Remembering the miracle of God's second chances

Lots can be said about the mistakes Samson made in his life. They were many. Those mistakes are troubling to remember because Samson was a "miracle" son born to a childless couple. God destined the miracle son to live as a Nazirite who would lead Israel. As a sign of belonging to the Lord, Samson couldn't cut his hair, consume alcohol, or touch a corpse. 

Source: Wikipedia

God intended to use Samson as a living weapon against Israel's enemies, the Philistines. God used Samson mightily to stop the harassment of the Philistines, but Samson eventually lost sight of God's purpose. Samson didn't keep his Nazirite vows, he didn't listen to his parents about marriage, and he allowed himself to be taken down by Delilah, who conspired against him with the Philistines. Delilah didn't stab or poison him. She pressed Samson until he shared his spiritual secrets about the seven locks on his head. She shaved his head, and Samson's amazing strength disappeared.

It's a tragic, but mesmerizing story. But it's not the end. Samson's hair grew back. While blinded and humiliated by the Philistines -- Samson became entertainment for them -- he rededicated himself to the Lord and asked for a second chance. And the Lord used Him! Here's what happened:

And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life (Judges 16:25-30, ESV).

Samson's story should encourage us that we may wander far from His purposes, but there's a miraculous opportunity when the Lord offers a second chance. How many of us have experienced a second chance? How many of us long for one today? How many of us will allow God to use us to give a second chance to others? 

Whatever category that fits us, let's do this. This holiday season, let's ask for a second chance. And let's not hesitate to give a second chance to others.

Help Dallas Leadership Foundation serve as a conduit for God’s miracles to Dallas families. Help us give others a second chance! Sign up to volunteer or browse our new online Treasures of Hope Christmas Store at dlftx.org/events and purchase a gift for someone special. Share this post on your social networks with the hashtag #WebelieveGodcan or #Miracles.

The miracle of believing before seeing

The story about Jesus healing the blind man in Bethsaida is an encouraging one because it's nestled within other episodes that show the pains Jesus took to build the faith of His disciples and train them to discern between light and darkness. From this story, we can take comfort in knowing that He wants to train us too. We can also take courage that He wants to send us out to boldly share our faith in faith!

Wikipedia -- Christ Healing the Blind Man by A. Mironov 

Check out Mark 8. Do you see how Jesus warned the disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. Leaven was an element used in baking, so the disciples thought He described ordinary bread. But Jesus used the picture of bread to warn the disciples about allowing elements of the Pharisees' doctrine to infiltrate their spiritual understanding. 

The disciples didn't "see" what Jesus was warning them about, however. When they went to Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip, Jesus received a blind man brought to Him for healing. Through this event, He would steer everyone toward unrelenting faith in Him. 

Before He healed the man, Jesus took him out of town. He spat on the ground and used the paste to touch the man's eyes. At first, the man saw men as trees. Jesus touched him again, and the man saw completely.

There's a lot to chew on in this passage. The usual question is why didn't Jesus heal the man instantly? Perhaps the better approach is to meditate on the context.

Jesus wanted the disciples to view spiritual things from His perspective, and it was taking them minute. Bethsaida was the home of at least three of the disciples. Bethsaida also was one of the places Jesus later rebuked in Matt. 11:21 for its unbelief. 

Could that be why Jesus took the man outside of town? Sometimes God isolates so that unbelief doesn't soak the atmosphere. Jesus took that approach when He healed the dead girl in Matt. 5:35-43. He kicked out mourners who ridiculed Him for saying the girl was only asleep.

Jesus may also have allowed the blind man to be healed after two touches to demonstrate divine patience. God holds all power, so the hold-up wasn't with Him. The man from Bethsaida, a community with a faith problem, may have had to undergo an inward transformation in some way -- at the discretion of Jesus. Perhaps the man had to submit to leaning on Jesus for his healing, and not himself or others.
  
Likewise, the disciples had to learn to trust Jesus implicitly, even if they didn't understand immediately. They had to hunger for the pure bread of heaven instead of the corrupted religion the Pharisees offered. And, like the blind man, their spiritual healing was taking time.

If God puts us into a quiet place this Thanksgiving week or during the Christmas holiday, perhaps it will be His chosen opportunity to build our faith at deeper levels. He may present object lessons that reveal His desire for us to believe in Him without any reservations.

Get ready.

Help Dallas Leadership Foundation serve as a conduit for God’s miracles to Dallas families. Sign up to volunteer or browse our new online Treasures of Hope Christmas Store at dlftx.org/events and purchase a gift for someone special. Share this post on your social networks with the hashtag #WebelieveGodcan or #Miracles.

A miracle birth announcement that can change your life

Imagine leading a church service. You’re the pastor leading the sermon. Or the choir director. Or the deacon explaining a church program. Suddenly, an angel appears. You’re terrified. Heaven is for real-for real at that moment. No one else sees the angel, who tells you that God has answered your impossible prayer.

Medieval view of Gabriel: Source: Wikipedia -- Mestia Museum Georgia

Do you believe what the angel tells you? Do you believe more in the human obstacles you’re used to seeing? In other words, if the angel told you would bear a child, and you’ve had your AARP card for 20 years, would you believe? If the angel said that God had healed you, would you believe the heavenly message or your doctor’s prognosis?

Every day we wrestle with unbelief. It’s something that’s common to human beings. So we should feel the human tension in the story of Zecharias and Elizabeth described in Luke 1. The couple was elderly, childless, devout, and Zecharias served in a spiritual leadership role as a priest. According to BibleGateway.com, Zecharias would have been among about 18,000 priests. He served twice a year. Then, after being chosen by lot, he got a chance in a lifetime to serve in the holy place of the Temple. 

As crowds waited outside the temple, Zecharias, who was offering incense, saw Gabriel, who announced to the priest that his wife would bear a son. Gabriel announced a miracle of life and the destiny for a baby named John. God would fill John with the Holy Spirit while he was in the womb, and, one day, John would turn the hearts of Israel to the Lord.

Stunned, Zecharias reverted to unbelief. “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years,” (verse 18). Is that an echo of pain and resignation in Zecharias's voice? What if his words reflected a longstanding prayer in his married life or the isolation he and Elizabeth felt?

Gabriel’s reply is telling:

“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time” (Luke 1:19, 20).

If one word summed up Gabriel’s reply, it would be perspective. Gabriel saw things from heaven, not earth, where age and childlessness sought to trample Zecharias and Elizabeth’s faith. Gabriel also knew his name, which in Hebrew means “man of God” or “God is my strength.” The angel knew the Person who possessed the ability to perform miracles and knew His character.

Maybe we should tape Gabriel’s words to the bathroom mirror when our prayers of faith seem dry, lifeless, and useless. The Lord can surprise us and refresh our faith by supernaturally announcing that He has answered our "impossible" hopes. 
  

Help Dallas Leadership Foundation serve as a conduit for God’s miracles to Dallas families. Sign up to volunteer or browse our new online Treasures of Hope Christmas Store at dlftx.org/events and purchase a gift for someone special. Share this post on your social networks with the hashtag #WebelieveGodcan or #Miracles.

God uses our collaborations to create His miracles

The story of four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing is an inspiring story about God's miracles. Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount the story and offer unique details from their perspective. Read together, the story offers major spiritual themes. Here are a few:

Source: Wikipedia: Christ healing the paralytic at Capernaum by 

Bernhard Rode1780

• Authentic friends have faith in Jesus He can heal a chronically ill friend
• Authentic friends overcome obstacles to get their friend to Jesus
• An eternally authentic Jesus sees the faith of the four friends
• An eternally authentic Jesus sees the need the paralyzed man has for physical healing and forgiveness
• An eternally authentic Jesus calls out unbelief in the religious leaders
• An eternally authentic Jesus links the miracles of forgiveness and healing as within His authority
• The eternally authentic power of God is present for healing
• The authentic miracles Jesus performs lead to authentic worship by the eyewitnesses 

Of course, there are more themes to pull from this amazing story. But the determination of the four friends, their faith in Jesus' authority to heal their friend, and Jesus' authority to forgive and heal miraculously mean something special to us at Dallas Leadership Foundation. 

As we prepare to open the doors of the Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we're thankful for the collaborators who have helped us over the years. We're also thankful for the new friends who will come our way this Christmas season. Everyone who partners with Dallas Leadership Foundation through prayer, volunteerism, financial giving, and a million behind-the-scene efforts, are like the beautiful friends who pushed to get their friend to Jesus. 

Every year we've been able to help Dallas families shop at super discounted prices because of the gifts from our network of friends. We hope to help more families with our new online store. The feature allows our friends to donate toys, clothing, and other essentials without having to drive to find one of our donation boxes. 

Most of all, we're prayerful that God's power to heal the spiritual needs of families will be present when families shop with us. While our Christmas gifts may meet physical needs, we pray that God will miraculously heal the hidden places in the hearts of families-- as He did with the paralyzed man. Please pray that Jesus will also see our faith!

Help Dallas Leadership Foundation serve as a conduit for God’s miracles to Dallas families. Sign up to volunteer or browse our new online Treasures of Hope Christmas Store at dlftx.org/events and purchase a gift for someone special. Share this post on your social networks with the hashtag #WebelieveGodcan or #Miracles.

God's miracle-working power can show up when least expected

Source: Wikipedia -- John Everett Millais' Victory O Lord! (1871)

One of God’s spectacular names is Jehovah Nissi – the Lord My Banner. It’s an awesome name, and it’s the name Moses attributed to God in Exodus 17 when Israel defeated the Amalekites. Moses knew God had protected them and that under His power and authority – the banner of a mighty God – Israel had overcome its enemies.

Scholars say Jehovah Nissi also means the Lord My Miracle., and the Lord is my refuge in the Septuagint. Because we’re discussing God’s miracle-working power as we count down to Dallas Leadership Foundation’s 18^th annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store on Dec. 14, we can draw several nuggets about God's miraculous power.

Both meanings of Jehovah Nissi offer an interesting context to this passage in Exodus. Early in the chapter, the Israelites were thirsty as they camped in Rephidim, which means rests or stays. Even though they'd witnessed God's deliverance at the Red Sea, the Israelites weren’t restful at all! They were focused on their need. You know the story – the newly freed Israelites “complained against Moses” (v.3) about their thirst. God responded by telling Moses to strike the rock with his rod. Then water flowed (verses 5 and 6).

After the need for water, the Israelites faced another crisis. The Amalekites initiated a conflict with Israel (v. 8). Moses used his rod again, a wonderful picture of fervent intercession, as Israel fought against this unprovoked attack. Verses 11-13 says:

And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Sometimes, we can’t perceive the miracles before us. The Israelites initially viewed Rephidim as a place of dryness and need. But there was hidden water and rest in that location. Are there situations you’ve declared hopeless? Consider taking a second look. God can provide a miracle where you least suspect.

The story in Exodus also shows us that it’s a privilege to participate with Jehovah Nissi to bring deliverance. As God did with Moses, Aaron, Hur, and Joshua, God designates roles for us. Moses, Aaron, and Hur watched the battle from a hilltop while Joshua and his soldiers fought the Amalekites. In the end, the victory, the miracle, all came from God.

As we prepare for this Christmas season, let's not miss opportunities to discover miraculous provision in places that may seem barren. Let's ask God where the miracles are! May we also complete the assignments God gives us. When we accept His invitation to serve, we get to view His wonders first hand. And who wants to miss that?

Help Dallas Leadership Foundation serve as a conduit for God’s miracles to Dallas families. Sign up to volunteer or browse our new online Treasures of Hope Christmas store at dlftx.org/events and purchase a gift for someone special. Share this post on your social networks with the hashtag #WebelieveGodcan.

Why we're drawing inspiration from a 'miracle' movie

At Dallas Leadership Foundation, we’re excited to get another chance to serve Dallas families Dec. 14 at our annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store. We’re keeping the 1940s theme that inspired our successful gala in October. The can-do spirit, the perserverance, the style and wit of the era hasn’t worn off for us!

We’re drawing inspiration this holiday season from the classic film “Miracle on 34^th Street.” The 1947 movie is one of several popular Christmas movies from the 1940s, including “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Christmas in Connecticut,” and “Penny Serenade.”

We chose "Miracle on 34^th Street" because it centers around miracles and believing the impossible. The movie teaches a compelling lesson about the power of belief and the bondage of unbelief. Sometimes, when circumstances disappoint people, they struggle to hope again. They play down their hopes and expect little from life. Something inside them feels crushed.

"Miracle on 34th Street" uses Kris Kringle as the route from unbelief to faith. But in truth, only God can achieve what appears humanly impossible. Only He can be trusted like that because only His miraculous power can transform a life. 

We know this from experience at DLF. It’s Him who blesses 600-900 families and nearly 1,800 children every year through Treasures of Hope. It's Him who connects specific gifts to specific needs in specific families at critical moments in time. DLF creates the physical setting with prayer, food, music and a decked-out store, but God delivers the miracles.

The Bible urges us to cling to hope because hope doesn't disappoint! God invites us to believe in Him, to trust in Him who gave His only Son Jesus for our sake, once, and for all time. The more time we spend time with God, the more we experience His trustworthiness. We learn that we can count on Him and that He can accomplish the unusual, the miraculous. 

The psalmist describes God's miraculous ability in Psalm 77:14: “You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples” (ESV). This holiday season, ask the Lord where He wants to work His wonders in your life!

If you’re interested in helping us help others in a Jesus-centric Christmas celebration, learn more about Treasures of Hope at http://www.dlftx.org/events. Please share DLF blog posts on your social platforms and include the hashtag, #WebelieveGodcan.

Jesus is the reason for the season at Treasures of Hope

Stick around Dallas Leadership Foundation (DLF) long enough, and you’ll learn that Christmas isn’t about snowmen or snowflakes, or finding the coolest holiday color palette. Sure, dedicated volunteers trick out our Treasures of Hope Christmas Store with ribbons, trees, and ornaments. We play Christmas carols, serve food, and offer all kinds of gifts from dolls to toy trucks to pajamas. We want the store’s setting to inspire warm holiday for the 600-900 Dallas families we serve every year.

All of these trimmings play second to Who is most important at Treasures of Hope. Jesus is the reason for our Christmas store. The holiday get-up sets the stage, but the central focus is Him. Treasures of Hope is another opportunity for DLF to share Jesus. Our prayer always has been that they experience His love through us.

Because this is our point of view, it’s interesting to read Christmas-related chatter this past week on social media. Concerns about commercializing Christmas reached new highs it seemed. The controversy revolved around whether the Christmas spirit is preeminent enough on coffee cups or kept sacred enough on T-Shirts.

To us, celebrating Jesus with Dallas families at Treasures of Hope is deeper than that. Or, to say it another way, we discover a far more eternal perspective of Christmas by putting Jesus first and serving others. When we remember the smiles of the shoppers, their stories of struggle and triumph, and how we introduced some of them to Jesus for the first time – we’re thankful for the chance to share the sweetness of celebrating the Lord Himself.

If you’re interested in helping us help others in a Jesus-centric Christmas environment, learn more about Treasures of Hope at dlftx.org.The store opens Monday, Dec. 14!