Monthly Archives: October 2013

October 11

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Mark 521-43, 6:1-6a; Matthew 9:18-26, 27-34, 13:53-58; Luke 8:40-56; John 5:1-15

Jesus made the woman who touched the hem of his garment identify herself. He asked the blind men if they believed Jesus was able to heal them. He asked a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years if he wanted to be healed. Why else would he be sitting by the healing pool? Jesus waited until the man admitted he had tried everthing on his own and that he needed help.

Jesus asks us to talk to him. Be specific. Come boldly. Confess him. Believe in him. Ours is not a blind faith. It is a faith based on a very real man and a very real God.

What is it you want God to do in your life? Tell him. Sure he knows and, yes, he can do anything he wants whether or not we say something. But there is a reason Jesus asked those questions we read this morning and why he asks the same of us today.

Do you believe him? Do you trust him? Yes or no?

Father, I admit there are some things I don’t bother to bring to you, whether I think they are not all that important or I think you’ll do what you want anyway. Forgive me for that. May I recognize your interest in me. And may I put into words the things that are on my heart. I’ll recognize answers to prayers if I do.

October 10

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Mark 4:30-34, 35-41, 5:1-20; Matthew 13:31-35, 24-30, 36-52, 8:23-27, 28-34; Luke 13:18-21, 8:22-25, 26-39

The man had lived for years in a cave like a rabid dog. He was out of his mind, wild and violent. No one could get near him. But when he met Jesus all that changed. Jesus healed the man and restored his sanity.

The townspeople saw the man clothed, sitting with Jesus and in his right mind. And they were afraid. This miracle was beyond anything they had ever seen. Their reaction? They asked Jesus to leave.

So Jesus left the area and the man begged to go with him. I certainly can understand that. He wanted to stay near to Jesus where he was safe and accepted. But Jesus told the man he wanted him to go back into his hometown and tell the people there how much God had done for him. The man obeyed.

I think the hardest people to witness to may be the people who know you the best. They know your secrets. They’ve seen you lose your temper. If you were saved as an adult, they know the lifestyle you led before Christ. This man knew the townspeople had seen him naked and violent and crazy. He was probably the butt of a lot of jokes and the stories about his antics were probably exaggerated. 

But Jesus told the man to go home, look those scoffers in the eye, and tell them how God changed his life. He wanted the man to live with those people and demonstrate the difference Jesus had made. 

He wants us to do that, too. A mission field isn’t always across the ocean. It’s in our living rooms, our neighborhoods, our work places. Every day there is someone we meet who needs to know how God has changed us. They need to see in us something better than what they have without Christ. Yes, we might have to accept the fact that they look at us with suspicion because they know we aren’t perfect. But that doesn’t release us from the responsibility, and the privilege we have to share the Savior with them.

I pray God will give you the opportunity to tell someone today how much he has done for you. Like the man we read about today, let’s be obedient. Is that too much to ask of us who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? I don’t think so.

October 9

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Mark 3:31-35, 4:1-20, 21-29; Matthew 12:46-50, 13:1-23; Luke 8:19-21, 8:4-18

I’ve heard quite a few sermons on the parable of the seed. I’ve read these chapters many times myself. But I read something today that stood out as though for the first time.

You see, I’ve understood this parable to help us in our witnessing, to help us recognize that when we share the good news some people will reject it, some will accept it on the surface, and some will allow it to change them. It’s always challenged me to be a faithful sower regardless of how the message is received. And all that is true and a very integral part of what the parable is intended to convey.

But Jesus, when explaining the parable to his disciples said, “Therefore, consider carefully how you listen.” (Luke 8:18) He’s preaching to the choir and tells them they are to pay attention, too. It’s not just about people hearing the Gospel for the first time. The seeds in this parable referred to the disciples, too.

Today I’m asking myself, am I satisfied with the level of my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word? Or are there still some things God would want me to learn? As I read his Word each day, attend church or Bible study, do I do so with an open heart, ready to allow it to change me? Even after all these years I’ve walked with the Lord?

Every time I hear the Word I am a seed in Jesus’ parable. I want to be the seed that hears and retains it, and by persevering produces a crop. Jesus goes on to say in verse 8, “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” There’s a blessing and a curse.

If I, who have such a rich history of Bible believing pastors and teachers, who have had the privilege of reading the Word for myself for decades, listen with an open heart and mind, there is still so much for me to learn. What a blessing!

But if I take God’s Word for granted, if I close myself off because I think I have it all figured out or that I have just enough to get me into heaven, I run the chance of losing it. My heart can become as rocky and hard as the soil in the parable. And look what happened to the seed there.

Dear Jesus, Thank you for your Word. It is alive and active and able to change hearts today. Including mine who have walked with you for many years. I pray that you will find my heart fertile, that you would continue to teach me through your Word and through the faithfulness of your pastors and teachers. As I consider how I am listening, I pray you will find me eager and willing to hear from you. And may I use what you are teaching me to plant seed so that others can know you, too.

October 8

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Luke 7:18-35, 36-8:3, 11:14-26; Matthew 11:1-19, 12:22-45; Mark 3:20-30

Luke 7:23 always puzzled me. 

Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.

Jesus was talking about the things he was doing like healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching the good news. Wouldn’t people be drawn to him because of those things? Why would he express concern that some would “fall away” because of him?

As I sit here and think about that this morning it occurs to me that people still stumble because of Jesus. In the New Testament times the Jews were looking forward to the Messiah who would take the throne and return them to their former glory. They just knew their enemies would get what’s coming to them. Many of those Jews rejected Jesus when it became clear that was not his purpose. There are people yet today looking for that material kingdom.

People like to hear that God wants them to be healthy and wealthy. They like to believe that if they do good things God will accept them. They get tripped up when they hear Jesus calls his people to take up a cross and follow him, that he is the only way to the Father. They reject God because they refuse to humble themselves and accept Jesus as their Savior.

Blessed are we who confess our sin and enjoy fellowship with God through his Son.

October 7

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Luke 6:17-49, 7:1-10, 11-17; Matthew 8:5-13; John 4:46b-54

I think one of the most misinterpreted verses these days is Luke 6:37.

Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

So often we are told “Don’t judge”. But is God telling us we are not to recognize sin? That doesn’t even make sense in light of all of Scripture. How can the God who commands holiness of his people also tell us not to recognize sin? That’s foolishness.

Is adultery a sin? I can say without hesitation – yes. Is murder a sin? Absolutely. What about homosexuality, greed, gluttony, lying, idol worship, dishonesty? Without a doubt. 

So if I say to a gay friend that their lifestyle is sinful am I judging them? I didn’t make the law. God did. God makes it clear he judges sin. And don’t even think for a minute that he creates any of us to sin. I would be wrong if I didn’t try to turn my friend from sin by pointing it out in love.

If I point out to my married friend that her affair with a male co-worker is wrong , am I judging her? What about a neighbor who beats his children or a son who lies? Do I turn a blind eye because I am afraid someone will accuse me of judging them?

However, if I befriend a lesbian or have dinner with a friend who is an atheist – don’t judge me. If I go into a bar with an unsaved friend – don’t condemn me. If God has asked me to invest myself in their lives in order to bring them to him, that’s something you cannot know.

Christian, we need to stand for the Truth of Scripture. There are serious consequences for sin as spelled out in God’s Word. It is our responsibility to warn people of those consequences and point them to the Savior.

And… don’t use verses 41-45 as an excuse not to confront someone. If there is sin in your life – a plank in your eye – you need to confess it and get right with the Lord. Whether or not you witness to a friend you need to confess sin. Period. But you also have a job to do. Your friend who has no interest in the God of the Bible or who has twisted Scripture to rationalize sin is going to hell. Do you understand that? I didn’t make that up. I’m not judging them. They are already judged by their actions.

I know this is not a popular subject these days and it certainly is not politically correct in our “tolerant” society. But ignoring sin in ourselves or in the lives of our loved ones doesn’t change God. He is serious about sin. I pray that we will be as well.

October 6

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Matthew 5:21-7:29

You know, before Jesus came to earth, following the law was pretty black and white. In a very real sense, Jesus made following the law even more difficult than before.

In Old Testament times you sinned if you plowed on the Sabbath, if you had a wooden idol in your home, if you had an affair, killed someone, or stole something. Sins were concrete, visible. 

But Jesus took it a step further. He tells us if we hate someone we’re guilty of murder. If we lust after someone we’re guilty of adultery. What we think and feel became as important as what we do.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is about our heart’s condition. He talked about fruit trees and the fact that good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad. If our hearts are right with the Lord, what we do and say will reflect that. The outward signs of a heart that belongs to God is love toward enemies, going the extra mile, honesty and trustworthiness.

Jesus tells us to be perfect as God is perfect. That’s a command, not a suggestion. 

Have you given your heart to Jesus? If you have, you have no excuse but to bear good fruit. Let him pour himself into you and out of you as you yield to him. May you bear the fruit of having him in your heart.

Gracious Father, thank you for challenging me today to check my heart’s condition. May I recognize the areas I haven’t turned over to you and may I give it all to you. I pray that the fruit I yield today in the things I do, the things I say, and the thoughts I think show the world that my heart belongs to you.

October 5

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Mark 3:1-19; Matthew 12:9-21, 4:23-50; Luke 6:6-16

I am so glad God inspired Matthew to record Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. There is something for us in every sentence. Do you want to be blessed by God? Jesus tells us how.

Be humble, meek, merciful, hunger for righteousness. Be a peacemaker. And rejoice when you are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. God blesses his children with all we need… comfort, mercy, eternal life.

Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Do you realize your value? As God’s children we have the privilege of representing him and pointing lost souls to the Savior. Nothing is more important in this life time. And nothing more precious to our Lord.

Although Jesus was very careful to hide his true identity to the masses, he began to explain his ministry here in Matthew 5:17-20. God gave the law to Moses centuries before and Jesus wants us to know that law is still in effect. The bar was set and remains too high for us to reach. Holiness is still God’s standard and his demand. But Jesus explains that it is his job to fulfill all the requirements of the law for you and me. 

You see, he can reach the bar!

And what he is going to do will enable us to stand before God with a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees. We will be able to wear Jesus’ righteousness.

Dear one, as we read Jesus’ words, know that they were said with you in mind. Let Jesus speak to you as we revisit the Sermon on the Mount. Let him share his heart with each of us. And may we be encouraged in our walk with the Savior.

October 4

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Mark 2:1-28; Matthew 9:1-17, 12:1-8; Luke 5:17-39, 6:1-5

Do you worship on Saturday or Sunday? To what extent do you go to make that day holy? Do you style your hair and put on makeup? Do you shop? Do you mow the lawn? If you get snow overnight, do you shovel? Do you cook dinner for your family or check your email? Do you go to a ball game? Are you a doctor, a nurse, a salesperson who has a job that requires you to work?

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy?

Here’s another question. WHY do you refrain from doing certain things on the day you set aside to worship God with fellow believers? Is it a sin to do work on that day? Do you think God gives you bonus points for refraining from work that day? Is your salvation tied to what you do or don’t do on Sunday?

Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God set an example from creation to take a day of rest. He put that in his top ten commandments but the extent to which a person was to go to keep that commandment was nearly impossible. What does that mean for us today?

Jesus himself picked grain on a Sabbath because he was hungry. And we know Jesus did not sin.

Personally, I choose not to shop or mow on Sundays. Not because I think to do those things is sinful. I choose not to in order to follow God’s example. But I cook on Sunday. I go to ball games on Sunday afternoons. I might pull a weed in my walkway or pick up a towel off the floor. But generally speaking, I consider Sunday a day of rest.

That’s what it was intended to be. A day to focus on God without the distractions of work. God doesn’t need the day. But we do.

If you have a job that requires you to work on Sunday, I hope you go to work guilt-free. And I hope you take another day to rest, to spend added time with the Lord, to refresh yourself for the demands in the days ahead. Remember… the Sabbath, a day of rest, is a gift God gave us. And he wants us to use it.

Dear God, I pray that your people will honor you every day. But may we follow your example and spend a Sabbath day’s rest in our week. I thank you for Sundays, the day I am able to go to church, to worship with fellow believers and hear your Word preached from the pulpit. I thank you for the times I spend with my family on those lazy afternoons. I thank you that on those days, my focus on you is an extended time. It refreshes me and challenges me and prepares me for the week ahead. You must have known how important that would be or you would not have rested yourself when you created us. You would not have placed that in the Ten Commandments. But help us not to put so much emphasis on the day that we forget what it is intended to be. It’s your gift to us. Thank you.

 

October 3

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John 4:27-42, 43-46; Mark 1:14-15, 21-28, 1:29-39, 40-45; Matthew 4:12-17, 8:14-17, 1-4; Luke 4:14-15, 16-20, 31-37, 38-44, 5:12-16

Jesus prayed. He found a quiet place and spent time alone, talking to his Father. I wonder what those prayers were like. Did he pray for himself? For strength and safety? For health? Did he pray that Satan would be defeated so Jesus’ ministry would know success? Did he pray for Nicodemus and Peter and the woman at the well? For the leper he healed in one of the towns? And when he prayed for them did he pray for their physical health or their eternal souls? Or both?

We don’t know the words Jesus used when he prayed. But just the fact that he prayed speaks to me today. His example shows me that I, too, need to find that quiet place and talk to my Heavenly Father. Jesus prayed before continuing on to other towns. I think he’s telling me I need to pray before continuing my day, too.

The other thought that comes to me today is that Jesus is still praying. He is our mediator, our high priest who goes to the Father on our behalf. Jesus prays for me!

Father, forgive me when I neglect prayer. Thank you for reminding me today how important it is that I quiet myself in your Presence. Hear my prayers and answer them according to your will. Use this time alone with you to draw me close and strengthen me for what you have in store for me today. In Jesus’ name and because of his example, I pray. Amen.

October 2

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John 2:1-4:26

Do you know anyone who believes Jesus was a prophet and not the physical Son of God? Some people believe he was a good man, a gifted preacher, just one more person pointing us to God along with Buddha, Mohammed, or the Dalai Lama. How do you talk to those who reject Jesus as God in the flesh?

The book of John is full of proof. Jesus’ loving conversation with Nicodemus is a gentle introduction of God’s plan through the Son. Jesus spoke of our need to be born again, he foretold about the crucification, he explained that God so loved the world that whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life. Even John the Baptist testified in 3:36 that eternal life only comes through the Son.

We who know the end of the story know that those words were about Jesus. But Jesus was careful not to reveal himself as the promised Messiah to too many people at the beginning of his ministry. He had a lot to do in a short time and he knew if the Jews recognized him as the Promised One they would want to make him King. And that is not why he was there.

Jesus protected his identity to most. But he revealed himself to a Samaritan woman. Not a Jewish priest or powerful king. A Samaritan woman who had been married multiple times and who was living with a man she wasn’t married to. She was, however, looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. I am so thankful for the words Jesus spoke to her that day because there can be no mistake. There needs to be no interpretation. The woman spoke of the Messiah and the fact that he would explain everything when he comes. Jesus answered her:

I who speak to you am he.

Is Jesus the Messiah? Is he God in the flesh? How much clearer could he be?

Dear Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, Eternal One, Creator, the Word who became flesh, we bow to you today as our Holy God in human form. Thank you for your plan of salvation and for coming to us, to walk with us, to feel what we feel and experience what we experience. Thank you for those who recorded your stay on earth so that there can be no mistake as to who you are. Thank you that because of your written word, we can get to know you a couple of thousand years later. And thank you that because of you we can know the forgiveness of sin and fellowship with you right this minute. May we be faithful to share you, the truth of your life on earth, with people who don’t as yet know you. May you be glorified in all we do and say today.