Monthly Archives: October 2013

Grace

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Faith versus works. That’s an inside baseball, church phrase and argument.  It’s one that Christians have fussed about and struggled over for many, many, many centuries.

And its one that we struggle with, even if we don’t know it.  What do I mean by that?

It plays out in our lives when this happens.  When we think to ourselves, if I just do this, God will love me.  I have done some many things wrong, I know God can never forgive me.  I’m not good enough to go to church. I’m done too much. I can’t earn it.  I’ll never get it.  Surly I’m not good enough.

All those thoughts make our faith about what we do.  And that is wrong.  Our faith is not about what we do. It’s about what He has done.

Our faith is not about works. It’s about grace.  Listen to what Paul writes today in Romans 3:21-25

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

grace_candle_logoWe are all equally broken and sinful, we have all made mistakes in our lives, fallen, stubbled, made messes.

And God equally loves us.

And our salvation rests not upon us, what we have done, what we are doing or going to do, our salvation rests upon Him.  Upon what He had done. Upon the cross and the empty grave.

And our response, our only response is this. To believe.  To have faith.  To take that step.

We are saved by grace through faith. That’s it. That’s the list.

You don’t earn it.   You receive it.  Remember that.  Never forget that.  Cling to that.

And let that change your life.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Mercy

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We have been given so much mercy in our lives.  We have been given so much grace in our lives.  We have been given so many different ways that God has loved us, forgiven us, restored us, saved us.

We must never forget that. Seriously.  We must never, ever, ever forget what God has done for us and what He has forgiven us of. That must be our first song in the morning and our last thought at night.

We’ve been forgiven so very much.  We must forgive others.

We must.  Listen to what it says in Matthew 9:11-13 today:

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

mercyWhat is the greatest act of worship that you can give to God today?

What is the greatest act of praise that you can give to God today?

What is the great sacrifice you can give to God today?

Mercy.

We have been shown mercy.  We have.

We must show mercy to others.  Today.

If you want to honor, worship, and serve God today, do this.  Show mercy.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

A Choice

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Today’s reading from Mark 5:17-20 offers a pretty clear choice to us.  Listen to what it tell us:

And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

SocialClassChoiceIn this, we see two “people,” if you will. We first see the man who was healed from demon possession.  He had been plagued for many years by these demons, to the point that when Jesus found him, he was literally naked in a grave yard.

Jesus came to him, healed him, brought him back to sanity.  Jesus literally gave him back his life.  Now this man who was an outcast, that was not a part of the community, that was cast out, that was nothing, now he was whole again.

So, he goes out and tells people about what Jesus has done.

So, the town comes to see this Jesus that has healed this man.  And when the see Jesus, see His power, His might, who He is, they do this.  The ask Him to leave. They tell Him to get away. They want nothing to do with Him.

He is scary.  He is different. They are comfortable.  They don’t want it.

And so, today, that’s our choice.  Who will we be? Will we be the man, changed by Jesus, that can’t wait to tell others about Him, in every way possible?

Or will we be the crowd, that asks Jesus to leave, because we may not want to do what He may ask of us?

Today, we have a choice. Today, what will we choose?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Love Much

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muchlove21Something I like to say is that I have to choose between law and grace, I choose grace.  I’m going to always choose grace.  Now, yes, there are things that are wrong and are destructive, and we should avoid evil and stay away from things that will destroy us, destroy others, and destroy our walk with God.

But, even folks that are far, far from God and acting in ways that are destructive, you know what?  I’m going still going to give grace.

I’m going to love much.

Why?

Because I’ve been forgiven much.  Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 7:44-47:

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

I have been forgiven so much in my life.  Jesus has given me grace after grace, hope after hope, love after love, mercy after mercy.  He has forgiven me so very much in my life, and the only response that I can make is to forgive others.  To give grace.  To show mercy.  To show love.  To show that hope.

Because He has shown that to me. And as I’ve been forgiven and loved, so must I forgive other and love.

I have been loved much.  So, I must love much.

Each of us have.  We have all been given grace and mercy today. We’ve all been given love.  And with that love we’ve been given, we much give love in return.  Today, we must love much. Because we’ve been loved much.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Thirsty

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Ever been thirsty before?  I mean, really thirsty?  Give out?  Worn out?  Tired?

Listen to what the Word says in Psalm 42:1-2

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

a toddler drinking water from a garden hoseThat is what will satisfy you today.

Not work.  Or power.  Or success.  Or fame.  Or money.  Or anything else.

No religion.

No hobbies.

Nothing.  Only God.  Only God will satisfy.  Only God.

Today, drink from the well that won’t run dry. Drink from God’s goodness and mercy. Drink from His life, His power, His grace. Drink from the living waters.

And you will never thirst again.

Today, are you thirsty? Today, drink from God’s living water and never thirst again.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Blinded

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fri 02You ever get frustrated with folks that aren’t Christian?  You ever just really get fed up with the world, with the way that people act, that their choices, their decisions, the way that their mind works?

There’s something that I say from time to tim – I don’t expect lost folks to act like Christians.  I do, however, expect Christians to act like Christians.  So, if you are spending your time, expecting people that don’t know Jesus Christ, to act like me or you, than you are just wasting your time.

They aren’t.  They simply aren’t.  Listen to what it says in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We see here that the god of this age (Satan) has blinded the unbelievers to the truth of God.  So then, what is our move?  What are we to do?  What are our options?

Pray.  Build relationships.  Take Christ with you.  Shine the light.  Take it with you.

In your words. In your actions.  In all that you do.  Shine His.  The light will shine in the darkness. And the darkness will not overcome it.  Take the light of Jesus with you.

But first, and foremost.  Pray.  Pray for those that you know that don’t love Jesus.  Pray for those that you know that need to love Him better.  Pray.

Pray for His word to spread.  Pray for the church.  Pray for yourself.

Yes, they are blinded.  Don’t get frustrated.  Don’t get angry.  Love.  Trust.  Pray.

And let God take care of the rest.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Thorn

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We’ve all go something that plagues us.  A sin.  A doubt.  A worry.  An illness.

Something. We’ve all got something that we wish we didn’t have. We’ve all got something that we’d give anything for God to take away, something that, if we didn’t have to deal with it, would make our lives much, much easier.

We all have it.  I do.  You do.  Paul did.  Listen to what Paul writes this morning in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

600-02347969Paul has what he calls his thorn in the flesh.  We don’t know what it is, no one does.  All we know is this, that is caused Paul great pain, and he badly wanted to be rid of it.  And God told him no.  It would not be removed.

Why?  Wouldn’t it be better if it was gone?  No.

Why?  Because in his weakness, Paul would find God’s strength.  When Paul had to rely upon God’s strength, he’d find more power, strength, and might then he’d ever imagine.  When he was weak, God strength is made know for all to see.

So is it in all our lives.  In our weakness, when we rely upon, we find God’s strength.  When we rely upon Him, we find more power than we’ll ever know.

We He is our strength, then we all have all the strength we need.

Today, even with any thorn you may face, God’s strength is all that you need.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Freedom

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imgresOne of my professors in college used to say this about freedom.  You have the right to swing your fist in as much as it does not hit your neighbors nose.  At that point it turns from you swinging your fist around to hitting your neighbor.

We go from looking at ourselves and our stuff, to harming our neighbor.  In that situation, we aren’t using our freedom for the right thing.  We are free, not to do what we want. But we are free to do what is right.

Listen to what Paul writes today in Romans 15:1-3

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.

Paul says that those us that strong, we should look out for those that are weak.  Why?  Shouldn’t they take care of themselves?  Shouldn’t I just do what I want to do because I can?

No.  We don’t live for ourselves. We live for God.  We live for His glory and for His purpose.

We are here for Him.  And for each other.  And to use what we have, who we are, our freedom, to love God and love our neighbor.

Today, you have freedom.  You do.  You can do what you want to.  There is no one to make you do anything.  You have freedom.

But remember, that freedom is not given to you to do what you want to do.  Its given to you to do the right thing.

Today, use that freedom for God.  And for good.  Take care of each other. For God’s glory.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

This World and the Next

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One of my favorite quotes is by my man CS Lewis.  This is what he says in his book Mere Christianity.

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

I thought about that when I read today’s scripture from John 13:1-4

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

nature_clouds_heaven_019281_In John, Jesus gets up, and He washes the feet of the disciples.  This is an act of great service, one of the greatest acts of service that any would could possibly perform, and our Lord and Savior willingly does it.

This is a great example to us.  Why did He do it?  Because He knew that the Lord had given all things into His hands.  And that He had come from God and was going back to God.  He knew that this world was not His home.

As it for us. This world is not our home. This is not where we belong.

We don’t live for this world.  We don’t live for this world’s praise or honor. We don’t live for this world’s recognition.

We live for our real home.  Our true home.  Our true place.

And because we know that this world isn’t our home, we can live with no fear.  Or worry.  Or stress.  The next world, that’s what we were made for.  And that’ where we are going.

So, live boldly. Live for your real home.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Go and Tell

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Still-Background-Set-Go-and-Tell_slide1_390x294We brag on a lot of stuff in our lives. We brag on our favorite restaurant.  We brag on our favorite team.  We brag on our favorite.  Place to shop, or place to hunt, or whatever.

We love to brag on the things that make us happy.  We all do. I do.  You do.

And so, let me ask you this question.  Of all the things that we love, of all the things that have made a difference in our lives, what is the greatest?  Lots of stuff have changed us for the better, but the thing that has changed us the most, the thing that makes the greatest difference in our lives is Jesus.

And my question is this. Do we brag on Jesus like we brag on these things.  Listen to what happens today in Matthew 9:27-31:

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus heals some folks.  And He even tells them, don’t go and tell, keep it quiet.  Don’t make a big deal about it. But they can’t help it.

They have to tell others about Him. They have to tell others about the difference He has made in their lives.  They have to brag on Him and the healing and life that He has brought. They have to. They can’t help themselves. The don’t have any other choice.

How about us?

Do we brag on Jesus like we brag on these other things?  Do we go and tell?  Do we tell of the difference that He had made?  Do we share about the change He has made?

Do we brag on Jesus?

Do we go and tell?

Today, may we do that. May we tell someone today about the difference that Jesus has made in our lives.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.