Tag Archives: Jesus

October 18 – A Dozen Donuts, Please

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John 6

I do not believe Scripture teaches that God “chooses” to save some individuals, and “chooses” others to send to hell. Quite the contrary, in fact. God so loved the world that… WHOEVER believes has everlasting life. God didn’t come into the world to condemn the world but that THE WORLD could be saved through Him.

But then I come across a verse like 6:65, “… For this reason, I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father,” and I picture God on His throne, pointing His scepter and saying, “I’ll take that one, and that one, but not that one,” like some guy picking out a dozen donuts.

Jesus had just talked about His role as The Bread of Life. He went into shocking detail that seemed like He was talking about cannibalism. But, He explained, the words He spoke weren’t about the flesh at all. They were words of spirit and life. He was describing who it is that are granted salvation. It is those who partake of the Bread of Life, who take Jesus in – all of Him.

Some look at this verse through a paper towel tube and see Mary, and Susie, and Bob. I think God would have us see The Way, not individuals. No one can come to Jesus unless it has been granted him from the Father, and in order for anyone to be granted access, that person… any person… must accept Jesus.

Jesus is reminding us there is only one Salvation. And only those who do it God’s way are granted access to the Son. God chose mankind to save. And He has spelled out His plan of salvation in great detail. It’s all about Jesus.

The choice to do it God’s way, or not, is your choice. To choose Jesus is life. To choose rejection of Him is death. It can’t get much plainer than that.

October 8 – Is Jesus God?

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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 5 -Temptation Isn’t Fun

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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 3 – A Four-Year-Old Son of God

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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

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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.

September 21 – My People

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Zechariah 1-7

“Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know the the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.” (2:10-11)

God tells Zechariah that Jesus will come. God in flesh and blood would live right here on planet Earth with us. As a result, people from all over the world would join themselves to Jesus and become “My people.”

No longer an exclusive Jewish club, God’s people would include Asians, Greeks, Romans, Africans, Americans… Me!

My heart rejoices. Thank You, dear Jesus!

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I would like to thank you all for praying for Landon these last couple of days. They have changed his diagnosis from HUS to CIS, with salmonella. He has developed a fear of anyone medical and they have to sedate him to try to get an IV in him. He also is not urinating, and his right kidney is somewhat smaller than his left. His parents are meeting with an urologist today.

Please continue to pray. Although he woke up hungry this morning, (that in itself is an answer to prayer) he is still fighting for his life. His parents are exhausted. Let’s lift them up, asking God for strength and wisdom as they deal with this emergency. Landon’s mommy is pregnant. I’m praying for that little one as well.

Thanks again for praying with me. May God be glorified.

September 4 – I’ve Got Confidence

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Ezekiel 24-27

All the cities Ezekiel is pronouncing God’s judgment over were cities that had things going on. They were successful merchants and traders, or they housed mighty warriors. They were sailors. Bakers. Jewelers. People living in comfort.

But they denied God, and God was going to demonstrate what the consequences are for sin. Nothing they had placed their confidence in would be able to save them.

Where have I placed my own confidence? Is it in myself? In having a healthy body? Career advancement? My family? My possessions? What about my reputation, or my generosity?

God would have me see that anything I think I have or am cannot stand against God’s holiness. He is the ultimate authority, the final Word. If I’ve placed my confidence in anything other than God Himself, I will be as devastated as the people I read about today.

Oh, I’ve got confidence. But it isn’t in me! I have confidence in God. I believe He is who He says He is, and means what He’s said. I’ve got confidence that God is going to carry me right into eternity because I have accepted His gift of grace through the blood of Jesus.

I have confidence to face today because God has promised to go with me. God is my confidence.

 

September 3 – It’s Personal

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Ezekiel 22-23

As I read these chapters this morning, I was hit with the realization that God is not indifferent concerning my sin. In fact, when I sin, He takes it personally.

23:38 says, “Again, they have done this to Me…”

I remember when the Jews were demanding a king for the first time, Samuel felt like he had failed God somehow. God told him not to feel that way. “for they have not rejected you, but the have rejected Me from being king over them.” (1 Sam 8:7)

I might feel bad about lying to my friend, or guilty about lusting after my neighbor’s husband, or ashamed concerning a TV show I watch or an internet site I visit. But God is offended. He looks at every sin I commit as a rejection of Him, a slap in His face.

As I think of this I get a picture of Jesus on the cross, in pain and agony as He takes on my sin. And I see me, tossing another sin His way, slapping His bruised and bleeding face, pouring salt into the open wounds on His back, and laughing as I do.

I might think my sin is no big deal. But My Savior takes it personally.

August 17 – Don’t “Should”

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Jeremiah 30-31

There is a former student of mine, the mother of four, a young woman who loves her husband and who is loved by him, yet who battles depression and the all-too-often desire to stop living. She’s not a Christian. She reads self-help books, listens to Oprah, and tries to follow the advice of friends who tell her she shouldn’t feel that way, that she should be thankful, that she should tap into her own strength and pull herself up.

But I think all those “should’s” just make it worse.

I thought about her today as I read these chapters. God is telling the Jews that they have a serious injury, an incurable wound.

There is no one to plead your cause; no healing for your sore, no recovery for you. (30:13)

God even goes a step further and tells them to  quit crying about it. Felling sorry for yourself doesn’t change a thing.

Wow, God. Thanks for the encouragement. I feel so much better now.

Read on. God gives more than just a sympathetic pat on the back.

For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds, declares the Lord. (vs 17)

The truth is we all have reason to loathe ourselves. We’ve all done things to be ashamed of, to be sorry for. But trying to fix things by our own efforts is a bit like putting a bandaid on that incurable wound. We may feel better for a time. But when we fall (and we always fall) that wound bleeds a bit more. We feel worse than before, more useless, more of a failure than before.

God wants us to know that we don’t have to manufacture a feeling of healing. HE IS THE HEALER. We don’t have to pull ourselves out of the pit. He died, went into that pit Himself, so we wouldn’t have to live there. He rose again so that we could be born again ourselves, be free from the power of sin, and know the joy that comes from having our sins forgiven.

I think the only “should” we should listen to is the one that tells us we should go to the Father, repent of our sins, and let Him heal us. There is a sense of relief in that “should.”

August 11 – Bragging Rights

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Jeremiah 7-9

A lot of people are earning the right to brag these days. I am addicted to watching the Olympics. Every sport represents people who have sacrificed, worked, suffered, and determined to win the gold. I tear up every time I hear a national anthem played and understand that the person for whom it’s played is standing there at great cost, and with great pride, representing their country, their hopes and dreams.

I thought about them, and the apostle Paul as I read these chapters in Jeremiah today.

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and  righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. (9:23-24)

Paul, who had the pedigree everyone admired, said he counted it a loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:8 says, “More than that I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.”

I wonder if that is true of me today? I certainly don’t have an Olympic gold medal on my shelf. I’ve never worked hard enough at a sport to get close. But I have a home, a family, an income, health, friends. Can I honestly say I count it all rubbish when compared to knowing Jesus?

How does that translate into my every day? Do I put spending time in God’s Word at the top of my priority list? Do I pray? Do I put God’s wishes above my own, or above that of my loved ones? Am I more concerned about what God thinks about me, about my obedience and reverence, than about what my family, friends, and community think of me? Do I try to be politically correct, or Biblically correct?

Do I work at knowing Christ a fraction of how an Olympic athlete works at their sport? Time for a little soul searching.