This week we are going to be looking at 1 John 3: 11-24. Today we’ll be looking at the World of the Text for the first portion of this passage, verses 11-17: 11 For this is the message you have … Continue reading
Today’s reading is Romans 2: 16-29 Many of Paul’s day who were of the Jewish tradition said that they could not possibly be sinful, for they were circumcised. If they were circumcised and had this external marking upon them, this showed … Continue reading
Today’s reading is John 3: 1-21 Here is another passage that is so very familiar to us. There are a couple of things that I want you to notice in this text. Notice when Nicodemus comes to Jesus. At night. In … Continue reading
Today’s reading is Luke 12: 41-59 In today’s text, we see one of the more interesting and some would say, troubling passages in scripture. Here Jesus tells us that He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. He came to … Continue reading
On Wednesday mornings, I teach one of the most fun Bible studies I’ve ever taught. I teach our Older Adults here at St. Matthew’s a Bible study based off the classic book Hard Sayings of Jesus. Now, if anyone has … Continue reading
Today, in 1 John 2, we are talking about the antichrist. Wait, what? Yep. That’s what John writes about in this passage. But it may not be exactly the way that you expect. Listen to what he says in 1 … Continue reading
I really love when you are reading the Bible, and the spirit allows you to see a different perspective, it allows you to see things a little bit different. That’s what happened to me this morning. This is the familiar text I was reading, Luke 17:5-6. Listen to what it says:
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Ok, check this out. They come to Jesus and say, increase our faith. Now, that’s a good thing, right? I mean, who doesn’t want more faith? Who doesn’t need more faith? So, they come to Jesus with a good request.
But then, look what Jesus does. He doesn’t say, no, I won’t. He doesn’t say, sure, no problem. He says this. If you have the faith of a mustard see, you can throw a tree in the sea.
We hear that and think (quite often) about the size of the faith, and just a little bit of faith is powerful. And then we think, man I just don’t have even that little bit of faith. I need just that little bit.
But look at what Jesus is saying, if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can do amazing things.
Guess what? They did have the faith of a mustard seed. They did. They had left all they had and followed Him. They had this faith. Was it perfect? No. But it was there.
And so Jesus was saying this. You don’t need more faith. You have enough faith. Use what you have!
We are like them in this way. Are we perfect? No. Do we have all the faith in the world? No. But you know what, if you believe in Jesus, you have faith. If you follow Him, you have faith. You do.
He’s saying that you actually do have the faith of a mustard seed. You do. And that means today that you can do it!
In other words, you aren’t inadequate. You really aren’t. You have all that you need. You can do it. It’s not the size of the faith that you have, it’s the size of the God that you serve.
Don’t worry about having more faith, or not having enough faith. Use the faith that you have. With that faith, you can do anything. Anything. Anything is possible. It truly is.
So today, live, love, serve, laugh. Live out the faith that you, and watch God do amazing things. You can do it. You have faith. God can will use it. Through Him, you can do amazing things.
Today. And each day.
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One of the things we see a lot of in the Gospels is Jesus casting out demons, waging war against evil, stopping the powers of wickedness in this world. Now, there’s a lot of things within these concepts that we could talk about or focus on, but you know me, I think one of the best things we can do with scripture is to sometimes focus on the big picture.
For instance, look at today’s Gospel reading from Luke 33-35:
And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Ha!What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
Ok, there’s a lot happening here. But here’s something that I want you to notice. When Jesus comes, this unclean spirit immediately recognizes Him and acknowledges Him for who He is.
He says Jesus is the Holy one of God.
He calls Jesus who He really is, the unclean spirit actually gives Jesus the respect He is due.
Now, later in the Gospels, we see Jesus have many run-ins with the Pharisees and the religious leaders. They try to trip Him up, trap Him, and eventually work to have Him crucified.
Now, these are the religious leaders. And they don’t recognize Jesus for who is. They very ones that should know best don’t respond as they should.
And yet the unclean spirit here recognizes Jesus and gives Him respect.
So, when I read these passages of scripture sometimes I ask myself this. Which camp do I fall in to? Now, I never want to be on the side of the devil and the unclean spirits. But, at least in this instance they gave Jesus the respect He is due. The recognized Him when they saw Him.
The religious leaders did not. They didn’t give Him the respect He was due.
So, today, what about us? Do we recognize Jesus when we see Him? Do we feel the moving of the Spirit when we read His Word? When we worship? When we pray?
Do we heed the call of Jesus to love others as He would have us love them? Do we see Jesus in the call to serve?
And do we give Him the respect He deserves by obeying His commandments?
Today, I want to see Jesus. I want to give Him the respect He is due for saving me. I want to obey Him, follow Him, love Him. Today, I want to see Jesus.
Today, in all our lives, wherever He places us, may we see Jesus. And may we follow Him.
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!
One of the things that I’ve been blessed by as the pastor of Asbury has been the number of military men and women that I’ve been blessed enough to serve as their pastor.
And one of the common refrains I’ve heard from comes from making choices about what to do in leadership. What decision should they make. What road should they choose? What path should they walk down? I’ve heard them over and over again say these words – always choose the hard right over the easy wrong.
What does that mean? Always do what’s right even if it’s the harder option. Sometimes (most times) what is easiest isn’t always right.
What does that have to do with scripture? Listen to what Jesus tells the disciples today in John 6: 66-69:
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
The disciples had heard Jesus teach some really hard truths. They had heard Him say some things that were really, really hard for them to believe. They didn’t know if they could be faithful.
Maybe they should turn back. Maybe they should go home. Maybe they should walk away.
That would be easier.
So, Jesus asks, would they leave too. And Peter says Lord, where can we go? You have life. You are life. You are truth. Where could we go?
Quitting would have been easy. But it would have been wrong.
Choosing to follow Jesus, even into the hard places, would be hard. But, it would be right.
They choose the hard right, over the easy wrong.
So must we today. We must choose to follow Jesus, no matter where He leads us. Because no matter how hard it may look, it will be right. It will be life. It will be hope. It will be purpose.
It will be right.
Today, follow Jesus wherever He leads, no matter how hard it looks. Because it is the path to life. And following him, no matter how hard i is, is always right.
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!
Sorry no posts the last few days. Holly’s grandmother passed away this last weekend and we’ve been back in Lincoln county and I didn’t have a lot of computer/internet access in the mornings. We are back home now, so everything should be back on schedule for the rest of the week!
In today’s readings listen to what Jesus says in John 10: 25-27. And that word listen is huge:
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Jesus tells the religious leaders that do not believe because they are not His sheep. His sheep will hear his voice. They will follow Him. They will hear, and they will listen.
It’s hard to follow Jesus if we aren’t listening. It’s hard to follow His command, if we aren’t listening. It’s hard to know which way to go, what to do, where we should be, if we aren’t listening. As His sheep, we’ve got to listen.
We live in a world of real distractions, things pulling at us. Emails, texts, social media, instagram, everything. So many things vying for our attention, for our mind, for our heart. We’ve go to listen. We’ve got to slow down, if just for a moment, and listen for that still small voice, calling out to us.
If are in a place of confusion, slow down, and listen. If you struggling with things in your life, slow down and listen. If you are unsure, slow down and listen. Listen.
Listen for His voice in His word. Listen in your conversations with other believers. Is the music you listen to. In the things you read. Listen.
He is speaking. He is the good shepherd, who loves His sheep. That means us! And He will speak to us. Listen. He is there. Calling out. Listen. He will speak.
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!
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