Tag Archives: Gospel

This Time Matters

Posted on by

0

One of the things that I think we can do as Christians to really change our lives is to look at Jesus. He is the visible image of the invisible God. So, in other words, to know God, we have to know Jesus.

How do we know Jesus?

We look at the Word and see what it teaches. What does it say about Him, His life, His ministry, who He is?

So, if you really want to change your life, read a Gospel. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Read it and see what you learn about Jesus. And when learn something about Jesus, you will learn something about God.

Today, we take a look at something that happens in Luke 4: 42-44. Listen to what it says:

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea

praying-alone-e1332341399443What do we learn here? Well, lots of things. Jesus had a mission. He obeyed it, even when it was a challenge and misunderstood. He was always moving and faithful.

But what I took away was this. He was alone. He went to a place where it was just Him and God. He went alone and prayed.

He is the very Son of God. He is God Himself. He is part of the Trinity. And He knew the importance of prayer. He knew the importance of study. He knew the importance of being alone with God.

It mattered to Jesus.

And so it should matter to us. This time matters. No matter where you are right now. At home. In the office. On the bus. In the car. Wherever. This time matters.

In this moment, turn your heart towards God. Listen to Him. Seek Him. Know Him. This right here is the most important time of your day.

Jesus knew the importance of His time with God. So should we.

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)

Posted on by

0

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.

Not Ashamed

Posted on by

0

Listen to the Word of God as we see in 1 Timothy 1:8-9:

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began

432693939_640This is big.  Really big.  We are called today not be ashamed of our faith in Jesus. We are called today to live boldly, live with confidence, live with peace, live for Jesus.  We are called today to not be ashamed of the Gospel.

But, be proud of the Gospel.

The title that is most important to me today is not Reverend.  Or pastor.  Or even Husband.  Or Father.  Or Son.

The title that means the most to me today is Christian. Because the title Christian makes everything else possible.  For me to be the best pastor or husband or father or son that I can be, I must chase after Jesus with all that I am.

Today, the title that has to mean the most in your life is that title of being a child of God. That has to have the most meaning.  That is the title that everything, all things, they must flow from.

Don’t be ashamed.

Don’t run from it.

Don’t hide from it.

You are a Christian.  You are child of God.  You are His.

Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel.  It’s the power of God in you, through you, and for you.

Live boldly.  Live for Him!  Take His name with you, where ever you go.  Live.  Love.  Serve.

In Jesus name.

Don’t be ashamed, today, and each day!

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.

Rest

Posted on by

0

Mark is my favorite of all the Gospels. Each one of them has a different thing that they emphasize. Matthew make connections with the Old Testament. Luke looks at Jesus love and connection with the entire world. John answers the deep questions of faith.

But Mark is simple. Mark is shorter. Mark is fast. And in Mark, Jesus is always going. As someone that’s a little (or a lot) ADD, I really like the emphasis on action in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus and the disciples are always going, always acting, always on the move.

Except for the passage we read today. Listen to Mark 6: 30-32:

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

Rest_Stop_Brown_Bear-insert-in-postThe disciples had just come back from doing ministry and they were excited. The way the text describes it, I can almost see them gathered around Jesus like little children talking fast and telling Him everything that had happened.

And He said, let’s rest for a while. They had gotten so busy, they hadn’t even had time to eat.

Let’s rest.

We are supposed to go. We are supposed to be active. We are supposed to do and take the Good News everywhere. We have kingdom work to do today! We are supposed to be on the move. Time and daylight is wasting.

But, sometimes, we get ourselves worn out. We can do too much. We can get too busy. We can get off track and sideways.

And we need to rest.

Listen to me friends, you don’t have to do everything. The fate of the free world doesn’t rest of your shoulders. I know it feels that way sometimes, anyone that knows me a little can tell you that I often feel that way. So I’m preaching to me as much as I am to you.

Rest. Rest in Jesus. Breathe. Calm down. Slow down. Rest.

He has a lot for us to do for the kingdom. He has a lot that we need accomplish for His work. But have to take care of ourselves.

Today, perhaps, today you need to rest. Rest in Him. Rest in His purpose and plan for your life.

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

Be Nice

Posted on by

0

The way most letters in the New Testament end is very practical. The letters, by the way, are the books that follow the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and Acts. The letters were written by Paul and other leaders in the early church. And were literally what they say they were – letters.

The letters are generally concerned with some issue going on in that local church, or with teaching correct belief.

But nearly every letter ends with just some plain, practical advice for the people. Today, as we draw near to the end of the letter to the Hebrews, we see more of that.

Listen to the advice we are given today in chapter 13:1-3:

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.

We are told to love. Show hospitality. Remember those in prison and are forgotten about.

In short, we are told, be nice.

Today, in your life, just be nice. Be nice to people. Smile. Be kind. Don’t fuss. Be nice.

Lots of stuff can be hard. But sometimes the easiest thing to do can also be the most important thing.

Today, God may not be calling you to move to a far away country. He may not be calling you to enter the full-time ministry. He may not be calling you to teach or lead.

But, He calling each of us, you and me, to this simple, and true advice.

Be nice.

Show His love to others by being nice. In that, we show how important others are to God, and to us.

And, believe it or not, when we are nice to others, we actually feel better ourselves.

So, today, be nice.

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.

Help my Unbelief

Posted on by

0

Yesterday I reflected a little on worry.  Worry is something that I deal with A LOT myself. I spent most of yesterday worrying and fretting over a bunch of stuff when the Lord reminded me, hey dude, you need to listen to the things that you tell other folks.

I’m the kind of guy that Lord doesn’t always whisper to. Sometimes He has to smack me on the head.

And today, the Lord maybe continuing His smacking on the head, to me, if to no one else. I was reading today in Mark, and I read this passage:

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Worry, to me, is so closely tied to doubt.  I worry when I doubt something will work out ok. I worry when I feel like a situation is out of my control and I doubt that anything can be done about it.

Worry seems to thrive off of doubt. Doubt seems to the oxygen to worry’s fire.  Worry seems to be fed and driven by doubt.

When there is no doubt, through, there would not be as much worry. Without that doubt, worry would become less.

So, what is the opposite of doubt?  Faith.  Faith drives out doubt. Faith drives out worry.

And so, look at this passage today, with a verse that I love. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.  None of us have as much faith as we ought to have. None of us are exactly where we ought to be in our walk.  None of us are perfect.  That’s ok.

Lord we do believe.  Help our unbelief.  Help us have more faith.  More trust.  More confidence in your plan.

Today, we believe.  We have faith. We have trust. Today, may we have MORE faith and trust.

Today, we believe.  Today, may the Lord help our unbelief.

Worthy Fruit

Posted on by

2

This morning as I was reading today’s readings, the words of John the Baptist, in Matthew’s readings stood out.  He is confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees as they come to him.  He says:

8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

This got me to thinking about fruit worthy of repentance. What is that?  What does that mean?  

I imagine the fruit being talked about here is the Fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc. But, that was not what really got me to thinking this morning.

How do you bare that fruit?  How is the fruit produced?

To get more personal, how will I make sure that I bare that fruit?  What must I do today, and each day, to make sure that I am barely fruit worth of repentance?

So, I thought, how do produce fruit?  I’ve found that for me, the way my life is fruitful for God is when I am walking closely with God. When I am praying, reading, listening, seeking God, I find that I produce the fruit of joy and peace and love and mercy.

But, when I am not. When I’m too busy. When I don’t seek. When I get bogged down in my schedule. When I turn my attention to what I have to do; what is next, it is in those times I am not patient and kind and loving.

The fruit in my life is worthy when I am walking with the Lord as I ought. When I turn away, towards myself and my stuff, my fruit is not as it ought to be.

So, for me, I have to make myself slow down.  Pray.  Breathe.  Listen.

Today, no matter how busy you are.  No matter what your schedule is, you can take a few moments every so often to stop.  Breathe.  Pray.  Listen.  You don’t have to pray for 30 minutes.  But, you can stop.

And, if for nothing else, become aware to the reality that God is there with you, even then.

In short, I think the key to producing worthy fruit is to live with that awareness that God is there with us. Every moment.

Even now.