Monthly Archives: January 2012

Almost Missed Jesus

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Listen to what happens today in John 1:45-49. It’s a powerful passage and can be a warning to us today:

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

What happened here? What is the big deal? Something big. Something huge. Something nearly life changing.  Nathanael almost missed Jesus. He almost missed His chance to encounter Jesus.

Why?

Philip came to him and said, we’ve found the Messiah. Nathanael, when he heard Jesus was from Nazareth assumed nothing good could come from there. Nothing.

So, because of his preconceived ideas, he almost missed Jesus. Because he had prejudged who he though that Jesus was, he almost missed Jesus

That’s a real lesson to us today. Jesus may appear to us in ways that we don’t expect. He may speak to us through things that we’d never expect. He may call us through people we’d never expect.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that when we serve the least of these among us, we are serving Him. In Hebrews, we are reminded to show hospitality, for we never know when we may be entertaining angels.

Believe it not, God wants to speak to you today. Today, quiet yourself. Allow yourself to hear His voice. Allow yourself to really listen for Him today.

And know that He may come to you today in unexpected ways. Through a child. Through someone you don’t like. Through a stranger. Through a trial. Through a challenge.

Though some way you would never expect.

Nathanael almost missed Jesus today. Let’s not make the same mistake. May we be on the lookout for all the ways that Jesus want to speak to us today. And may we be listening.

We Need Each Other

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We need each other. We were not created to live this life alone, we were not created to walk the road of life alone. We need each other.

We need each other in our good times, we need each other in our bad times. We need each other to accomplish the things that God has for us to do.

Listen to what happens today in Luke 10:1-3:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

We see in this passage that Jesus sent out His followers to preach, to teach, to heal, to bring His word. But He did not sent them out by themselves. He sent them out two by two. He sent them out with someone to help them. Support them. Work with them?

Why? Verse three said that this work would be hard – they were lambs among wolves. It was going to be a challenge. It was going to be hard. They were going to have times where they were going to want to give us. They needed each other to do what God had called them to do.

So do we. There will be times when we want to give up. Times when we want to quit. Times when we want to just stop and go home. We need each other. We need each other to challenge, to support, to carry.

Jesus sent them out two by two. He did not create us to walk alone.

Today, who do you have walking with you in the tough times? Who can you count on?

And just as importantly, who can count on you? Who is it that can look to you as a help?

Today, may we make sure that we have those in our lives what we can count on for support. And may we seek to be the kind of people that others can count on to support them!

We really do need each other!

If the Devil Can’t Make You Bad

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In our lives, we are all pretty busy. Each of us. We all have a lot going on, lots to do, lots happening. It sort of just is what it is. We don’t have a lot of time to stop moving. We just go. And we just do. We stay busy.

Staying so busy can create lots of problems for us if we are not carful. We can forget (or be too busy) to take care of ourselves. We can forget (or be to busy) to serve others as we should. We can forget (or be to busy) to do things in that strengthen our faith, like praying, or reading, or worshiping.

Getting too busy is a danger of our lives, our faith, our families, everything. I had an old preacher of mine that put it this why – if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.

There’s some truth to that. So real truth to that.

Listen to what it says today in John 5:20-21:

For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

In this passage today, I noticed something that being busy can cause us to do. It says in verse 20 – “so that you may marvel.”

When was the last time you just marveled at God? When was the last time you stood back and said, wow, God, you are awesome. When was the last time you had an awareness at just how big and mighty and awesome God is? When was the last time you just marveled at God?

We don’t do it enough, probably because we too busy. Today, take time to stop. To marvel at God, His goodness. His vastness. His strength. His love. His grace. Just take time to realize what a great and mighty God He is.

And take time to just marvel in His presence. He is a great and mighty God. And He desires to know each of us. That’s pretty awesome.

May we never lose sight of that.

Braggin’

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As an Ole Miss fan, I don’t get the chance to brag very often on my team. Right now, it’s a lot of holding my head down and avoiding eye contact. One day I may get to.. One day!

In our lives, there are lot of things that we brag on. Our teams. Our families. Our jobs. The things that we do well. Our stuff. Our favorite restaurants. So many things that we enjoy or that are a part of our lives; we enjoy bragging about them.

We all do. If something impacts us or means something to us, we will brag on it.

So, today, let me ask. When was the last time you bragged on Jesus? When was the last you bragged on what He has done in your life and what He’s doing in your life?

Listen to what happens today in John 1:40-42:

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

We see here in the passage Andrew was affected by Jesus. We see Him changed by following Jesus. So, what does He do? He goes and He finds His brother Peter and says, we have found Him. We have found the Messiah. We have the one that can make a difference in our lives. We have found the one that has made a difference in my life.

He went, and he bragged on Jesus.

So, today, as we spend our time braggin’ on the things that we enjoy and have impacted us, or braggin’ on the things that we are good at, have we taken the time to brag on Jesus? He makes the biggest difference in us all.

Today, and each day, if we brag on anything, may we brag on Jesus.

May we brag on the difference He has made in our lives. May we brag on the change He has brought to our lives. May we brag on the peace, the hope, the life, the joy, the purpose, the very life that He has given.

Cause in the end, what compares to Him? What can this world offer that compares to Him? What can be as great as Him?

So today, as we live our lives, and we tell others about the great things in our lives; the great things we’ve experienced, the great things we’ve see, may Jesus be on the top of that list.

Today, may we spend time braggin’ on Jesus!

The Power to Change

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One of the sayings you hear a lot about Jesus in scripture is that He teaches with one that has authority. The wind and the waves obey Him. The religious leaders are shocked and confused by His teaching. The political leaders are left in silence by what He says. The spirits of evil are forced to leave when He commands them.

He doesn’t live, teach, heal, or care as someone “normal.” We all understand that. After all, He is the son of God. We get it. He comes forth in scripture as one called by God, enabled by God, who is the very Son of God.

He is one that has authority. He is one that has power. He is one that brings, above all, the power to change.

Listen to what we hear in Mark 1:27-28:

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Over and over again in scripture, we see Jesus bring the power to change. We see people encounter Jesus, and be changed. We see people convicted of sin, and repent. We see people healed by His touch, His word, His command. We see change occur wherever He goes. All throughout scripture, Jesus brings the power to change.

And He brings that power, not just in scripture, but in our lives as well. He brings the power to change.

We can change. We can be different. We don’t have to be the same. Really. That’s the power and the authority of Jesus. He can change us. He can save us. He can restore us.

He can bring hope, life, and peace. He really can change us. Really.

Today, let’s truly and honestly, give it to Him. Give Him the things that we need to change. That we want to change. That we want to see healing in.

He can do it. And He can do it in us. He is the Son of God. He is life. And He can change us.

Today, may we know the power of life. And may we allow Him to change us more into His likeness.

Remember Who’s You Are

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One of the thoughts of faith that gives the most hope is to know that we belong to God. He has made us. We are His. We are His creation. We are His.

That just gives me a great deal of hope and peace. To know that know matter what happens in my life, to know that no matter what happens in the world, we belong to God. We are His. We are the sheep of His pasture.

Listen to what the Word says today in Ezekiel 34:30-31:

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

Sheep are almost totally dependent on the shepherd. They can’t do much for themselves. The shepherd leads them. The shepherd guides them. The shepherd protects them. They follow the shepherds voice, and in that, they are safe.

Today, you are God’s. You belong to Him. Think about that in your work, in your play, in coming, in your going. You are His. You belong to Him. He has made you.

He delights in you. He protects you. He cares for you. He gave His son for you. He longs to know you. He longs to give you life.

No matter what happens today; good or bad, nothing will take that away. You belong to God. Rest in that today. Rejoice in that today.

There’s a verse in 1 Peter that says, “once you were no people, but now you are the people of God.” That’s who you are. You belong to Him.

The source of you life don’t come for your work, your play, your hobbies, the economy, politics, sports, or anything else. Those things can be up or down; good or bad.

The source of your life comes from this one thing that is always good and always true. You belong to God. You are His. You are the sheep of His pasture.

Today, remember who you. Today, remember who’s you are. Are you God’s

To the Thirsty

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Very few passages in the Bible start off, hey, those of you that are doing just great, I’ve got something to tell you. That’s not how most the Bible sounds. In fact, in the few cases are talking to the one’s that have pretty well off, the message is either this – be careful, don’t get confidant right now, or give God the praise for what’s going on.

But, that’s not most of scripture. Most of the Bible is like what we see here in Isaiah.  Listen to what the word says in Isaiah 55:1-3:

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

To those of you that are are thirsty, come to the water. To those of you that have no money, come, buy and eat.

You are spending your time, your money, your effort on those things which do not satisfy. Come, find the things that do. Come, find the things that give life. Come, and on be thirsty.

Today, if you are thirsty, there is hope. Today, if your soul is parched, there is hope. Today, if you are hungry, if you are worn out, if you are tired, there is hope.

The Bible is a love story written to the weak, to the sinful, to the broken. It is God’s act to love to those that feel unlovable. It’s God’s sign of forgiveness to those that feel like they can’t be forgiven. It’s God’s mercy to those that feel like they don’t deserve God’s mercy.

Today, if you are thirsty, come. There is a God that longs to give you water and to give you life. If you are tired, come. There is a God that longs to give you rest. If you are broken, come. There is a God that longs to put you together.

Come and find what you soul needs. Today, if you are in need, there is a God who longs to meet that need. Today, to all the thirsty, come, and drink from God’s living water. Come and lay your burdens down before God. Come and receive His life. Come and live.

Today, to all that need. God is there.

Something Better

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One of the great things about the New Year and the starting over we get to do each year in this time is the chance to reaccess what is most important. What matters most. What are really living for?

There is something better than the 9-5 grind that many of experience each day. There is something more than the accumulation of more stuff. There is something more than our reputation, that our status, than the hobbies we seek after.

There is something more out there. There is something deeper out there. There is something so much better than anything this earth, our careers, our hobbies, our vices can give us.

There is something better. That’s what Peter is talking about today in this text.  Listen to 2 Peter 1:3-4:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Through the power of God, we have been invited to become “partakers in the divine nature.” That sounds big, and sounds powerful.

And it is. That means, through what God has done for us, we are able to experience God. To know God. To know His power. To know His love. To know His life. To know His purpose. To be in relation with Him, to be in communion with Him.

To know Him. Today. In this day. In this moment. The creator of all that is, both seen and unseen, desires to know, spend time with you, and transform you.

You, at this exact moment, have access to God. You, right now, no matter where you are, have access to the most powerful, amazing, loving force in the universe.

And as awesome as playing Angry Birds is (and I love Angry Birds!) this is better. This is better than anything in life. Anything you could attain. Anything you could know.

This is where life is found. In Him. In His power. In His life. In His strength.

Today, and in this new year, you were created for something better. To know God, and transformed by His power. Today, may we live with the power of something better!