Tag Archives: Jesus

December 19

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I Peter 2:13-5:14; Jude 1:1-16

In the 80’s, the school district where I worked was in financial trouble. For two years they closed schools and laid-off dozens of staff. As a music teacher with less than ten years experience, I was expendable. I found out in April my contract wasn’t going to be renewed. All of us who received that news reacted differently. Some were angry and filed grievances with the union. Some took all their sick days and stayed home. Others plunged into deep depression. Me? I kept going. We had our spring production at the elementary where I taught music, and my bands put on their regular spring concerts. I didn’t get caught up in the complaining about the administration or obsessing about what I was going to do.

I was single, had rent to pay, and the bills kept coming in. But I didn’t have a sense of doom. As it turned out, after only one year, I was called back to that same district. And I stayed there for the next 30 years. One day I was sitting around the table in the teacher’s lounge and one of the teachers commented about my lay-off. She said she had watched me during that time and was amazed at how losing my job had not changed me. I told her I knew that the school board wasn’t in charge of my life, that God was in control and I trusted him. She said- I wish I had that same confidence. To which I replied – you can! I asked if she wanted me to tell her how and she said, maybe later. We never revisited that conversation but I pray a seed was planted that day that produced fruit.

Peter reminds us to live lives in such a way that when people ask us to give a reason for the hope we have, we will be ready. Because people are watching. They are judging God by what they see in us. They are wondering if having Jesus in their lives would be better than what they have without him and they are watching us to see if what we have is real.

If you have been on this ‘reading the Bible through in a year’ journey with me, you know that we lost my 22 year old nephew Geoffrey in an auto accident in June of 2012. I am not going to tell you that Geoff was a saint, or that he always did the right thing. But I would like to tell you the verse we put on his tombstone. It’s I Peter 3:8:

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

You see, Geoff lived his life like that. He was a peace-maker, he was kind to everyone and went out of his way to befriend the down-and-outers. He had a sweet spirit and a tender heart. And he had no idea how incredible he was. And people noticed. People still comment on Facebook or call his mom to say how much Geoff still means to them.

Friend, what do people see when they observe your life? Because they are watching, they are taking notes, and they are judging Christianity by what they see in you. For myself, I want them to see I Peter 3:8 in me. And I pray they will want Jesus in their lives because they see how amazing he is in me. 

I believe if the things we read in I Peter 3:8 are evident in our lives, people will ask us to give a reason for the hope we have. Let’s pray that we’ll be ready to give them the answer and introduce them to their Savior. God bless you as you represent him today.

December 14

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Colossians 

I grew up singing and loving A.B. Simpson hymns. Yes, I know the melodies are often difficult to sing and, as a church organist, I also know chord progressions are tricky. But Dr. Simpson packed so much truth into those hymns.

One of those hymns is based on Colossians 1:27 where Paul is once again writing about the mystery that had been kept hidden for ages. The inclusion of Gentiles into what had been a Jewish religion was accomplished because of Jesus. And because Jesus lives, he lives inside believers of every nationality.

Do you believe Jesus is able to do that? Paul identifies Jesus as God in the flesh. Look at the first chapter of Colossians and meet Jesus. In 2:9 Paul tells us “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”. Yes, Jesus is God and in 3:4 Paul calls Christ “your life”. Not just a part of my life. My life, my existence, my everything.

Here is what Dr. Simpson wrote in his hymn, “Christ in Me”:

This is my wonderful story – Christ to my heart has come;
Jesus, the King of glory, Finds in my heart a home.

I am so glad I received Him, Jesus, my heart’s dear King;
I who so often have grieved Him, All to His feet would bring.

Now in His bosom confiding, This my glad song shall be:
I am in Jesus abiding. Jesus abides in me.

Christ in me, Christ in me. Christ in me – Oh, wonderful story.
Christ in me, Christ in me. Christ in me, the hope of glory.

I am so grateful that the God of Creation lives in me. My prayer is that as one of his chosen, I will clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (3:12) I will forgive as the Lord forgave me. (3:13) And over all, put on love. (3:14)

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”. (3:17)

December 11

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Acts 25:23-28:10

I’ve never been on a cruise. It’s something I’d like to do some day but right now the biggest boat I’ve been on is a show boat in Nashville.

Dad used to tell us that, as a Marine in WWII, they would be transported to and from the Pacific Islands onboard huge Navy ships. He said they were almost like little, dark cities on the water. But, he said, no matter how large and sturdy were those ships, out in the middle of the ocean you realized how small you were and how enormous is our world. To give us perspective, he’d point to a fly on the ceiling and tell us that huge ship with thousands of men on board was like that fly and the room we were in was like the ocean below. 

So when Paul told the sailors who were taking him to Rome that God told him the ship was going to be destroyed in the storm, I am pretty sure they felt not a little panic. They knew what was outside the battered sides of the ship. Paul warned them that if they jumped ship, if they tried to make it in life boats, they would die. Their only hope of salvation was right there inside the ship. And God promised everyone in the ship would be saved. 

Sound familiar? God has provided the ship in our stormy world. It’s Jesus. And our only hope of getting out of this life alive is in Him. If we try to make it on our own, if we think we can get to God by some other means, we will perish. Jesus is our Savior and there is just no other way.

Dear God, thank you for your perfect plan of salvation. May we stay in that ship, holding on to the truth of Scripture and Jesus as our Savior. May we not be tempted to jump ship in the middle of the storms of life. And may we reach out to others who are drowning. Father, I know that inside your ship of salvation, in Jesus,  is everything we need for life in this world and for eternity. Thank you. We praise you. We love you.

December 10

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Acts 23:12-25:22

Paul’s enemies wanted him dead. They lied and schemed and even vowed not to eat anything until they killed him. And the only reason they hated Paul was because they believed something different than he did about Scripture.

Have we changed so much since then? I know wars have been fought in the name of God. Planes have been flown into buildings in the name of God. Even denominational differences within Christianity can produce heated arguments. To what degree are we to fight against people who disagree with us?

I believe sometimes we have to go to war with nations who threaten our safety. But I wish we didn’t have to. I hate abortion, the murder of innocent children. But I also hate it when I hear an abortion clinic has been bombed or an abortion doctor has been shot to death in the name of God. I know that homosexuality is a sin and, in the Old Testament, punishable by death. But I was saddened to read this morning that a church known for helping the needy reportedly believe gay people should die. Whether or not they truly believe that, I don’t know. But I find it interesting the media put it out there now when charitable given is typically high.

Friend, let’s remember that our enemy is not flesh and blood. God sent Jesus to die for all of us. He wants the atheist, the abortion doctor, the drug dealer, the homosexual, the liar and the glutton to accept his Son as Savior. Satan is the enemy. But we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone! 

Father, I pray for your people today. May we stand up for the truth of Scripture, may our lives reflect Jesus’ love, and may we love even those who disagree with us. I know that’s not to say we should ignore or tolerate sin. But help us to show a lost world that what we have with you is so much better than what they have without you in their lives. May they be drawn to you because of us. Then, we’ll let you handle the sin in their lives!

December 5

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Romans 5:1-8:17

Best. News. Ever!

That’s what I think when I read the first 17 verses of Romans 8. Just look at verses 1&2:

Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me FREE from the law of sin and death. (those caps are mine)

When I accepted Christ as my Savior, Jesus took on the guilt of my sin and I became guilt-free. No condemnation for this woman! And to top it off, verses 14-17 tell me I became a child of God, a co-heir with Christ. Paul calls it a spirit of sonship. I like it!

So I have a choice, which in my opinion is no choice at all. I can reject the Lord and live according to what nature desires. Or I can accept Jesus and set my mind on what the Spirit desires. Verse 6:

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

Death, or life and peace. I choose Christ. It’s a no-brainer.

The Spirit of Christ lives in me. Like I said…

Best. News. Ever!

Dear Jesus, thank you for coming into my heart and life. Thank you for taking the penalty for my sin and setting me free from sin’s control. Thank you for making me your child. I give you my life. I give you my mind. I give you today. Thank you for promising to go with me. Prepare me to do the job you want me to do. I love you, Lord.

December 4

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Romans 2-4

Did you know Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” is actually the middle of a sentence? Here is what that entire sentence says beginning with verse 22b:

There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

In the same breath Paul calls us sinners then points us to grace. I love the word “freely” in that sentence. We are all sinners and we have all been given a gift. Not a wage, like Paul explains in chapter 4. A costly gift, yes. It cost Jesus his life to pay the penalty for my sin.

But he offers it to me freely. The righteousness he bought is mine for the taking. He redeemed me through his precious blood. It’s  a righteousness I can’t earn. It’s forgiveness I don’t deserve.

Go back to 3:22: 
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL WHO BELIEVE.

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping and in fact, have most of the presents already wrapped. I love buying for my loved ones and carefully pick out things I believe they will appreciate. They aren’t paying for those gifts. I don’t spend more on the ones who were nicest to me this year. These gifts are an expression of my love for them. And it would hurt me deeply if those gifts remained unopened after I gave them.

That’s kind of what happens when, faced with the truth of our sinful state, we walk away from God’s grace. He bought our forgiveness and is handing it to us with open arms. My prayer is that you won’t let that gift go unopened.

As I was writing this this morning the words from an old hymn kept running through my head. Some of the words are these:

Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin.

How can my tongue describe it? Where shall its praise begin?

Taking away my burdens, setting my spirit free.

For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

Gracious Jesus, thank you for going to the cross and paying the debt for my sin. Thank you for freely offering redemption to me, a sinner. I pray that each one who reads this today will accept your gift. And may we who know you as our Savior make you Lord of our lives. May we live today out of grateful hearts and serve you with love.

 

December 2

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2 Corinthians 7:1-11:15

Paul talks about “godly sorrow”. What is that? And how does it differ from worldly sorrow? One leads to repentance. One leads to death.

Paul was apologizing for a letter he had written to the Christians in Achaia, the church in Corinth. You know Paul. He tells it like it is. And he must have stepped on some toes with his bluntness. Paul says: Sorry if your feelings were hurt by hearing the truth, but something good came of it. You repented!

7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death”. Godly sorrow produces earnestness, indignation, longing, concern, devotion and encouragement. And all of those are things outside of oneself. That is as it should be when we are faced with our sin. Godly sorrow for sin causes us to bow before our Holy God, to open our hearts and minds to the Savior. Godly sorrow looks up after looking in.

On the other hand, worldly sorrow stays turned inward. It produces depression, anger, despair. The person who is sucked into worldly sorrow is often more concerned with how he is feeling than who he is in Christ. Too often worldly sorrow leads to tragic death.

Now hear me when I say I am not talking about those who have a chemical imbalance. Please PLEASE do not go off your medication. Allow the medicine to do its job. But I would say to all of us, we need to consider sin and respond to it with godly sorrow that leads to repentance. In this case we need to go to the doctor for our physical problems. And to God with our sin.

Have you sinned? I think Paul would tell you to quit beating yourself up about it. Rather look toward your Heavenly Father and see his love, accept his forgiveness, repent and, like we talked about yesterday, begin again with a clean slate.

Father, I pray that when any of us are faced with the reality of sin in our lives it will cause us sorrow. May we quickly confess our sin and accept your forgiveness. May we keep our eyes on Jesus, to look for ways to live out our faith, to win lost souls to you. May we demonstrate your truth that godly sorrow that leads to repentance produces people who are anxious to get out there and lead others to the Savior, too. I pray for any reading this today who are caught in the ugly web of worldly sorrow. May they recognize that as sin, confess it, and look to you for all they need for life – including the joy of being your child.

November 30

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I Corinthians 15:35-16:24; Acts 20:1-6; 2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4

So often when people go through hard times some well-meaning person says, “God never gives us more than we can handle”. I don’t believe that is a true statement. And I believe Paul will back me up on that.

Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. Paul felt the sentence of death. He was so depressed he despaired even of life. “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead”. 

I believe God “gives us” just a little more than we can handle on our own so that we learn to trust him and depend on him. Paul continues to say with confidence, “(God) has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us”.

Are you going through a difficulty? Is your heart broken? Do you despair of life? Have you done everything you know how to fix it? Good. Now you can learn how much you can depend on God. You are in a position where you can realize how faithful, how strong, how compassionate is your Savior.

I believe Scripture promises when you turn it over to God, when you seek his face, he will lift you up. There is a line to a song that says, “When you come to the place where he’s all you have, you’ll find he’s all you need”.

Amen.

Dear God, I pray that we who are going through circumstances that seem to be breaking us, will seek your face. May we set aside the problem and draw close to you. May our relationship with you become more important than a solution to the problem. We are weak. We are helpless. We are broken. Lord, lift us up. In Jesus’ name.

November 29

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I Corinthians 14:1-15:34

Much of the Gospel is based on the reality that God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus died, was buried, rose again after three drays, and appeared to hundreds of people as the risen Savior. That is the truth. It’s exactly what happened. 

Jesus defeated death and, because of that, death no longer holds the same sting it once had. Even in the death of a loved one, we have hope. And our hope is built on Jesus, who once was dead, and who lives today.

We celebrated Thanksgiving without Dad and Geoff again yesterday. For the second year we felt the hole left in this family gathering. There was laughter and love, great food, and silly games. We cheered my great-niece on as she took a few wobbly steps. We are a family who truly loves being together.

But Dad and Geoff were missed. Even as I was very aware that these two precious men weren’t with us yesterday, I could picture them with Jesus. They are able to look Jesus in the eye and give their thanks. Death did not end their lives. They are truly living today.

That is our hope, our assurance in Christ. When a person gives their heart to the Lord, death becomes a door into a glorious eternity with God. We will see our loved ones again. I am so thankful that they new the Savior and, in doing so, gave us the greatest gift they could give us. That is the ability to rest, knowing they are with the Lord. That’s something to be truly thankful for!

Father, thank you for defeating death. We no longer fear dying when we know you as Savior. What is beyond the veil is unimaginably wonderful. I’m glad Dad and Geoff are with you and that we have the promise to see them again, to worship you right beside them. Mom is there. Grandpa and Grandma, Aunts and Uncles who loved you during this lifetime. Oh, that everyone reading this blog today would have the same assurance, the same hope. May Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, friends, give their loved ones this precious hope by giving their hearts to you.

November 23

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I Thessalonians 2:17-5:28; II Thessalonians 1:1-12

Do you get excited when you read what Paul says to the Thessalonians about Jesus’ Second Coming? I do! The shout of the archangel and a trumpet blast. Jesus himself appearing in the clouds. My parents, grandparents, my nephew and others who died knowing Christ as their Savior will come out of their graves! And we will all meet Jesus in the air, “and so we will be with the Lord forever.”

That’s why we who know Christ do not grieve like those who have no hope. We know that once this life is over, life is not over. Once this life is over the person who has accepted Jesus as Savior really begins to live. 

I, for one, look forward to that day. And I think it would be incredible to still be walking this earth when it happens. Leaving the cares of this world behind would be a welcomed relief.

But I don’t pray for that day to happen soon. My prayer is that Christians will step up our game, that the Holy Spirit will find us willing and useful vessels through which he can continue to draw all men to God. Shame on us if we want to take the easy way out. Instead, we need to strap on the armor and get out there into the battle. There are still people who need the Savior and unless they accept him, they will go to hell.

Oh that our neighbors and friends shared the same hope we have.

Dear Jesus, we who know you look forward to the day when we will meet you in the air. We long for the moment when we can look into your eyes, when we can sing your praises face to face. But, Lord, we also know you are not willing that any of our neighbors and friends should perish without you. So I pray for your children today. May we do the work you’ve called us to. May your Holy Spirit empower us to be your voice to lost souls. Prepare hearts to meet you today. And may we be faithful to share the Good News of Jesus with them. Tarry, Lord. There are still people who need the Savior.