Monthly Archives: October 2016

October 11 – It’s Obvious To Me

Leave a reply

Matthew 8:1-13; Luke 7

According to the Beth Moore Bible study I’ve been attending, healed lepers weren’t common back in the day. In fact, since Moses wrote the law concerning leprosy and what a person was required to do when healed, NO healings of the disease are recorded until Jesus. For thousands of years, Jews were taught what to do if they were healed of leprosy. And none of them were able to fulfill the requirements because none of them were healed.

I would think that, if Jesus had performed no other miracle, healing a leper should have been proof enough that He was the Messiah. Who else but God could heal that deadly disease with a word? It seems so obvious to me.

But there is ample proof of God yet today. And there are still many who refuse to acknowledge the proof, who still deny His existence, and who still do not bow to Him.

I don’t get it. It’s obvious to me.

October 10 -Who, me? Anxious?

2 Replies

Matthew 5-7

I have to confess that I am getting frustrated about not being allowed back on the island since Hurricane Matthew. I have not seen my house and have no idea if windows are intact or if my things are exposed to the elements, the animals, and looters. I don’t know what to expect, and according to the rumor mill, we may not get home for days.

So this afternoon, as I sit in a hotel room, I read the chapters from my Bible reading plan for October 10: The Sermon on the Mount. As is often the case, God used His Word to speak the exact words I needed to hear today. This is what I heard Him say:

“Don’t be anxious, Connie. Isn’t your life more than the things you own? Have you seen a bird recently? What about the flowers at Gibbs Gardens you saw the other day? Or the grass in the lawn outside your hotel window? I take care of nature,” He reminds me, “and I love you so much more than that. Seek Me and you’ll have everything you need.You’ll have Me! Don’t waste a minute today worrying about tomorrow. I’ve got this covered.”

I am reminded to cast all my cares on Him because He cares for me.

So, Lord, Here are my cares, my concerns, the unknown of my situation. It’s all Yours. You know my heart, and I trust You to provide in the perfect way You always do. Thank You for loving me and caring for me. Draw me close to You and let me rest in the knowledge that You know exactly what I need.

October 9 – There are storms, and there are STORMS

Leave a reply

Matthew 12:1-21; Mark 3; Luke 6

Hurricane Matthew has done its worse. From the Caribbean Islands to North Carolina houses have been battered, businesses destroyed, lives lost. My own home received the torrents of the storm. You’ve probably seen pictures of the devastation the hurricane inflicted on the coast.

It amazes me that any building is still standing. I’m not an engineer, but I’m pretty sure a building’s foundation has an impact on the durability of the structure in a storm. A house well-built, can endure the force of heavy storms much better than one poorly built.

Not only was my house’s foundation tested these last few days, so was the foundation of my life. My house of only a month, with three boxes still unpacked, contains some of the things I hold dear. My mother’s china, my piano and clarinet, pictures of family no longer with us, my dad’s trifold flag and purple heart. Some things just cannot be replaced.

But they are things. And if I die today, none of that would go with me anyway.

I will tell you I prayed almost without ceasing for my place, for my friends’ homes and their safety, our church, our island, people I don’t know in Haiti and Florida and the Carolinas. I can honestly say my faith and trust in God did not waiver for a moment, even in the uncertainty of what was ahead. God, who does all things well, is able to be whatever we need in good times and in bad, in times of joy or great sorrow.

I learned through this storm that my foundation is secure. My life doesn’t depend on easy living or in storm-free days. God is not my God just when I’m healthy and things are looking up. He never left my side and will be my strength in the cleanup after this storm.

I learned that God is faithful in the little storms of life as well as in the face of life-changing events and challenges. He has proved that over and over in my lifetime and will continue to reveal Himself today, tomorrow, and in the future.

I have not built the foundation of my life on relationships, on money or success, or health, or church attendance.

I’ve built my foundation by devouring  God’s Word, by spending time talking to God in prayer. So I’ll continue to talk about Him and walk with Him every day. Because I am the person Jesus talked about in Luke 6:48:

(Connie) is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

October 8 – Is Jesus God?

Leave a reply

John 5

Yes.

I know some can read these verses in John and twist the words to say Jesus never really identifies Himself as God. But Jesus calls Himself God’s Son, One who gives life like the Father gives life. One who judges, is sent by God, and who affords equal honor with God.

Then He told the Jews, who were well aware of Scripture, the law of Moses, that He was the One Moses spoke about. Jesus said they searched the Scriptures because they thought eternal life was in the Scriptures. Jesus told them those Scriptures testify about Him.

Jesus was not just another good guy. He was the physical Son of God, equal to God, eternal, and worthy of honor and glory.

__________________

We can’t get on our island yet after Matthew’s visit. So I don’t know the extent of damage. Early  news is encouraging. But whether little or great, I will praise God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who does all things well.

October 7 – And They Were Following Him

5 Replies

Mark 2

We might think that because Jesus called twelve men to follow Him that is all there was. Yes, there were twelve whose names we know, and who Jesus entrusted with the intimate details of His ministry. But there are many who followed Jesus. Mark gives us a glimpse of that in 2:15.

We know Matthew, that tax collector and disciple of Jesus. But Mark tells us Matthew wasn’t the only tax collector who was changed because of Jesus.

Sometimes, too, I think we get the idea that people like Billy Graham, or Beth Moore, or Bill Gaither have more important ministries than ours because everyone knows their name. That’s just not true.

A follower of Jesus doesn’t have to stand behind a pulpit. He can sit in the bleachers at a ball game. Or across the table at a coffee shop. Or over the backyard fence. Following Jesus isn’t about getting recognition, or limited to those who do. It’s about my obedience, and your’s. It’s about sharing the Gospel, a willingness to let Jesus be seen in us, even if no one else knows our name.

____________

So I’ve shared that I recently bought a house on an island in Georgia. Hurricane Matthew is headed straight to St. Simons and that entire area. God is faithful, and even though we have all been evacuated and are waiting for the storm to blow through, watching the weather channel and praying, I know that it all belongs to God anyway. My prayer is that the people will be safe, including those brave first responders who will do what they can to protect and care for those who are effected. I thank Him that the storm seems to be staying off shore and seems to be weakening. Would you pray with us? As always, may God be glorified even in this.

October 6 – My Food

Leave a reply

John 2-4

Jesus’ disciples went to get him something to eat. The fact that they “urge” Him to eat makes me believe Jesus was so intent on doing what He came to do, He might not have taken time for meals. His disciples knew he needed to eat.

I know, myself, that if I am focused on a task at hand, eating is the last thing on my mind. Jesus said something that made me stop and think.

He said, “My food, is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” (4:34)

Food. That which nourishes and strengthens, that which is necessary for life itself, that which is pleasant and anticipated. Something you just can’t do without.

Is that how I view my service to God, sharing the Gospel, sowing seed that leads to repentance? Is representing Jesus to a lost world as necessary to me as filling my belly?

It was that to Jesus. It ought to be in me.

October 5 -Temptation Isn’t Fun

Leave a reply

Matthew 4; Luke 4-5; John 1:15-51

When Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, He wasn’t on vacation. He was out there with no food, being jerked around by Satan. Matthew and Luke share three of those temptations. Many have said they represent three things God hates: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (I John) I can see the correlation.

But today, I’m wondering how Jesus’ time in the wilderness effects me. Here are my thoughts:

Forty days is a long time to be exposed to the elements without food. We aren’t sure what those forty days were like for Jesus, but I have a suspicion Satan didn’t wait until day 37 to hit Jesus with the first of only three temptations. I think Satan probably hit Jesus with everything in his arsenal the moment he realize he could. Think of it. Forty days with unrelenting attacks on your soul. And I think Satan’s hard on me.

And, I imagine, as Jesus’ physical body became weaker, Satan’s attacks intensified. Because that’s how he is with me. If my body is weary, if my heart is heavy, Satan throws me a bone. “Compromise,” he says. “Things will get better.” And I am tempted.

Satan knew Jesus was here to win kingdoms for Himself. He knew the Lord had a job to do. So Satan told Jesus, “Here is a shortcut. Bow down to me just this once and I can get you what You’re after without having to go through all the grief.” Satan knows I have a job to do, too. I am commanded to share the Gospel. Now I don’t hear Satan asking me to worship him in those words, but I certainly hear him telling me to back off a bit, tolerate other viewpoints, let a person believe what he wants to believe. I hear that voice in my head almost every day. Tempting.

Then there are those times of doubt. I am not suggesting Jesus ever doubted His Father. I think at this point, as weak as He probably was, He might have been viewing Satan like a yappy little puppy nipping at His heels. He probably wanted to kick him to the curb. But Jesus endured this ridiculous attempt by Satan to get Him to sin, because He knew Satan wasn’t going to give up on me easily, either. Satan said, “You’ve got all those angels at your disposal, prove it.” And to me He says, “You claim to have God with you, why are you suffering?” And, “Go ahead and sin a bit, you’re forgiven, right? What’s the big deal?” I begin to consider giving in to the temptation.

Jesus’ time in the wilderness with Satan wasn’t to prepare Him for ministry. He did that for me. He wanted me to know that He gets me. He wants me to come to Him when I am tempted and weak, and know that He’s been there, too. Jesus’ time in the wilderness wasn’t about Him at all. It was about me because He loves me that much. He did this so I can know Hebrews 4:15 is true:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet without sin.

And I Corinthians 10:13:

No temptation has seized you expect what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Jesus was tempted. But He won. And He’s willing and able to give me the victory, too.

Thank You, Jesus.

 

 

October 4 – Fruit In Keeping With Repentance

Leave a reply

Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3

When John was preparing the people for Jesus’ ministry, he told them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” If you say you’ve repented of sin, your life should demonstrate a noticeable difference.

Be warned. Saying the words, “forgive me” are meaningless without a heart’s change. And when a heart is truly changed, what we say and do and feel change as well. It has to.

Paul, in Galatians, gives us a practical list of what fruit keeping with repentance looks like. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control. If all of those aren’t evident in your life, I suggest you check the level of your repentance. Paul doesn’t say the Spirit gives 7 of 9 to a repentant heart. Notice the word, “and” in there. It doesn’t say “or.”

John told the tax collectors to quit charging more than the required tax. He told the soldiers to stop taking money from people by force. A repentant heart changes how we treat each other.

Bearting fruit in keeping with repentance starts with a change of heart, then it pours out in how we live our lives. Do your friends and family notice a change in you since you’ve asked Jesus to forgive you?

They should.

October 3 – A Four-Year-Old Son of God

2 Replies

Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-52

God did not inspire the Gospel writers to include much about Jesus’ life as a child. We get glimpses, and we can guess, but we don’t know details about His growing up years. We know he had siblings. We know His dad was a carpenter and many have imagined Joseph teaching Jesus that trade.

The ladies of my church are in the middle of a Beth Moore Bible Study entitled: Jesus, The One And Only, and yesterday my pastor spoke on the importance of family and parenting. So after reading these chapters in Matthew and Luke today, it’s no wonder I’m sitting here trying to picture Jesus’ earthly family, and wondering about the dynamics of living with a four-year-old Son of God, or a fourteen-year-old King of the Jews.

When did the Boy realize His power? Were his sibling jealous? Did He laugh and tease, fall down and scrape His knees, have a favorite food, or best friend? Thinking about these things has me loving the Boy.

Jesus was a real person. He lived those years one day, one moment at a time until the day He met John there at the Jordan River and began His ministry. Jesus wants me to know that He gets me, because He lived life right here on the same planet I’m living on.

We had the privilege of sharing Communion yesterday, a time of remembering what Jesus did on the cross. That little Boy whose early life is a mystery, lived a very public life as an adult. He died on the cross because I am a sinner. He rose from the dead so that I can live, too.

Yes, Jesus is real. From the baby in the manger, to the four-year-old big brother, to the twelve year old in the temple, to the young man baptized in the river, to the Savior on the cross, and the risen Lord ascending into heaven. I remember, Lord. And I love You.

October 2 – Here He Is… And He Changes Lives

Leave a reply

Matthew 1; Luke 2:1-38

Simeon called the baby he held in his arms “A light of Revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:32) God had given the old man a bit of insight. The Messiah was not here exclusively for the Jewish nation. Jesus was going to change the world.

We call today October 2, 2016 because of Jesus’ presence on earth. Holidays like Christmas and Easter are celebrated by believers and non-believers all over the world. When I was young, businesses were always closed on Sundays. The way these things are observed aren’t necessarily “Christian,” but they certainly are a reflection of the the impact Jesus made and continues to make on life.

And speaking of life, Jesus changes lives when people meet Him. The baby we read about today has meaning for everyone, including you.

Believe it or not. Accept it or not. Simeon held YOUR Savior that day in Jerusalem. Have you let Jesus change your life? He’s eager to do that very thing.