Jesse and Kara Birkey

The Problem with Misunderstanding God

Posted on February 1, 2013 by jessebirkey

“Too many Christians and even Christian Theologians make the mistake of confusing God with Satan.” – Greg Boyd.

That is a powerful statement and one that caused me to reflect for some time. What I found was that there were some areas in which I was confusing the two.

I’m sure that many of us would all say we know the difference between the two but the quote is meant to challenge that. Do you really know the difference?

But how does that happen? What causes us to confuse the two of them.

I think that a big part of it is that we seek to understand God backwards. Jesus said that He and the Father are one and that to see Him is to see the Father. The writer of Hebrews said that Jesus is the exact representation of God and Paul says that Jesus is the exact representation of the invisible God. Everything that the Bible says about God is lived out tangibly through Christ.

So wouldn’t it make sense to seek to understand God by seeking to understand Jesus? But so many times we do it the other way around. We allow hard passages of the Old Testament, and also some of the New, to create an image of God the Father for us instead of Jesus. We also allow the behaviors we have learned growing up and impressions of other people to shape our image of God instead of Jesus.

But we can start with John’s words “God is Love”. But that’s not quite good enough is it because we need to know what that looks like. But we have a model. We have the life and ministry of Jesus to show us what that love looks like.

Healing for example. In Matthew 8, Jesus is approached by a man with leprosy. The man tells Jesus that if He is willing He can heal him. Jesus takes his bare hand and touches the man with leprosy and tells him that He is willing. Then Jesus heals the man. Is God willing to heal us of our sickness and disease. Jesus said, “I am willing.” The greek word for “willing” means to delight in, would love to, prefer to, inclined to, and most often a strong desire, etc.

Now is this statement meant to be comprehensive? I think it is. It’s the same word used in 1 Tim 2:4 when Pauls says that its God’s will that all be saved. There is no record of Jesus turning someone away without healing them. God is willing to heal us period. So here’s where it gets tricky. We pray for healing and it doesn’t happen. God didn’t heal. Why not?

Sometime we explain it by saying God wanted to teach us something and that’s why He didn’t heal us. But that statement isn’t compatible with “I am willing.” Either He strongly desires to heal us or He strongly desires to let us suffer in order to teach us a lesson. It can’t be both can it? I don’t believe the perfect love of 1 Cor. 13 and the perfect love modeled by Jesus allows it to be both.

Would we be willing to let our kids get hit by a car in order to show them it’s not safe to play in the street? Would we be willing to let our kids shoot heroin in order to teach them that drugs are bad? I hope not. But if our kids were dead set on doing those things could we stop them without jeopardizing free will? (Yes I’m using human relationships to prove a point but so did Jesus in Matthew 7)

So what is it? Not enough faith? Maybe. Personal sin? Maybe. Natural Consequences? Maybe. The state of this world? Maybe. The kingdom of darkness? Maybe. But all of those things have nothing to do with the intentions and desires of God’s heart. They have to do with us, the world and the god of this world.

My intent isn’t to challenge you on healing. My intent is to challenge your impression of what a loving Father is. My intent isn’t to try and explain why bad things happen. My intent is to challenge what kind of God you believe in because it’s critically important. So many times what we consider love to be isn’t really love at all. The “Whys?” start not to matter as much when we understand that if we don’t get healed, it’s not because God didn’t earnestly desire to heal us.

When we allow anything other than the life of Jesus to shape our impression of God, we are going to get it wrong. So let’s right the ship. Start with Jesus.

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Lay Hands On The Feet!

Posted on January 23, 2013 by jessebirkey

I encountered a woman the other day who was suffering from neuropathy. Her feet were angled slightly inward and had lost much of their feeling. Her toes were bandaged, covering sores trying to heal. She moved with a cane and leaned on it heavily when she walked.

As I talked with the woman, I began to feel like God wanted me to pray for her feet. I was thinking, “OK, I can pray for her feet. I’ll just put my hand on her shoulder if that’s ok with her.”

But then I heard the Lord tell me to lay hands on her feet. Are you kidding me? I really didn’t want to put my hands on her feet. That’s just gross isn’t it? It doesn’t really matter whose feet they are it’s not normal to go around touching others feet. That kind of activity gets a person pepper sprayed. How do you even ask someone if you can put your hands on their feet? Weird.

But then I thought of Jesus on His hands and knees washing the feet of His disciples. Can we even imagine how gross their feet were? Think about kind of shoes fishermen would wear. Their feet were probably nastier than any of our feet have ever been.

But that didn’t stop Jesus. His love for them was greater than the condition of their feet. He wanted to serve them and a little grime wasn’t going to stop Him. That’s a mighty kind of Love!

So I looked at the woman again and asked her if I could put my hands on her feet and pray for them. She said “yes” without hesitation. I prayed as I felt the Lord lead me to pray.

When I was done I asked her if anything felt different. She told me that when I was praying she felt shocks going through her feet. The sensations were great enough to cause her to open her eyes and look down.

I asked her to stand up and see if anything felt different. She stood up and without the assistance of her cane walked back and forth in front of me with a look of amazement on her face. She even bent over and picked up a can off of the ground just to see if she could do it and she did without problem.

She left that day carrying her cane instead of using it. We must not let outward circumstances prevent us from loving as Jesus did and does today. Our model continues to point us to life. If Jesus did it then we should be doing it too!

Blessings,

Jesse and Kara Birkey

The Problem With Being A Servant

Posted on January 9, 2013 by jessebirkey

We know that serving others is something running through the entire biblical narrative. It’s woven throughout the whole thing. To love is to selflessly serve others amongst other things.

It can certainly be one of the toughest things to live out. But we can’t get away from the teaching. Jesus came to serve. He didn’t come to condemn but to save and He saved by serving.

One of the most amazing (and hardest) things we see in scripture is Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Washing someone’s feet was just about the lowest thing someone could do in the culture at the time. Jesus went to the extreme to show us how we should serve and He didn’t do it just to prove a point. He did it because He wanted to do it. He loves us so much that it’s His desire to serve us in that way.

This can be very difficult to understand especially when we understand that to see Jesus is to see the Father. We know Jesus is the exact representation of God. So to see Jesus washing our feet is to see God the Father washing our feet.

For many of us that picture of God doesn’t mesh with the perception of God we have grown up with. But the truth is if that picture of God makes you uncomfortable then there is a problem with the reality of God you have accepted.

So we are to be imitators of Christ therefore we are to serve each other. But something I have noticed makes me think we have missed something. I have experienced teaching and talks about serving and while I can’t say every time, most times being a servant is related to serving those in authority over us.

Sometimes it seems like it’s very difficult to lovingly serve those in authority over us. Also, it just kind of makes sense to relate serving with those in authority. But if that’s the only way we relate it, talk about it, seek to understand it, we are missing half of it.

As Jesus clearly showed being a servant doesn’t mean just serving those over us but also those under us. Throughout the New Testament we learn that whenever power is used to rule (whatever that might look like) we are missing it. Instead, this idea of mutual subjection runs rampant throughout. One example is in 1 Peter 5 in which Peter warns the spiritual elders and leaders not to be domineering, coercing, overbearing or dictatorial but instead to lead by their life’s example. In fact, Peter tells them that if they lead this way they will receive the conquerors crown. How about being a conqueror by serving? In other words, instead of making people serve the poor go out and serve the poor yourself and invite others to come along if they want.

What might this look like in our lives? What would it look like to serve your kids, employees, students or whoever else you feel superior too or that you have power over? How could that change the way you treat and interact with them?

In order to truly be a servant as Jesus was we must begin to serve those under us just as much as those over us.

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Failed Prayer for Healing

Posted on December 12, 2012 by jessebirkey

There are times in which we pray for someone in need of physical healing and the person does not get healed. These can be hard times as we struggle with the “why” questions. But we must not automatically equate no healing with failure.

On day at work I encountered a woman who had broken her femur. She tripped and fell and was in a lot of pain. Those who have broken their femur know what a terrible injury this is.

We gave her pain medicine as quickly as we could and did our best to be gentle as we splinted her leg. Even with the pain medicine on board it was still very painful on any kind of movement.

It took a little time but we got her all fixed up and into the rescue (ambulance). On our way to the hospital I was moved by compassion as the Holy Spirit nudged me into action. I was riding in the back with my partner who is also a believer.

I was actually holding the splinted leg as the road bumps were causing some movement and more pain. I looked at her and, with discernment from God, asked her if I could pray for her leg. She looked very surprised and told me that I could.

I put my hands gently on her broken leg and prayed the words God have me to pray. The praying lasted only for a few minutes and when I was done the leg was still broken but something else happened. Peace filled the rescue and joy filled the woman’s heart. She was very touched by the love God showed her in the middle of her crisis.

The rest of the ride went very well as the woman had realized God was there for her even in this. We transferred her to the care of the ER and on the way out stopped by to check on her. Her husband was there and sincerely thanked me for praying for his wife.

That simple act of obedience made such a great impact on the couple. There is a reason-and most likely many reasons-why God nudges us to do things. In this case the reasons were outside of instant healing but it was by no means a failed encounter.

So be encouraged that if you’ve prayed for someone to be healed and they weren’t, God still did something special. Blessings,

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Anxiety Gone!

Posted on December 10, 2012 by jessebirkey

I was in the middle of checking my rescue (ambulance) one morning when a car pulled up to the station. An older woman got out and quickly told us that her neighbor was in the car in need of medical help.

We hurried over to the passenger side of the vehicle to discover a young woman having a severe anxiety or panic attack. Anyone who has panic attacks will tell you that they can quickly become completely incapacitating. The young woman was on the verge of losing control completely meaning the only way to calm her down would be to medicate her.

We helped her to the stretcher and loaded her into the rescue. We did our routine things like starting an IV and hooking up the monitor, all the while trying to calm her down. Nothing was working as her muscles began to spasm uncontrollably.

We pulled out of the station and made our way towards the hospital. The patient’s heart rate was 130 beats per min and she was breathing very fast. She was also unable to lean back on the stretcher because her body was so worked up.

At that point I felt the familiar nudge of the Holy Spirit asking me to pray for the woman. I looked at the women on the verge of complete collapse and asked her if I could pray for her. She nodded her head yes. I asked her if I could put my hand on her should and she told me that I could.

Over the next few minutes I prayed the words God gave me to pray. I prayed against the spirit of fear and commanded it to leave. God also gave me some insight into her life and I prayed about those things. I asked the Holy Spirit to fill the rescue and rule in her heart.

As soon as I was finished I looked up to see the young woman breathing normally and relaxed against the stretcher. Her heart rate was 80 beats per minute and the muscles were no longer having spasms!

We talked a little bit more and she had a big smile on her face as we entered the hospital. A while later I walked by her room to see her sleeping comfortably.

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Always Be Ready

Posted on December 3, 2012 by jessebirkey

I had the unexpected opportunity to pray with a co-worker who doesn’t know the Lord the other day that was really great. My partner and I had just dropped our patient off in the hospital when my partner noticed one of our co-workers laying in one of the rooms.

There are many people who work for the fire department and, to my recollection, I hadn’t met him before. But my partner knew him and struck up a conversation. He told us why he was there and it was a pretty hard story. The man was going through some pretty hard times.

As we listened I sensed the familiar nudge of the Holy Spirit to pray for the man. I had a short silent discussion saying, “I don’t know him and I don’t know if he is a believer.” But the Lord told me, “Pray for him.”

So I looked at the man and asked him if we (my partner is a believer) could pray for him. His eyes widened in surprise and said, “absolutely”. So I asked him if I could put my hand on his shoulder and he told me yes.

We prayed for him and asked the Lord to touch his heart and heal his body. I prayed as the Lord led me to pray, talked a few more minutes and then left. On the way out my partner thanked me for praying for the man and that the two of them have had discussions about God. My partner told me that God had really been pursing the mans heart lately.

There is great purpose for the things God nudges us to do. We must take great courage and respond. We won’t always get confirmation that we did the right thing but sometimes we do. We must always be ready to be used by God. He loves the stranger next to you just as much as He loves you and maybe, just maybe, He wants to use you to reach the strangers heart!

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Order Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People Here!

Grocery Store Encounter

Posted on November 28, 2012 by jessebirkey

It was getting late one afternoon, and I suddenly came face to face with a problem. We had four, five-gallon water jugs for our water cooler, and they were all empty. So I loaded them into the trunk and headed out to the grocery store to fill them up.

The water system was set up just inside the grocery store. I made my way over and began the tedious process of filling the jugs. Everything was going fine, and I was about halfway done when a man that I instantly recognized walked by me, heading for the exit.

An older man, he was a good friend from a church I used to attend. It had been a few years since I had seen him. I remembered that the desire of this man’s heart had always been for the Lord. We’d had our disagreements on different things, but his love for God was completely obvious to me. He was someone I admired.

Even though I hadn’t seen him for quite some time, I recognized that something was different. He looked worn out and weighed down. I called his name, and he turned. He saw me, and a tired smile spread across his face as he shook my hand and asked how I was. We made small talk for a few minutes and caught up a little. As we talked the Holy Spirit was moving in my heart and giving me insight into the current condition of my friend. I remembered him being a source of encouragement and joy, but the Lord was showing me that the joy had been stolen, allowing hopelessness and discouragement in.

I was still trying to discern what God wanted me to do when our conversation came to an end. My friend said good-bye and walked out the door. Instantly I heard voice of the Lord in my heart telling me to go pray for him, so I left my water jugs and quickly walked outside. My friend wasn’t too far away, and it only took me a second to catch up to him.

He turned as I called his name, and I asked him if I could pray for him. He told me I could, and in the middle of people walking all around us, I began to pray for my friend. The Lord began to reveal the pain of my friend’s heart and then began to speak words of love and encouragement. The Lord began to speak through me about how my friend’s heart had lost hope, but that He was there to restore hope and build my friend up again with love. Every word was being directed straight to my friend’s heart, piercing it like an arrow. All of the people around us seemed to fade, leaving just God and us.

When I finished praying, my friend lifted his head and smiled a real smile. He thanked me and shared a little of what had been happening in his life. What my friend needed was for his Father God to touch his heart, and that’s what happened. We both said good-bye and walked away with our hearts full of joy.

-Excerpt from Life Resurrected. Get your copy here.

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Betrayal and Broken Windows

Posted on November 21, 2012 by jessebirkey

It’s interesting how God seems to bring us opportunities to minister to others in the exact areas we’ve experienced pain and trauma. God builds testimonies in us for the benefit of not only us but for others who have experienced or are experiencing some of the same things.

One night I found myself in front of a man handcuffed and laying on my stretcher (I’m a Firefighter/Paramedic). He had been arrested for breaking a window when he found his wife with another man. He had also cut his arm, which was why I was there.

He was emotional and distraught for good reason. It takes courage to discuss the areas in which we’ve experienced the most pain with others, especially strangers who are upset and cursing left and right. I felt the familiar “nudge” of the Holy Spirit to tell the man how sorry I was and that I knew what he was going through.

Just those few words were enough to form a connection.

He looked at me with pain in his eyes and began to share some of his frustrations. I began to share with him some of my own experience walking through betrayal and gave him the only hope I could, Jesus. I told him that the only way I survived was because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. I told him that he’s going to have to find a way to survive and I sincerely recommend the way of Jesus.

It’s in the pain of trauma that many of us begin to consider things that we wouldn’t otherwise. Despite the anger he was feeling, the words God was giving me were hitting his soul. His heart was softening. I encouraged him to seek the Lord, as He is the comforter to those that mourn. I shared how Jesus rescued me from despair and transformed me.

As we arrived at the hospital, the man looked at me and told me that he was ready to change. He said he wanted to go to church and asked my partner (a believer) and I for information on local churches. My partner gave him the info for his church.

It’s important that we recognize we aren’t the only ones dealing with what we deal with. If God has built a testimony in you He wants to use it to help others. We must be willing to love others in that way. Please leave any comments below! Blessings,

Jesse and Kara Birkey

Extraordinary Miracles Through Ordinary People!

Posted on November 19, 2012 by jessebirkey

We are excited to announce that Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People is now available on Kindle and Nook with the Ibooks and print version coming shortly. Click on the links and it will take you to our website or you can find them on amazon or barnes and noble.

“…This book rekindles the passion to be passionate with Him. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to facilitate the Love and Power of the bible through their relationship with a loving kind God.” -Trisha Frost

This book is designed for all who long to be used by God in extraordinary ways but aren’t sure how to walk and live the way Jesus did. I seek to show the reader that one doesn’t need a title, ministry or big name to be used by God, only the willingness to be transformed.

I long to see countless lovers of Jesus set free by His love and walking in the full commission of Jesus to heal the sick, raise the dead and preach the gospel. Life Resurrected is full of testimonies from me (a Firefighter/Paramedic) and other ordinary people like me who have been used by God to work the works of Jesus. Testimonies range from raising the dead to prophesying in the back of an ambulance.

Jesus came to set the captives free. Take the journey and you too can have your Life Resurrected!

Blessings,

Jesse and Kara Birkey