Monthly Archives: January 2015

If We Have Jesus, it’s Going to be Ok

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Yesterday we read on of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, today we read another. Today, we read in Revelation 2: 8-11 the letter to the church in Smyrna. Listen to what it says:

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

0c4f6abA couple of things that jump out to me about this letter, and many of the letters in this first part of Revelation. First, notice this part at the beginning – “I know your tribulation and poverty (but you are rich).”

What does it mean to poor and what does it mean to be rich? We think of wealth in terms of possessions. To be rich means to have much, to be poor means to have little. Here, we see John say – you are poor. But you are really rich.

Why?

Because you have Jesus. If you have Him, and you are poor (in the world’s eyes) then you are really rich. If you don’t have him and are rich (in the world’s eyes) then you are poor.

Our worth, our wealth, it never comes from material possessions. It comes from Jesus. I have always liked the quote by Patrick Meagher – “Some people are so poor, all they have is money.”

Today the people are reminded. Yes, you are poor. But you are rich, because you have Jesus. That’s a great reminder for us today. If we have Jesus, we really have all we need.

And the second thing that jumped out to me is when he says, you are going to be tested. Don’t give up, don’t quit.

Sometimes we can think that if we face opposition or troubles, then it’s not what we should do. We are reminded here – no. When are being faithful. When we are doing right. When we are trying, we will face opposition. It will happen.

Don’t give up when the times are tough. God is good. God is there. Don’t quit. He won’t leave you, no matter what.

In all of this, if we have Jesus, it’s going to be ok.

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, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

Remember Your First Love

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I jokingly say that I will not teach Revelation until I’ve been a church for five years. I’m almost done with my fifth year here at Asbury, so I guess I may have to teach it sometime soon! LOL.

Revelation to me in an interesting book, there’s always a lot of debate about the middle part, and that’s where most of the attention goes. But to me, I really love the beginning and the end. In the beginning, John is writing letters to seven churches from Jesus, letters that bring encouragement and challenges to the churches.

The end, of course, shows us a picture of eternity and what it will be like when we come the wedding feast of the Lamb, when Jesus comes for His church.

Today’s passage comes from that first portion, the seven letters. Listen to what it says to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2: 1-5:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

HEART2I love that reminder. You’ve lost your first love. For so many of us as Christians, that can happen to us. We love Jesus. We really do. We have been affected by His grace. We have seen His mercy. We have tasted His goodness.

We know it. We really do. We know how good God is. We really do.

And we forget. We just forget. Life gets busy. Things happen. We know our first love.

And we forget.

Today, remember your first love. Place Jesus first in all things. When He is on the throne of our hearts, all things work out, somehow. When anything else is on the throne, even the good things, they will in crush us.

When Jesus is first, things just make sense. When anything else is in first place, things (in time) will fall apart.

Today, remember. Remember. Remember your first love.

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, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

52 Weeks, 52 Verses

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66982I had a moment recently where I needed to know a Bible verse. I was in a moment where I really needed to be able to encourage someone, and I didn’t have my Bible with me. And I wasn’t, in that moment, able to pull up my cell phone.

I needed to be able to quote a verse. And I needed have hidden the Word in my heart so that at that moment, I could share it.

We each need that. Each of us, as believers, we need to be able to pull a verse from our heart, from our mind, at that moment.

As a pastor, that’s a gift that I want to be able to give to my church. I want them to be able to know the Bible so at the moment when they need it; they will have it.

So at Asbury, in 2015, we are doing 52 Weeks, 52 Verses. Each week of 2015, we will memorize a different Bible passage together.

Would you join us? Will you take that challenge? Will you take the time this year, to over the course of a week, memorize a different passage.

Think about all the song lyrics we know. Or sports statistics. Or movie quotes. I know a bunch of all those, cause I’m a geek. But how much more should we know and hid God’s Word in our hearts?

Will you join us? Each week this year, one of these days I’ll share our verse for the week. This week it’s Daniel 2: 20-21:

20 Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;

Let’s learn this together. And let’s see what God will do with it in this year, and for all eternity!

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, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

Do What We are Told

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Holly and I have two kids that we both just adore. They keep us busy; they keep us full of life. They really are just true joys, and I can’t put into words how much I love my kids.

I jokingly say that they are smart like their mama and pretty like their daddy. But, they actually are really great kids. But, being as smart as they are (yes, I’m biased) they love to ask questions. They want to understand. They are always asking, why? Why? Why?

This is something that every parent understands. Every kid wants to know why.

And at times I resorted to an answer that I swore that I’d never use – “Because I said so!” I need you do this, just because!

I thought about this common parenting issue when I read what Jesus said today in John 15: 12-14:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

540_293_resize_20120801_9b1935513c954d4738260cb34a7e58bc_jpgHe says – this is my commandment. Do what I command! This is what I want you to do. No questions. No arguing just do it.

Love. Love each other. There is no great love than to lay down your life for your friend.

And Jesus said – you are my friends, if you do what I command. Love. Love other. Love as Jesus loved us.

Love. That’s the only thing in life that can change someone. Yes, intellect can affect. Yes, righteousness can make an impact. Yes, passion is of great power.

But you really want to change someone? Love them. Love has the power to change people in ways that we will never, comprehend, ways that we really can’t even understand.

Jesus changes us through His wants to us to the same. Love each other, through His love.

Plus, when you love them, you don’t just change them. You change you.
Love changes them. And it changes us.

That was His command to us. Love as we are loved. And if we do that, we really can change the world.

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, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!