved for those more inclined towards “charisma,” we must insist on its relevance for each and every believer.

We face a battle. Every one of us.

We look around and see others whose ‘reality’ is different from ours. We see politics, psychology, biology or cosmology, religion or philosophy, entertainment or science that are blind to reality. But Ephesians 6 tells us what we’re up against. We’re starting to realize that humans have a terrible knack for being manipulated by evil powers.

“We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts].”

1 John 5:19, Amplified

Ephesians 6 declares that we’re in a world where every individual is in a war.

This passage clearly tells us that the only place of safety is to be strong in God and to find that the only safety is pressing into His presence. To survive we must push everything else aside to be in His presence. He gives us His strength to overcome all evil.

The above passage stresses that there is an organized force of darkness focused on us. These verses in Ephesians 6 unveil a government of wickedness that’s everywhere. Without the humble intimacy that needs prayer and Bible reading, we will be spiritually destroyed.

“There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan.”

C.S. Lewis

We need protection. Our only hope is Jesus’ strength. But we must actively step into this spiritual intensity.

We’re only strong through our intimacy with Him. He shields us from the spiritual corruption that swirls all around us. As we draw to Him we become mighty, as we listen closely to the Holy Spirit, we will walk in true discipleship with Jesus.

“The best thing for the saint to do is to claim the victorious name of the Lord Jesus over every onslaught of the enemy.”

Watchman Nee

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The Dark and Theological Niceties

“On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 

42“While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.”

Luke 9:37-43

All of this takes place immediately after Jesus’ transfiguration. He has shown Himself to be God, wrapped tightly into manhood–He’s fully and completely the Word made flesh. He is the Creator, and He is holding the universe together. Who really can fathom this?

Full of power, but also completely covered with incredible compassion. He meets this desperate man, a man who is carrying incredible weight, a burden that had taken over his life. Jesus steps into a theological circus, after all, the Scribes had shown up, and the disciples were disputing with them. The terrible need of the demonized boy had been forgotten.

The disciples had tried to free him, they really had.

But between the gathering crowd and the arguing Scribes, they were overwhelmed. His disciples were completely out of their element. Defeated, they didn’t know what to do. (Isn’t this a description of much of today’s church? Maybe?)

The father of the demonized boy was desperate. He watched the bizarre scene unfold yet he had no other choice. He must wait. What else could he do? There were no other options.

Sometimes we as the Church can only stress theological niceties.

Often we look beyond the awful needs around us. We rather argue with each other rather than love. We prefer to debate rather than meet the incredible pain around us. How sad is this? We constantly meet terrible pain, and we choose to reside in some strange theological bubble of our own making.

When Jesus comes down from glory on the mountain, He immediately faces off with a desperate man and a demonized son. This father is terribly overwhelmed–the disciples had made a try (or two) and yet couldn’t free the boy. The demons had ignored their efforts and laughed at attempts to free him. These demons decided to stay inside this boy. The disciples can do nothing about it.

But when Jesus shows up, all hell breaks loose, quite literally.

There is amazing power here. Jesus, already shown to be God on the mountain top, now declares His authority over the ugliness of the darkness. He’s been unleashed and absolutely demolishes the works of Satan. He dismantles the evil and decisively frees the boy.

“And all were astonished at the majesty of God.”

We can link this power to what we’ve seen on the mountain top–His Words are powerful enough to hold the world in place! He is the Almighty One that has chosen to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with us. He pushes against the darkness and sets us free.

“But have we Holy Spirit power – power that restricts the devil’s power, pulls down strongholds and obtains promises? Daring delinquents will be damned if they are not delivered from the devil’s dominion. What has hell to fear other than a God-anointed, prayer-powered church?”

   Leonard Ravenhill

alaskabibleteacher.com

Maximum Servanthood

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

John 13:6-8 (context vv. 3-17)

Chapter 13 always rocks my world. I visualize this, like a fly on-the-wall, watching it happen–and then I replay it over, and over in my mind. It always unravels me. Why does this have to happen? What does this passage tell me about Jesus, and his kingdom? (John 13).

Why can’t I just walk away from it, and leave it be?

Jesus made himself a slave, (or perhaps he was always a slave all along, and we just didn’t realize it?) Foot-washers were pretty much regarded as sub-human, mindless drones who mechanically performed a necessary duty. The lowest of the low, the very least of the least.

But Jesus took that role on himself, he laid aside his garments, and his Godhood. (They landed in a pile in the corner of the room). When he knelt down to scrub feet (making sure he got between the toes), it was deity serving man. This God/rabbi intentionally did this, not reluctantly or halfheartedly–but carefully.

He was their teacher.

Custom demanded he enjoy the prerogatives of that position. But he wouldn’t, and didn’t. He mustn’t. As I stress over this, I must conclude he really was their “teacher,” but not in the way I expect. What he was doing on his knees, was instructing them in the art of loving each other. He showed us a leader in action.

Real disciples function best when they wash between the toes.

There was a point in Jewish history when the people actually demanded that God would give them a king, instead of a judge (1 Samuel 8:5-9). God warned them that this wasn’t in his plans–but they insisted. They had to have one, everyone else did. We still must have celebrities, and then we wonder why they short circuit on us. Who can resist the privilege, and the limelight?

Peter of course was classic Peter.

It seems that whenever he resists, he gets rebuked. He makes it quite clear that Jesus will never wash feet–that Jesus will never use a basin or towel and serve him like this. It was outrageous. It didn’t fit in Peter’s personal theology. He had no room for Jesus the slave. Perhaps Peter knew that to follow meant he would have to do the same thing?

Jesus still washes feet.

He sits us down and takes off our shoes and socks, and scrubs us clean. And we hate it. But to be washed by him is a condition of our discipleship. Every follower must be clean, and he continues his work to this day. We sin daily, even as his own, and he cleans us up–and yet somehow that really bothers us.

“Does God ask us to do what is beneath us? This question will never trouble us again if we consider the Lord of heaven taking a towel and washing feet.

 Elisabeth Elliot

alaskabibleteacher.com

Yirah, Fear/Awe

Hebrew for Awe and Fear

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!”

Psalm 33:8, ESV

Whenever I’m in Northern California I simply have to visit the redwoods. Walking through them always directs me to the immense God who created these massive trees. Since I live in Alaska I’m also surrounded by stunning beauty: mountains, glaciers, eagles, forests and fireweed.

To truly see reality is to live in yirah.

I believe that God intentionally created the world to inspire awe in us. The complexity of creation is truly remarkable, with scientists dedicating their lives to understanding it. There is so much about the cosmos that remains beyond our comprehension, which leads us to consider how much more unfathomable its Creator must be.

Often missing from our lives and worship is yirah, or “awe, fear.”

Wisdom is a result of embracing awe. According to Scripture, this is a conscious choice we make. The experience of awe or fear is not imposed on us; it is a deliberate decision. It doesn’t happen automatically – we must actively choose to embrace yirah.

“The fear [yirah] of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

Proverbs 9:10

Three observations I need to make. These are something to consider:

  1. Believers are to teach our children the yirah of the Lord. It must be learned which implies that it’s not something natural to us. “So that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.” (Deut. 4:10.)
  2. His love for us can’t be diminished by His power and might. I believe that these three are not mutually exclusive–you can’t have one without having the other. They can’t be separated. “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:4.)
  3. Submitting to God with awe and yirah will lead you to obedience and consistency. Loving Him becomes a joy when we respect and honor in fear of our Father.

“Just as obedience to the Lord is an indication of our love for him, so is it also a proof of our fear of God.”

Jerry Bridges

“Father, You who are clothed in majesty and dressed in righteousness, I choose to come before You seeking the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. I really don’t know how to do this. Teach me, O God, to hold a reverential awe for Your holy name.” Amen.

alaskabibleteacher.com