Rock & Roll and the Good News: Episode #9 – Discarded

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #9: Discarded

Today’s episode starts with a song from Bob Dylan, Knocking on Heaven’s Door.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Bob Dylan has impacted generations with his words and music. Starting in the 1960s, Bob Dylan continues to draw an audience that is looking for freedom to express themselves and for some group where they can feel they belong. Knocking on Heaven’s Door was written to help support a movie at the time and today this song helps us all realize the truth that at some point, of which we have no control over, the end will be near and we will all be “knock, knock, knockin’ on Heaven’s door.”   

It is common that during those thoughts about the end of our lives we all become a bit reflective and try to piece together some understanding of the pain and suffering we endured along with the joy and peace we encountered in our journey. As we look to the ancient scriptures for some truth to help guide our understanding, we discover an incredible reminder of the truth that even though the world may make us feel discarded and unwanted at times, God’s loving arms are ready to embrace us and redeem us no matter what we have done, no matter where we have been, and importantly, no matter what others may think of us.

As we look into the story most commonly referred to as “the woman at the well” we find a story of redemption that we can all resonate with in the book of John in Chapter 4 versus 3 through 42 (John 4:3-42) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).

The background of this situation is that Jesus has been ministering in a number of places and was beginning to develop a following which had the traditionalists at the time quite concerned. Jesus and his disciples were traveling to another town to spread their message when Jesus decided to take a break from the group and went to sit and rest by a well in Samaria. 

As the story unfolds, Jesus meets a woman from the town coming to get water at the well during the middle of the day. As they engage in conversation, it is uncovered that the woman has been married five times and is currently living with another man. Jesus comforts the woman and tells her the truth that he has come to give her redemption and those who accept this offer of redemption “will never thirst again.”

In many messages preached about this story, there is a tendency to be in a judgmental tone about the woman at the well. She has been married and divorced five times and is now living with another man. In the minds of many listening to the story, we may think, “Wow, what a troubled person and isn’t it nice that Jesus is comforting a sinner like her…I am not as messed up as that, but it is nice to know Jesus cared about this troubled woman and that makes me feel good.”

However, when we take that judgmental view of this story, we miss the fundamental truth that can comfort all of us in our struggles when we feel discarded during our journey. Here are a few points of view to help better understand the meeting that Jesus had with the woman at the well:

  • Jesus went out of his way to connect with her. He broke away from traveling with his disciples to specifically create this encounter. Jesus is creating these same encounters for us and if we can open our eyes and our hearts, we will see them.
  • By all accounts, the woman at the well felt completely rejected and discarded in this life. The laws at the time would only allow a man to determine a divorce. In essence, she was rejected by five men who sought to divorce her from the most cherished relationship of our choosing in this life. She was still searching for a relationship that could help her feel she mattered to someone else in this world by virtue of her living with another man.
    • How would we feel if we had been publicly rejected five times from the most intimate relationship of our life? How could we carry on after being rejected time after time?
  • The woman went to get water at the well at the hottest time of the day when no one else would be there so she could avoid being seen and judged by others. Jesus reminds us that he has come to redeem us no matter what others may think of us or no matter what we may think of ourselves.   

In this story of the woman at the well, we find the truth that we can all feel discarded at times in our lives either by a family member, by those in the workplace, and by those in the community that may make us feel ostracized because of who we are. It is important to remember that God stands ready to redeem us and make it known that we matter and we have been chosen by him no matter what our current situation is.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

  • When have I felt rejected in my closest relationships?
  • What has been my typical response when I have felt rejected and what could I do to be more effective in my response in the future to be my best for those I care about most?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all experience feelings of rejection in this world which can make us feel all alone. If you find yourself feeling rejected and in a dark valley today, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to accept us no matter what others may think about us and we should call on Him in our time of need (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk things through and please consider me as one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Allison Krauss and Andrea Bocelli together singing, Amazing Grace        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

Rock & Roll and the Good News: Episode #8 – Highs and Lows

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #8: Highs and Lows

Today’s episode starts with a song from Bruce Springsteen, Glory Days.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. I am pretty sure we will have several of Bruce Springsteen’s songs come into this program over time. As a kid growing up in New Jersey, Bruce and the E Street Band were constantly on the record player. Bruce brings out a number of themes in his songs and Glory Days is no different. The one theme to support today’s topic is around how we all have experienced some “Glory Days” in our past and at some point in our journey, have also experienced some not so “glory days” where we do feel like “crying” as Bruce sings in the song.

As we look further into the ancient scriptures, we see that experiencing the Highs and Lows of life is a very common journey that even the greatest people in the history of ancient Jewish and Christian traditions have also experienced. One particular story is with the prophet Elijah as outlined in the book of 1st Kings Chapter 19, verses 1-18 (1 Kings 19:1-18).  

The backdrop of the situation is that Elijah is one of the great prophets and defenders of the Jewish faith during a time where there was a great deal of division in the land of Israel. After King David’s reign, his son Solomon become King and others who followed slowly opened the door to some beliefs that were not fully aligned to the traditional Jewish law. Elijah found himself constantly battling believers that went against the laws of God that had blessed the Jewish people over generations in the Promised Land.

God gave great power to Elijah to defend the faithful. Elijah was strong and consistent in defending the faith against some incredibly difficult situations. One particular time (1 Kings 18), Elijah faced over 450 prophets of Baal, one of the belief systems that challenged the traditional Jewish faith during this time.  Elijah kept his faith during this encounter and defeated all 450 prophets on Mount Carmel in Israel. To reference back to the song Glory Days, this was Elijah’s Glory Days. He had defeated these challenges and in today’s vernacular, we would say he was “on top of the world” as a defender of the Jewish faith.

As we see even in our own lives, we can have a tendency to go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. The great prophet Elijah was no different. After he defeated the 450 prophets of Baal, he received a threat from Jezebel who was a strong believer in Baal and also the wife of the current King of Israel. Jezebel said in 1 Kings 19:2 “Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” In essence, the queen threatened to kill Elijah like he just killed the 450 prophets of Baal.

Elijah, even after defeating 450 prophets of Baal and being praised by so many for his strength and faithfulness, ran scared after this threat and got very depressed, very quickly. He went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in one day.  I am sure we can all relate to feeling great after some big event went our way and then when we receive one comment out of so many positive ones that was critical or threatening and we found ourselves “off the mountain top and down in the valley” very quickly.

Elijah found himself in a tough spot both mentally and emotionally. In 1 Kings 19:3-10 paraphrased below, we get a real sense of his state of mind:

“Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life…and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life.” Elijah felt all alone “I, even I only, am left.”

We are no different than the prophet Elijah. There are many times in our lives when we can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. It is a normal journey of life. We don’t always have a clear explanation as to how we got there, but the fact remains, we somehow find ourselves at a low point.

We eventually see in the story of Elijah, that he reconnects with his faith in God, gathers some much-needed strength, and continues on with his fight to defend the faith. Given the fact that you and I are still standing today, it should reinforce to us, that we have demonstrated the strength to recover from these low points and keep climbing back into the ring.

The message of Elijah’s highs and lows helps to reinforce that we are not the only ones that experience these incredible highs and incredible lows. Elijah experienced these high and lows in his defense of the Jewish faith. We can probably all relate to these highs and lows in our close relationships with a spouse/partner and our children. There are no easy answers to this journey, but one this is for sure, as God came on the scene to help Elijah gain some strength, God is there for us as well. Even if we did not realize it in the past, God’s loving arms of support picked us up to help us climb back in the ring to continue to fight…and God is there for us now in our struggles.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

  • When have I journeyed from some incredible highs into some incredible lows over the years?
  • How did I keep moving forward when I hit those low points?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all experience some highs and lows in our journey. We are not unique in this aspect of life. God promises to be with us during our journey. As God helped to strengthen Elijah, he is present now help us.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Kris Kristofferson singing, Why Me Lord?        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

Rock & Roll and the Good News: Episode #7 – Friendship Part 2

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #7: Friendship Part 2

Today’s episode starts with a song from The Rolling Stones, Wild Horses.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Wild Horses is a fitting song when talk about the bonds of friendship and the commitments we make. As the song says, “wild, wild horses couldn’t drag me away” is good reminder of the kind of commitments we make to friends. The song helps us all reconnect with the truth that friendship is built upon commitments.

As we mentioned in Part 1 (Episode #6 – Friendship) we realize the importance of friendship that was outlined in the relationship between David and Jonathan. They made a commitment in the book of 1st Samuel Chapter 20 verse 42 (1 Samuel 20:42) that our friendship is “between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.”

As we look further into the ancient scriptures around the legacy of their friendship, we see that David fulfilled his commitment to Jonathan for their “descendants forever” in the book of 2nd Samuel Chapter 9 verses 1 through 12 (2 Samuel 9:1-12) (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).  

The backdrop of this situation is that David and his men, after about 10 years of civil war in Israel, had finally won control of Israel and David has become King.  David and his men finally defeated those who were still loyal to the legacy of the now deceased King Saul and every other band of warrior states that were looking to take control of the situation.

Just to put it all into context, what triggered the civil war is when Saul died in battle in Ziklag. When King Saul died in battle, Israel lost its leadership structure. Chaos and civil war soon followed between those still loyal to King Saul, those who supported David to be the next king, and every other warrior state in the region that seemed to want to get in on the action to dominate the Jewish people and the Promised Land.

Before continuing with the main point of this episode, it is worth noting one additional example to share about the friendship between David and Jonathan. Jonathan was able to maintain his commitment to protect David and also remain loyal to his father King Saul right up to the point of death. As we discussed in Part 1 (Episode #6 – Friendship), even with Jonathan’s pledged friendship and protection to his friend David, he also remained loyal to his father King Saul even though he knew he had grown into a jealous and poor king. In this final battle at Ziklag, Jonathan had fought to the death right at his father’s side. In the end, Jonathan fought to the death with his father in battle while he enabled David to survive and become the rightful next King of Israel. Jonathan sets a great example for all of us on how to remain loyal to our family while we also chart our own course in building closes relationships in our lives.

Now, back to the timeline. David is now the King of Israel. It was not but a few moments after the dust started to settle on a decade of civil war, bloodshed and death, David finally catches his breath with all this new power as the King of Israel. David sits upon his throne and at his first dinner after becoming King asks a question that demonstrates where his heart is and how his loyalty, commitment and friendship to Jonathan remains.

In 2 Samuel 9:1, “David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Basically, David asked, now that I am the mighty and powerful King of Israel, is there anyone left alive in Jonathan’s family after 10 years of bloodshed in this civil war so I can maintain my commitment to remain loyal to his “descendants forever.” 

David’s servants informed him that there was one son of Jonathan who remained alive. His name was Mephibosheth and he was crippled in both legs. David calls for Mephibosheth to be brought to the palace and in a wonderful demonstration of the commitment he made to Jonathan, here is what David says when they meet in 2 Samuel 9:7:

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Of all the priorities racing through David’s mind as the new King of Israel, his first priority was to maintain his commitment to his friend Jonathan. He protected and cared for Jonathan’s only surviving family member, his crippled son Mephibosheth, for the rest of his life.

In Part 2 of this message of friendship we find that the story of David and Jonathan highlights the truth that friendship is built upon commitments. We build the bonds of friendship when we maintain our commitments and people can count on us to uphold those commitments. It is important in the journey of our lives that we learn to serve others in the bonds of friendship. God demonstrates his friendship and commitment to us and we need to demonstrate that friendship and commitment to others around us.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

  • How have I maintained my commitments to friends over the years?
  • When have I done well with maintaining my commitments and when have I fallen short on those commitments?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all cannot be our best in this world when we are all alone. Close friends are critical to share our joys and lessen our sorrows. If you find yourself in a dark valley today, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to be our friend who sticks “closer than a brother” and we should call on Him in our time of need (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk things through and please consider me as one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Vince Gill singing, Go Rest High on that Mountain.        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

Rock & Roll and the Good News: Episode #6 – Friendship Part 1

If you have not done so before, please review the Background on the Program

As you start to review this episode, please know that YOU matter. Regardless of what you are struggling with, regardless of the depths of your sorrows and regardless of how lonely you feel, the Good News is that YOU matter. I hope the message below nourishes you in the most meaningful way to comfort you and strengthen you to keep climbing into the ring to face your battles.

Episode #6: Friendship Part 1

Today’s episode starts with a song from Joe Cocker, With A Little Help From My Friends.

Please spend a few minutes listening to any version you can find on the internet.

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Welcome back…

I hope you enjoyed that song. Although Joe Cocker is not necessarily a household name, the chorus of “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends” has resonated throughout generations as an anthem to remind us that with some friends at our side, we can endure just about anything. The bonds of friendship help to bring emotional, mental, and physical strength to us so we can meet the day-to-day challenges we all face.  

The song helps us all reconnect with the truth that we all needs others in our lives to help reach our full potential. Even though we all may be conditioned to think that we need to demonstrate our “toughness” and endure the challenges of life on our own, the truth is that we all need some close friends to join us in our journey to be our best for those we care about most at home, in our workplace and in our community.

When we look into the ancient scriptures, we find there are some wonderful examples of friendships that can be good reminders to all of us about the importance of friends. These examples will help to encourage us to be a friend to those in need and also ask friends for support when we are struggling. The story of David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20 is a wonderful story of friendship that we should become familiar with (please find a version of this scripture on the internet).  

The backdrop of this situation is that David has grown into a strong warrior and great leader after he killed the giant Goliath as a young boy.  David is growing in popularity throughout all of Israel and Saul, the present King of Israel, has grown very jealous of David. Saul begins to make several attempts to kill David and remove him from contention to be the next king.

Saul’s son Jonathan became a close friend to David. Jonathan realizes that his father has become a selfish jealous king. He grows to love and appreciate the leadership and potential of David and makes a commitment to protect him. Jonathan displays a great ability to manage loyalty to his father King Saul while also looking out for and protecting his friend David.

As the story unfolds, Jonathan routinely listens to his father’s plans to kill David and then sneaks off to tell David what is about to happen so David can avoid these dangerous situations.  Throughout many of these encounters, David and Jonathan grow deep in their bond of friendship. David, even though he has become a mighty warrior and great leader with thousands of men loyally serving at his side, he realizes he needs the bonds of close friendship to reach his full potential. David and Jonathan both come to realize how important friendship is to a fulfilling life.

David and Jonathan also come to realize that the king is very powerful and these secret meetings and their friendship will eventually be found out. They agree to go their separate ways so Jonathan can serve his father and David can build his support to be the next king of Israel. However, they make a bond that they will always remain friends and look out for each other for the rest of their lives. Their commitment is perfectly described in 1 Samuel 20 verse 42.

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

The message of friendship we find in the story of David and Jonathan highlights the need of all of us to have a close friend to help us reach our full potential. It also highlights that we need to be a friend to others and can’t just exist in this world looking out for only ourselves. It is important in the journey of our lives that we learn to serve others in the bonds of friendship. God demonstrates his friendship to us and we need to demonstrate that friendships to others around us.

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

  • Who do I have in my close friendship circle that I can call on in times of need?
  • When have I been a friend to someone in need and what was the outcome for them and me?

As you continue along in your journey, please remember that we all cannot be our best in this world when we are all alone. Close friends are critical to share our joys and lessen our sorrows. If you find yourself in a dark valley today, please remember that (1) God promises and is always faithful to be our friend who sticks “closer than a brother” and we should call on Him in our time of need (2) Please reach out to a close friend to talk things through and please consider me as one of your friends today.

As you continue to reflect on the message, please take a moment to search the internet to find and listen to Bruce Springsteen sing, When You Need Me.        

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How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.