Tag Archives: Cross

Not What It Seems

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Ever seem to you like God has no idea what He’s doing? I mean, we know that we should have faith, and we know that we should trust, but sometimes we just wonder, man oh man, God what are you doing?

Why are you doing this? Why is this happening? What is the point of all of this?

What are you trying to accomplish?

We’ve all been there. We have all (if we are going to be honest) struggled to understand and hope in God’s plan, when we have no idea what in the world He is up to and trying to accomplish.

It’s ok. We aren’t the first people to ever feel that way. Listen to what the Word says in Matthew 21: 39-43:

And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God

on_the_crossAt that moment, it looked like God’s plan wasn’t going to work. From the narrow human perspective, it seems as though Jesus was dying, and it was all over. That was the way that it looked to everyone watching the cross.

It looked like God’s plan wasn’t going to work.

But all was not what it seems.  God had an amazing plan.

We know the rest of the story don’t we? We know what the Old Testament told us that this would happen, and we know what was yet to come, the Resurrection.

God’s plan was more than the people watching the cross could have ever understand. They didn’t see everything.

God did. God does. And He knows what He is doing.

So, when it looks like His plan doesn’t make sense, and it doesn’t look like He knows what He is doing; remember. He does.

He knows. He knows what He is doing. Trust. Cling to Him. Believe. Have hope. God knows what He is doing. Belive.

God has a plan. It is a plan that we can trust; no matter what. God knows what He is doing.

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!

How Should We View Others?

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How do we look at other people? What are we to think about them? What should be our main thought of others?

We all know that we are supposed to love them, after all as Christians we are supposed to love everyone. We get and understand that. But, that doesn’t really answer the question.

When you see someone, someone you like, or someone you don’t like, how should we see them? Listen to what Paul says in Romans 13: 13-15:

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

binocularsPaul is writing here about food sacrificed to idols. That was food that had been dedicated to an idol that was then for sale, sometimes, you would be at a feast and not realize that the food you were eating had been dedicated to an idol until the feast had started.

What did you do then? Paul says that the food is fine. But, look at what he says in the end. You can eat it, sure, but by what you eat – do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

So, if our actions, can bring harm to another, we need to very careful consider what we do. Because we don’t want to harm another for whom Christ died.

That’s what we’ve got to remember. Jesus died for the world. The folks we like, the folks we don’t like. He died for everyone.

And that’s how we should view others. As someone that Christ died for. As someone that matters to Jesus. As someone that is important. There are no unimportant people; there are no people that don’t matter.

Every matters. Because Jesus died for them.

Remember that today. How should we view others? As someone that Jesus died for. That right there, that can change 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, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

Take Up Your Cross (SOAP Method)

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Since it was so well received last week, we’ll continue using the SOAP method of scripture for some posts this week.

Let’s start!

S – scripture

Remember to read slowly.  Don’t worry about the things that you have to do today.  Don’t focus on the problems of the day, or the regrets of the past.  In this moment, slow down, and listen.  Listen for Gods’ voice in Mark 8:34-37:

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

O – observation

urlTake up your cross

Jesus tells us that His disciples must take up their cross.  That sounds a little unpleasant to us, and our western ears, but in Jesus day, to take up your cross would be a terrifying thing.  The cross was a means of death in that day, a terrible, painful, humiliating, awful death.  It was the means that Rome used to make a example of someone.  It was the public hanging of it’s day.

And that’s what Jesus calls us to do.  He calls us to take up our cross.  The cross, in Jesus day, was not the serene symbol of peace that we have made it to be.  It was a means of execution. And that is what Jesus calls us to.

Living for the gospel

Jesus doesn’t just call us to death (thankfully!) but He calls us to live as well.  He tell us whoever lives for the Gospel will find life, and is truly alive.  He tells us that if we live for our life, we will lose it, but if we live for the Gospel, we will find more life than we could ever again.

So, first, we die to ourselves, because if we are living for ourselves, we will not be able to focus on anything but ourselves.  And then, when we take the focus off ourselves, we find something really worth living for, the Gospel.

What is worth your soul

Jesus poses as question in the end.  Is is worth it?  Is what you are living for, it is worth losing your soul. Because in the end, we each must make a choice.  We can gain the whole world, all the power, all the fame, all the wealth, everything. But, if in that process, we lose our soul, what have we truly gained?  Jesus asks us to consider that question this morning.

A – application

What difficult thing is God calling me to?

Today, we are called to take up our cross?  What does that mean?  It means taking the focus off of us, and our “stuff” and focusing on what God is calling us to do. And, today, He may be calling us to something challenging.  He may be calling us to something hard.  He may be calling us to somewhere that we don’t want to go.

And hears the thing. He has promised us, that place that we may not want to go, if He has called us there, that place actually is the way of life.  By taking up our cross, we will find life.  He has promised us.  By dying to us, we can live for Him.

Am I finding my life in God or my my stuff?

Simple and sweet.  What are we living for today?  Where is my life?  What is the point of my life?  Is it for me?  My stuff?  My dreams?  My life?  Or is it for God. Scripture tell us that the only way for life is to live for Him. That’s it.  That’s the only way. If we live for ourselves alone, in time, we will lose our soul.  If we live for the Gospel, we will live.

It’s our choice.  Today, what are we living for?  Today, are we alive, or are we running the risk of losing our soul?

P – prayer

Holy God, help us each to remember where our life is found, and help us to make sure that today, and each day, we are living for the right purpose.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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 phone.

I Don’t Want to Go

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dont-want-to-goAnyone that’s friended me on Facebook or followed me on Twitter, knows that I’m a big Doctor Who fan.  And I’m not going to go too deep into why I love the show, because we don’t have the time to explain everything. But, I really do enjoy it.

In this show, “The Doctor” doesn’t die, but when it’s time for a new actor to take the place of the old he “regenerates” or changes into the new character, while staying  “The Doctor.”  In the show, when the 10th doctor regenerated into the 11th, his last line was a famous one for Doctor Who fans (aka whovians).  He said this – “I don’t want to go.”

But, go he must, for the show had to go on with a new actor. He had to go.

Sometimes in life, there are places that we don’t want to go. But, we must. There are places that are essential that we have to go to, even if it isn’t our desire or our “want” to. But, go we must.  Listen to what happens today in Matthew 16:23-24:

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Jesus tells us where we must go.  To the cross.  Not just to His cross of our forgiveness of our sins, but our cross of dying to ourselves.  Dying to what we want to do, dying to our desires.  Dying to us.

And living to Him. Living for Him.  Living in Him.

We may not want to go. But when we go, we find His life. For when we die to ourselves, and live for Him, we find life.  Life eternal.  Life everlasting.  Life now.

We find life in Him.  Today, may we go to the cross.  And may we find His 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 phone.

It’s Not Fair

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One of the things that we want to do when we are hurt or wounded is to strike back. That’s just our natural response.  Even when we don’t, even when it doesn’t happen, that’s our impulse.  It’s what we want to do.  It’s what happens.

We want to hit back.

I tell people one of the things of the things that gives us great hope in our lives and is our faith is this.  Jesus Christ went though everything that we go through.  Everything.  All the hurt, the pain, the loss, everything.  And in that, He gives us the strength to endure and be faithful in our lives.

Listen to what the Word says in 1 Peter 2:22-23:

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

its-not-fairHow you feel when you feel abandoned, hurt, betrayed?  Jesus felt that way.

You know how you feel when life is not fair?  You know that feeling of things unfair?  Wrong?  Cruel?  You know that feeling?

Jesus felt it too.

It wasn’t fair for Jesus to suffer and die.  it was not fair for Jesus to take our pain, or failure, our hurt, everything.

It’s not fair for Jesus to have done those things.

And in spite of being unfair, what did he do?  He didn’t respond with anger.  He didn’t strike back.  Even though it wasn’t fair.

Why?  Because He loved us.  Even though it wasn’t fair.  He still loved.  He still cared.  He still showed grace.

Even through it wasn’t fair.

May we do the same.  May we respond today with grace, mercy, joy, and love. Even when it’s not fair. Because it’s what Jesus did.  May, through His strength, may we do that same thing.

Let’s show grace. Even when it’s not fair.

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.

Tuesday of Holy Week 2013

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Today on this Tuesday of Holy Week, we draw a day closer to the cross. We also draw a day closer to the joy of Easter. And that, perhaps, is the thing that we can learn in Holy Week. We see that the pain (the cross) is followed by the hope (Easter and resurrection).

As Christians, we are not promised a pain-free experience. There is pain and hurt and suffering. There will be tears and loss. But, we are promised that these tears are not without a purpose and this hurt is not in vain.

And that God will use, even that, for something amazing.

Listen to what Jesus teaches on Tuesday of Holy Week, in John 12:23-26:

And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

urlJesus tells them that the time for Him to be glorified has come. The moment when He would receive His greatest glory and honor was here. And, for us, to think of glory and honor, we think of a great award or some time of prize.

For Jesus, His greatest glory was the cross. And that doesn’t seem right. But, as He tells us, in the cross, many lives are changed, and freedom is gained for those that believe.

A grain of wheel falls, and it bear much fruit.

He goes to the to cross, and many lives are freed.

To love our lives means in this world we hate it, to gain eternal life. By the way “hate” doesn’t mean “hate” like we think of. It means to not see it as the primary thing. To know that there is something greater. And that is the truth. As great as our lives are, there is something greater.

God. To hate our live doesn’t mean that we “hate” it. It means that we choose Him first.

And, like the cross, at first that doesn’t seem right or like something we’d want to do. But, we find, that in laying down our lives, and placing His life first, we find what we are really looking for in our lives.

In laying it down, we find something greater. Today, may we know true greatness. May we find the great life that God has for us. May we lay down our lives, and take us His.

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 Can Change Your Life

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There are some things, that when we know them, they change our lives. There are some things, that when the truth of them really hits home, it will change our life, our understanding, our view of ourselves, of others, of God, of well, everything.

Listen to what Paul says this morning in Romans 5:6-8:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

urlWhile we were weak. While we were ungodly. While we were sinners. At the right time. At that time. At that moment. Then.

Jesus died for us. Jesus died for you. Jesus died for me.

When you were at your most unlovable. God loved you the most.

Not because we were good. Not because we had unearned it. Not because we were good enough. Not because we were perfect. Not because of us.

Because of Him.

Like I like to say at Asbury, at your worst moment. At your biggest failure. At the time when you fell the hardest and the worst. At the time when you were most embarrassed, most ashamed, most unworthy of love, at that exact moment, Jesus died for you.

You are loved. You are forgiven. You are redeemed.

Think about that. Seriously. Think about that big failure. How it stings. How it hurts. How it leaves a mark. How it kills your soul. Your joy. You energy. Your passion.

That thing. That failure. That moment.

That’s what Jesus died for.

And you are forgiven. Of that thing. It’s gone. Forgotten. Forgiven. Forever.

Today, you can walk away from it. Leave it. You free and clear. You are forgiven of it today.

At just the right time, Jesus died for you. And for me. Not because we had earned it. In fact, because we hadn’t.

When you were at your most unlovable. God loved you the most. Never forget that.

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.

Today, You are Forgiven

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I read a Max Lucado quote a million years ago that I think of quite often. He said “The reason God hates sin so much is because of what it does to His children. It destroys them.” The longer I live the more I find that to be true. Sin destroy us. John 10:10 tells us that the thief (the devil) comes to rob, to kill, and to destroy.

That is what sin does in the big picture. It’s also what it does in our own lives. When we sin, when we do something stupid, when we fall, what happens, at least in my life, is this.

I run from God. I’m ashamed. I’m embarrassed. I feel like I’ve failed. And I want to hide from God.

That’s what sin does. It separates us from God.

So, today, listen to what we read in Hebrews 4:14-16:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We have a high priest, Jesus, who has been tested as are, and yet remained sinless. He became the perfect sacrifice for us. He atoned for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

He allows us to go home. He allows us to stop running. He allows us to have peace.

He lets us know the fullness of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and grace.

Today, you are forgiven. Today, you can come home. Today, you can start over. Today, you can draw near. Today, you are new.

Not because of anything you’ve done, or haven’t done. But totally because of what He has done for us through Jesus.

Today, you are forgiven. May we each draw close to our God today!

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.

Monday of Holy Week 2012

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One of the conversations I was having last night with my Disciple Bible study was the conversation about the death of Jesus on Good Friday.

Did Judas have any choice in what was happening? (My answer, yes, all humans have free will). What if he’d have not done it? We were talking all the questions that so many have about the cross, the suffering of Jesus, and all that happened to our Lord.

On this Monday of Holy Week, listen to what happened on this day, according to John 12:1-8:

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

We see Him being anointed as for burial. We see Him say that He would not be there much longer. He knew what this week would hold for me.

And in reading it, the point struck me, that struck me last night in our conversation. In regards to his crucifixion, Jesus knew what He was doing. He chose to go to the cross. He chose to go to Jerusalem. He knew what was going to happen.

He knew that the cross awaited Him on Good Friday. He knew what was to happen. He willing chose it. Judas had a part to play, yes, but remember.

Jesus choose to lay His life down.

For you, and for me. He went to cross, suffered its pain an anguish. For us. For me. For you. For our forgiveness. For our salvation. For our hope.

Jesus knew what was happening. And He chose it. For us.

But, one other thing I stressed last night. No one killed Jesus. He’s not dead! He’s alive. He rose from the dead, He’s alive forever more.

On this Monday of Holy Week, let us remember that our Lord willing chose what was to happen, for my sake, and for your. And let us remember that even the pain, and agony of the cross could not defeat our Lord!

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.

What is a Worthy Life?

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One of the most powerful scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie was near the end of Saving Private Ryan. Many of you have seen the movie, but for those of you that haven’t, the movie is about a unit of soliders in World War 2 that is sent to save Private Ryan, the only remaining brother of a family that has lost all the other children in war.

Ryan is saved, and in the end of the movie he is standing before the graves of the fallen men that saved him, and he stands up crying. He turns to his wife and says – tell me I’ve been a good man.

That scene always gives me a lump in my throat every time I see it. What a powerful moment, to realize all that he had been given and that desire to life a worthy life.

Listen to what Paul writes in Philippians 1:27-28:

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

We ask Christians have the same burden in lives. We are called to live a worthy life.  So much has been given for our sake. Christ was betrayed, suffered, and died for our sake. He endured the shame, the agony, and the pain of the cross for us.

For me.

For you.

So much has been given for us. Let us remember that.

So, then, what is a worthy life? What does that look like?

I’ll sum it up in one word – grace. Christ suffered to give us grace, mercy, and forgiveness. He desires to see us give that same grace, mercy, and forgiveness to each other.

A worthy life is not a perfect life. A worthy life is a life of grace. Today, and each day, with the grace given to us, may we seek to live a life worthy of the gospel!

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.