“Jesus took bread . . . ‘This is My body’ . . . then He took the cup . . . ‘This is My blood of the covenant’ . . .” (Mark 14:22-24)

They are such ordinary things, are they not? Especially in Jesus’ day – bread and wine. They were the staples of life – the foundational level in the Israelite food pyramid.

And while the bread that Jesus broke and the cup that He lifted were part of the Passover remembrance, He imbued them with immeasurably more than anyone could have imagined. And the disciples who were present perhaps struggled to fully understand what He meant – bread and wine, and body and blood.

Of course, there are those within Christendom who think bread and wine are only bread and wine. They only symbolize body and blood. And in their understanding, we only remember what God did in the Exodus, and what Jesus offered on the cross.

Our theology is a bit different.

We proclaim, as we profess the Scriptures proclaim, that Jesus’ body and blood is ‘in, with, and under’ the bread and wine.  

We don’t profess to understand how it happens. We don’t claim that Jesus’ body could be examined under a microscope.

We believe it is a mystery. It is, by virtue of the Word of God itself, immeasurably more than bread and wine. It’s the body and blood of the Savior, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins and the strength of our faith.

Bread, wine, body, blood – here we end up with more than we begin.  

A capital campaign may not be a means of grace in our church (as the Lord’s Supper is), but it is a means by which ministry can be advanced and expanded. Through such a campaign we have opportunity to see God turn gifts received into ministry empowered. In doing so, we end up with more than we began – immeasurably more.

DAY 19: Persistence  . . . and More  

“And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him (the judge) with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” (Luke 18:3-5)

Begging, yes even demanding a response; that seems to be the kind of posture that the widow was using in coming to the judge.    

It was not disrespectful. It was not an expression of entitlement on her part. It was being persistent, and yet the word “persistent” probably doesn’t do her approach justice. Her approach was audacious, shameless, brazen, immodest, unabashed. She simply wasn’t willing to give up.

Jesus uses this parable of the persistent widow to teach us about being persistent in prayer. In doing so, He is teaching us about going to God with a confidence, conviction and a certainty that He WILL answer. There is no need to give up. There certainly wasn’t any giving up as far as the widow was concerned.

But why would Jesus want us to be so persistent? Perhaps because there is actually more that the Lord has in store for us than we could ever even ask. In the parable of the persistent widow, what is so remarkable is that her persistence changed the heart of an unjust judge. After all, Jesus tells us that this judge “. . . neither feared God nor cared about men.”  

So not only did the widow receive what she wanted (justice), but in the process her persistence changed the heart of the judge. How remarkable! This was more than she asked for; more than the planned or predictable or plausible results she was after.

And maybe God has the same in store for you. Don’t give up. Don’t give up in coming to Him.  

What bold request would you like to make of God for something in your life?

What bold request would you like to make of God regarding the capital campaign for your church?  

Whatever it is, may you go to God audaciously, shamelessly, brazenly, immodestly, unabashedly, and yes even persistently looking to receive immeasurably more than you ask.

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’ . . . Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ . . . Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, He said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:5,8,11-13)

Twelve baskets of leftovers. One basket for every disciple there who said it couldn’t be done.

All left over from the original five loaves of bread and two fish. A miracle that takes place because Jesus decided to give thanks for what He had at His disposal and trust His Father would do the rest.

Giving thanks is far more than appreciating whatever gift the Giver has provided: it’s crediting God with the outcome that is about to be experienced. It’s an expression of trust that since God gave, God will accomplish divine things through that gift, and we will be the recipients.

Often times we, like Philip, react to the need and opportunities around us in a way that limits our expectations of what God can do. We trust statistics, probabilities, the laws of nature, past experience, and “natural” human responses more than we trust the One who declared of Himself, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”  (Genesis 18:14)

Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him. They came wanting to receive. But they never expected to receive as much as they did. They received enough that was sufficient to meet their needs. But then they received more, immeasurably more, than they needed.  

How about what you expect the Lord to provide for your ministry, for your capital campaign efforts? It’s not just about the dollars collected (the five loaves of bread and two fish). But it is also about all the extras (the twelve baskets) that happen as a result of putting all of this in the Lord’s hands.

“So he (Samuel) asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ ‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered, ‘but he is tending the sheep.’ Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’” (1 Samuel 16:11)

The greatest king in the history of Israel, the man with a heart after God, was an afterthought in his father’s mind.

Samuel had told Jesse to bring his sons before Samuel, because one of them was to be anointed king. They seemed to be kingly, especially the oldest, Abinadab. At least that’s what Samuel thought. But God said no.  Seven sons passed by Samuel, and seven times God said no.

So Samuel was perplexed. God had told Samuel that he was to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king.  Samuel had asked Jesse to gather his sons. And God said no to each of them. So, either God had changed His mind or Samuel had misinterpreted or – there was another son somewhere.

Of course, that’s what it was. Jesse never dreamed his youngest son would be anointed king. That was meant for one of his older sons. Not only was David relegated to tending sheep, David was a runt. He didn’t seem to possess, at least outwardly, what it takes to be a king.  

And yet, David was the one anointed. David was the one who killed the bear and the lion and the giant. David was the one who soothed Saul’s heart with his harp. David was the one who defeated a giant with a stone and a slingshot. David was the one who danced before the Lord when the Ark was brought into Jerusalem. David was the one who extended surprising grace to Mephibosheth. David was the one before whom the enemies of Israel fell.  

Certainly Jesse loved all his sons. He just never imagined what God had in mind for David. God’s plans are always immeasurably more than ours.

As you consider your role, and yes even your gift, to the capital campaign you may think that what you can offer may be the “least” in comparison to others. However, don’t discount what God can do with the “least of these” in accomplishing His purposes.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” This might be the first question you ask after you answer the phone only to discover a friend has just woken you up from a deep sleep at night.  

But what if that same friend came knocking at your door in the middle of the night? That sense of urgency would certainly raise alarm. After all, it must be an emergency for a friend to be out and about that late – not to mention interrupting your night’s sleep.

“You want to borrow what?”  

However, that might be your reaction when you discover the only “emergency” your friend is facing is the need to borrow a loaf of bread and some cold cuts to make sandwiches for guests who have just arrived. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” would likely be your response as you stomp to the kitchen, or worse, slam the door in their face for waking you up with such a ridiculous request.

And yet the purpose for Jesus telling this story is to provide clear instruction, a bold invitation for you to be that shameless in your approach to God. Here Jesus gives you a big lesson in being audacious, brazen, unabashedly bold in coming to Him with your prayers.

You see, Jesus doesn’t just give you an invitation to pray. It’s not a mere suggestion that you gently come to Him as you have need. No, quite the contrary. It’s an invitation to be as bold and forthright as a friend knocking on your door in the middle of the night for you to help him feed some unexpected guests.

Bold. Bold prayers.

So boldly pray for the people who will be blessed and touched as a result of what your ministry is doing which prompted a capital campaign and an expansion of ministry.  

Boldly pray about the lives that will be changed and faith that will grow through this effort.

Boldly pray about the gift you will be giving to this campaign.  

As you boldly pray about all of that (and more), be assured that God will not be grumbling and mumbling because you are waking Him up in the middle of the night (since God never sleeps). Instead, be assured that God will be pleased, yes pleased, that you asked! And while you are asking, He just may respond with immeasurably more than you ask.

“Then (Joseph) had another dream, and told it to his brothers: ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I had another dream and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’” (Genesis 37:9)

Is it any wonder Joseph’s brothers despised him?  

He was their father’s favorite; he was spoiled; and he was more than happy to report his dreams in which they were subordinate to him.

And everything Joseph dreamed would happen, did. Just not in the way he imagined.

It was quite a journey for Joseph – from his father’s fields, to the bottom of an abandoned well, to being traded for a slave, to band of gypsies to Potiphar’s house, to prison, to second in command in all of Egypt. What a journey!

And along the way, God was preparing Joseph for more than he had ever imagined.  

Beaten, sold, falsely accused, imprisoned and forgotten. Joseph was finally the man God could use.

And when the brothers bowed before Joseph, just as Joseph had dreamed, he was able to say, “You meant it for evil. God meant it for good.”

Not only had Joseph become a ruler – he was immeasurably more the man than he could have imagined being.  He was filled with grace; grace that would lead him to forgive those who treated him so shamelessly.  

God works in us, and then he works through us, and brings about immeasurably more than we could ever have done ourselves.

What might God want to bring about through this capital campaign for your church that is more, immeasurably more, than anything you have yet dreamed?


“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’”

Have you ever looked hungrily at another table in a restaurant and asked the waiter about what they were eating? Have you ever seen a physically fit person exercising and wish you could look like that? Have you ever spoken to someone who seemed to have a glow of calm, even in the middle of difficult times, and wondered how they found tranquility during their storm?

The common dynamic in each of the examples above is the desire to receive something you see someone else receiving – maybe not even necessarily in a jealous way, but in a hopeful way.

“Lord, teach us (teach me) to pray.”

But very likely, underneath that question is something more than having the right words with which to pray or the right posture in praying. Underneath the question may simply be the desire to be as in tune with your heavenly Father as Jesus is.

The beauty of prayer is not simply being able to speak the right words, but to have such a relationship with Him to whom you pray that you comfortably speak those words. The beauty of prayer is being in such a relationship with God that there is comfort and faith and peace in the praying all because of the one to whom you are praying. No wonder then that the way Jesus responded to the disciples request about teaching him to pray was by saying, “Father, hallowed be your name . . .” It begins with the relationship. Woven into the disciple’s question was likely a desire to have more than the right words to speak, but the right relationship with Him to whom you speak.

As you go to God in prayer for this campaign, ask not only that all would go well with this effort or about what kind of commitment you might make toward the campaign. But as you go to God in prayer for this campaign, celebrate the relationship you have with Him to whom you pray. It is because of the relationship you have with Him, and He with you, that you will experience immeasurably more than you could ever ask.

Yes Lord, I’d like some of that! So Lord, teach us to pray!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Power. So often we think of “power” as something that belongs to someone or something else. The electrical lines have power in them that you dare not touch. A category 5 hurricane with winds of 150 mph or more has power that you cannot control. A train traveling down the tracks or a plane taxiing down the runway towards lift off are too powerful to stop on your own.

“. . . He (God) may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being . . .” Here God prays that His

in you

Just imagine what “that” kind of power can accomplish: sins forgiven, lives transformed, peace restored, hope renewed. That’s powerful!

As you find yourself involved in this capital campaign, you may find yourself wondering (worrying) about whether your church will be able to meet its goals. You may be wondering (worrying) about whether there is really anything you can contribute to this effort. But as you reflect on these concerns, remember the power that is at work within you – God’s power.

God’s power; where God became man in Jesus.

God’s power; where Christ came from heaven to earth, from earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, and from the grave back to heaven.

God’s power; where Christ took your sin and exchanged it for His righteousness.

God’s power; where there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

God’s power; where, because of Christ, you are a new creation.

within you, look for how God’s power can be displayed through

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Often times people aspire to achieve riches. They work hard. They invest wisely. They save prudently. All so that they may bask in the comfort of their richness.

Rarely, if ever, do you see someone start at a point of wealth and methodically, purposefully divest themselves of such wealth – to the point of poverty – in order for someone else to benefit from their wealth. That would be the great reversal.

But that’s what Jesus did.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed”

In doing all of that, Jesus divested Himself of His “riches” . . . so that you could become rich.

And so, rich you are.

The world tends to measure richness in terms of financial and/or material accumulation. And while you have received various measures of such worldly wealth, there is yet a greater richness you have received – forgiveness, salvation, a promised inheritance in heaven. And yet, one day, as a result of God’s grace and mercy in Christ, you will find yourselves in the very real presence of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – eternally. You will encounter six winged seraphs and look upon the holy of holies in all their splendor.

To live life today with faith in the promise that one day all the “glorious riches” (Ephesians 3:16) of God will be yours, is a richness that surpasses anything imaginable this side of heaven.

As you consider the material wealth at your disposal today, and as you reflect on the spiritual wealth you have now and for all eternity, there is no comparison. You are indeed richly blessed!

“. . . yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich”

Oh how rich you truly are!

“So the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad?’ . . . I said to the king . . . ‘Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’”

Nehemiah was a “cupbearer” to the king. It was his responsibility to protect the king against poisoning. As such, it would seem that Nehemiah was nothing more than a household servant. But he was actually more than that. Nehemiah was a high-ranking official in the Persian government. He was a trusted and influential advisor to the king. He had significant status among ruling officials in his day.

The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament opens with Nehemiah receiving the disturbing news about the present conditions in Jerusalem. Despite the work of Ezra who assisted with the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the city was left unsecured. The walls protecting the city were in shambles. The city and her people were exposed and easy prey to enemies. Nehemiah was overcome with grief by all this.

One night the king inquired why Nehemiah appeared so sad. Nehemiah told him what he had learned about Jerusalem. When the king asked what Nehemiah wanted to do about this, Nehemiah was so bold as to request a leave of absence to go and assist the rebuilding of the city’s walls. The king was gracious in responding to his request and gave him the time off to do this.

But that’s not all the king gave Nehemiah. Nehemiah asked for “letters” from the king that would provide safe passage as he traveled the 1,000 miles to Jerusalem. The king provided the letters to secure his safe travel.

Nehemiah asked for a letter that would make available some of the king’s timber to be used in the rebuilding of the wall. The king provided the letter to grant permission for the timber also.

“The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me”

Nehemiah began his conversation with the king by simply asking for some time off. But the king graciously gave him more than that . . . much more.

When you go to God in prayer on behalf of something that is on your heart, in His own way and in His own time, the Lord answers that prayer. But how many times have you noticed that in addition to that answer, you received more than you asked for?

How about in your capital campaign? As you pray about the Lord’s blessing on this process, do you see how He is answering those prayers maybe in ways far greater than you asked?

While praying about the kind of gift you will offer to this effort, are you open to the Lord leading you to make a gift greater than you’ve been considering?

Maybe this is one of those times when the Lord is ready to give you more . . . much more than you ask.