Monthly Archives: January 2012

Staying Connected to Jesus

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Before devotional – a quick note. Yesterday, Asbury released a mobile app for smartphones. You can download this app and listen to my weekly sermons, read this devotional, and find out all that’s happening here at Asbury. To download the app for iPhones/iPads, click here. To download the app for Andorids, click here.

Now, on to today’s reflection!

Life is found in Jesus. That’s a simple statement. But it’s an incredibly powerful statement. Life, life that matters, life that can weather a storm, it is found in Jesus.

Jesus shares this with us today, in a powerful concept.  He is the vine. We are the branches.  Listen to what He says in John 15:4-5:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Today, in this passage Jesus tells us that He is the vine, and we are branches. He is the source of our strength, our life, our power, our everything. We get our very life from Him.

And this is so important for us to not only understand, but to live by as Christians, to say that He is our life is to say that He is the source of power, our strength, our ability to fight through pain, or doubt, or fear, or worry, or troubles, or trials, or anything like that.

He is the vine. He is our life.

But, that means as the branches, we have to be really plugged into Him. We have the amazing source of power and life at our disposal, and we just have to turn to it.

How? How do we acces this power? The ways we can do it have been called by folks like John Wesley, the means of grace – prayer. Studying the Word. Communion. Christian Conversation. Fasting.

By being active in these things, we receive grace. And we stay plugged into the Vine. We get His power, His life, His hope. His everything.

So, today, when you grow tied, read, pray, talk to a Christian friend. When you get frustrated, read, pray, talk to a Christian friend. When you think you can’t do it, read, pray, talk to a Christian friend.

Stay plugged into the vine. And in doing that, you will find life. He is our life. And as we stay connected to Him, we will find all the life we could possible need!

Family Resemblance

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One day my daughter Sarah got in an argument with my wife Holly. We were at Holly’s parents and Sarah saw a picture of Holly when she was a little girl and asked Holly when it was that she (Sarah) had taken that picture. Sarah said, no mama, that’s me. Holly said, no Sarah, that was me as a little girl. And Sarah didn’t believe her.

When you see a picture of Sarah and Holly side by side when they were the same age, you could see why she would be confused. I’m not going to say that they look exactly alike, but it’s very close.

We look like are parents and other family. It’s neat to see that family resemblance sometimes. It’s neat to be able to look back and see those common traits in families through the years.

Listen to what happens in Genesis 1:26-27:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Today in Genesis, we see the story of our creation and formation. And we see our greatest family resemblance. We look like our Father. Our heavenly Father.

We are made in God’s image. Each of us. We are made in the image of God. That doesn’t mean that we “look” like God, it means that we are each of what I have heard it called a “sacred worth.”

Each of us, no matter what’s going on in our lives; no matter what we’ve been told; no matter what we’ve done; no matter what we are doing, we are each of a sacred worth. We matter. We are important. Christ died for us.

You matter today. You are sacred today. You are special today. You are vital part of God’s creation and God’s plan today.

You have a family resemblance. You take after your Father. Nothing can take that away. Nothing. Nothing.

Live with that knowledge and confidence today. Live with that assurance. You are a specially created child of God today. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

You were made in God’s image. You matter. You are important. Never forget that.

Weakness

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We’ve seen a lot of passages this that call us to get up and go! We can do it! Keep pushing! Keep working! You can do it!

And I feel that way. But I also drink a lot of coffee, so it could just be the caffeine talking.

There are times though. There are lots of times in our lives when we are just too weak. We are too tired. We just can’t do it. We are give out. And we want to give up. We just can’t do it.

In those times, remember what we see here in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

None of us are strong enough. God doesn’t love us because we are strong. He doesn’t love us because we are awesome. He doesn’t love us because we are perfect.

So, today if you feel imperfect, that’s ok. If you feel weak, that’s ok. If you feel like you can’t do it, that ok. Because it’s God. It’s God working though us. It’s God that carries us. It’s God that calls us. It’s God that saves us. It’s God that grows us.

It’s God through us.

Instead of feeling bad or ashamed at being weak or unable, we can boast in it. We can boast in our weakness. Because it’s God. It’s God in us. It’s God through us.

Yes, we are weak. And He loves us anyway.

Now that’s awesome.

I Don’t Want To!

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I really wish that life was all unicorns and rainbows. That’d be awesome. It would be great if life was only made up of things that were easy, of things that we liked doing; of things that we would chose to do.

That’s not the way that it works. Life is not always made of up things that we would choose to do. Life is not always made of up the things that we’d choose to.

It’s sometimes, more often than not, made up of hard things. Things that we think we can’t do. Things that are too great a challenge. Things that, in the end, we just don’t want to do.

Look at what happens in Acts 9:10-17:

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Look at Ananias today. He didn’t want to go talk to Paul. He didn’t want to go heal Paul. Why? He had good reason. Paul had been destroying the church. Paul had actually been coming to Damascus to destroy men like him. And now God wants him to go and heal Paul.

No way! I don’t want to!

But he did. And look what God did through Paul. Through Paul, half the New Testament was written, and those us today that aren’t Jewish can say that we are Christian because of the work that God did through Paul.

And the only way that God could have done that was by Ananias doing something that he didn’t want to do.

Today, God may call you to do something that you don’t want to do. That looks hard. That puts you in a tough place. That makes you want to stop your feet and say no! I’m not doing that.

Today, do what God calls you to do. Be obedient. He has something for you. And He has something for that one that He wants to reach through you. When we are obedient, even when we don’t want to be, God can do some great things.

Today, even if our first impulse is to scream I don’t want to! when God call us, may we do what He wants. For in being obedient to His calling, we find more life than we could ever imagine.

Do Not Be Afraid

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I’ve read the story of Jesus calling the first disciples many times in my life. I’ve preached on it a good many times in my ministry. It’s a story that I feel like I know pretty well.  It reads in Luke 5: 8-11 like this:

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

So, when I started reading today’s passage, I thought, well, I wonder what’s there. I’ve read it so many times, I just don’t know what’s there this morning to reflect on and share. And then I read verse 10 again.

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

And when I read it, I noticed something that I had never noticed before (it’s funny how God has a way of doing that!).

Peter realizes who Jesus is, and his immediate response it to say – I am sinful and not worthy of being in presence. Just like Isaiah in Isaiah 6, when Peter has an encounter with the Holy, he realizes how unworthy he is.

Jesus then calls the disciples to follow Him. But before He calls them to go and catch men, He says this – do no be afraid.

Do not be afraid. What a message we need to hear. These disciples were beginning to head out on a journey that would take them far from home. They would see things that they never thought they would have ever seen. They would experience things that many of them would have never through possible. They were literally going to do the impossible.

And I’m sure if they realized on the front end all they were going to do, they’d have been terrified.

So, Jesus says, don’t be afraid.

I don’t know what your day holds. I don’t know what your life holds. I don’t know what challenges await you. I don’t know what all callings Jesus has on your life. I don’t know what the future will be.

I know that there will be joy and pain, laughter and tears, challenges and triumphs. And I know in all things, today, tomorrow, and always this message we hear today rings true.

Do not be afraid. God is with Jesus. He never leaves us. He is with us. He calls us, He loves us, He cares for us.

Do not be afraid. You are His beloved child. He will neve leave your side. You have nothing to fear. Today, or any day.

Do no be afraid.

Motivation

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Today in this passage we read the famous story of when God calls Isaiah. We see God appear in the temple before this and we see him ask a question – who will go for us?

Listen to Isaiah 6:8:

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

And we see Isaiah’s famous response. Here I am, send me! Man of us have heard Isaiah’s response and marveled! What an awesome thing to say, what a great response. What am example.

May we have the strength to do the same!

But where did this strength come from? Where was this motivation found? How could Isaiah decide to forsake everything that he was doing and follow God’s request? Where did this motivation come from?

Look what happend before the famous verse 8, look at 6-7:

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

God took away his guilt. His sins were forgiven. His sin was atoned for. He was forgive and free.

He had experienced the joy and life of forgiveness! He had seen his sins taken away. He had heard and experienced the power of being forgiven.

He had the most powerful motivation any of us could ever have in our lives – grace.

Was God asking for a lot from Isaiah? Yes. God was sending him out on a big life changing mission. But Isaiah gladly and eagerly volunteered. Because he had found the joy of God’s forgiveness. He was new. He was clean. He was forgiven. It was a fresh start. A new day. And he couldn’t wait to go!

Today, you’ve been forgiven. God has forgiven you. You sins are washed away. Serve Him today not out of obligation or fear. Serve Him out of a thankful heart.

We have the greatest motivation in the entire world. We’ve been given grace! We’ve been given forgiveness! We’ve been given love!

And God asks us today, who will go and show that same grace, forgiveness, and love to others?

May our response be the same as Isaiah. Here I am. Send me!

Little Things

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Life is not always about the big things. Sometimes, it’s about the little things. Now, little does not mean unimportant. It just means, little.

Little things, done well, done for Jesus, sometimes can be the greatest thing that we can do. Sometimes, yes sometimes, God calls us to amazing, big, gigantic things. Yes, that happens. And when it happens, we should celebrate. We should take courage. We should be brave, be bold, and do it with great joy.

Sometimes though the things that God calls us to aren’t big. Sometimes they are little. Or at least to us, they appear to be little.

Listen to what Matthew 10:40-42 says:

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

Scripture tells us this. Nothing done in His name is little. Nothing done for His glory is little. Nothing done to further the Kingdom of God is little. All things, big or small, when done in His name and for His purpose are grand and glorious things. All things, big or small, when done for Him, are huge!

Today, God may be calling you to something big. If so, then do it. God gives us great dreams sometimes.

But today, God may be calling you to give a smile. A hug. A warm word. Just to be nice. Something we might not think of as “big.” But if these small things, this little things, are done for Him and His name, they are huge.

Today, in all things, big or little. May be faithful. And today, in all things, big or little, may God be glorified.

Today, in Jesus, and through Jesus, there are no little things. Today, through Him, may all things be for His glory. Today, through Him, may everything we do show His grace, His mercy, and His love.

A Choice

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Life is found in interesting places. One of my favorite books of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. In this book, the author seeks to gain every pleasure in life. He seeks after everything he could possible get. At one point he said that he withholds no pleasure from himself. There’s nothing that he desires that he doesn’t get.

And he says all throughout the book, vanity, vanity, it’s all vanity. In other words, all the things that he thought would give him pleasure and life were really worthless. They didn’t give him pleasure. The didn’t give him life. The left him feeling empty.

Today, Jesus offers us another pathway to life.  Listen to what He says in Luke 9:23-25:

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

So, today, we see Jesus come with another offer. Instead of seeking to gain our desires and our wants, we should live seeking His. We should lay down our lives for His sake and His kingdom, and in doing that, we find life.

So, today, we are left with a choice. Will we see to live seeking what we want and desire, thinking that this will lead us to happiness and peace. Or will we live seeking not just what God wants, but actually laying down our desires. Not choosing us, but choosing Him?

It’s sounds like a hard choice. But it’s really not. The Word tell us choosing our way leaves us empty. Jesus promises us today that laying down our life for His sake gives us life. And in dying to self and living for Him, we find more life than anything we think this world coud offer.

Today, and each day, we have a choice. Live for us, live for Jesus. Only one road gives life.

Today we a choice. What will we choose?

First Words

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Jesus was more than just a preacher. He was a friend. He was a companion. He was a teacher. He was a leader. He was a lot of things to the many people that He encountered in His ministry.

So, the Bible tells us that Jesus was more than just a preacher. But, part of what He did was preach. He would come into a town, go to the synagogue, read from the scroll, and preach to the people that were there.

Today in Matthew, we see His first words. We see His first sermon. We see the thing that He wants to start off with. And I can tell you, as a preacher, the sermon you are most nervous about and that you want to “hit” the best is that first sermon. It’s when you establish what you are about, what you want to focus on, and what’s most important.

So, today, we see Jesus’ first sermon. It was short, and sweet. It was this – repent.

Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 4:17:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Wow, didn’t really see that one coming. We would think that Jesus might not preach so strong a word. Repenting sounds and feels bad. It sounds and feels harsh. It sounds and feels mean.

And we all know that Jesus isn’t mean. So, why did He start here? And what is He saying?

To repent is to turn from. To leave behind. To stop. Jesus first sermon was to tell folks – hey, those things you are doing that are hurting you, that are causing you pain, that you think are life giving? Stop them. They are going to hurt you in the end. They aren’t giving you life.

Jesus calls us to look at our lives and find the things and the areas that are hurting us and to stop them. Because they hurt us.

Repentance is more than just feeling bad about things. Its stopping them. And turning from them. Today, Jesus really does want us to repent of the things causing of us harm. Stop them. And turn away from them.

Why? Because the kingdom of God is at hand. When we turn from the things that harm us and turn to God, we find life. When we turn to the things of God, we find so much more life than we would ever think possible. We find life abundant, life forever, life amazing.

Life.

So, Jesus first words were these – turn away from the things that cause you harm and pain, and turn towards me. And in this you will find life.

Today, may we turn towards Jesus with all that we are. And may we find His life in every moment of our lives!