Monthly Archives: October 2013

October 21

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Luke 14:25-16:17, 19-17:19

What is faith and why does Jesus keep comparing it to a mustard seed? Is he telling us if we have the right kind or the right amount of faith we would be able to move Mt. Everest to Ohio and point to a mulberry tree and watch it fly into the Atlantic? If that were the case I’d hesitate to walk out of my front door in the morning. I mean all those mountains and trees flying through the air sounds dangerous.

The writer of Hebrews tells us faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (11:1) He goes on to say without faith it is impossible to please God. (11:6)

James tells us faith without action is useless. (2:20)

We know much of Jesus’ ministry was spoken in parables. I believe what he is saying as recorded in Luke is that the amount of faith isn’t important. Maybe it suggests faith can’t be measured. Either you have it or you don’t.

The point Jesus wants us to see is that faith IN HIM can accomplish the unimaginable. Faith in God has allowed my sister to get out of bed every day after the death of her son, and to minister to some needy people from her church. Faith in God is enabling a teenage girl go through chemo with a smile on her face and praise on her lips. Faith in God has made it possible for a couple living with the paralysis of the husband to still host Bible studies and reach out to their neighbors for Jesus’ sake. Faith in God produces a spirit of peace in a man suffering from ALS.

You see, faith itself is not the issue. God is.

If God wanted Mr Everest in Ohio it would be here. And if God wants to move that mountain you are facing in your life, it will move when you put your faith in him. If he doesn’t want it removed, he will give you what you need to live with it! He wants us to put our faith in him who we cannot see, and our hope in the Creator.

So don’t waste time trying to manufacture the right kind of faith or trying to build up enough faith to get God’s attention. Relax. Relax in him, trust him. Give him that mountain and let him move it… or move you. Trust him to bring about a solution that is best for you and that glorifies him.

Dear Father in Heaven, I pray that we your children will trust you because you can be trusted. I pray that we will put our faith in you alone and allow you to accomplish your will in our lives. And may our faith be evident in what we do and say. As we trust you with those mountains of physical diseases, financial struggles, relationship challenges, or whatever we are facing today, may the world recognize our great God. May we demonstrate our faith in you by the lives we live in spite of, or maybe because of, the mountains we are climbing.

October 20

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Luke 12:22-13:17, !3:22-14:24

Sometimes I think God gets a bad rap. I read a blog the other day questioning why God would stand by and watch people destroy the earth. God gets blamed when someone shoots up a mall or when a loved one gets cancer. Many of those same people who point an angry finger at God when bad things happen neglect to acknowledge him in good times.

So what is God’s reaction to the human race? Read what he said about Jerusalem in Luke 13:34. Hear in his voice the pain of a father who watches a son turn his back and walk away.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

That’s what God thinks about us. He is not up there, angrily trying to get even with those who reject him. His heart is broken. He longs to take the worst of us and gather us into his arms. Jesus, in Luke 12:49-50 tells us that going to the cross is something he was anxious to do. He was eager to complete that work so that God could draw us to himself like a hen gathers her chicks.

But, Jesus tells us, we were not willing.

The state of the world is on us. And hear me when I say, dear Christian, rampant sin is on us, too. Unsaved people are going to act like unsaved people. If we continue to hide our heads in the sand, if we sit comfortably in our pews each Sunday but don’t share Christ with lost people during the week, we are the ones to blame for the moral decline of our world, the acceptance of sin as normal, the evil that would drive a person to kill another. 

It’s not God’s fault. It’s ours who know him and don’t do anything about it.

Father, I am convicted this morning. I am one who will shake my head at the sin on TV or complain about the ungodliness in our society, the corruption in our government. But you are asking me today to look at what I am doing about it. Am I just complaining? Or am I sharing the Gospel with the people in my world? Am I planting seed? Am I praying with someone to confess sin and accept you as Savior? I pray for your church today, Lord. May we do what you intended for us to do all along. May we be willing to be gathered under your wings and bring our neighbors and friends along, too. Save our world, Lord. One soul at a time.

October 19

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Luke 10:21-24, 38-11:13, 27-12:21; Matthew 11:25-30

Something Luke wrote made me laugh out loud this morning. He tells us Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of a Pharisee. It must have been quite a home because it seems there were many people attending this dinner. Jesus began eating without washing his hands first (a huge no-no according to the Law of Moses). Seeing that the Pharisee was appalled at his actions, Jesus began to point out the hypocrisy in the Pharisees. He called them foolish, and told them their good deeds were worthless because of their hearts’ condition. Not exactly the dinner conversation I am sure the Pharisee expected when he invited his friends to dine with Jesus that day.

While Jesus was saying, “Woe to you, Pharisees” for one thing and another, a teacher of the law leaned over and whispered to him. Probably with a wink he said something like, “Um, Jesus? When you say those things about the Pharisees, you’re kinda insulting us, too.”

So Jesus turned from the Pharisees and said to the faculty sitting there, “And you experts of the law, (now here’s where I laughed because the professor is no doubt expecting an apology and absolution) WOE TO YOU!!!” And Jesus goes on to list the grievances against the intellectuals at the dinner. Jesus is NOT making friends here!

Why do you serve God? Why do I? Is it so that people will pat us on the back? Are we active in the church, do we go the extra mile thinking it will cover up a sin we are holding on to? Do we pray those flowery prayers, sit on those boards or teach those Sunday School lessons while we harbor hate toward someone?

Jesus doesn’t want us to neglect the work of the church. He wants us to tithe, to teach those classes, to sit with a grieving friend or take soup to a struggling family. But he wants us doing those things for the right reasons.

It can’t be about us. It has to be about being God’s voice, his arms and feet. It has to be about allowing God to reveal himself through us to someone who needs him. If we do it hoping someone will notice and give us an atta-boy, we are just like the Pharisees and teachers of the law Jesus talked to that day.

And Jesus says, Woe to you! 

I’d much rather hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the only one who really matters.

Father God, I pray that you will convict each of us when our motives begin to shift away from serving you to drawing attention to ourselves. May you find us willing to work hard quietly, unnoticeably, even anonymously so that you get all the glory. May we be your voice to encourage someone today, your arms to hold a hurting friend, your feet to go where someone needs you. And may we be obedient for Jesus sake.

October 18

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Matthew 17:24-27, 18:6-35, 19:1-2, 8:18-22, 11:20-24; Mark 9:38-5-, 10:1; Luke 9:49-62, 10:1-20

Who likes paying taxes? Do any of you wish our taxes were higher? I just wrote a check for my property taxes and it took quite a chunk out of my savings. I can’t say I wrote the check joyfully.

And after our recent government shut-down circus… don’t get me started.

Jesus paid taxes. He even paid the temple tax which was money used for God’s work and he was… well… God.

The United States is still a great nation and I’m glad I live here. Jesus’ example teaches us that we have a responsibility to pay our taxes so the government can run effectively and to support our local churches financially so God’s work can be done. But I believe we also have a responsibility to hold our leaders accountable, whether national, state, local, or in our churches. We need to speak up, to get involved, to make changes that need to be made according to Scripture. 

Are you planning to vote in November? Christians – we need to. We need to know the issues and the people wanting to be elected at all levels of government. We need to research, ask questions, talk about it with those we trust. And we need to pray before we push that button or punch that card.

Jesus gave us an example of responsible citizenship. Let’s follow his lead.

October 17

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Mark 9:2-37; Matthew 17:1-23, 18:1-5; Luke 9:28-26, 37-48

As a person new to the world of blogging, I have enjoyed getting to know many people around the world through their written word. I have read heartfelt poetry, shared sorrows and joys, learned from some pretty incredible life experiences, and laughed out loud at some very funny blogs. I’ve been challenged and convicted, even angered at some of the things I’ve read. 

And I’ve been saddened.

I’ve stumbled upon the blogs of some pretty intellectual thinkers. Some look into God’s Word and research the history, dig deeper into the original text, and share their insights. And I’ve been stunned at the responses of some. Sometimes atheists or agnostics or people who have embraced other religions reply with their intellectual sounding arguments, demeaning faith, and speaking from a self-centered place of importance. To we who know the Truth, their rantings sound like foolishness, yet they wear a superior air that we understand is based on lies.

Earlier we read where Jesus expressed concern that some might be tripped up because of him. Here in the passage we read today he tells us that unless we become like children, we won’t enter his kingdom. 

Faith is not the absence of reason or intellect. God doesn’t ask us to quit thinking when we come to him. But he demands we humble ourselves, depend on him like a child – even an intelligent child – depends on his father. He asks us to trust him like a child trusts a parent. He asks us to recognize him as our Father, our Superior.

Jesus invites us to come to him, the only way to the Father. He asks us to leave ourselves at his feet, to believe he is who he says he is, and follow him according to his Word. He doesn’t ask us to leave our intellect behind. But he does demand we leave our egos.

May you not be so self-important, so intellectual, or so proud to go to Jesus on his terms. Like it or not you do not have all the answers. But he does. Don’t let the simplicity of his message trip you up.

October 16

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Mark 8:11-31-9:1; Matthew 16:1-28; Luke 9:18-27; John 6:60-71

Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” is the foundation of the church. Peter, who not too long after that, was called Satan because he refused to even consider the possibility that Jesus was going to die. Did he still believe the Messiah was going to establish that earthly kingdom? 

Jesus is beginning to reveal his mission to the Twelve. He wants them to recognize that he is truly God’s Son and that in order for the kingdom of God to come in power, he will die and in three days rise again. It must have been pretty confusing for his followers to hear.

Who do you say Jesus is? Can you, with Peter, proclaim without a doubt that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Messiah, God with us? Do you believe what we read about him is true? Is he Lord of your life, Savior of your soul? 

If you are reading these passages for the first time you have just met God Himself. Whether or not you believe it doesn’t change the fact. This Jesus is God. And he lived and died and rose again to give you life.

Dearest Jesus, Lord God, Savior, we bow before you today in awe and wonder. We recognize that you created the world we live in, you know and love each of us intimately, that you died in our place so that we can walk with you in this life and in eternity. May we, with Peter, proclaim you with confidence. And may you find us faithful to share your Truth with others today.

October 15

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Mark 7:1-8:10; Matthew 15:1-39

I have to say I’m a little disappointed in the disciples. Days after Jesus fed over five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, a crowd of 4,000 were hungry. Jesus expressed concern for the congregation and the disciples responded by whining that they were too far from the nearest McDonalds to feed them. The disciples even knew there were seven loaves of bread right there.

I find it interesting that none of the twelve jumped up with anticipation, remembering Jesus’ earlier miracle, and expecting a repeat.

But before I get to hard on the disciples I need to take a look inside me. Over the years God has proven to be faithful, to work things out according to his will and my good. He’s answered countless prayers and showered me with blessings beyond what I could have imagined.

So why do I get fearful of the future? Why do I question him when bad things happen? Why do I whine and complain when my situation looks hopeless?

Reading these passages today reminds me that God is able. God loves me. And God holds me in the palm of his hand. With each day God gives me, let me rise with anticipation and excitement, expecting God to do something wonderful. Why should today be any different?

October 14

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Mark 6:45-56; Matthew 14:22-36; John 6:16-24, 25-59

Do you remember the crazy man we read about a few days ago? He had been living for years in a cave, out of his mind. But when Jesus healed him the neighbors found him clothed and sane. If you remember, the man begged Jesus to take him with him. Jesus asked the man to stay and tell everyone what Jesus had done for him.

If I am right, I believe we are reading the rest of the story today.

I don’t know how long it was between visits, but when the people of Gennesaret saw Jesus get out of the boat, they recognized him. And they welcomed him. The last time Jesus was in the area they had asked him to leave.

What changed?

I believe it was the crazy man, living among them, talking to them about Jesus. Had Jesus allowed the man to leave with him instead of staying home to face the neighbors, I imagine we would be reading a different account here. 

Jesus asks us to be that kind of witness in the place he has brought us. He wants us to tell everyone what he has done for us. He wants us to be the vessel through which people can come to him.

May he find us as faithful as the man in this story.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the privilege we have of sharing you with our neighbors and friends. I pray that our lives, our testimonies, our demonstration of your love, will draw many to you. Thank you for the example of obedience we read today. May your children, may I, make the same kind of impact on our communities as we tell people what Jesus has done for each of us.

 

October 13

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Mark 6:14-29, 30-44; Matthew 14:1-12, 6:12-13, 14:13-21; Luke 9:7-9, 6, 10-17; John 6:1-15

I wonder what it was like to be one of the twelve the day 5,000 men plus women and children were fed with five loaves of bread and two fish. Could they see the broken pieces morph into more broken pieces? Imagine the rush of excitement they must have felt as they fed one person, then another, and another. If they wondered before if Jesus was God, I have to believe they got it after that day. Or at least they knew they were a part of something truly amazing.

But after Jesus fed the multitude he left. He got off by himself and hid for a while, knowing that had he stayed, the people would have made him king of their flesh and blood nation. That’s not why God was here in human form.

He knew that if he stayed, people would be following him for what he did and what they would receive from him in terms of health and wealth and freedom from bondage. They wouldn’t be following him because of WHO is was. They weren’t ready to accept a spiritual king of their hearts quite yet.

I am reminded that the same is true yet today. Some people still consider Jesus a heavenly Santa Claus who gives them the things on their wish list if they can conjure up the right kind of faith, if they say the magic words in a prayer. That’s not why Jesus came and that’s not why he wants us to come to him.

As we read on in the New Testament this year, I pray that we will see Jesus for Who he truly is, that we will love him because he first loved us, that we will serve him out of grateful hearts for his work on Calvary. And that we will make him Lord of our lives, King of our hearts.

October 12

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John 5:16-47; Mark 6:6b-11; Matthew 9:35-10:42; Luke 9:1-5

Judas was a believer, a follower of Christ. He was one of the twelve who was given power to heal the sick, drive out demons, and raise the dead. He, along with Peter, James and John, went into cities and shared the good news of Jesus.

I wonder what that trip was like for Judas. Is this where his heart began to change from wanting to follow Christ to wanting something else?

God is asking me today what it is that I want? Matthew 5:34-39 says following Jesus is serious business. His is not an easy road to travel. It certainly is not always peaceful.

And Jesus is very demanding. On one hand the Bible tells husbands to love their wives. But in 5:37 Jesus warns that if you love her more than you love God you aren’t worthy of him. If I put anything or anyone above my love for Jesus I am not worthy of him.

What does that even mean?

Jesus demands that he be our life’s focus. That all the things we do, the jobs we have, the people we love, are to come second to our relationship with The Lord. None of these things are wrong and we are to be busy doing what God intends for us to do, loving each other, serving each other.

But somewhere along the way Judas lost his focus. And we know how that story ends.

May we keep our eyes on Jesus. May we love him more today than we did yesterday. And may we serve him with joy.