Tag Archives: Grace

Healing

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Do you want to be healed today? That was the question that Jesus asked a man today in John 5. Jesus saw a man sitting beside a pool where healing happened.

Listen to what happened:

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me. “Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

This man had been sitting there for many years. Jesus came to him and said, do you want to be healed. He said no one could help him.

Jesus cuts to the chance. He doesn’t accept that statement. He heals him. He restores him. He helps him to become whole again.

The same Jesus comes to us today and asks us the same question. Do you want to be healed? Now we may be facing a physical situation that has no easy answer.

We may be facing and emotional or spiritual situation that has no easy answer.

We may be dealing with things that aren’t easy to fix. That are challenges. That may take lots of work, tears, prayers, and faith.

Our life may be full of these types of challenges. But, listen to the question that Jesus asked this man.

Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be whole? Do you want to be restored?

You can be. By Jesus.

He can make you whole. Even if He doesn’t “heal” you. You may still have you physical challenges. You may still have your emotional challenges. You may still face trials, trouble, and worries.

But, you can be healed today. You can be made whole today. You can be restored and renewed today.

Through Jesus. In Jesus. By Jesus. Today.

Today, do you want to be healed? Today, may each of us find that new life in Jesus Christ!

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.

How Envy and Jealousy Hurt Us

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There’s an old goofy saying that I’m sure you’ve heard before – he who dies with the most toys wins.

And of course you’ve probably heard the come back – he who dies with the most toys still dies.

Life is not about the accumulation of stuff. We can have all the stuff that we could ever want, but if we don’t have what truly matters, then what have we really gained at all.

Listen to how Jesus puts it today in Luke 12: 13-15:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Take care. Be on guard against covetousness. Be on guard against jealously. Against envy. Why? Why should we?

Here’s why. Here’s how envy and jealously hurt us.

First, they put us down. They make us feel like we are a failure unless we have whatever it is that “they” have. Unless we have their stuff, their status, their power, their position, their “whatever” we are worthless and a failure.

Second, they hurt our walk with others. Because I can’t be happy for God’s blessings in their lives, we are jealous about what they have and why we don’t have them. We aren’t loving our neighbor. We hold things against them. We don’t love them. We want what they have. That’s not healthy for relationships.

And last they take our eyes off God. Instead of focusing on God and His desires for our lives, we are focusing on ourselves, and what we don’t have. Or focusing on them, and what they do have. We aren’t focusing on God, and His plan for us.

Today, be on guard. Your life is not made up of your stuff. It’s made for God. Be on guard against jealously and envy. God knows it will destroy you. Guard yourselves and your heart. Give it God, and He will take care of it all!

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.

Faith and Faithfulness

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One of the questions that I am as a pastor is asked, and one of the questions that we are Christians can think through is this?

What does it take to be a Christian? How does one start? Where does one start?

But then from there, what does the Christian life look like? So, we say that we are a Christian, what should that Christian life look like?

We see today in Ephesians 2:8-10, Paul talk about this.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

He says this about the start of salvation – we are saved by grace through faith. This is not by our own doing, by anything that we can possible do.

We don’t earn our salvation. Our salvation is not about us “doing” anything right. We can’t earn it.

We simply by grace through faith accept it. God has done a great work in Christ Jesus. And that belief in faith in Jesus brings forth salvation. And new life.

Ok, so we are saved by grace through faith. Then what? What is the Christian life look like?

We see it next – we are created in Christ for good works, that are prepared for us.

So salvation starts with faith, and then that faith leads us to faithfulness.

We don’t earn it. It’s a gift.

And that gift changes us. That gift of faith changes our lives our heart our plans our hopes.

So today, know that this gift is yours. It’s God’s gift to you through faith. We don’t need to spend our life trying to earn it, we just need to accept it.

You are loved. Really. You are. Accept it. Let that love and salvation sink in.

And let that grace sink in. And let it change you. Be faithful in the faith that Jesus has given you.

We are saved by grace. But that grace changes us. Today, live in faith.

And let that lead you to faithfulness.

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.

Forgetful

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It’s a bad thing that we can be forgetful. Each of us, through out our days, can forget to do things. We can forget important things. We can forget silly things. We can forget.

Our nature is to be forgetful.

That’s one of the reasons why all through the Old Testament, God has His people always build alters and monuments. He does this so that they will remember. They will remember what He has done and who He is.

He did this so that they will remember, and teach their children. He wanted people to remember His faithfulness.

He wants us to remember. But, for God, He forgets.

Wait, what?

Yep. God will forget? What do I mean? Listen to what it says today in Psalm 25:6-9:

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgression. God is that God that when it comes to our confessed sin, is forgetful.

He purposely forget them. When we confess them, when we give them to Him, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.

Yeah, forgiving them is one thing.

Then, He takes it a step further. He forgets them. It’s like they never happened. As it says in another Psalm, our sins are as far as the east is from the west in the mind of God.

That sin that you can’t move past. That you can’t forgive yourself of. That you can’t get of your mind?

God has not only forgive you of that sin. He’s forgotten that has happened. His grace, His love, His mercy. It’s that great.

Today, let’s remember what God has done for us. And let’s be thankful to Him that He forgives, and forgets our sin.

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.

Is God Love? Is God Holy? Yes

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I was listening to a podcast the other day by Tim Keller, one of my favorite preachers to listen to. He was talking about the ways that the devil will get at us. He said the devil will use one of two lies against us.

One is accusation. He will accuse us of our sins, and get us to think that we are a failure. In this mode of attack, the devil hides God’s love from us. He wants us to focus only on God’s holiness and forget that He loves us. He hides God’s love from us.

The other is temptation. In this, the devil will tempt us into sin, and he will hide God’s holiness from us. He will make us think that forgiveness is nothing, not a big deal. He will make us forget the great price that our forgiveness cost – the death on the cross of God’s own son.

Love. And Holiness. Both are part of who God is. And both need to be remembered. And treated with balance and respect.

The devil will try to hide one or the other from us, based upon our weakness and our faults. From some of us he will try to hide God’s love. From other’s God’s holiness.

It’s not either/or. It’s both/and. God is not love or holy. He’s love and holy.

Look at the John 8:7-11 today:

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

He forgives. He offers grace and mercy. And then He says, go and sin no more.

And today, all of us are somewhere in this. Maybe today, the devil is making you feel like you are worthless and you can’t be forgiven. You can be. You are. You forgiven and you are loved.

Don’t forget.

Maybe today, you are thinking that your sins aren’t a big deal. Forgiveness is nothing. Nothing to it.

Never forget the price that Jesus paid to redeem you. Yes you are forgiven. But never forget the cost.

The devil will to hide one from you today. Which is it for you?

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.

Healing and Wholeness

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Do you want to be healed today? That was the question that Jesus asked a man today in John 5. Jesus saw a man sitting beside a pool where healing happened.

Listen to what happened:

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me. “Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

This man had been sitting there for many years. Jesus came to him and said, do you want to be healed. He said no one could help him.

Jesus cuts to the chase. He doesn’t accept that statement. He heals him. He restores him. He helps him to become whole again.

The same Jesus comes to us today and asks us the same question. Do you want to be healed? Now we may be facing a physical situation that has no easy answer.

We may be facing and emotional or spiritual situation that has no easy answer.

We may be dealing with things that aren’t easy to fix. That are challenges. That may take lots of work, tears, prayers, and faith.

Our life may be full of these types of challenges. But, listen to the question that Jesus asked this man.

Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be whole? Do you want to be restored?

You can be. By Jesus.

He can make you whole. Even if He doesn’t “heal” you. You may still have you physical challenges. You may still have your emotional challenges. You may still face trials, trouble, and worries.

But, you can be healed today. You can be made whole today. You can be restored and renewed today.

Through Jesus. In Jesus. By Jesus. Today.

Today, do you want to be healed? Today, may each of us find that new life in Jesus Christ!

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.

The Hardest Person to Forgive

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Forgiveness is a hard thing. It really is. I once read that forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Only the strong can forgive.

It can be very hard for us to forgive others. They may have wronged us badly. We struggle mightily with sometimes. And, we all understand.

We must, through, learn to forgive. I tell folks the quote that I’ve heard. Unforgiveness is me drinking a poison, and expecting it to kill you.

Our lack of forgiveness only harms us.

And I think we all know that. Even if it’s hard.

Others are often not the hardest to forgive. Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves.

We can forgive others. It’s really, really, really tough to move past our failures sometimes. Sometimes we think we have done too much.

Gone too far.

Failed too loudly.

Surely there is grace for you. But, not for me.

We all think that. Listen to what 1 John 2:1-2 says:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

We have an advocate. Jesus. He is the forgiveness for our sins He paid the price. He paid the ransom. He has done it.

We are forgiven. We are.

Listen. It’s not just we.

You.

(Insert Your Name Here) is forgiven. You are. Jesus Christ has purchased your freedom and forgiveness.

You are loved. You are forgiven. Today.

Today, may we live like the loved, forgiven children that we are!

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.

Pass It On

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We all had someone in our life that set the example for us. The example of what work looks like. The example of what family looks like. The example of what faith looks like.

Now, for some of us, that example was a great example. It was an example that really showed what a man, or a women, of God should do, should live, should speak.

For some of us, we’ve had some really Godly examples.

For others of us, we haven’t. We may not have had that Godly example.

But here’s the thing. No matter what we bring to the table with our past, those of us that know God, and that are called according to His spirit, we have an obligation to pass on what we know, what we see, what is right, and what is wrong, to those that come behind us. Listen to what is says in Psalm 145:4-7

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Our generation, we have an obligation, a command, to share with the next generation what God has done for us. We have to teach our children, our grandchildren, the kids that we know about God. About the love and grace of Jesus. About the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have a command to pass it on.

We must. Because if we don’t, who will? If we as the church, as believers, as those that love God don’t tell, who will?

We must.

But today, don’t get up in so telling with our words, that we forget to tell with our lives. Our lives tell the story of God’s grace even louder than our words. Today, share the story of God’s grace and redemption with all.

With the young.

With the old.

With all.

With your words.

And with your lives. Let’s pass along what we know. Let’s tell the goodness of God to everyone!

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.

Victory

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Sometimes in our lives, we spend a lot of time focusing on our defeats, the things we do wrong, the mistakes we have made.

We understand our shortcomings, our failures, our defeats.

Sometimes we can feel like we are defeated and we need encouragement and strength, we need hope and forgiveness.

But, sometimes we have done amazing things. I mean, just awesome things. Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes, we have amazing, earth shattering, awesome victories.

I mean sometimes we accomplish something that we just have to stand back and say – wow! Can you believe that happened? Can you believe that we did that? You can you believe that we accomplished this task?

Wow. That’s awesome.

And in those times, at these moments of awesome and amazing victory, we need to remember the words of Psalm 44: 1-3:

O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.

The people of God had done amazing things. They had conquered a new land. They had been victorious. They had won amazing astounding victories.

They wanted to just stand back and say wow! Look what we’ve done.

And so they wrote Psalm 44. And they were reminded. It wasn’t them. It was God, through them. The victory was because of the Lord. He was the force. He was the strength. He was the power.

It was Him. It was because of Him and through Him.

And so is it for each of us today. Our victories are His. Through Him and for Him and His glory.

Today, let’s thank Him for the victories in our lives. Let’s be thankful. Let’s live boldly. Let’s try big things. Let’s do big things. Let’s live out loud.

Let’s, as a I like to say – charge hell with a water pistol.

And when we put out the fire, let’s give God the glory.

Today, He is the author, the perfector, and the giver of all our victories. Let’s do our part, put let’s know that the battle is 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

Living for Ourselves?

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Yesterday we talked about how sometimes in life we want judgment for “them” and grace for us. Paul talks in Romans about this concept and we are reminded not to judge.

I mean, who are we to judge? God is the only judge, not us.

So then, does that mean I am free to live as I want and do as I want, and who are you to say anything to me about anything that I’m doing? I am free to do as I want in this life. Only God can judge me.

Well, maybe. But let’s not take this freedom thing too far. Let’s seriously consider what our actions do and how they affect others. Read what Paul says in Romans 14: 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.”

As Christians, we don’t just live for ourselves. This life is not just about us. It’s not just about what we want to do. It’s also about our families, our workplaces, our churches, our communities, and how we affect other people.

Your life today will make an impact on someone else; the way that we live, work, play, laugh – who we are – will affect others.

May we never be a stumbling block to someone else. May we never live in a way that dishonors God, that harms a neighbor, or that keeps someone from knowing Christ.

May I never live in such a way that that my life is a stumbling block to someone else.

So, yes, today we have freedom. We can do as we want. We can live as we want. I am not to judge you and you are not to judge me. God is the only the judge.

But our lives affect each other. Our lives shape each other. Our lives have an impact on each other. And on the world.

May we live in a way that brings glory to God. And may we never be a stumbling block to someone else.

May we never live just for ourselves.

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